Worried GOP bids to shore up conservative support for Nov.

St. Petersburg Times, FL ^ | Sept. 10, 2006 | WES ALLISON

[EternalVigilance]

While it's no secret around here that I've had plenty of criticism for many Republican leaders, I agree with Terry Jeffrey. He is one of the few DC-based people I trust to consistently stay true to conservative ideals.

If people are disgusted with a particular GOP nominee, just ignore them (like the RINOs have done to conservatives for years) and use your resources of money, time and energy to help any of the hundreds of great conservative candidates that are running as Republicans all over America.

[medscribe]

Listening is a 2-way street. Votes must be earned, not taken for granted.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

WASHINGTON WHISPERS: GOP VOTERS - LIKE A ROCK

[nathanbedford]

I sincerely hope I have no grounds to say I told you so - that would be the coldest consolation.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Another self-righteous person who wants to be in the minority so they can feel all pure and clean. None of that compromising that comes with being in the majority for you. Fool.

Look, none of this would be happening if Republicans acted like Republicans. You want conservatives to stop bitching? Then Republicans should be legislating like Republicans instead of Democrats. You people are the ones who don't get it. Now I'm voting for my Republican candidates and I'm sure conservatives are going to too, per my link in my previous post. But it's time for results and not me-too liberalism or else this conversation will never end.

[Armedanddangerous]

When youre right, youre right..and that guy is dead on right.

[nathanbedford]

My inchoate opinion is that conservatives who are not committed like FReepers will to some measurable degree relative to 2004, sit on their hands.

And that is worse than sad, it could have very dangerous consequences.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

"You are obviously not serious about actually accomplishing something politically".

---

Such as accomplishing the conversion of the GOP into a copy of the democrat party? Wow, then we can get about the business of destroying republican, constitutional government, twice as fast.
Ben Franklin was correct, again!

[sauropod]

Then why is the NRCC supporting RINOs for Congress instead of real conservatives/Republicans?

[RFEngineer]

"Conservatives need to listen."

This is just another attempt by the GOP to further marginalize conservatism and conservative principles.

If the GOP wins, they'll say "It's because we didn't take conservatives seriously, thank god"

If the GOP loses, they'll say "Those rat bastard conservatives caused us to lose power - they need to be punished for their disloyalty"


Sooner or later, the GOP is going to have to decide if conservative ideals are part of the republican party. If not, then quit whining about conservatives not being enthusiastic about the slate of candidates being put forward.

Frankly, if it weren't for big-government liberals in the GOP, there would be no worries about the electability of republican candidates.

Why not cede the big government types to the Democrats, instead of cutting conservatives out of policy strategy? I wonder why that isn't the argument, don't you?

If the GOP loses the house and/or senate, it will not be because they are too conservative. The party can't pin blame on anyone but themselves if the people don't vote for them.

What happens in 2008(after more gov't growth and spending)? Another brow-beating of conservatives because they *gasp* dare to have conservative political views?

How lame. How lame that so many republicans buy into this nonsense.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I worked for a company that had an un-official motto of "We suck the least". After years of downsizing they were sold.

The point of this is that the employees worked hard to make the company a success, but management kept making bad decisions. If Republican management does not start making the right decisions, THEY WILL LOSE (PERIOD).

[MrEdd]

Conservatives need to listen.

If the Republicans chose to field candidates the Conservatives won't vote for -
It is not through ignorance. They are choosing to go it without the conservatives.

They can do that if they want, bit to bitch about it if it doesn't work out - well thats like bitching you can't pay the rent when you blow your paycheck on booze. Don't go crying to some one else when you make a foreseeable bad choice

[teawithmisswilliams]

The party also needs to listen.

Exactly. They want conservative votes, and then they proceed on their big-spending, illegal-catering way. I'm with those who say vote for conservatives in the primaries. Do what we can to scare the h&ll out of the elitist republicans who are happy to sell us out to "cheap" illegal labor. It's impossible to be enthused about a Republican party that is ignoring what the majority of voters, much less conservatives, want.

That said, there are many good republicans who deserve whole-hearted support, and they will receive it.

[nonliberal]

If Republican management does not start making the right decisions, THEY WILL LOSE (PERIOD).

And they will DESERVE to lose.

[Peisistratus]

"None of that compromising that comes with being in the majority for you. Fool."

Seems to me that the RNC leadership wants the party to be in the minority, not us. More fools they.

[Peisistratus]

"Then why is the NRCC supporting RINOs for Congress instead of real conservatives/Republicans?"

It's quite clear that "left" is the direction they want the party to go.... following the Democrats. I get the impression that many Republican politicians wish they were Democrats. They wouldn't have to hide their true feelings come election day.

[Peisistratus]

"That said, there are many good republicans who deserve whole-hearted support, and they will receive it."

I seriously doubt we'll lose the House.

[Les_Miserables]

Amen Brother! ..And now honest dissent is Trolling on FR? My how far we have come.

[nathanbedford]

One nevertheless feels constrained to tiptoe a bit less he unnecessarily tramples too heavily on the sensibilities of a fellow FReeper.

I've written a series of impassioned posts decrying this mania with zapping which can lapse so easily into vigilantism. I believe FreeRepublic has the capacity to become, in fact it might already be, the most important board on the net. To realize this potential, we must have a climate which tolerates, within a consensus for conservatism, a healthy dissent and a healthy dose of self-examination.

I believe this applies, for example, to the war in Iraq which I think needs a serious reassessment in light of the threat from Iran. If you look into my posts you will see that I am attempting to advance a minority viewpoint, but within the bounds of comity.

[Les_Miserables]

I completely agree with the thrust of your post. We may from time to time disagree on specifics and no one has a monopoly on perfectly clear insight but we all would benefit from rational debate that allows all points of view to be examined and defended without impugning the motives or intelligence of the opposition. A thorough mix of openmindness is also a needed commodity here. I find the presumption that any particular leader is beyond reproach particularly disturbing. No local or national leader should ever accept office expecting even loyal supporters to unquestionably accept every action they take and no one in the electorate should ever accept not being able to voice dissent when especially if rationally expressed and defended.

I also agree with you regarding the importance of FR. It can be a good barometer of conservative thought but only if all views are allowed, even those that bring into doubt party affiliation. It should be a conservative answer we seek not a party answer. Both parties need barometers of their respective bases. If FR allows free expression of conservative though and debate, because the conservative view is more profound in the Republican party the GOP benefits. To the extent that we are rational and make solid arguments to support our conservative demands on our government we can even expect to have a positive impact on the Democrats who suffer woefully from a total lack of conservative thought. That is the way we will build conservative strength in Blue states where the only GOPs elected are GOP in name only. The problem is not defeating liberal Republicans and replacing them with Conservative ones. The answer of how to do that and the consequence of the blunt force method is a true conundrum but it must be done nevertheless. The problem is changing the minds of the voters that put those people in place to begin with. The answer to that is honest open rational debate both on this board and maybe more importantly with our liberal neighbors across the backyard fence. At least IMO. FR can give us a good place to practice our debate if we conduct ourselves properly.

We may from time to time strongly disagree but we need to actually hear each other and not be drowned out by name calling as a defense or offense in the honest debate of ideas. There is woefully too much piling on of this nature and it is getting worse to the detriment of all conservative points of view.

Having said all this I don't want to be a hypocrite. I have from time to time lapsed into shorthand descriptions of well understood stereotypes that unfortunately trap the debate into a personal exchange. A practice I am trying hard to avoid.

My wife tells me I talk too much..I think she may be right.