Posted on 11/05/2008 2:33:07 PM PST by Presbyterian Reporter
Some interesting comments from David Frum, as the GOP soul-searching and finger-pointing begins: Republicans face fraught choice between two roads to revival.
A generation ago, Republicans dominated among college graduates. In 1984 and 1988, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush won states like California, Pennsylvania and Connecticut – states that have been “blue” for a generation. (America’s least educated state, West Virginia, went for Michael Dukakis in 1988.)
Those days are long gone. Since 1988, Democrats have become more conservative on economics – and Republicans have become more conservative on social issues.
College-educated Americans have come to believe that their money is safe with Democrats – but that their values are under threat from Republicans. And there are more and more of these college-educated Americans all the time.
So the question for the GOP is: Will it pursue them? To do so will involve painful change, on issues ranging from the environment to abortion. And it will involve potentially even more painful changes of style and tone: toward a future that is less overtly religious, less negligent with policy, and less polarizing on social issues. That’s a future that leaves little room for Sarah Palin – but the only hope for a Republican recovery.
This argument makes sense to us, and we’ve been holding forth in our comments on this very topic. If the GOP decides to go in the Bobby Jindal direction (fundamental Christianity, creationism, hard-line anti-abortionism, aggressively anti-gay rights), it will be committing political suicide. As much as anything else, this election was a referendum on the social conservative agenda, and the social conservatives did not win.
I see you are back to your anti-Christian, pro-immigration self.
Where is this bus exactly, and how soon can we throw David Frum underneath it?
“Calling Jindal a fundamentalist is about as wrong-headed as one would expect for a country-club Republican to get.”
Jindal is Catholic. A fundamentalist Catholic? He did say he witnessed an exorcism and though it was real, but that is within standard Catholic doctrine (someone correct me if I’m wrong.) If actually believing your religion is true makes you a fundamentalist, then I guess Jindal is one.
I guess in their mind it is OK to be religious, just as long as you don’t get too carried away with actually believing the stuff you hear in church.
But there are two key policies that conservatives must instantly embrace. The first is systematic isolationism in foreign policy and the use of force. No support for anything hawkish in any way, while any Dem is in the white house. They refused even to be still when be bled and died to keep them safe. I refuse to watch a single patriot so much as shed a tear, let alone a drop of blood, to serve these cowards.
Second, the dems were insufferable bores in opposition --- just wait and see what they will be in power. The winning line is the libertarian leave us alone strand of conservatism. Get these busy-bodies and scolds out of my face, that is the winning line next time. Be on message about it, hyper-alert, never go along with them on the slightest measure that could irk anyone. Let the Dems run 2 years from now on the platform of toilets that don't work.
Every mandate, every cloying sentiment, every regulation, every restriction on development, on speech, on health, on any personal choice to live as one pleases --- defy them and ridicule them and laugh at them. Compromise on nothing, go along with nothing. Demand that the people be left free to do whatever they want on any and every issue the Dems raise. Don't counter with some other proposals, your own way, don't touch content at all. "On that subject, the Republican party stands for completely free choice for every individual American". Repeat it endlessly.
Because they will be utterly insufferable and the American people will notice it, very rapidly.
Charles Johnson has practically wrecked the Anti-Jihad movement, by delinking from Robert Spencer (Jihadwatch) and now he wants to give advice to the Republican party?
This man is dangerous. But don’t believe me. Join LGF and try posting a contrarian view, even a mild one, nothing trollish, but well-behaved, reasoned, doubtful and wondering... about - say - Robert Spencer or Fjordman and see how long it takes to be booted out. Faster than even Democratic Underground. And that is not the American way! In fact it’s not the way anywhere that still appreciates considered thought.
Naturally after this defeat, the Republicans will have to find their soul, their core values and their painful compromises, but advice from Charles Johnson and his adoring echo chamber lizaroids?
No grazie.
The guy has lost it.
Creationism isn’t a policy or governing philosophy.
Creationism doesn’t increase wealth and opportunity, or protect our liberties.
Creationism doesn’t keep government accountable to the people.
What he means is that he fears that Jindal is seriously Christian, and not just a country-club Episcopalian who enjoys hymns.
Terms like fundamentalist, with concrete meaning one could look up in a dictionary, are really just thrown around as scare words.
I wouldn’t use Obama as a comparison or example to anything because most people don’t even know him (MSM) - yet.
Excuse me? I'm pointing out that HALF the country voted for that SOB. 8 MILLION more than for McCain.
And all you have to offer here is a personal attack?
Run along.
Right. Both agree on Big Government Oversight, they just differ on the details
Social conservatives can be boiled down to two issues:
Gay marriage
Abortion
That’s it. Nothing else.
Are other issues important to them (like school vouchers, displays of religion in school)? Yes, but they pale in comparison to the big two (and on issues like school vouchers, you’ll find a lot of economic conservatives support that issue also for non-religious reasons.)
The social conservatives are not the drag on the party (unless you think we can’t win without being pro-choice, in which case you might as well give up, because that is the one non-negotiable issue social conservatives have.)
The reason we are losing minorities and college kids is education. The liberals have been brain washing kids for decades now. History has not been taught for over twenty years. Guess what if you don't know communism doesn't work then it sounds kinda neat. The answer for both minorities and the youth IS VOUCHERS!!!! The liberal school system is failing and no matter how much money Obama pours in it will continue to fail because like socialism there is no competition and no reason to try. Now if the neighbors take the vouchers and there kids don't end up working at a fast food restaurant or as a drug dealer people will begin to realize what the teachers union and the democrats have done to them for generations.
Heads need to roll in the RNC. Maybe the Centrist Coalition take over FAILURE is what was needed.
>>>and Republicans have become more conservative on social issues.
I’ve not seen that.
>>>Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs is advocating the social fundamentalists like Sarah Palin or Bobby Jindal need to be thrown underneath the bus.
I think they need to go find their own party. Leave our party alone. People like Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal and Duncan Hunter need to be elevated in the party.
Bye Bye, Republican Party! To try to bring the party up to what it used to be, the corrupt people at the top must go. That won’t happen, so , should another election ever be held, why bother to vote anyway? Absolutely nothing that I stand for, or would vote for passed this time in the country, and many people and issues I would never vote for did, so I guess I am no longer relevant in my country.
Frum is not only wrong but he is bad wrong. McCain, unlike Obama came with a past and many remembered his past.
Huckabee would have set up a network that would have put Obama to shame. The Broken Glass Republicans would have turned out in droves. When I last frequented LGF it had become “Evolution Headquarters” so I give no credence to anything coming from there. Any candidate seen in a secular light like McCain, Thompson and Guiliani aren’t going to have a chance in the General.
You have to get out the vote and Huckabee with the help of Evangelicals did just that in short order and with little money. It is the Country Club Republicans if any who lost us this election. Many of them like Powell supported Obama. We selected our candidate based on “who could beat Hitlery” or who “Democrats might support”. We had great conservatives running who were underfunded and under reported. Until we get our head out of our a$$es and quit playing “American Idol” with the Rats we will continue to lose.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.