Posted on 02/08/2008 12:06:54 AM PST by verklaring
A Conservative Caucus within the Republican Party, a concept (vanity)
Historical perspective: In 1968-9 there was a movement within the Democrat party to form a new left alliance. This alliance was formed of neo-communists, socialists, far left liberals and antiwar activists. It’s purpose was to effectively move the direction or take over the Democrat party. The intention was, first, as a caucus within the party to direct and shape national policy. Its long term goal was to take over the party. It partially succeeded when McGovern was nominated. It has continued to this day. I was a college student, what Rush Limbaugh calls an empty head full of mush, in those days. I was at one of the meetings in Detroit, MI. This is not fiction. If this sounds like David Horowitz, it is similar. I would suggest that this approach has worked. Bill and Hillary must have been part of the same movement.
The trouble is, it has also driven JFK type moderate Democrats or those to the left of JFK into the Republican party. Some like Reagan became genuine conservatives. But others have not changed and are not conservatives. McCain, Giuliani and Huckabee are of this type. They are not all liberal Republicans. They are really closet Democrats at heart but of the JFK type in varying degrees: Pro-America, pro-military, pro-tax cuts and capitalism but also social and liberal. Mccain and Huckabee are of this type but left of JFK. This is the big tent.
The point: There are within the Democrat party various caucus elements, based on race, agenda, etc. While, negatively, this atomizes the party into special interest groups, it also, positively, gives to each group a position of power at the table within the party. It gives them a seat at the table of power and a voice.
There may be a similar situation, I believe, in the New York Republican party, a conservative caucus, within the party. The purpose of it is to have conservatives band together, work together and present one unified candidate or a unified position on issues.
The concept is not difficult. Conservatives work together to form a united position among themselves, then stick together to present a united front as a block on either nominations or issues. This might be a solution to the problem of fragmented conservatives, which we are seeing. The three legged stool, as it is called, of social, economic and foreign policy/national security conservatives. It would eliminate a one issue, one leg of the stool, candidate. Examples of the one issue candidate would be Tancredo - immigration, Huckabee - social conservative+ plus taxes (but liberal on everything else).
The problem with this approach is that it requires working together. Socialists and collectivists are better at this than independent minded conservatives, each with his own issue, guns, abortion, taxes, national security.
To implement this you would need also a set of standards to unite such a caucus, such as federalism + consistent national security principles. The libertarian, isolationist and non-free trade approaches would have to be excluded. The reason for this latter statement is there are already third parties for this, and we do not need another Ron Paul, Pat Buchannan, or Ross Perot drawing off energy, votes or efforts.
It would have to be a kind of new Republicanism, (conservative, constitutional but republican in principle) in its approach. For some who have advocated a Third party move, this might be a better option. It could also be used at the local, state and at the congressional level as well as the presidential level. It would have to have the character of a movement, which is more than CPAC. The concept is not really new. But if Conservatives are to have a future voice in the GOP. It is one which needs to be pursued in an organized way, which has not been done. The concept is more than a think tank and a forum. It starts at the precinct level. It extends to a group or caucus within a group all the way to the House of representatives and the US Senate.
This is a tactic of the liberal left and it works. The problem with implementing such a strategy in the Republican party is that politics and political power for the left are their religion while for conservatives it is not. But for some who are frustrated, thinking third party, or not voting it is a long term answer or suggestion. It also requires a certain kind of work and conservatives unlike liberals have a life.
The reason they called it the "Republican Study Committee" was not because they just sit around and read books and trade clever bon mots, but as a direct response to the "Democratic Study Committee" which was the liberal caucus that brought so many of the liberal/socialists members of the Democrat party to prominence in the 70's.
The RSC has done a bunch of things. Many of its members and leaders have gone on to play bigger roles such as Tom Delay and Mike Pence.
So the RSC is exactly what you are aksing for, it has already been done, and it is doing some good.
However, congressmen are human beings who make friends with other congressmen no matter how far they differ on issues. They also have to get reelected and so they can't always afford to stand on principle all the time.
What we need is something we as regular party hacks can do and I believe I have a very good and workable idea that might have some effect on the election.
That is about where I am at. I have no political agenda in raising this concept.
I would gladly go on vacation, but John McCain and his global warming Democrat buddies (plus Huckabee ) and their nonsense, intend to raise the cost of gasoline to $5.00 per gallon as a pseudo carbon tax.
we need to form a Committee to study this issue, and a subcommittee to study side issues on a related note. First we’ll need to see if its in the budget...
Ihave thought of this long ago, this is my position on that intelligent position.
The words politically nurtured come to mind.
What I mean, is that if McCain win the office of President on 2008 if he leads like his past demonstrates it is a simple fact that MOST REPUBLICANS WILL NOT VOTE.
Doi I think this is stupid WELL U BET I DO !
