(Un)fortunately, the ReligiousRightMoral'Majority'ArmyofGod(tm) wing of the party is going to find itself out in the cold if enough mainstream Republicans get tired of their tactics. Then maybe we can work towards getting those undecideds and middle-of-the-road voters back into the fold who were run off or scared off by Dobson and his ilk.
Alienate the core, broken-glass consituency of the GOP and then try to get the most passive, least-dependable segment of the electorate fired up about Lincoln Chafee in 2008.
Look out, Karl Rove! BEPIF's got your number!
Gosh, where does one start on such a pack of lies.
If the Christian conservatives are driven out of the GOP, the GOP will never win another national election again.
"Out in the cold" my patootie. If the Christians started another Party, it would be the majority party again within ten years. Conversely, without Christians, the GOP would quickly go the way of the Whigs.
"Mainstream"? The Christian conservatives are the heart and soul, and the arms and legs of the Republican Party. If you don't like it, go be a Democrat. If the only thing that matters to you in politics is power, what difference will your departure make to anybody?
Oh great, then, if we are lucky we can go back to electing "Republicans" like Gerald Ford! (sarcasm)
If we are going to simply abandon our principals in order to gain back the "middle of the road voters" (as you call them), then the Democrats will most certainly win because they do a better job of buying-off their constituencies. Without principals, Republicans lose. Period.
Yes, definitely, Republicans must get back to the good old days of "go along to get along" Bob Michel and his crew. /sarc
And don't think that this election isn't going to be a big step in that direction.
Evangelicals wouldn't have had to complain so loudly had they been listened to between elections. The RINOs want us in their coalition but don't want to make any concessions on issues that are important to evangelicals.
Values voters (ie practicing Catholics and Evangelicals) were the key change in the country's political alignment in the Reagan revolution. Reagan brought a lot of former dems into the party that way. My observation is that Values voters are generally also in favor of tax decreases, smaller government, devolving power to state governments, and pursuing the WOT. OTOH, moderate R's are generally in favor of higher taxes, larger government, and a nuanced approach to the WOT. Undecideds are even worse than the moderate R's. Have your coalition with them and watch taxes go up and the federal gov grow at twice it's currently unacceptable pace.
So what Armey really wants to do is toss the strongest support for smaller government out in the name of smaller government. Armey's a smart guy but he's way off base on this.
One more point, I run the GOTV for a large swing county. It's those folks you and Armey so despise that stuff envelopes, walk precincts, and man the phone banks. 90 plus percent. Good luck finding RINO's or moderates willing to work. I've had no luck in that regard.
"(Un)fortunately, the ReligiousRightMoral'Majority'ArmyofGod(tm) wing of the party is going to find itself out in the cold"
And then they will stop trying to ban abortion, they will go along with gun-control, higher taxes, greater regulation of business and our personal affairs, and there will be little difference between the GOP and the Dems.
That's why I am a GOP member, because they stand for life, and freedom. The difference between the big-tent pubbies and the Christian right is that they would rather elect people, no matter their political persuausion, than differ with the Bloombergs, Chaffees, Specters, etc., as long as they are electable.
I would rather hold true to my pro-life beliefs than elect people who are ardently pro-abortion and anti-2nd Amendment simply because they have an R next to their name on the ballot.
Ed
...and elect more of the likes of Chafee and Snowe. Heck, maybe you could even thaw out Nelson Rockerfeller and put him on the ticket.