Your blaming the messenger. Its the Republican Party's obligation to deliver a product that its base can feel comfortable supporting. The fact that it won't tells a lot more about the party than its base. Many in the Republican party wanted to teach conservatives a lesson (that we need the party more than it needs us). When that strategy backfires, the GOP will come back to its core values.
The only problem with that calculation by the GOP, is that we don’t need nor want liberal-lite policies.
They are not a professional sports team that you support just because of the logo on the jersey. Even then I don’t stick around to support a team who’s managament I believe is only interested in revenue and NOT winning as well.
Incompetance would frustrate me, but I could deal with it. Losing because the other guys are better than you that time, I can deal. Users that take your money with no intention of trying to win the biggest trophies in their sport I disregard unil new management comes in to take over my team.
The Republican leadership, or many of them, are users.
They exist to fatten their pockets and their prestige but the greatest trophies for conservatives (confirmation of Judges, win WOT, secure Borders, Tax Cuts, Cut Spending) they refuse to give or only under extreme duress do they whip back into moderate shape.
We need conservative politicians. I won’t deny that. We don’t need more Liberal politicians, and that is what they give us.
Who loses here? Well, we both do. We don’t get conservative politicians and they don’t get elected. In the long run conservatives will find a way to exist independent of Republicans though. Mainly because conservatives stand for principles they are passionate about that much of the American public supports. While these elitist Republicans only stand for re-election, and the public in majority couldn’t care less about their retaining their cushy jobs.
Hugh theorizes why funding is down. Well, one reason is that some apolitical people give only to the people they believe could be in power to buy an open ear sympathetic to their cause. Right now more people then not do not believe Republicans will be the majority or win the Presidency.
Second reason is that the base does not trust the party anymore. Why would they. They have been called sexists, elitists, bigots, unpatriotic, extremists, many of the elites anually take snide shots at Conservatives and Christians. Why should they support people that disrespect and even seem to hate them? I think the party has forgotton there is a reason Reagan Democrats crossed over. The Democrats treated them the way Republicans now are doing. They aren’t beholden to support a party that treats them so ill, and they won’t stand for it. They have a history of walking and they did again in ‘06.
Just because amnesty is dead-—for now——and just because Lindsey and McCain are saying the right things on the war doesn’t mean all has been forgotton. IMO, the only way the GOP can get back trust quickly is to replace mcConnell, Lott and Kyl with DeMint, Sessions, and then choose among Thune, Cornyn or Coburn. Afterwards engage in high profile conservative battles and WIN. None of this backstabbing that went on with Frist. The RINO’s would have to hold the line and have the new leadership’s back. Only then would some trust begin to spurt.
Third, if some conservative Republicans don’t believe the Republicans are going to win, and they are ambivalent about those republicans anyway, why would they waste their money and donate? Just because the Government throws money at lost causes doesn’t mean others that work hard for that money are going to.
Fourth, even if you plan on donating to the nominee for President my guess is that you prefer not to do until the field has widened substanially. Right now Obama and Hlliary are the only two really seen in the mix. On the Republican side you have Rudy, which everyone has doubts he can win because he’s a liberal. You have Mitt, sorry Hugh, but he has not yet made the sell as the conservative nominee and registers around 10% nationally. You have McCain, someone that has alienated conservatives on half a dozen issues and alienated liberals on the war. Then you have a candidate that, yes, is making an impressive start in polling but technically isn’t in the race yet. You stll have Newt out there making waves about a run (he would lose a General election).
All in all, why would republicans be doing well in funding?
They aren’t ecited about getting the “R” back into power, they don’t trust the party anymore, conservatives feel disrespected personally, their issues are being disrespected, apolitical fundraisers feel the Democrats are the better bet for a win in ‘08, and republicans have no settled nominee yet for ‘08.