Posted on 05/26/2008 9:44:18 PM PDT by The_Republican
As congressional Republicans contemplate the prospect of an electoral disaster this November, much is being written about the supposed soul-searching in the Republican Party. A more accurate description of our state is paralysis and denial.
Many Republicans are waiting for a consultant or party elder to come down from the mountain and, in Moses-like fashion, deliver an agenda and talking points on stone tablets. But the burning bush, so to speak, is delivering a blindingly simple message: Behave like Republicans.
Unfortunately, too many in our party are not yet ready to return to the path of limited government. Instead, we are being told our message must be deficient because, after all, we should be winning in certain areas just by being Republicans. Yet being a Republican isn't good enough anymore. Voters are tired of buying a GOP package and finding a big-government liberal agenda inside. What we need is not new advertising, but truth in advertising.
Becoming Republicans again will require us to come to grips with what has ailed our party – namely, the triumph of big-government Republicanism and failed experiments like the K Street Project and "compassionate conservatism." If the goal of the K Street Project was to earmark and fund raise our way to a filibuster-proof "governing" majority, the goal of "compassionate conservatism" was to spend our way to a governing majority.
The fruit of these efforts is not the hoped-for Republican governing majority, but the real prospect of a filibuster-proof Democrat majority in 2009. While the K Street Project decimated our brand as the party of reform and limited government, compassionate conservatism convinced the American people to elect the party that was truly skilled at activist government: the Democrats.
Compassionate conservatism's starting point had merit.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I wish Tom Coburn would run for President...
*sigh*
Hard to argue with Tom Coburn, especially when it seems to me the Republicans have appealed to a “Bring home the bacon” strategy to try and maintain any seats in the House.
Sam Cheney’64!
Tom Coburn has been attacked by the left including Barack Obama with a backhanded compliment comparing his association with Weather Underground Terrorist Bill Ayers to working with Dr. Tom.
Senator Coburn hits the nail on the head when he states that “Regaining our brand is not about “messaging.” It’s about action.”
Without action, nobody is going to believe any set of talking points the Republicans spout.
Oh yeah, he had a great line right after that one. We don’t need better advertising, we need TRUTH in advertising.
That’s it. There is nothing more to diagnose.
I like Coburn, but he still doesn’t get it. The formerly conservative GOP is losing because they have totaly abandoned their bread and butter base. It isn’t *just* about small government... it’s also recognizing that no matter how much the base contacts them the base is totally ignored. Put simply: WE DON’T COUNT OR MATTER. YOU HAVE NO VOICE. APART FROM TAX COLLECTION PURPOSES, YOUR GOVERNMENT THINKS YOU ARE TOTALLY WORTHLESS.
Until Coburn and the rest of the self absorbed imbeciles in the GOP get that they deserve to lose and lose hard.
It seems to me this guy Coburn is indicting Jorge Bush for his compassionate conservatism which was both ideologically impure and very very fiscally irresponsible. That is a sound argument and indictment. Where this guy gets lost is, it is hard to indict Bush for the failures of compassionate conservatism and then embrace this RINO relic as if he something more than a patriotic pro-war Democrat who happened to game the primary system to get the Republican nomination.
AWESOME!! Column!!!!
Hopefully the ‘powers that be’ will get the idea...
Spoiler Jaun Mccain is the first person you see on the website. notice in the posters bullet points does it say secure borders,how else do you get a FREE and STRONG america. HORSE HOCKEY!!!!
Had to agree with Sen. Coburn until I got to this last paragraph. Seems like Tom has his own denial going on. For one thing, McCain's humility is non existent and for another, his message is anti-republican.
To get the Republicans back on message, I would advise them to watch Reagan's speeches for one hour each day before going about their work. Or even Newt Gringrich's speeches pre-1995. Put them on cds to listen in their cars, offices, etc. I would also advise them to quit getting their news from the MSM and go with alternative news outlets.
Everyone needs to click on the link and read the last paragraph.
What a steaming pile of propaganda.
Humility?????????????????
Well, yup, we are waiting for the agenda. Because the truth is, the only way to make coattails from the national election is to say ‘we’re going to do...’ and give a list to the electorate. You know, like how the liberals have been doing it time and time again.
Message from Tom Coburn:
John McCain, for all his faults, is the one Republican candidate who can lead us through our wilderness. Mr. McCain is not running on a messianic platform or as a great healer of dysfunctional Republicans who refuse to help themselves. His humility is one of his great strengths. In his heart, he's a soldier who sees one more hill to charge, one more mission to complete.
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