Posted on 10/17/2008 5:52:38 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
If the election were held today, Barack Obama would be the new President of the United States of America. The latest Real Clear Politics average of national polls shows Obama ahead of McCain by nearly seven percentage points. It looks like the Democrats are going to have control of both the White House and Congress for the next four years.
And, mark it down, if there is a Democrat sweep, conservative Republicans will get the blame.
The fact of the matter is, however, that President Bush and the Republicans who dominated Congress during most of his administration governed as anything but conservatives. Except during election season, it has been difficult to find any trace of conservative principles among incumbents within the Republican Party. During their tenure, Republican governance was characterized by out of control spending, record-setting earmarks, affirmative action programs for corporate wrongdoers, corrupt relations with special interests, and sexual scandal. While they often described themselves as "conservatives," their walk was very different from their talk.
. . . . .
Few Republicans in leadership in government during the past decade have been authentic conservatives. At best, they have been counterfeit conservatives, which no doubt accounts for why Republicans lost so many seats in 2006 and why they appear ready to lose more seats and the Presidency this November.
In the aftermath of the election, the Republican Party will undoubtedly have the time to engage in serious introspection. Hopefully, its leaders will come to understand that conservatism is not just a "label" or even a "movement." It is a way of life.
(Excerpt) Read more at renewamerica.us ...
Suicide is socialism in charge of both the Democrat and Republican parties. Suicide is socialism in charge of the bulwark defenses raised to oppose it. Republican socialism in the form of globalism is the clear and present danger, as it allows socialism to ascend unopposed.
Indeed. They gave us a republic, "if we could keep it." If something does not happen soon to radically change our course, "The Great Experiment" will soon be over, I am afraid.
“Sure they do- At some point though, in 30 years, one begins to question the efficacy of such a futile process. In all that time, there is precious little that the Republicans can point to as Conservative achievement,”
Oh yee of little faith, and those thinking “progress’ is somehow linear, and not without it’s ups and downs.
“Futile” and “precious little” - so let’s take back Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito; and all the Supreme Court decisions they HAVE helped shape. Let’s re-institute welfare as it was before 1994-95. Let’s re-write history without the Reagan military buildup. Let’s re-write current military abilities without the Patriot missiles. Let’s go backwards and have the U.S. military out of South Korea before Reagan even entered office; as Carter wanted. Let’s redo the Glass-Segall Act. Let’s put the “Fairness Doctrine” back in power. Let’s undo the partial success of the past ten years, in the states, of limiting the breadth of the application of Roe V Wade. I could go on, but the gist is that when it comes to progress one can always see the glass as half empty instead of half full.”
“These United States are rapidly moving into a state of rule rather than of governance, and time is of the essence here. We must return to our the correct path before it is too late...if it is not already too late.”
I agree. However, it won’t be saved by various conservatives splintering off from any and every ally they could have on many issues, looking for a smaller group of allies among their own splintered groups.
It’s time that “social conservatives”, Constitutional conservatives, libertarians, fiscal conservatives and national security conservatives acknowledged that the weaknesses each of them are concerned with usually can be identified in a part of the founding principals that have been ignored, or subverted, or abused or abandoned by political convenience or outright subversion. They - all conservatives - do have common ground, beyond the policy areas that concern each of them most. It is that common ground that must be expounded to them and among them. It won’t be done by splinter groups. Splinter groups will become zealots over their greatest concern and not reach common ground with others who have one or another greatest priority. I will not join them.
Like Reagan, I am about building Conservatives in their traditional home - the GOP. I will not leave it to the RINOs.
“It is not a matter of punishment. Conservatives vote for Conservatives. That is not going to change. To be in power, the Republicans must serve honorably, and Conservatively... Else, they will cease to be in power. It is that simple.”
Call it what you want. Helping to shape a Congress to be led by Reid and Pelosi IS punishment and it’s nothing to be proud for helping to produce it. Those conservatives that made it had allot better chance with ANY GOP majority, no matter what we might have thought of some of them in that majority.
Sorry; once the primary is over, I will vote for the people I believe I will get the most co-operation with and always vote against the people I know I will get no co-operation with.
If conservatives are losing in the GOP, it’s because too many leave the game before it’s over - because, the truth is, it’s never over until you decide it is, for you.
So, go ahead, leave it to the RINOs and then blame them. It’s a circular argument, but it will always work.
“If you want Conservative votes, you will have to raise up Conservative candidates, and live a Conservative lifestyle. Candidates, party, the whole 9 yards.”
No doubt. So leave the GOP and take all your friends with you and see (1)how many fewer conservatives the GOP raises up (again, that IS NOT A WORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENT) and (2)how little chance the splintered groups of conservatives have of actually governing, when, most likely, they won’t even support each other all the time, because none are pure enough to each splintered group.
Reagan’s experience tells me to take back the GOP, not leave it.
The leaders? The leaders are the ones who need to be replaced.
I walked around the state capital in Austin in 2000 in support of W. I know regret having done so. Hindsight is 20/20 but I have to wonder if we wouldn’t have been better off with Gore. He would have screwed up so bad the democrat party would have been destroyed and none of us would even know the name of Obama.
“I think you are wrong. He [Ron Paul] had a huge impact in the primaries,”
Where???? Which State???? What was the %’s he got????
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