Not exactly.
If the RNC appeared to be dysfunctional, it is because it was and still remains so.
In the effort to play "Base Politics" in Washington, they lost.
It was inevitable!
The two parties were nearly equal, with each garnering 50% =or+ one or two percent which was the margins of defeat or wining.
In 2006, the Democrats as a minority were able to maintain unity, while the Republicans, as a majority were not able to because the base is split on divisive issues like immigration, stem cells, abortion, and other RTL issues. Rather than avoid these issues like the plague during the election, a portion of the "base" (that might be you, I dunno) decided to press ahead and forced the party to position themselves on these things and the democrats gleefully took the "populist side of all of them, including the war. This is all they needed to do to break up the unity and damage the swing vote margins that we once had. Without that populist swing vote, now alienated due to controversial crap, we lost...and will continue to lose in 2008.
The damage is not yet complete. The cyin has not yet begun, because if you thought 2006 was referendum on a party that was not conservative enough, you are dead wrong. That opinion is held by a small piece of the party base, some 25% at most, and the rest are trying to tell you how it is. But you won't listen just as you were told not to push divisive issues through to the general election in 2006.
This myopia, hubris, or stubbornness within the base is going to completely destroy it and result in a Dem sweep in 2008.
I know I must sound like a broken record, but I've been harping on this issue for more than four long messy years.
I don't think I care any longer. I think the party and this country are in dire need of a rude awakening which I believe is forthcoming in the next decade. A rude awakening that will prioritize issues like they have never been prioritized before, except perhaps at the founding of this nation. All the things at are important to you now, will be forgotten or moved so far down the list that they are not spoken of, except by people recounting the past.
You have a choice to continue in your myopic, small picture ways, or you can come to your senses. I think the first choice is more likely, and that is why I predicted what I have deduced as our future.
In the end, it could be said that our society became lethargic and vain, and in that lazy vanity, we no longer placed the important logical things ahead of our self gratifications.
In other words, we screwed ourselves.
Well said.
You and I have spoken via freepmail, and what I said then remains true.
That being said, not just the base but a majority of the country would be able to support a review, even comprehensive, of our immigration policies once it was assured that the borders were secured, the law enforced, and illegal immigration slowed to a relative trickle. That ball was entirely in the administration’s court. They failed badly, blame who you will.
I don’t recall the base making a huge to do about abortion, so I decline to touch it. Besides, we just won a small victory, I’ll take what I can get. Stem cells, another issue where the Republican party didn’t ante up. Stem cell research is fine, even embryonic stem cells. They are readily available without cloning. The Republicans should have been chatting this up, that didn’t happen.
We were going to take a hit on the war, that was inevitable, as someone has already commented the public doesn’t like a war that looks like it is going nowhere. That is what the Global War on Terrorism looks like because of Iraq. Nobody’s fault here really, just is what it is.
I take the other RTL issues to mean the Schiavo incident. You are correct that the federal government should not have intervened, if I understand you correctly.
You did not mention the spending issue, or the continuing movement of manufacturers out of the US. People like to know they have some stability in their job. Shame on the Republicans for spending money to such a point the Democrats could argue they would be restrained. That one was totally on congress.
All of that said, the Republicans should have well known where the weaknesses in their defense would be. In that situation in a fight, you regain your balance. What I suggested in the post you replied to would have attempted that. With your balance, and knowledge of the likely points of attack of your opponent you then plan your, attack. When he attacks, along the routes that you have designated, you parry and counterattack. Every situation, even defensive, must be exploited for the maximum offensive advantage available.
What I am getting at is the Republican party was off balance (disorganized) and in a bunker defense mode, against a clumsy and entirely predictable opponent. This will always lose because the other guy (the Democrats in this instance) no matter how clumsy only has to “get lucky” a few times to wear down the defense and win. Which is precisely what happened.
As for the reckoning, I again agree. Though, I place no faith in either politically party or the government in general when that time comes. It is the nature of the beast that it is not worthy of trust.
You are again correct, we are vain and lazy. Usually that has meant an attitude adjustment is right around the corner. There is no way to know with any assurance what form it will take.
Regards.