Posted on 11/09/2006 4:58:44 AM PST by Leroy S. Mort
We had been winning them for a decade, but this time, we lost em. Why? They were sick if Iraq. Thats it. Nothing else really mattered. Had Iraq rebuilt itself a year ago and we had been able to pull out and everything went ok, Republicans would have won. I hear alot of whining about Republicans not being Conservative enough, and personally, I AGREE with that assessment, but I am not so sure the swing voters gave a cr*p about that.
Protracted? Iraq?
Americans had better grow a pair and send the missiles up now or learn to handle it or they will be marching to a different 'conservatism': Sha'ria.
This isn't Vietnam. They attacked us. They are used to protracted conflict, and they won't quit just because we do.
When you can't tell the difference between Dems and Repubs something is wrong.
"hold on to base" = "base voting AGAINST Democrats, not FOR Republicans" (that is essentially what I did)
Conservatism wins big (1980,1994) nonconservatism loses or wins barely (1996,2000,2004) but with that said, it has to be done in a way that appeals to the individualistic nature of the American people.
You generalize big-time and I think gloss over the zeit geist of these elections. In 1980 Reagan won because any Bozo who offered a positive message would have beaten Carter's disastrous 4 years and pessimistic view of America. The economy was in the tank and Carter said it was our fault. The New Morning in America was a winner. Further, Reagan did have his list of "non-conservative" actions as well but he did run on conservative ideals even if all his actions as President didn't follow all those ideals. Then in 1994 I believe we benefited from Clinton remorse as well as the Contract with America. Clinton's first big issue was gays in the military and the socialization and intrusion into the health care system. There was plenty of Democrat corruptions from being the party in charge to sweeten the election too. Again, 1994 was a mid-term election and the usual voter impatience was easily capitalized on by Newt.
Let's just take this as the pause that refreshes and find our identity again.
Agreed. What to do about Iraq? Do we support privatizing Social Security? What will we counter the Dems push for nationalized health care with? When families have to pay hundreds of dollars a week for coverage will we succeed with a message of "tough it out"? When ridiculously priced college tuition costs bankrupt graduates and families, do we give them the "tough it out" message again? What's our identity on these specific middle class pocketbook issues? How do we avoid the Democratic lure of socialism? To quote Bush, "A litany of complaints is not a plan"
That is absolutely correct.
The hawkish, fiscally conservative middle was sending the message that they are tired of using government to further a "moral" agenda. They are also FED UP with the obvious corruption...amplified by the media...of the GOP in congress. They want real immigration enforcement and "FAIR" trade which would keep more good manufacturing jobs at home.
There are millions of these voters and the GOP will be forced to adopt a more socially liberal platform to win their vote...and any hope of a majority or the Whitehouse. Social Conservativism, alone, will not prevail. That base is perhaps 20% of the electorate.
Once dims took abortion and gay marriage off the table with "conservative" candidates, the Republican majority crumbled. SOME social conservatives felt free to vote for either party...perhaps enuff to decide more than a few races.
Another thing I noticed, Hispanics voted for dems, too. Are you listening, President Bush? What really surprised me the most was that Asians voted for the dems. I am taking it that Asians would be mostly Oriental. Big business, which according to the exit polls, went mostly Repub. So it just doesn't make sense.
Not only a turn from traditional conservative values, but war usually sucks. The war in Iraq sucks worse than most. I don't think Bush is a very good war president, nor does he have tact to bring others into the fold with us.
"You're either with us or against us"? Please, give me a break.
And it seemed like everyone forgot that the Congress was made up of almost half democrats. They got a complete pass. I'm not an expert but I'd say what happened is the same thing that always happens in the 6th year of a 2 term president. The opposing party always wins. The media is making a big deal out of it cause its Booosh!
We lost this when Bush landed on the aircraft carrier and proclaimed the end of major vombat operations. Since that time our work in Iraq has not been a war and we should stop calling it one. There was a counterinsurgency and we have been working on pacification. We have lots of troops around the world in dangerous hot spots and don't get grief over them. Stop calling the Iraq mission a war.
People are so diverse, now. Things will never be like they were when figuring out your base was easy. Thats why the one issue voters throw a monkey wrench into things. Everyone wants it their way or the highway. They don't stop to think that the candidates are having to appeal to a wider base, now. The country is definitely moving to the center and as long as we demand that a candidate just cater to us only, we are going to lose.
Thats it, right there. I think the base is going to have to bend a little or become insignificant.
We lost this when Bush landed on the aircraft carrier and proclaimed the end of major combat operations, but the left ridiculed it. Since that time our work in Iraq has not been a war, and we should stop calling it one. There was a counterinsurgency and we have been working on pacification. We have lots of troops around the world in dangerous hot spots and don't get grief over them. Stop calling the Iraq mission a war when it is not, anymore.
We lost this when Bush landed on the aircraft carrier and proclaimed the end of major combat operations, but the left ridiculed it. Since that time our work in Iraq has not been a war, and we should stop calling it one. There was a counterinsurgency and we have been working on pacification. We have lots of troops around the world in dangerous hot spots and don't get grief over them. Stop calling the Iraq mission a war when it is not, anymore.
I think the base isn't as clearly defined as they think they are. For some the base is social conservatism -only...for others the base is much broader and includes more economic principles.
I think they are incorrect about the base holding.
yea the base held, held it's nose and voted. But the Reagan democrats, working middle class didn't. Seems sending all thier jobs overseas so we can have cheap Chicom crap at wal-mart does not impress them. Whoa thunk it.
They didn't follow us home from Vietnam. But the Muslims will follow us home from Iraq if we quit. The Muslims already have a 5th column in this country. - tom
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