Posted on 03/02/2007 8:40:17 AM PST by areafiftyone
All day today we are covering speakers and panels at the 34th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC. This morning, we'll hear from Republican presidential hopeful former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He will be followed by Reps. Scott Garrett (NJ), Tom Tancredo (CO), and others.
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If by "those who wish to drag the party further left" you mean people who support Giuliani, let's take a step back and examine some realities.
FR is a microcosm of political junkies, the most uninformed of FR's membership is eons ahead of John Q. Public in their basic understanding of political issues, and/or politics in general. Outside of FR, most people would readily tell you that the two things they don't discuss are religion and politics", in here that's ALL we want to do!
Additionally, and I've said this before, the forum (outside the Daily Threads about Survivor, American Idol, and what music was popular during the Battle of the Bulge) is basically driven by political ideologues; we want to promote candidates based on their ideology, while the Parties are trying to figure out who the populist candidates are, then use them to advance as much of the Party's agenda as possible.
What's the Party's agenda?
Staying in power.
Rudy Giuliani is a populist candidate...I'm guessing that people who haven't voted in years may come out to vote for him during the general elections.
I will be truly surprised (and not many things surprise me anymore) if Giuliani does not get the nod from the GOP.
Does that mean that the Party is being dragged further to the left?
Maybe.
But if that's the case, it's happenening because the voters are pushing it that way.
Little late on the draw there, Narcissus. They could have used you up-thread.
I'm just sad that none of the conservatives who hate gun-grabbing, gay-loving, abortionist-in-training, traitorous liberals will play with me. :(
You just love to take things out of context. I said that I can perceive the reactions from both sides because I am sitting right in the middle. I also said that most of the people I have talked to are the students because I am sitting in a section with them. This is not inconsistent and not hard to figure out. Whatever, I guess that's what I get for trying to give a detailed and unbiased report of the event since I didn't really see any on here.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee and stick around a while. I'm sure some mass murdering Spaniard will bite eventually.
As for detailed and unbiased reports of the event on FR I've read some. I'll read what those folks have to say again tomorrow as well.
Touche!
I'm going to bed, if you care you can find all about Captain Queeg here
If I care, I most definitely will.
I watched his speech and it was very effective with lots of applause and enthusiasm. He was fairly low key and obviously had great rapport with the audience though he didn't milk it.
Just a conversation.
The audience was having a great time but I agree with you that that just reflects a good feeling not necessarily anything deeper than that. Rudy is a great storyteller so his listeners enjoyed him even if they won't vote for him.
Fred Thompson has always been a favorite of mine. I believe he would take most of the hard conservative vote away from those currently vying for it. He would not be frightening to the Independents and Moderates so he would have broad appeal if he is up to the pace of a grueling campaign.
But the nation may not be ready for another Southerner for awhile either.
That's my favorite kind too.
Considering the position Hunter had he did very well I thought. Having to start off first with a crowd not yet there or still kind of groggy was a very difficult task. I thought he spoke curteously of "Mr. Giuliani".
I, too, loved his story about the Marine.
But this speech was not a good one to judge his rhetorical abilities by.
Giuliani was very smooth and the crowd enjoyed listening to him but as another pointed out their reaction was not necessarily based on support just the ability to enjoy a good storyteller and grab a little star exposure. I think you will even admit he did not hurt himself at all.
Of great importance in all of the speakers was the fact that they did not spend time attacking each other but introducting themselves and their experience.
No one wants to admit the simple fact that conservatism was smacked big time last fall. The heart of our young conservative leadership was wiped out wholesale: Santorum, Allen, Talent. Every conservative Senator running for re-election was beaten. The conservative control of the HOuse eliminated. Every Republican beaten was beaten by someone to his Left.
Independents and Moderates were convinced by the Treason Media that the Party was too "extreme" and could not be trusted. That perception must be changed or we will be in real bad shape.
But I wanted to make one point about Geo. Will's introduction. First, it was incredibly smart of Rudy's campaign to have Will introduce him. All the other GOP wannabees were introduced by some no-name movement conservative. Geo. Will is one of the most recognizable conservatives around. Anyway, he characterized Giuliani's tenure as mayor of NYC as "the eight most successful years of conservative governance in this country during the 20th Century" -- he's saying it was more of a conservative success than Reagan's presidency. No one loves Ronald Reagan more than I (although many love him as much as I do), but I think Will might be right about that.
One other point -- Rudy talks about freedom, and about the key to social reform being giving people hope grounded in expanded individual freedom (a thoroughly conservative idea). Hillary talks "hope" like it's some nebulous concept, and on her, "hope" is an empty suit. Remember when her reputed husband made a big deal about being born in Hope, Ark., and then dubbed himself, "The Man from Hope"? -- totally bogus symbolism, which his reputed wife perpetuates. Rudy doesn't just talk about hope as a rhetorical device, he's demonstrated through real accomplishments that he knows how to expand hope to people's lives. He did it in his welfare reform program in NYC, and he intends to raise American education out of the wreckage that if currently is through basing educational opportunities on hope through personal freedom -- parental choice. Hillary talks about hope through a mouth of ashes. Rudy speaks about hope from the heart, and he, not her, has the track record to back up what he's saying.
I think you're wrong. The lesson was precisely the opposite.
So the FACT that every conservative running for re-election lost, that the House which was standing against the Immigration bill was transformed, that every Republican lost to someone one his Left means that the electorate wanted MORE conservatism?
You think conservatives refused to support Santorum or Allen or Hayworth? Or that conservatives turned on the GOP?
I would wager that FReepers voted at a MUCH higher average than the norm.
The politics of Optimism and Ideas. Traditional American strengths.
The election was a referendum on the war. Not a referendum on conservatism.
Should we change our position on the war in order to win the election as well?
The War is the position of the President of the extreme Right you know. The puppet of the Christian fundamentalists. Hence, it is conservative policy.
Until that mindset is changed we are in big trouble. The media has convinced the voter that conservatism is extremism.
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