Posted on 05/22/2006 10:21:56 PM PDT by FairOpinion
What’s really stunning is this absolute certainty of angry conservatives that A) Republicans will learn the right lessons from the defeat, and not, say, respond in a panic by embracing their inner RINO and flailing around for MSM approval and B) that the Republicans can easily win back Congress in 2008, just by stiffening their spines and pledging to return to their conservative roots.
I have my doubts on both counts. For starters, why would Republicans get the message that “we need to be more conservative” in a year that conservatives were knocked out?
In the Senate, a bad year for the Republicans would mean the loss of Rick Santorum (who has lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 88 out of a possible 100, and a 92 in 2005) in Pennsylvania, Jim Talent (93 rating lifetime, and a 96 in 2005) in Missouri, Conrad Burns (91, and a perfect 100 in 2005) in Montana and Mike DeWine (80 lifetime, only 56 in 2005) in Ohio. Of course, Ohio voters who sit this one out will replace DeWine with Sherrod Brown, who has a lifetime rating of 8 and 4 for 2005.
If the GOP base doesn’t show in Maryland, you get Ben Cardin (lifetime rating of 6, 2005 rating of 0!) or Kweise Mfume (lifetime ACU rating of 4) instead of Michael Steele.
Nice job, guys. Your effort to re-conservativize the Republican Party in Washington by staying home this year will have the effect of massacring the actual conservatives and empowering the moderates who you disdain. Perhaps we can call this counterproductive maneuver “RINO-plasty.”
Once the Democrats regain control of Congress, a GOP takeover is going to be exponentially harder than it was in 1994. You’re never going to catch the Democrats as flatfooted again.
(Excerpt) Read more at tks.nationalreview.com ...
But as you point out, he has worked for years against conservative interests...this isn't anything new. The new part is that people are finally waking up to it. What I wonder is whether conservatives will start to also realize that all the Executive Power that he's consolidated can very easily be used against conservatives!
How much better a Constitutionalist--dare I even hope for a strict constructionist--would have been... if we can get that from his judicial nominees (after some struggle), why not in his own actions?
I hate to be the one to break it to ya, but this entire nation is gonna be lost (altered for the negative forever) unless we do something about our borders. We're doing nothing practical now, and with the pending swing in the population after the baby-boomers leave us, again, a simple elementary math exercise, this nation is gonna be half foreigners in 30 years.
Besides, I didn't say vote Dim. I merely stated that perhaps losing a single house would have a silver lining impact. Just a thought.
I also fail to see how losing only one house will change things that much, especially if it's the Senate which is practically lib controlled now with the GOP [w]ussies in there.
Gondring wrote: "The idea is for conservatives not to vote for liberals, even if they're Republican."
Not in the primaries, for sure, but if you're stuck with a RINO, you're STILL much better off voting for the moderate than letting a Democrap win. Why slit your throat?
I'd settle for the answer to just one question. To wit, given that the SSA sends out employer "no match" letters and employee "no match" letters to about 130,000 of the most egregious employers of ILLEGAL aliens and about 9.5 million likely ILLEGAL alien employees, respectively -- why don't you do something, Mr. President? We know who they are.
Even if I don't like the answer an honest and complete answer will sure get my vote. IS THAT ASKING TOO MUCH?!!
Not only that, but whatever happened to notifying your sitting RINO that you are voting for his Republican primary opponent because of his moderate-left stand? Let them know that if they do win the party's nod to run against the dem candidate, they'd better do a better showing the next term or their next Republican opponent will succeed. Staying home only helps the dems.
"There is a huge number of liberals posing as conservatives feeding this suicidal mentality. "
===
BINGO! The latest Dem win - strategy, and it seems to be working.
The new 'Republicans vote on Wednesday' game (FR Mentioned) (article full text)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1613957/posts?page=87#87
Another " Come on charlie Brown, I won't move the football this time" articles. I have voted every election since I could vote for Reagan in 84. NEVER missed one. Supported financially, physically everything. At some point, you have to ask yourself these questions....
