Posted on 11/09/2008 8:04:44 AM PST by Pondo
As Republicans, we face a choice.
Either we can spend the next several months -- or years -- trying to figure out what just happened, excusing our defeat away as a temporary blip or the result of a poor environment, and waiting for Barack Obama to trip up. Or we can refuse to take this defeat lying down, and start building the future of our party now.
2008 made one thing clear: if allowed to go unchecked, the Democrats' structural advantages, including their use of the Internet, their more than 2-to-1 advantage with young voters, their discovery of a better grassroots model -- will be as big a threat to the future of the GOP as the toxic political environment we have faced the last few years.
The time is now to set in motion the changes needed to rebuild our party from the grassroots up, modernize the way we run campaigns, and attract different, energetic, and younger candidates at all levels.
We must be conservative in philosophy -- but bold in our approach. We don't need a slight tweak here or there. We need transformation. We can't keep fighting a 21st century war with 20th century weapons.
(Excerpt) Read more at rebuildtheparty.com ...
Now is the time to become activist!!
The GOP better do something to get their act together, looks like it is going to have to happen at the grass roots level.
Republicans need to come to a decision now. Either lay down and give up, or start building a party the represents the views of the people and do it now. Get rid of the lifers in office that do nothing. Stop being afraid of saying things that might upset the other party.....tell it like it is and our people will get behind them. Try to fool the people and they will bury them. Time for a major change. Get people together and start throwing out the ones the don’t stand up to the requirements.
The Republicans have let us down for a long, long time. Bush increased the size of the federal government more than LBJ. We need to break the grip of the two party system - it is destroying this country. Libertarian, Constituionalist, we need more political parties.
The GOP is over. It’s time for a Grand New Party, one without RINOs.
Let’s drain the swamp.
This election was a disaster but sometimes tragedies can have positive effects. A gigantic silverlining would come if the party was rebuilt from the groundup. We have a great choice. Return to the conservatism that attracted voters to us in the first place, especially fiscal conservatism, or continue to let the Bush/McCain moderate wing lead us. If we run another McCain we likely see the same result as this time.
“The Republicans have let us down for a long, long time. Bush increased the size of the federal government more than LBJ. We need to break the grip of the two party system - it is destroying this country. Libertarian, Constituionalist, we need more political parties.”
That was disgusting. We had a Republican president and six years of a Republican congress and saw one of the worst orgies of spending in history. One reason we lost is because those who value fiscal conservatism no longer saw the party as a fiscally respoinsible party and for good reason. We acted like Dems when it came to spending.
The only thing we're recycling are the principles the Republicans abandoned quite some time ago.
Please check out the site. It’s a good site, but seems to be taken over by Ron Paul supporters.
The GOP is in need of some major reforms. For one they need a founding document that all GOP candidates need to adhere to or be openly reprimanded. For another they need to completely change their system of selecting candidates, open primaries are a pitfall trap as we have witnessed in several major elections. They also need to be much better organized at the local level between elections so that the base is more coherent. I’m sure that the are other reforms needed but I do know that the time for them is now and not just before the next election.
You DON’T rebuild a crumbling, rotting edifice. You’ll BULLdoze it and start fresh. Hire a NEW architect, devise new building plans, use the best construction materials and methods, and move in!
The GOP is politically inept and lacks direction.
Conservatives, to survive need to place focus on 2010/2012 candidates and directives that can win with a conservative directive NOW.
No more scrambling for a last minute "fill-in"....
The great advantage in working within an existing party is that decades of networks and organization are in place and this is no small thing even in an the modern age with near instant communication lines in place all over the world. It is, I think worth the effort to take control of the GOP, purge RINOs and liberals and make the conservative wing dominant. But this requires LEADERSHIP. Conservatives have to agree on who is to lead and on a platform that is clear, concise and easily communicated. And then they have to be motivated enough to slug it out and take back the party.
When you bulldoze everything you run the risk of ruining what is “right” with the party. I think it might be easier to rebuild rather than starting from scratch. Use the foundation that is already there, and re-model the rooms of the building that don’t work.
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