Dionne's Siren Song To GOP: Ditch Conservatism, Embrace Clintonism

WaPo-EJ Dionne/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[Mr. Brightside]

The message for dems should be that extremism does not work. They did not win the Senate because of an extremist agenda.

They won because Casey/Webb/etc campaigned as conservative democrats.

[olderwiser]

Seems to me that in major elections, the political center gets swayed by whichever base is more energized (right or left).

So the answer for Republicans on political grounds (not just ideological ones), is to get back to their base. Precisely the opposite of what the columnist proposes.

[proud American in Canada]

Here's the advice an actual Republican might give: ignore the Siren song of the left, steer to the principled Reaganesque right, and win.

And that's advice definitely worthy of a BTTT! :) Don't polls show that the U.S. is moving more to the right? IMO, I think this election was more about concern about Iraq, rather than embracing the Democrats.

It would be interesting to see what the history books eventually have to say about the current situation.

If this post made no sense, pls forgive me--I have laryngitis (or at least an extremely sore throat) and am extremely tired. In fact I think I'll go back to bed. :)

[steve-b]

Thus with the GOP if it abandons conservatism IF?? The big-government GOP kicked conservatism to the curb years ago.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Siren song is right..remember that the sirens lured men to their death.

Every word employed in my posts is carefully weighed for its literary, allegorical and mythological allusions ;-)

[G Larry]

The closer to the Devil we get, the happier the libs are.

[Jabba the Nutt]

This assumes that the GOP has embraced conservatism. Untrue. Bill Clinton never received a majority of the vote, whereas Bush running as a conservative did get over 50%.

[CyberAnt]

It was easier to ditch Dionne!