I am only stating the most likely outcome what most voters will stupidly do. Not the decision I would chose.
I call this Foresight.
McCain can not help himself. He is a liberal to his dying breath.
Forgot to add it is not all bad news. The good news is We will make massive gains in Congress under Hillary. Just like we did in 1994 do to Bill Clinton insane policies.
Something I'll simply call "the right way". Good post.
I hear you. Yesterday was a rough day for us. All we've got right now is the fact that so many of us feel exactly the same way. That's more of an indicator of problem for those who have wronged us than anything else. Now that pretty much all FReepers have had their choices eliminated from the campaign, maybe we can work on building a united front again based upon the principles hailed in this forum.
Then together, we defeat "the plan":
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“once you start adding or not adding social issues is when people get their undies tied in a knot.”
Correct, and that’s when the Conservative Caucus would split into as many factions as it is at the moment. Truly limited government will piss off many of the Christian voters who seem to be OK with a more intrusive government as long as those intrusions favor their agenda.
I’m not trying to be a Doom & Gloom guy, but what is becoming pretty obvious is that conservatives are not only a minority, we’re a pretty small minority. IMO the rest of American voters have moved leftward. I see some form of socialized medicine in our future. I think it’s too late to turn the clock back and reverse this. The best we can do now is to try to lessen the impact, and I’m not sure we can even do that. As a group we tend to be pretty rigid. Like another poster said we don’t do group think very well. That seems to imply that each faction will continue to happily turn its guns on the other factions when their litmus test, whatever it happens to be, isn’t met.
It seems to me to be isolationist and non-free trade, nontraditional Republican
I’d strongly support such a concept. The biggest enemy of conservatism is a lack of a truly unified voice within the Republican OR Democrat Parties.
The old largely conservative Southern Democrats are still out there, but much like us conservatives in the GOP, their voice is either muted or drowned out by the valueless moderates and and diehard socialist/liberals.
Conservatism needs to that that three-legged stool and unify those legs in to one strong-willed, solidly anchored, and unshakably confident force within BOTH parties. Conservatism should not be merely a Repubican goal, it should be a Democrat goal as well. If we conservatives are going to set our sights on a goal, if we are going to stand tall, lets set our sights on both parties - not just one. I knind of look at this as the Bush Doctrine for domestic policy - we need to be looking at developing policies that have a view of 10 to 20 years down the road - just as many successful companies do...long range planning and working towards specific result-oriented goals is going the be the only way we can return consrvatism as THE dominant force in political and policy development. This is not a immediate fix to our problems, but it is a framework on which a real victory against liberalism can be achieved.
BRAVO, BRAVO
The biggest enemy of conservatism is a lack of a truly unified voice within the Republican OR Democrat Parties.
This is the problem: a long term view ( Islamists think in centuries, Marxists in decades) and "a unified voice."
The problem is that for them: Dar-Al Islam ( the international Caliphate) or the Socialist utopia is a religion.
We just want to: work, provide for our families, send our kids to school, retire with dignity and worship according to conscience. We do not have a personal agenda, except perhaps to have the government stay out of our hair.
That simple freedom is one which has to be fought for on the battle field, and as much, one that has to be fought for, politically, simply to maintain what we have and pass its privileges on to the next generation.
The Republican party needs to throw us conservatives a bone for since Ronald Reagan left office they have done nothing but taken our votes and treated us like the Dems treat blacks.
Kiss our butts around election time and then shove us to the back of the bus.
I didn’t get what I want, either. That doesn’t mean I can just sit by and pout while HClinton/Clinton and Barry Obsama take over this country. The going is tough, but when the going gets tough, the tough....get out and vote!
"....movement......to form a new alliance"
The movement is Cultural Elitism and it is made up educators, lawyers, media, entertainers, counter-culture, etc.
Sometimes the cultural elitists are called cultural marxists. Agnew called them effete snobs. Bork described them as those who make their living off of words and language.
"In 1968-9"
The 1968 democratic convention in Chicago when they rioted in the streets and on the floor of the convention.
Not a bad idea. I just think the fragmentation of conservatives into different interest groups would result in another bickering, back-stabbing party like the rat party, which is currently destroying itself. Then again, we have that now.
What I was referring to took place after the 1968 convention, in the winter. I think it was also after the election. It was a long time ago.
Been there, done that..... Newt did it and did it well.
It needs to be done again, but alas there is no leader with the vision and stature to implement the plan.
We can only hope that out of the shambles of the present congress a conservative leader will rise up and take the AEGIS mantle to do battle.
Sorry, should have followed the link.
The Republican Study committee is the kind of thing I have in mind, but it is only in the House of Representatives.
Sorry, should have followed the link.
The Republican Study committee is the kind of thing I have in mind, but it is only in the House of Representatives.
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