Posted on 03/12/2007 8:26:01 PM PDT by Trueblackman
The Great Disconnect between the Republican Party and the Conservative Base
The Republican Party better get its act together like yesterday and realize that without its Conservative base, that it will be left to wonder in the wilderness for many more years to come.
Republicans in Congress are now back in the minority after 12 years of majorities granted to them by the base who envisioned the death of big government agencies like the Departments of Education and Energy with control of the purse strings from 1994-2006 and in 2000 with the election of George W. Bush the base demanded the unabated end of the Clinton Era Tactics of manipulation federal government numbers and phony government surpluses.
Conservatives felt that Bush and company would govern like Conservatives, but after 6 years the base saw no victories as the federal government grew bigger under Bush with “No Child Left Behind” and “Medicare Part D.” Bush refused to fight for our most Conservatives Nominees allowing them to be blocked for years on end by a minority within the minority Democrats Caucus in the Senate. Bush’s “new tone” in Washington DC amounted to the abandonment of his Conservative Principals within 6 months of his first term.
Liberal Republicans like John McCain were allowed to cut deals behind close doors on Judicial Nominees, Taxes and Immigration, while the Conservatives in the Senate seem dumbfounded and refused to stop this self-proclaimed maverick and his band of merry sellouts. McCain seems to take joy in stabbing the base in the back every chance he gets, gleefully going on MSNBC to be praised by Chris Matthews, because he feels that he is somehow owed the Presidency and blames the base for his 2000 Primary defeats to George W. Bush. Now McCain wants to be the 2008 Nominee, “Sorry John, but paybacks are a bi*ch” and I will not vote for what amounts to the Republican Party’s Manchurian Candidate.
The House Managers became fat, dumb and happy and governed more like Republicrats than Conservatives and they thought that the fears of impeachment, higher taxes and liberal control of the House would be enough to rally the base to their banner again in 2006, but this time their rally cries fell on deaf ears and their majorities were lost.
The Republican Party still refuses to learn from 2006’s mid-term election defection by the base, Republicans need to realize that they live and die by the votes of the base and that any candidate that does not appeal to the base will not receive our votes. It is better to lose to a Democrat, than to elect a CINO (Conservative In Name Only).
Now as we enter the 2008 Presidential Race we have Northern Eastern Republicans like Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney trying to sell themselves to the base as having Conservative Credentials, but when one looks at their records and how they have governed, it has been anything but Conservative, yet there are those in the Republican Party who are trying to sell Giuliani as our best bet in 2008. The only difference in a Liberal Rudy Giuliani and Liberal Hillary Clinton is the fact of which bathrooms they select to use and there are some who are willing to even question that.
As a Conservative, I would rather back a Conservative Republican Candidate and see him lose the Presidential Election on principal than back a Liberal Republican IN Name Only like Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain, who will end up stabbing me in the back anyway and govern himself by poll and focus groups.
The base would rather lose on principals than win out of convenience and the leaders of the Republican Party better start realizing that.
I completely agree.
I agree with you. Why vote for Julie Annie when he'll do exactly as Hillary would?
No, there is no conspiracy. Marginal "conservatives" here at are own FR have done their own damage to the Party.
Whom we select is up to us. I'm beginning to think that we expect too much from our political parties. I heard a conservative (of which I'm one) claim that the Republican party is only concerned in winning elections--not remaining true to Christian principles.
Excuse me, but isn't that they way it ought to be? The purpose of the party is only to provide the members of the party the method with which to advance an agenda. Political parties in themselves are not inherently good or bad--only the people in them.
I happen to want godly people governing this country but I don't expect to find perfection on this earth. I'll go for the best I can get. I don't think we're looking for a successor to Jesus.
At some point, you have to stop blaming. So-called "conservative" Republicans encourage voting for RINO's just because they are on the ticket and have an (R) after their name. It happens everywhere. It happens here.
Your comments are so 5 mins ago.
I got the impression that Jim Robinson was NOT a Julie Annie fan.
That is, every time the Republicans are outmaneuvered on the basics, and this is trumpeted in the MSM, it makes one feel duped. For example, GW allowing an independent prosecutor to get in on the Scooter Libby deal, when it was not in the least necessary. Then, no one in the administration even laying out the basics about Joe Wilson.
