Posted on 02/25/2007 7:01:11 AM PST by kellynla
"Don't be afraid to see what you see," Ronald Reagan once said.
Today, many of his disciples are choosing not to see the obvious. Republicans in Congress cannot regain their majority merely by relying on a coalition of traditional conservatives and evangelicals. They must reach out to what I call "the fed-ups" -- a large and growing constituency of independent voters who have held the balance of power in every election since 1992, and will hold it again in 2008.
It was only 14 years ago that nearly 20 million voters rejected both Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush in favor of H. Ross Perot, a little man with big ears and a big idea. Perot's principal claim on their allegiance in the presidential election of 1992 was his insistence that government should be competent, sensible and honest about its finances. His supporters were mad as hell and weren't going to take it anymore. Those voters -- 19 percent of the electorate -- demonstrated that there was a potent political movement of fed-up Americans.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
"Americans have a short attention span and an even shorter memory."
You got that right.
Here we have a communist governor who has given us the highest unemployment in the nation, an abominable tax structure for businesses, businesses closing and laying off thousands and tens of thousands of productive citizens leaving this socialist hellhole. And the idiots re-elected this Karl Marx lover.
Never, ever underestimate the stupidity of the average American voter, especially dingbat soccer moms who love Hillary.
Bunter, as in "sacrifice", as in "thrown out before he gets to first base".
Exactly right, and Frank Luntz is not God; neither is Karl Rove as we all learned.
That's not the way I read this at all. I understand Luntz to be saying that the GOP lost power because they forgot their principles, and will only regain power when they again become the party of ideas.
If you read the article, Luntz says nothing about the GOP base.
You're correct in speaking about the immediate aftermath of 1994, but obviously you've not thought through the long-term adherence to the principles put forth in that proposal.
Broadly speaking, one might characterize the Contract with America's themes as: fiscal responsibility, job creation, legislative restraint, tax code fairness and national security. At best, the GOP now owns the last two. On the first three themes, the GOP has IMO strayed far from the Contract. Now people might reasonably disagree, but should not be subjected to vitriol as a result. Which brings me to my next point...
The fact is, most of you should simply shut up, or learn your history. I don't mean to go off on you, but your post is sadly becoming typical on this forum, with nonsense being accepted as fact.
What I find mildly humorous is egotistical blowhards who try to silence other posters, yet are substantially wrong in their own analysis. If "nonsense being accepted as fact" is sadly typical on this forum, perhaps you should write your opus. Or save yourself the trouble and just resurrect one of the previous ones.
Luntz is a dunce.
Tell ya what? How about you be right about something, ANYTHING when you reply to me, and I agree to consider taking you seriously? LOL.
I am going to have to disagree with you. Luntz points out the problems, of which many are correct. However, the whole article is full of incorrect assesments. The basic message for the GOP is "be more liberal", which I have heard for 7 years from Luntz, or basically since he supported McCain in 2000.
On your larger point: you are right... The Dems didn't run on anything substantive in 2006... just that they weren't Republicans. And the media allowed them to get away with it. The Senate was lost to the Dems because the WaPo ran 13 front page stories in a row about Maccacah! And the Drive-By Media twisted Rush Limbaugh's characterization of Michael J. Fox's "advocacy ad" for government supported stem-cell research (there goes Missouri).
The Dems won nothing permanent and certainly have no mandate. They remain a collection of special-interest groups, victims, special-pleaders and anti-American activists (commie sympathizers, really). Unfortunately, the GOP was just so inept in every way that they gave away this past election. And the "Republican voters who stayed home" got what they deserved.
Bluster, huh? I'll take that as confirmation you're unable to rebut my post. Not surprising, since my points are dead on the mark.
Luntz has been pushing this BS ever since 2000 when he supported McCain. If you read the article, there is no plan, or acknowledgement really, that the GOP needs to get its base back together.
Interesting take. I assume your reading stems from the fact that Luntz says we must appeal to those beyond the conservative base. But I think we can do so by advancing conservative ideals.
The way I read it, Luntz' major assertion is this:
But if I were still in the thick of it, my guidance would be just 20 words long: Be bold, return to basics, stop telling, start asking, focus on results, abolish "earmarks" and embrace a permanent balanced budget.
I don't think he's promoting liberalism at all. But after rereading the article I do understand why some might think otherwise.
You are like most Americans. Its the WH fault for not reminding people of why we are there and that is why the polls are bad.
That is exactly right.
Cutty Sark?
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