Posted on 08/07/2007 3:53:12 AM PDT by monomaniac
As the Republican National Committee (RNC) wrapped up its four-day annual summer meeting in Minneapolis over the weekend, some leaders were left wondering if the party is straying from its conservative stance on social and religious issues.
"Evangelical and pro-life Catholics are a critical part of the GOP's electoral coalition," James Bopp Jr., an Indiana member of the RNC, told The Washington Times. "The GOP cannot win in 2008 without their enthusiastic support. It remains to be seen whether the GOP is moving away from them. Whether the GOP is doing so will be determined by who is nominated for president."
Most RNC members either swore they would not let the national party distance itself from religious and social conservatives stands or saw no indications of that happening.
"Not as long as I'm in this party," longtime Oklahoma RNC member Bunny Chambers told the newspaper.
Michigan Republican Chairman Saul Anuzis said the party is not drifting from its social conservatism.
"The religious Right and social conservatives are still a very big part of the party and will be for a long time to come," Anuzis said. "The Democrat policies clearly are antithetical to what religious and social conservatives believe in. The Left that controls the Democratic Party is very much pro-choice on abortion and anti-traditional marriage."
Translation: Nominate Rudy and lose, nominate Fred and win.
I already changed my affiliation due to the immigration fiasco. Maybe someday.....but for now call me “Independent”.
The religious and social conservatives are a relatively recent ‘pickup’ by the Republican Party.
Translation: General Election FAIL.
Ya think?
“...would not let the national party distance itself from religious and social conservatives stands or saw no indications of that happening.”
In the current two party system, where are they going to go?
I don't know about that, but one thing's for sure, the repub party has squandered it's conservative power.
Social issues will be even less important in this election cycle. This time around, it's "Security Stupid" ... making Rudy Giuliani very electable in the general election, and Fred Thompson less so.
“Is GOP Straying from Conservative Base?”
Has been for a while now, to varying degrees.
“The Democrat policies clearly are antithetical to what religious and social conservatives believe in.”
True, but faced with a choice of two abortionist, gay-loving, gun grabbers? I’ll sit it out.
Some will go third party. Many will stay home, refusing to vote for someone of Rudy’s ilk on the social issues.
Inquiring minds want to know how the Republican Party can move away from its base.
With out the base there is no Republican party.
These stories about movement this way or that is no better than those anyone would find about Republicans in The New York Times, The Nation, The New Republic or the LAT.
In fact, many of these stories are nothing more than planted falsehoods by the kook fringe, with an agenda of trying to discourage Conservatives.
I claim to be conservative in thought and I claim to be a Republican for now.
The only way the Republican Party is going to move anywhere is if I stand idly by and let the current smucks calling themselves leaders make all the decisions with out my thunderous contribution.
The quandary with the Republican Party is that we in the base got complacent about who we let run the party.
Sorry Democrats but the Republican Party belongs to the base unlike the Democrats who belong to the Far Left Fringe.
Just the lowly opinion of a red state wannabe.
National R.N.C. headed by my P.O.S. Florida senator mel martinez who pushed for the amnesty bill.
Yeah the r.n.c. is turning away from its conservative base.
I refuse to give them a penny.
The "social conservatives" and "values voters" enthusiastically supported George Bush, simply because he met their two sole and exclusive criteria: no abortion, and allegedly "born again."
I hope we can find some more relevant and expansive criteria for 2008.
I won't blames them for voting 3rd party, but those who plan to stay home or "sit it out" are despicable. If the Rats claimed they were "born again" they'd vote Rat (Jimmy Carter anyone?).
Don't give the liberals too much credit. They, with a few exceptions, are not that smart. Most of the stories are wishful thinking stretched to fit their perception of an America yearning for a return of the glory days of Democratic leadership. We saw the same self-deluding hopefulness here last fall when people grasped every small encouraging sign as a denial of what was really happening.
What you see is the rough-and-tumble process of the party reforming itself. It is choosing what is important and what can be put on the shelf for another day. The process is messy, even brutal, but in the end it will come out with a vision of America as it should be for the next eight years. Some will be disappointed and we will lose some people but in the end we will have a general consensus of the issues the base thinks important.
Look at the issues in Presidential campaigns over the last fifty years and you will see some that flare and die out, some that are modified and some that are basic throughout. In 1968 the war was overriding but Ladybird's campaign to rid the Interstates of billboards hit bitter resistance from conservatives. Now I doubt that you could find more that a few who want billboards returned. A dozen years ago you would have been tossed overboard because, judging from your writing, you support food assistance for the needy. Welfare reform was a hot topic and zealots were rampant.
Last year at this time the common wisdom was that the Democrats had to make a good showing or they were Gone With the Whigs. This year the contentiousness and rancor are unusually sharp but I think that it is a good sign. Conservatives are none too happy with the record of this administration but they have flexed their newly found internet muscle thrice and been successful. The Swiftboat Vets, the Miers nomination and immigration reform all show the power of the grassroots. There is a disconnect on policy and practice but that is being ironed out now.
Interesting times.
Obviously now we find we were wrong on many levels concerning our perception of who we were voting into office.
We will be more astute, discerning and hopefully wiser next time, Lord willing.
Okay ... I’ll go ahead and blame them if a ‘rat’s elected. RINO: a political devotee who calls himself “Republican”, but then votes Third party or votes his “conscience” instead of voting “Republican”; thus contributing to the election of said ‘rat. That’s a Republican In Name Only.
“In the current two party system, where are they going to go?”
They don’t have to go anywhere. They can just sit on the couch and watch 2 repugnant choices duke it out.
If the conservative grassroots withhold donations & support, the GOP will be steamrolled by the democrats. Just like in the last election.
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