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The Death of Conservatism? - 43 Mistakes and the GOP's Dobson's Choice
Sideshow Bob | January 29, 2008 | Sideshow Bob

Posted on 01/29/2008 11:55:19 AM PST by Sideshow Bob

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To: FrdmLvr
You have a good memory and analytical mind. I would disagree, however, with points #1 and #16, and I would add a #35 and #36: Letting Senator Rick Santorum get beat, and letting George Allen slip away. Conservatives are too reluctant to get in to the fray to defend their side.

I agree - conservatives don't fight hard enough for their own.

261 posted on 01/29/2008 6:05:30 PM PST by Sideshow Bob
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To: TexanByBirth

Yea I know. I saw it. Only it wasn’t a mistake to view Fred as a bad candidate. It was correct.


262 posted on 01/29/2008 6:05:50 PM PST by Huck (Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.)
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To: Getsmart64

Interesting argument, but ultimately not persuasive. Fred truly was a HORRIBLE candidate. See? Where is he now?


263 posted on 01/29/2008 6:07:09 PM PST by Huck (Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.)
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To: Sideshow Bob

I’m in!

Be nice to be excited about a run again..


264 posted on 01/29/2008 6:28:44 PM PST by ejonesie22 (Haley Barbour 2012, Because he has experience in Disaster Recovery.)
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To: Sideshow Bob

This is a good piece. Thanks for posting it.

We ought to be focusing on how to be more effective as conservatives, maybe take back the Republican party, do something positive. Like supporting good congressional candidates, good Senators if you can find them.

Instead about all I see is people saying who they are going to vote for. It doesn’t make a clown’s hat full of difference who anybody votes for with this lackluster group. That is all most freepers want to do, and it is the most useless exercise in futility this year.

I haven’t read the posts yet, I will, but I would love to be surprised. This is a good post to discuss what should we do now?


265 posted on 01/29/2008 6:40:01 PM PST by daylilly
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To: Sideshow Bob

I would have agreed with 4 months ago. Now, I’m not so sure.

Regardless, that was a nice piece of work you did.


266 posted on 01/29/2008 6:48:46 PM PST by papasmurf (No "Leftovers" for me. I'm votin' for Fred!)
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To: papasmurf

LOL. Don’t be ridiculous. I like Rush, but you must be blind as a bat if you don’t see that his show thrives on (1) defending his guy against liberals, (2) criticizing liberals.

If McCain is elected, he will take many conservative positions on the WOT, Iraq, etc. Rush can either defend him (which goes against everything he has said up until now), criticize him anyway (and thereby be in cahoots with liberals) or ignore him. Anyway you cut it, ambiguity will reign, which is not good for a show such as his.


267 posted on 01/29/2008 6:50:15 PM PST by dinoparty
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To: fightinJAG
His argument that, at least with a Rat president, the Republicans in Congress could be “full-throated” in their opposition was okay; it was better than nothing. But, please, the answer to that is to change the culture of temerity in opposing the President when he’s wrong.

That's never going to happen. Look at all the people, even passionate, politically involved folks here on FR, who actually argue in favor of things like higher taxes, or "assault weapons" bans, when their GOP candidate supports said taxes and gun bans. That is all the proof I need that we are not going to be unified enough to hold any of these would-be GOP presidents' feet to the fire.

Look at all the folks right here on FR who vehemently opposed any criticism of W. or the GOP Congress, until at least 2006?

"Team" think and pack mentality is human nature. Only when people are threatened by an outside source do we get truly unified (Orwell covered this in 1984).

268 posted on 01/29/2008 6:51:18 PM PST by ellery (Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice - B. Goldwater)
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To: dinoparty

You’re selling him short is what I’m saying. He’ll find a way to spin it to his advantage, million$ rest on it.


269 posted on 01/29/2008 6:52:57 PM PST by papasmurf (No "Leftovers" for me. I'm votin' for Fred!)
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To: American_Centurion
He had no business whatsoever issuing a statement on whether or not a particular candidate is a Christian

He didn't "issue a statement", he expressed his analytical opinion in a conversation with a U.S. News & World Report reporter. I don't think Thompson is a Christian because he has never given anyone any reason to believe that he is. What is so hard about confessing Jesus?

Luke 9
25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

Romans 10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Mark 16

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

270 posted on 01/29/2008 6:58:17 PM PST by Theophilus (Nothing can make Americans safer than to stop aborting them.)
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To: Sideshow Bob
No, conservatives and/or the GOP shouldn't take evangelicals for granted. But I don't think that it is too much to expect evangelical leaders to understand the political process and to learn to form winning conservative coalitions.

I agree with you. We Christians (Dobson and people like myself) have a delicate balance. To be in the world and not of it. When we become of it, things like Jim and Tammy Baker happen and the world views us as hypocrites (and rightfully so). When we focus on the other world, we are accused of not being engaged and part of the problem (again rightfully so). When dealing in politics, you are dealing with the art of the possible; Christians tend to be ideal and frown at compromises that are politically expedient.

I understand your disappointment in Mr. Dobson. Mr. Dobson is anything but expedient. I love the work he has done, but he is just another fallen human and I think on the issue of Fred, he fell again. Occasionally on Free Republic and in the MSM regularly, I hear the pitting of fiscal, constitutional and social conservatives against each other. I don't buy it. We do have some problems and they should be dealt with openly and honestly, but we have a great coalition that has a lot more in common than differences.

I appreciate your well thought out post. I hope I wasn't too preachy.

