If Conservative Leaders Jump The Shark Where Will Free Republic Stand?

Vanity Question | 2/5/08

[Williams]

I know Free Republic members overwhelmingly don't want John McCain. He's not my choice.

But I was just listening to Glenn Beck saying that Hilary Cinton will be better, that Bill Clinton's election in 1992 was the "best thing" that ever happened to America, that the country will be in such dire straights after four years of Hilary, that a "Churchill" will be needed to sort it out. This on top of Rush's statements and Coulter's.But folks, if Free Republic becomes the "Hilary will be better" site well I don't care if Barry Goldwater comes back and says it, that is not going to be conservatism.

These "conservative leaders" are creating detailed statements, not even sound bites - speechs, that Hilary Clinton or Obama - radical leftists - will be able to use to say "Rush Limbaugh said to vote for me". Folks, that is just crazy.

You can flame me, zot me, what's the difference at this point. But if Rush Limbaugh Glenn Beck Ann Coulter want my country to be in the situation England faced under Churchill (near destruction and widespread death and horror) and they want Hilary Rodham Clinton elected, then they are no longer conservatives.

I don't care even if McCain is stopped today, these people have made statements that have done terrible damage to the foundations of conervatism. And mind you, Rush Limbaugh has never supported anyone. EXCEPT Hilary Rodham Clinton.

Sure I hate McCain on many levels, but I will never forgive these so called "conservative leaders" for their in depth statements in support of a leftist president. And I am "assuming" Free Republic is not going to become the "elect Hilary/Obama" site?

[The_Reader_David]

The trouble is, if it’s McCain v. either demonRAT, we’re going to have a leftist president: don’t forget McCain doesn’t understand the Laffer curve; thinks terrorists apprehended in circumstances in which the Geneva Convention would allow their execution as spies and saboteurs should be given civilian criminal trials; tried to gut the 1st Amendment’s original intent of protecting political speech (at least for 30 days before an election); and thinks we should adopt an Al Gore-style rationing system to solve the non-problem of Anthropogenic Global Warming.

The only question if McCain get the nomination is whether America will have two socialist parities. Opposing him, even at the cost of four years of Hillary or Obama, might get the GOP to wake up to the fact that ‘us too, but slower, leftism’ isn’t the way to win elections, and turn the GOP back into the party Reagan built, instead of the one he inherited from Rockerfeller, et al. We need closed primaries, not the current system that lets people with no loyalty to either conservative principle or to the party have too much say over our nominee.

[Pistolshot]

I understand your concern, but what you don't seem to realize is the ones you mention, Ann, Rush, Glenn are conservatives, and not necessarily willing to drink the kool-aid that the GOP elites are pouring out with McVain or Mitt or Mike.

The reasons they would rather have a Hillary or Obama win is that would coalesce the GOP under a true conservative banner again.

Remember, we had to have a Carter to get a Reagan, and the world was better for it. It's what we might have to pay to get what we really need.

NONE of the candidates we have left now are acceptable to true conservatives, social or fiscal.

[bill1952]

if Free Republic becomes the “Hilary will be better” site well I don’t care if Barry Goldwater comes back and says it, that is not going to be conservatism.

Sorry, but your statement is internally inconsistent and therefor logically flawed.

If indeed “hillary would be better” as a simple statement of fact, then that would have to be logical statement.

This is not the GOP dot com webite, and if it is so that any number of left leaning republicans are farther to the left than say, hilllay, then it is up to this Conservative site to identify that fact and to work to promote conservative values.

Again sorry, but it is the GOP that is leaving us, and we are not going to follow it like lemmings off of that cliff, we are not going to be complicit in their rush to the left, and we will show them the power of true conservative, i.e, American values by not staying on any plantation.

[bill1952]

if Free Republic becomes the “Hilary will be better” site well I don’t care if Barry Goldwater comes back and says it, that is not going to be conservatism.

Sorry, but your statement is internally inconsistent and therefor logically flawed.

If indeed “hillary would be better” as a simple statement of fact, then that would have to be logical statement.

This is not the GOP dot com webite, and if it is so that any number of left leaning republicans are farther to the left than say, hilllay, then it is up to this Conservative site to identify that fact and to work to promote conservative values.

Again sorry, but it is the GOP that is leaving us, and we are not going to follow it like lemmings off of that cliff, we are not going to be complicit in their rush to the left, and we will show them the power of true conservative, i.e, American values by not staying on any plantation.

[bill1952]

if Free Republic becomes the “Hilary will be better” site well I don’t care if Barry Goldwater comes back and says it, that is not going to be conservatism.

Sorry, but your statement is internally inconsistent and therefor logically flawed.

If indeed “hillary would be better” as a simple statement of fact, then that would have to be logical statement.

This is not the GOP dot com webite, and if it is so that any number of left leaning republicans are farther to the left than say, hilllay, then it is up to this Conservative site to identify that fact and to work to promote conservative values.

Again sorry, but it is the GOP that is leaving us, and we are not going to follow it like lemmings off of that cliff, we are not going to be complicit in their rush to the left, and we will show them the power of true conservative, i.e, American values by not staying on any plantation.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

I voted "No vote" because I'm in Ohio. We don't vote until March 4. My "no vote" was not a protest vote, just the truth.

