Posted on 11/10/2008 12:27:03 AM PST by Glacier Honey
GOP a dying breed in New England
Incumbent U.S. Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., gives his dad John Sr. a hug before... 13 hours ago
Loading... Must Read?Thank You Yes 39HARTFORD, Conn. — A generation ago the Republican Party was the dominant political force in New England, populating the region's congressional delegations with moderates like Connecticut's Lowell P. Weicker Jr. and Rhode Island's John Chafee.
But today's GOP, led by a more socially conservative wing of the party, is finding votes harder to come by.
Voters on Tuesday cast out Connecticut's veteran Rep. Chris Shays, the last New England Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sen. John Sununu was voted out in New Hampshire, leaving that state's Judd Gregg and Maine's Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe as the only Republicans among the region's 12 senators.
Shays' loss to former Goldman Sachs executive Jim Himes marks the first time since 1969 that southwestern Connecticut will be represented by a Democrat in the House.
"I felt that we were going to win this, I really did," Shays told supporters. "I felt that people were so good to me, they were so nice to me. But they were deciding they were going to go the other way."
New England's decision to "go the other way" in recent elections is a dramatic transformation for a region considered a Republican stronghold a generation ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at comcast.net ...
I was raised in NH but could never live there again. The libs have ruined it
I know I may catch hell here for saying this but if we MUST have moderates in the party...i’d prefer Sunnunu to McCain anyday.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Everything is a dying breed in England, except Islam and demands for sharia law. Soon The flag of the UK will be replaced with Mohammads flag of death and the UK will be just another 3rd island floating in the atlantic waiting for western aid while they plot to kill us all.
But today's GOP, led by big governnment liberals masquerading as compassionate conservativesa more socially conservative wing of the party, is finding votes harder to come by because Democrats are now a de facto socialist party.
I don’t think that’s what as meant by New England
Um... This is New England in the US not the UK
But I agree with you about England. Every time I go there it looks less and less like the England I first saw as a young adult.
All political parties are alliances between individuals. There is, or should be, room in the GOP for a variety of opinions. One thing is for sure, the party is going to have to rethink its postures and strategies very thoroughly and very soon, or the democrats could be in power for two decades.
Yep. I have wonderful memories growing up in a small town, playing in the hay fields, woods and camping at White Lake among other great places in New Hampshire.
Bingo! Except a large percentage of the base will exclude at the drop of a hat and see compromise as failure.
I believe this is NEW England not England - I am originally from Connecticut - the only reason that people are liberal there is because they are elitists and have their heads up their butts - it may take a distasterous presidency to make a lot of them see the light. They fear that religion or people with social conservative beliefs will force those beliefs on them. They also did not like Palin because she would never be allowed into the yacht clubs or the country clubs. I had several friends of mine say that she beliefs in her grandfather’s America and she wants women to be subservient and backwoods - gun toting etc. etc. Basically think she is a dumb redneck. As much as I try to argue my points - esp. the subservient one (she wouldn’t be a mayor, governor or VP candidate if that was the case) - they don’t listen. CT is prob. <1% black - they are idealists and think that the world would be great if it were equal and have no idea what the avg. American feels or goes through because they are rolling in money. My one friend told me to not be so critical of welfare etc. and that I don’t know what it’s like to be a black man/woman. I said true but I don’t segregate based on race - I think we should be individuals and people have their own adversities that the go through. I also told him that he should move to inner city Baltimore like I did and find out how much he likes that and see if his opinions change. Sorry - I’m just so upset about my home state and what has happened up in New England!
If you change the platfom then get a new name. How about Dem/GOP The new party for everyone!
Even if that is true (and I think you are in denial - the evidence is that Americans HAVE been turning their backs on conservatism) its still not very good news. If moderates are being voted out it implies a hardening of political opinion, a growth of extremism and a deepening of what is already an uncomfortable political divide in the USA.
PING! UK being taken over by islam alert!
(I’m fairly sure this thread is about New England, not Olde England)
Well, irrespective of your opinions re creationism and evolution in the formation of life, Darwininian natural selection certainly operates in the political sphere. If the GOP cannot or will not respond positively to the changing political climate, then it will die.
Of course, the problem is going to be deciding how to respond.
I got you covered and am prepared for the flack. It’s 4 AM here. What could possibly go wrong?
I never bought into the whole “conservatism wins everytime” arguement. It’s just not true. Ask Santorum and Allen.
Red Staters could not fully appreceate what it is like to live in a Rat Blue State,...well, actually,... They are about to get a strong Federal dose of it via Barack the Redistributor, his Rat congress and his unConstitutional Supremes.
It sucks living in a one party state! Pragmatism is a mode of survival. Pompous and sanctimonious strutters of principal will lead us into the political wilderness.
We could do without more heretics like Chaffee in blue RI, but we need to hang onto Snowe and Collins. Red state RINOs like Lindsay Graham should be shown the door in the primaries. The Republic could use another DeMint to protect us fromn the liberal scum.
It’s impossible to retain fiscal conservatism without retaining moral conservatism as the ideal for all.
There is no room in the GOP for moderates or RINOs any longer. We saw the result when the GOP fields a moderate candidate for president.
The Party needs to offer a choice from the Commie Democrats. The only way to do that is to stick to traditional Republican (and American) values of capitalism, individual responsibility, Judeo-Christian morality, strong defense, law and order, and fiscal responsibility.
It should begin by focusing on small government, national defense and personal responsibility; after that all the other stuff ~ abortion, family values, 2nd amendment, fair taxes ~ can fall in line.
While I don’t believe that any Pubbie could have won this time out, we might have been better off if we had had a candidate who could punch back on the border, climate change and small government.
I think it’s going to be tough getting back into the driver seat. We have to have an awesome, well funded candidate and Barack has to really screw up.
Ah,...actually he’s already scoring in that area.
Yep, well lets hope they see but BO is going to do for their taxes. Although they probably have so many loop holes it won’t effedct them much
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