Have the republicans been good stewards of the power they were given?
If yes did we get the planks that control of the Senate, House and presidency would require?
That then leads to the question.... If you were going to be used politically by someone would it look like what is going on right now?
Yup, they're called "agents of chaos".
Arcane dialogs with lemmings must be short..
All they are interested in the hindquarters before their eyes..
for the march to the sea.. WHY?... The queue is BOSS..
Obsessive goose stepping maybe...
I'm tempted to equate a fruitbat to a dingbat here, but that would be kind.
You have to be stark raving insane to believe that a loss is EVER a good idea with a "silver" lining.
Kaliforniastan has a unique situation. In the socialist sodomite area that I live, there is only one available Tom McClintock for Lt. Gov.
Here is my solution, on the Pubbie primary I will vote McClintock and write in Tom Tancredo for Governor. Ahnold and other Pubbies will get the message before November and can address it if they want to. I may change my district of registration to vote for Richard Pombo in the general as that is the only way I can help conservatives nationally.
Here's reality: The GOP is growing more liberal and spineless by the day. We can go along with it. Or not. But one thing's certain: No meaningful change will occur without someone being willing to vote their principles instead of continuing to support the lesser of two evils. If there had not been people willing to risk that pain in centuries past, we'd still have the original parties we started with.
To continue to support those who no longer represent our values is itself a vote for increased liberalism, just on a slower growth track.
MM
So will the moderates around here support Katherine Harris?
There is problem, that when an incumbent Republican gets defeated by an unknown Republican, that puts the seat in play for the Dems, so NOMINATING a conservative in the primary does NOT necessary mean that a conservative will actually get elected, frequently it's the exact opposite, you are trading a moderate Republican for a liberal Dem.
More GOP seats at risk in House
Pollsters, analysts say once-safe incumbents are looking more vulnerable in fall elections
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060521/NEWS06/605210461/1012
"The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which tracks congressional races, increased the number of Republican seats viewed as competitive on Friday to 36 from 24, said Amy Walter, an analyst there.
Democrats seem to be in increasingly good shape to pick up seats in bands of districts across Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York, as well as districts throughout Ohio, North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, California and Florida. Democrats need to pick up 15 Republican seats to take control of the House.
"Clearly what we are seeing is that the political environment is taking a toll and dragging down Republican incumbents; it's dragging down their polling numbers," Walter said. "The question is, what will the environment be in November?"
===
All thanks to the fuax conservatives and gullible conservatives who fall for the faulty logic, while the Dems will laugh all the way to the Congressional Takeover.
You are right. Will you tell me how it's stark raving sane to alienate the very element of the base that has made the WOT possible? Can you tell me how he can finish this war without Joe Sixpack? If he hasn't figured it out yet, why won't he listen?
It won't be all the Joes, mind you. How many does he have to alienate to make his policies impossible? Not many. Look at his approvals.
He has sacrificed the WOT and our interests to please Vicente. Somebody tell me this is sane.
Why don't you look at how much damage Dems in power did to the country and how much more damage they would have done, if it hadn't been for some R presidents and Congress in between?
spetznaz wrote: "Any ideas?"
Sure, it's going to take the work of several decades to slowly winnow out RINOs and change a bloated government that took a half century to build. In 2000 and 2004, we tipped the balance a bit more conservative, but moderate Republicans and liberal Democrats are still calling most of the shots.
It's going to take time, but you don't turn it around by sitting at home pouting during future elections (not that you would, but some posters seem to favor that). Lets face it. It's conservatives who have the positive message here! Liberals just keep offering up the same old socialist garbage that has failed time and time again in the past.
What does that mean?
If somebody isn't going to "teach the GOP a lesson" by sitting home in 06 election, then they are automatically a "moderate"="evil Constitution-hating"?
Whatever crazy tree you are barking up here, let me just add I've sent 4 contributions to Katherine Harris over the last year, and plan on sending more.
What are you doing?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.