The gradual erosion of the two-party system into a "compromise" de facto one-party system is upon us. The Republican Party that believed in small government is gone because TRUE Republicans would be out there saying "We shouldn't be involved in this--vote for me, and I'll cut things, vote for them, they'll give you things."
When the debate is no longer about "SHOULD the government be so involved in people's lives?" but "HOW MUCH should the government be spending for you?" then conservatism is done.
I would say we need to reconstitute the party and return to basics but that is just silly, and a denial of reality.
Reality is that the average American believes that big government is there, so we might as well get OUR share. And that spells the death of conservative government.
I'll await the stupid attack posts from those who want to live in fantasy land.
The trouble with getting OUR share is that someone has to pay for it. There is one potential bright spot, though it may be a long time coming. It is rooted in the weight of reality. The present approach to big government is unsustainable on both programs and taxes. The refusal to do our own drilling for oil and build refineries etc. adds to the problem and makes it less sustainable. Social security, which only Thompson addressed, is going to hit a wall.
Less government control (getting the government out of the way), lower taxes, etc. are the only solution. The Europeans, who are in denial, are being made to face this reality in some areas. Just as they are being made to face the war with Islamofascism.
The trouble with building a house of cards is that eventually, being unsustainable, you have to return to reality. The house of cards crashes. Constitutional principles, which limit the federal government, and are in the USA constitution are the answer.
The problem is like surgery, the pain of getting through it and the recovery can be long.
God help us, but you may be right.
If we could only get people to realize the government as a money dispenser is like a change machine that gives you 50 cents back for every dollar you put in.
That's also the real reason blacks are 95% loyal to the Democratic Party, no matter what "racist" imagery is employed. They've essentially been promised guaranteed government money/jobs/benefits with no strings attached. Republicans won't make that promise, but talk in more realistic terms of "opportunity" (work) and "freedom" (responsibility) that just can't trump that golden promise of a free ride. Republicans aren't going to make any headway among blacks by talking about Robert Byrd's past or "the Democrat plantation" - blacks went there voluntarily.
Hispanic immigrants are now starting to get sucked into this same unsustainable lie - and I expect within a decade we are going to see their support for Democrats at about 85%.
I think we are already past the 50% level of citizens who think they are owed a living by the government. It isn't even possible to educate them otherwise any more - it would take a decade of televised "fireside chats" on personal economics by a Ronald Reagan-like figure to even make a dent.