I agree with you about taking back the institutions.
I guess I would modify your characterization about my views of where the people are as follows:
In the abstract, a majority of Americans are against federally funded abortion, open borders, sanctuary cities, and forcing special gay rights and the agenda on us and our children.
As a practical matter, however, through the decisions they make when voting, a majority of Americans are permissive towards those things that they oppose in the abstract.
Candidates who run on an agenda of "taking the bull by the horns", whether it is on borders, or abortions, or actively opposing the "gay agenda", don't appear to do well.
Achieving conservative GOVERNANCE, rather than governance by liberals who are using conservative ideas to get elected, is very difficult.
And it's all the more difficult because lots of these "conservative" candidates are deluding themselves about what they believe, and what they are willing to do.
The present occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is exhibit #1 of that phenomenon.
“The present occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is exhibit #1 of that phenomenon.”
Bush has held the line on some things conservative and not done so well on other things conservative. I defended him on the good things and expressed my disappointment on others (Miers,CFR,borders especially).
I’ll note that when I did dare express my views on this many of those getting zapped now had an en masse attack prepared that was very effective at isolating any who dared to disagree with the President. I think that as much as this is about Giuliani it is about some of the GOP Party regulars who forgot that this was a conservative site. The Giuliani/Party zealots who are really few compared to the overall numbers at this site, really had little respect for conservatism, the owner and the site. I think if the tides of public opinion would be more conservative now, they’d be with us attacking the more liberal and in fact Giuliani himself. Their ideological compass is on “win”, or should I say wind.
In time, FR will have the excess liberal fat trimmed, new members will be coming in girded for battle in 08, and FR as well as conservatism, and indeed the GOP will be stronger for it. That doesn’t mean we win in 08, it is a long uphill battle with an unpopular war saddling Republicans; but the rebuilding of conservatism and the GOP has been kicked off by Jim Robinson.