Then, Republican spending, the pork, etc. The Education Bill. Immigration. I think a conservative could be forgiven for a lack of enthusiasm for the GOP. The RNC has led the party into an area of wimp-dom.
Of course, this is going to show up at the polls. The GOP is bending over backwards to attract the votes of people who are never, NEVER going to vote Republican. It should be no surprise that the "base," tired of holding its nose and voting for RINOs, is occasionally going to defect.
Question: Is 2008 one of those occasions? Me? My clothespin is ready. I will vote for whomsoever the GOP comes up with after the primaries and the conventions. Of course I'll work for my man in the primaries. But,if any "Third Party," "Bull Moose" candidate comes up, make that two clothespins.
If you throw away all that you believe in, your principles, morals and values so that you might 'win' then what do you stand for, and what have you won...? ..it's just 'blowin in the wind my FRiend'.
It's early, there will be good alternatives, get behind one.
Several really solid conservatives got banned because of this kind of talk last October/November.
I'm wondering how all of this will play out in the end when it comes down to voting for a RINO or Hillary. It's alright to gripe and complain now but then just wait until we're asked to vote for that
(R)INO to "save" the Party.
One of the posters I respected here went by the name of "travis Mcgee" he got banned to the forum's loss.
just wait until we're asked to vote for that (R)INO to "save" the Party.
If you have to vote for a Hillary clone (guiliani) to save the party, then the party isn't worth saving in my opinion.
Look at what Ralph Nader did to the Dems and the entire american political process. He ran as a third party spoiler soaking up the far left vote causing the democrats to lose and election. But far more importantly he shifted the entire political spectrum to the left. His comment about now the democrats will take the "progressive" wing of their party more seriously was dead on. It's time for a true conservative to soak up enough votes to show the blow dry heads ($100 haircuts on $2 heads) in the "leadership" roles of the GOP that abandoning their conservative base is not the way to go. I hope Ron Paul or Duncan Hunter becomes a viable candidate and shows the republicans just where the country wants to go (and it ain't to the left)
"The Republican Party better get its act together like yesterday and realize that without its Conservative base, that it will be left to wonder in the wilderness for many more years to come."
Absolutely correct as Are your contentions about "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB)... etc as examples. The GOP HAD control and did nothing or furthered an agenda that makes Bush look like a moderate Democrat. Abortions are still funded. It was my opinion that WorldComm was a LCN operation from the beginning. I heard Clinton's advisor Carvel allegedly made $12 Million from that stock. NCLB is merely the current Administrations way of making money on NCLB stocks. Using Government Title I funds to pay for useless or untried teaching methods to make money on related stocks is IMHO theft.
The BORDER and ILLEGALS, NOTHING FOR 6 YEARS! Just "amnesty" proposals with fines paid for by Tax refunds from fraudulent tax returns.
Proof? Let's try very few prosecutions of voter fraud, very few people investigated or caught etc who are politicians. "Ethics" that are those of alley cats used to steal money in a way that they call "legal". All JMO
"It's time for a true conservative to soak up enough votes to show the blow dry heads ($100 haircuts on $2 heads) in the "leadership" roles of the GOP that abandoning their conservative base is not the way to go."
That was so good I just had to repeat it!
I am part of the base and have been since I first voted and you don't speak for me. I am really getting tired of people writing articles about the base when a whole lot of the base is supporting Rudy because we put national security first.
If you want to say the social conservative part, then I understand but there are a lot of us that are fiscal conservatives first who also believe in social issues but also believe social isues belong in our homes, our churches, our communities and on rare occasions at the state level and not at the federal level.
We put the WOT and support of our military as the #1 priority along with less taxes, smaller government, and strict constructionist judges.
I am a proud Conservative Republican who supports Rudy and anyone can call me any name they want on here but that doesn't change who I am. I do not portend to speak for social conservatives so I would appreciate it if social conservatives would quit trying to speak for all Conservatives since a lot of us have a different list of priorities we support in a candidate for President.
They ain't that smart.
Rudy has better legs than Hillary.
Look how he recently whored himself out to health insurance companies, for one.
I keep haveing folks say you'll just be handing the election to the dems if you go indy but if the repubs act ike dems then what's the difference?
Bump for later reading/placemark
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