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."
No!
The GOP has been sprinting away from its conservative base for some time now.
Lack of border security, the drugs-for-old-people program and Americas taxpayer's dollars being wasted as if Congress were a bunch of drunken sailors on leave might have something to do with the current unrest in the ranks.
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(The above comment was not intended to offend any drunken sailor.)
The issue is really "conservative" and not "Republican". The RNC shows an increasing drift away from conservative values, and I'm more and more perplexed about what a "Republican" actually believes.
By "conservative values" I DO NOT mean abortion. It's important to say that, because there's zero correlation between "conservative" and "abortion", although the "abortion voters" would like us to believe otherwise. There's a whole cabal of them that would be as happy as Rats as Republcans, because they have one and only one issue, and they;ll vote for whomever accomodates that issue.
So instead I mean actually conservative issues like fiscal sanity, sound foreign policy, IMMMIGRATION and protecting the borders, a belief in the Constitution (CFR), etc. Those are several areas where the RNC has completely lost its way.
How do you expect for us to change the path of the Republican Party if our conservative members just quit the party when things don't go their way?
If you don't like the path that the Republican Party is taking, then it is vital that you vote in primary elections and show more conservative candidates that they have support.
Threatening to leave or leaving the party has little to no effect on the RINO party leadership. If anything it strengthens their power over the party as is saps the strength from conservatives in the party.
SO tell me why should I consider an "Independent" to be something other than someone who has decided it is someone else's problem to fix things. Why is it different than someone who complains about things but can't be bothered to actually go and vote?
I hate to say this (again) but ping me when Congressman Duncan Hunter reaches 3% in the polls (any major poll will do). I’m not holding my breath here...
Then, Anuzis and others better be working hard to defeat Guiliani.
They would simply stay home. Meanwhile, the Democrats would stay picking up seats in the south in Congress as they continue to run socially conservative candidates.
No, judges would be a big part of the criterion as well. And, that ONLY lasting and positive thing to come out of the Bush administration is strict Constitutionalists on SCOTUS.
Anyone not thinking that the nomination of judges isn't as important as any issue is a fool as is anyone that would trust a RINO like Guiliani to nominate such judges.
I agree Giuliani, who left New York City with the second largest debt in the nation, is unacceptable.
In case you missed it, it was RINO Republicans spending money and expanding government from 2000 to 2006. It has been RINO Republicans teaming with Democrats to push through amnesty bills for illegals. RINOS joined Democrats in trying to block strict Constitutionalist jurists to the courts.
The ONLY way conservativism is to progress is for conservatives to vote for conservatives.
But, allowing RINOs to be voted out of office does.
The only solution to the problem is conservatives to weed out the RINOs and elect true believers in conservatism.
“While I am often frustrated with RINO’s I have a question. Who do you think would get elected in Pennsylvania if Arlen Spectre wasn’t. “
Perhaps if Bush had not endorsed Specter and the GOP had not given lots of support, it would have been Toomey. Maybe it would have been some moderate democrat junior senator. Either way, that person would not be making outrageous demands as head of the judiciary committee. They would not constantly threaten the current GOP administration with investigations and independent counsels. They would not be sponsoring and using their influence to push through hideous liberal legislation. They would not threaten to sink conservative SCOTUS & judicial nominees. Ya gotta wonder what were the terms of the deal that he cut to allow Roberts & Alito out of committee....
The way I see it, Arlen Specter has done more damage to the GOP than any democrat junior senator could have.
Why do I get the impression these people do not see reality.
This RNC meeting must have been for rank and file with the REAL leadership doing back room meetings which go for the amnesty and weak kneed trent lott style contry club elitism with the oposition.
Oh, yes, I forgot. Your may-some-day-be-candidate is so presidential, so statesmenlike, and so cool. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmKUMuPAMSE
JD Hayworth?
Jim Ryun?
It's difficult on the one hand to speak as much as we do here about our declining standards of morality, and maintain this notion that the social conservative road is the one to victory.
I think the old time country club elites see the conservative base as a threat to the status of country club elite. They don’t deal with the “little people” and do not want little people on an equal footing with them.
For the elites, political parties are just a way to coaless for obtaining power. They are say anything do anything politicians. The would switch parties to get elected rather than swich for a principle.
Although I’m not there yet. I’ll vote third party before sitting out an election.
“Is the GOP Straying From Conservative Base?”
DONE STRAYED! ALREADY SOMEWHERE OVER THE MEXICAN BORDER.
Thanks for the link. I like a man that’ll stand up and be heard, tell a liar to “shut up” if need be, and give as good as he gets. Fred Thompson just went up a notch in my estimation, which was not your intent, I’m sure! Again, don’t forget to ping me when Rep. Hunter hits that magic 3% mark. LOL
So much for your standards, then, Vet. In my opinion, Cooper was the gentleman in that debate. A debate is not a dog fight. And your candidate made that a dog fight.
Rudy vs Hillar is just Clinton vs Clinton.
There are only five candidates for president now.
Guiliani, Romney, Fred Thompson, H.R.Clinton, and Obama in no particular order.
Everyone else is just filler for the MSM.
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