Posted on 11/28/2006 2:56:39 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
Since Barbra Streisand hasn't weighed in yet with her advice to the Republican party as to how it might regain power, we'll have to settle for the counsel that WaPo columnist E.J. Dionne generously offers in his column of today, Can the GOP Find Its Center?
His advice boils down to a two-part program: forget about conservatism already, and Be Like Bill.
Dionne begins by proclaiming that "this fall's election defeat . . . revealed that the Barry Goldwater-Ronald Reagan political settlement has expired," by which he apparently means that conservatism as a winning political philosophy has gone the way of the parrot in A Fish Called Wanda. E.J. thus goes on to deride Republican leaders such as John Boehner and Mike Pence who in the wake of the GOP's defeat call for a return to traditional conservatives principles, chief among them that of limited government.
Dionne approvingly cites Sarah Chamberlain Resnick, executive director of the Republican Main Street Partnership [a liberal GOP group] who "said moderates had, to no avail, warned their leadership of 'the consequences of pushing a legislative agenda kowtowing to the far right in our party.'"
"A legislative agenda kowtowing to the far right"? Earth to Sarah and EJ: this was the Republican majority that legislated the biggest entitlement expansion in history, that passed out earmark-pork millions like gumdrops, and was led by a president who used his power to veto runaway spending exactly . . . zero times.
Dionne claims "the GOP desperately needs to disenthrall itself from old thinking." Translation: ditch your conservative principles. And in its place? EJ counsels Republican presidential candidates to take their lead from "a politician who liked to condemn 'the brain-dead politics of both parties.' His name was Bill Clinton."
Hogwash. We all know the old saw that, given the choice between a real Democrat and an imitation one, voters will choose the real one every time. Given Hillary's likely presence on the ballot, you might extrapolate to a choice between a real Clinton and an imitation one. Any GOP presidential contender who takes advice from an MSM Democrat like Dionne and thinks the way to electoral salvation is to embrace Bill Clinton will deserve the defeat Republican primary voters are sure to inflict on him. Here's the advice an actual Republican might give: ignore the Siren song of the left, steer to the principled Reaganesque right, and win.
Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net
Siren-song, dead-parrot ping to Today show list.
The "center" has a terrible record on security.
Republicans taking advice from a hard-lib like Dionne would be like Churchill taking advice from Hitler during the early days of WWII. I've ready many of Dionne's columns, and I've yet to find anything I've agree with him on. He doesn't even understand conservatism. Conservatives understand libs, but obviously the reverse is not true.
this scumbag agrees with this Dione guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1744826/posts
Arlene Spector
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
A political party that is based upon nothing but whatever is expedient in assuring the acquisition or retaining of power is no political party at all, it is void of morality, empty of values, and demonstrates that old saying:
"Thunder is impressive, thunder is loud, thunder booms, but it is LIGHTNING that does the work."
liberals still smoke crack I see!
LLS
And I'm thinkin that Bush's compassionate conservatism and the Congresses earmark insider dealing both have to go.
It's so ridiculous. Look at what happens when Repubs run as conservatives, true to their
vaules. (Landslides) Then look at the moderate, rino approach. Since 2000 repubs have
barely squeaked out national elections.
Arlene Spector and rino's like him are definately a bane on the repub party.
How can some one who is a respected (?) columnist be so ignorant of what is really going on in America? What the Republicans need is a RETURN to a more traditional conservatism rather than Clintonism. The libs still don't get that the only positive accomplishments of the Clinton presidency were the conservative policies he stole from the Republicans and passed with their help over the objections of most of the Democrats.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Bull$#!^! The GOP has abandoned the small-government "Barry Goldwater-Ronald Reagan political settlement", and been punished for it.
This Dionne guy is a waste of flesh. He always laments conservatism in any form and has never been anything but a champion of the left. His "advice" will be ignored, as it should be.
Arlene and Rendell should team up and make a run in 08'
The second is less obvious but no less important: Pro-market libertarians and pro-family social conservatives are more aware than ever that their respective values and interests do not coincide.However, he doesn't really attempt to address the party's failure in dealing with the matter. This is twofold:
In an article in the latest issue of the conservative Weekly Standard, Yuval Levin, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, explains the tension between the market and the family as clearly as anyone has:
"The market values risk-taking and creative destruction that can be very bad for family life, and rewards the lowest common cultural denominator in ways that can undermine traditional morality. Traditional values, on the other hand, discourage the spirit of competition and self-interested ambition essential for free markets to work, and their adherents sometimes seek to enforce codes of conduct that constrain individual freedom. The libertarian and the traditionalist are not natural allies."
1. The GOP abandoned all attempt at balanc.
2. The GOP came down on the wrong side. Nobody ever lost a swing vote by cutting taxes and putting another $50 in a voter's paycheck; the GOP lost some votes by telliing him that he wasn't allowed to wager the $50 online.
I think we've already seen the results of this.
Because he is a part of the elite. If the Taliban were to take over this country he thinks he would be excluded from a beheading because he is enlightened amd much smarter than the rest of us. His arrogance is unlimited and his kind will never wake up to the threat this country faces.
Siren song is right..remember that the sirens lured men to their death.
Thus with the GOP if it abandons conservatism
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