271 posted on 01/29/2008 6:59:13 PM PST by fatez ("If you're going through Hell, keep going." Winston Churchill)
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To: toddlintown
I’m Catholic and find the term “Mackerel Snapper” amusing. Get a thicker skin.

Please explain how "amusing" and "respectful" are synonyms in your language.

I'm Catholic too, and my skin is plenty thick. But the notion that "bible thumper" is a term of respect is ludicrous.
272 posted on 01/29/2008 6:59:26 PM PST by Antoninus (All you Mittens out there are going to feel like Flippers come November...)
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To: Sideshow Bob
I must have missed the memo on the Christian sponsored amendments. Did Christ return to earth and endorse them? Oh, I know, Pope Benedict included it in his last papal address, right?

I said "Christian sponsored", not "Christ sponsored". As far as papal addresses are concerned, I wouldn't know. I ain't a Catholic.

And there is a difference between opposing an amendment and endorsing a patronizing and losing political effort.

A hardheaded and ill-conceived path. The result, considering his already shaky position with the Christians, was predictable (and was in fact predicted right here on FR). A poorly taken stance (regardless of the reason)for one hoping to be elected and needing the Christian Right's aid in that regard.

As for McCain-Feingold, Fred completely disavowed his former support for that abomination on free speech.

The damage was already done. His change of position might be forgiven by the masses, but certainly not so amid the organizations, and that shut him out of the Christian networks- Networks that dwarf anything the Republicans currently have, including Conservative Talk Radio.

But I seem to recall that an evangelical Christian George W. Bush) signed that bill into law.

Yes. Thanks for that reminder. Certainly a big reason not to support the moderate Baker wing. They do seem bent upon removing the Bill of Rights. Especially when they get to work together like that.

I fail to see how Fred's appearance at a sparsely attended [...] would have seriously impacted the race,

It's not hard to see, you're looking at it right now.

273 posted on 01/29/2008 7:00:51 PM PST by roamer_1 (Conservative always, Republican no more. Keyes '08)
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To: Yankereb

The problem with your post is, there is no half a loaf with any of them. None of them has a history of governing or advocating conservative principles in the past so there is no assurance of what they will do if elected. Promises don’t mean anything this year.

There is no lesser of two evils. If these RINOs act like they have in the past they will be just as bad or worse than the rats.


274 posted on 01/29/2008 7:01:19 PM PST by daylilly
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To: Sideshow Bob
It's Hobson's choice.
275 posted on 01/29/2008 7:02:56 PM PST by Doohickey (Giuliani: Brokeback Republican)
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To: DannyTN

>>>No, Huckabee is not a socialist.<<<

You are a rare breed. Every conservative I know is convinced the Huckster is a socialist (Marxist).

>>>I don’t personally dislike Romney because he is a Mormon. But I think electing a Mormon to the office of President, legitimizes Mormonism. Mormonism is a severe distortion of true Christianity. So severe, that almost all mainstream Christian organizations consider Mormonism to not be Christian. It’s absolutely the wrong signal to send to the youth of this country. So if need be, I will vote for a democrat to keep Romney out of office.<<<

My God, you are a bigot!

Answer this: have you ever met a bad or mean Mormon (ignore Harry Reid, whom I assume you have never met, and also whom I assume is not a Mormon)? And what does Jesus say about whom to trust? Well, the devil appears in sheep’s clothing (for example, a Marxist (socialist) claiming to be a minister of Christ). The others? Ye shall know them by their fruits.

That said, how many mean Mormons have you known. None, I’ll bet. Now, how many mean “Christians” have you known? Plenty, I’ll bet.

My point is, judging a man because of his Christian denomination is venturing into hypocritical territory. Besides, it violates the very Constitution (the one I’ll bet you claim to support and defend) which forbids a religious test for public office. And, as aforementioned, it violates the teachings of Jesus Christ (remember, there was, at least, one Good Samaritan).


276 posted on 01/29/2008 7:04:07 PM PST by PhilipFreneau (The president cannot let a piece of paper by a bureaucrat determine what his actions must be - FT)
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To: bilhosty
and probably have to jettison some old views.

And that is precisely why the Conservative movement will always reside in the country.

277 posted on 01/29/2008 7:05:21 PM PST by roamer_1 (Conservative always, Republican no more. Keyes '08)
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To: Doohickey
It's Hobson's choice.

Well, duh. It's called a play on words.

278 posted on 01/29/2008 7:17:46 PM PST by Sideshow Bob
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To: Sideshow Bob

not the end, another turn of events. the dems are the ones imploding.


279 posted on 01/29/2008 7:18:27 PM PST by television is just wrong (deport all illegal aliens NOW. Put all AMERICANS TO WORK FIRST. END Welfare)
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To: Theophilus

How many conversations and meetings did Dobson have with Thompson? Dobson has never heard me confess Jesus either, am I not a Christian?

Speaking to a reporter is the equivalent of issuing a statement, a press release, or going on any talk show. Just because issue a statement isn’t “technically” correct doesn’t negate the fact that Dobson’s point was to steer Christians who listen to him AWAY from Thompson.

If I wanted to get “technical” I could accuse Dobson of breaking the Ninth Commandment, but I don’t know for sure if he meant it that way, and that’s for God to judge. I have made a personal decision to scrutinize Dobson’s statements because of that.


280 posted on 01/29/2008 7:22:42 PM PST by American_Centurion (No, I don't trust the government to automatically do the right thing.)
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