Member Opinion
Mitt Romney	50.2%		143
No vote	18.6%		53
Fred Thompson	12.6%		36
Ron Paul	5.6%		16
Mike Huckabee	3.9%		11
Duncan Hunter	3.9%		11
John McCain	3.2%		9
Other	1.4%		4
Alan Keyes	0.7%		2
	100.1%		285

[bill1952]

if Free Republic becomes the “Hilary will be better” site well I don’t care if Barry Goldwater comes back and says it, that is not going to be conservatism.

Sorry, but your statement is internally inconsistent and therefor logically flawed.

If indeed “hillary would be better” as a simple statement of fact, then that would have to be logical statement.

This is not the GOP dot com website, and if it is so that any number of left leaning republicans are farther to the left than say, hilllay, then it is up to this Conservative site to identify that fact and to work to promote conservative values.

Again sorry, but it is the GOP that is leaving us, and we are not going to follow it like lemmings off of that cliff, we are not going to be complicit in their rush to the left, and we will show them the power of true conservative, i.e, American values by not staying on any plantation.

[cvq3842]

PS This has been a very rough campaign, to be sure. I guess the issue we’ve all been dealing with is: how far will FReepers (and other conservatives) go to support the lesser of the evils? What if Rudy had somehow been the nominee? There’s a point beyond which some people will not go. I agree that supporting Democrats is not the answer, and from my post above I have noted McCains’ apparently more reliable support of the war as possibly a deciding factor, but again for many there’s a limit.

[G.Mason]

Egads ... you mean I am actually in the "ball park" with the soon to be fringe group known as freerepublic.com?

Thanks for the tip. I will check it out.

[MassExodus]

Holding Nose Republican.

Sorry, I'm DONE hear me ? DONE.

McCain is a Liberal - flat out.
I don't give a damn how many "R"'s gets tacked behind his name.
In fact, that he's a so called "Republican" makes him even more destructive.

I will under no circumstances vote for him<period>

[Williams]

I agree "jump the shark" is overused. The point here is I never thought I'd use it to refer to Rush Limbaugh and support of HRC.

Rush didn't just opine that maybe its just as well if Hilary gets elected, he stated in detail that Hilary won't do all the things we fear her doing. He stated that Hilary/Obama won't ruin the war in Iraq or the WOT. IF we are afraid of what McCain will do, it is crazy saying Hilary/Obama will surprise us and be good Commanders in Chief. Rush Limnbaugh saying HRC/Obama will be good for the WOT is jumping the shark.

[js1138]

Perhaps freepers should promise to run naked through Manhattan if their man doesn’t get the nomination. With Ann coulter.

[rbmillerjr]

I will never vote for John McCain.

...I will help rebuild conservatism from within the GOP, but I will not condone liberalism in the GOP.

[hiredhand]

IF Hillary wins the 2008 Presidential Elections, it won't be because we took the attitude that we'd be better off with her than any one of the RINOs that the GOP is presenting to us.

It will be simply because we did what was was a right and correct thing to do, and the indirect result was that it caused an imbalance in strength among the conservative support base, which will in turn give her a win.

We won't vote for RINOs. We won't vote for democrats. We won't sit-out the election. That leaves doing what's right....which at this point is writing in Thompson/Hunter.

The result of this will most likely be a GOP loss. But at this point, we must do what's right and not be motivated by fear. It's the "Anybody But Hillary" shrieking that's causing us so much harm...not those of us willing to write in Thompson/Hunter.

[cvq3842]

That's what it may come down to for me also. I'm in an exceptionally blue state in any event.

[Dan Walsh]

I’ll be voting for whomever the R nominee is. I do not want Hillary or Obama in charge of the military

Or the courts.

At least McCain should control spending.

[Fee]

For myself I have three main conservative issues for this primary. Plan to balance budget and rein in government spending; rein in illegal immigration and my right to own a firearm. McCain made many enemies in the Senate on his fiscal conservative stances (no tax cuts unless spending is cut), Romney and Huck increased state government, raised taxes and spending cuts. All three had pro illegal immigration policies in the past and only the later two changed their tune running for the GOP nomination. My opinion is all three will be beholden to big business and will relent on anmesty for illegal immigrants. Thus McCain’s fiscal restraint stance will be underminded by the increase in social programs for illegal immigrants after anmesty is granted. So in a nutshell, McCain’fiscal conservative policies will be undermind by illegal immigration amnesty. Huckabee and Romney’s fiscal conservative stance may be undermind by their possible change of mind on illegal immigration amnesty, because once the border is closed, we must deal with the illegals in our country, and ALL three have a history of being soft on them in the past. Finally, only McCain and Huckabee is reasonably pro gun while Romney has a past history of being a Northeastern suburban anti gunner. In the final analysis all three candidates pose a risk on one or all more of my three endeared issues (fiscal, immigration and gun ownership). Atleast GWB campaigned for amnesty while he ran for President, though we conservatives overlooked it as he battled Gore and Kerry.

[null and void]

Is there any way we could agree to a moratorium on the use of the expression “jump the shark?”

Soooooo, you're saying 'jump the shark' has jumped the shark?...

[svcw]

Listen Billy,

Rush has never supported HRC as you state.

What he has said is that JM is as liberal as HRC and if the country is going to fall apart he would rather have a democrat take the hit.

[Designer]

"Is there any way we could agree to a moratorium on the use of the expression “jump the shark?”"

No.

In this case, it fits perfectly.