Posted on 06/21/2007 9:53:32 AM PDT by Josh Painter
Many conservatives... were alarmed when Bush and Rove went on their big government expansion spree by siding with Ted Kennedy on No Child Left Behind and the arm twisting that went on by Tom Delay the Presidents water carrier for big government in the House by the passage of the Prescription Drug bill arguably the largest expansion of government since the New Deal...
Less than a year into Bush's second term, the President's approval rating was down around 40 percent.
To hold on to power it was thought that earmarks and largesse were key.
Coupled with an unpopular and mismanaged war, the inability of Bush and Congress to secure our southern border, the ineptness of the response Hurricane Katrina, the Jack Abramoff and the Mark Foley scandals the stage was set for a disastrous 2006 election.
The result was predictable...
Now in June of 07 President Bushs approval rating hovers in the low 30s and the party is torn apart by the disconnect between the Washington elites and the grassroots over illegal immigration.
Bush accused conservatives of not wanting to do whats right for America" when it comes to illegal immigration.
Conservatives would argue that a novel idea might be to follow the rule of law and enforce the laws that are currently on the books, particularly during a time of War.
What is clear is that the conservative movement and the Republican Party are in a rebuilding phase.
The "Center Right" Republican majority forged by Reagan and Gingrich has been squandered by Rove's realignment pipe dream that was based on the premise of big government for the sake of power.
The damage to the country, the conservative movement and the Republican Party may take years if not decades to repair.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
And going lower! Bush and Rove did squander the majority. They are a large part to blame.
This is a well-written and cogent article. His conclusion is sobering but mostly right on target.
Bush 41 did more to squander the Reagan Revolution than Bush 43 has done. Remember David Souter? “Read My Lips”?
If Bush 43 has done anything right, it has been his two eventual Supreme Court choices and his tax cut.
They don’t need us. Those two dopes have had their eye on a Mexican majority.
Lets add repubs big spending, waffling on Iraq, foley and corruption. There is plenty of blame to go around and it looks like the dems will be the majority for awhile
While I agree with much in this article, I am tired of so called conservatives piling on about an "unpopular war"! It is a war on terror! When is war ever POPULAR? World War II was very unpopular until after the war. Most Americans never wanted the country to get involved with WW II.
Yes, I agree with many of the points of the writer, but stop repeating the sludge from the Harry Reid-Nancy Pelosi-Cindy Sheehan-MSM wing of the country. What good does that serve? It does not add credibility to the argument.
Drudge has a story on his site about how the chicken slaughter (most likely Latino slaves) workers in South Carolina have TB. Our leaders are killing us!
All that said, given the alternatives at the time I would be forced to do it again.
But that was 4 and 8 years ago. I think I am done voting for the most palatable, when in the long run one ends up gaging almost as much.
I really am thinking if the likes of Thompson or Hunter or even Mike Hukabee don't get the office this time that perhaps the power we have in the Declaration of Independence might be the only hope we have for this Republic.
“.....it looks like the dems will be the majority for awhile.”
Not with a 14% approval rating.
Historically speaking, it is quite common for Congress to swing over to the party opposite the President. I don’t believe we can lay that at the feet of Bush or Rove. It’s just the way things go in this country.
Nope!...still coming apart..not at reconstruction yet. At least not until we get rid of Mel Martinez
He forgot the Farm Bill as a tool to buy the 2002 elections. You can not buy voters, only rent them.
Well, unless you are a Democrat.
For years, I have been preaching in the face of some abuse, here abouts, that Karl Rove was analytically dysfunctional and posed a real threat, both to America and to Republican prospects. I take no joy in being proven right. He has brought us to a desperate pass, and we must rise to the occasion.
Yet, to suggest a ray of hope, consider how rapidly our prospects would improve, if Hillary does get the Democratic nomination, and we nominate a true Conservative, and Mayor Bloomberg takes that as an excuse to field a "moderate," pro-Kennedy immigration philosophy, third party ticket. We clearly would win, as he would split off a sizeable segment of the Clinton vote.
William Flax
Yeah whats the republicans rating?
Yep. I've also stated the same for us in California. This stooge governor has set us back a generation & I'm not going to forgive the FReepers that voted for AS. Are you all still happy with your "pragmatic" vote for this sellout?
Not only that william, but if R. Nader gets in the race (to show “hillary” she isn’t anti-war enough), plus IF the republicans Do nominate a true Reaganite (ALL THE BETTER), but if not (just go with the Constitutionaist Party), and we WOULD still have a reasonable shot to win!
-Jeremy
The one thing I assure you that I will never vote for, in the future, is any candidate for President, who ascribes to the Kennedy/Bush/Graham philosophy on immigration. We do not need third world immigration to preserve America. And it is not “right,” for America, however high and mighty those who think it is, have gotten, while intelligent Americans slept.
While I oppose the President on the border issue and amnesty, let’s be fair.
Newt himself blew it when he went after Clinton’s affair with Monica instead of Ron Brown, TWA Flt 800, Chicom bribes and campaign cash, Waco massacre, Ruby Ridge, etc, etc. Then Newt resigning for the very issue we were confronting Clinton on...
Trent Lott was another blower for us. His power share deal with Tommy Daschole was a joke! It certainly didn’t help the conservative movement to have such a weak sister leading the Senate.
The Abramhoff and Foley “scandals” were solely the inventions of the MSM-DNC. If not, then why after the 2006 elections, did they faded off the radar faster than a UFO in a Sci-fi movie?
Killing lots of terrorists in Iraq vice here at home is still a good idea. What’s bad is not closing the borders. for this Bush gets a C-, but not a complete fail.
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