Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Majority Rules
Human Events ^ | 1/20/09 | D. R. Tucker

Posted on 01/20/2009 4:43:14 PM PST by MartinaMisc

Can David Frum forge a new majority?

The veteran conservative pundit and former Bush speechwriter has launched NewMajority.com, a group blog intended to heal the wounds afflicting the ailing Republican Party and conservative movement. Just as I wish President Obama the best of luck in leading this country, I wish Frum the best of luck in leading the American right out of the wilderness.

Frum’s “Diary” blog at National Review Online has been a must-read for the past few years and, unfortunately, a target of much unfair criticism. Frum has been smeared by the talk-radio world for allegedly being a RINO or a faux-conservative, largely because he a) didn’t buy the right’s effort to position Sarah Palin as the new Queen of Conservatism and b) believed that merely recycling old lines from the Reagan ‘80s would not lead to a new era of Republican dominance.

Of course, Frum was right on both counts. If Palin was in fact the new conservative superstar she was made out to be, she would have turned out enough votes to carry John McCain to victory. Palin ultimately turned out to be the Newt Gingrich of the 2000s, a figure loved by the base and loathed by virtually everyone else.

Frum also realizes something that too many conservatives seem to ignore or downplay: the reality that it is not 1980 anymore, demographically, politically or culturally. Like Richard Nixon in 1972, Reagan scored big-time victories by attracting a large percentage of the white middle-class vote. Today, attracting the white middle-class vote is not enough to secure victory; one must appeal to an increasingly diverse America in order to go over.

(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bush; conservatives; davidfrum; drtucker; gop; newgop; newmajority; obama; palin; rebuilding
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

1 posted on 01/20/2009 4:43:19 PM PST by MartinaMisc
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc

LMAO!! David Frum needs to just go away with Lindsey Graham and John mcCain.

HE IS WHAT WE NEED TO GET RID OF IN OUR PARTY!!


2 posted on 01/20/2009 4:45:22 PM PST by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc

Funny... I was thinking about “TheNewTyranny.com”


3 posted on 01/20/2009 4:45:38 PM PST by xcamel (The urge to save humanity is always a false front for the urge to rule it. - H. L. Mencken)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc

If “re-defining” conservatism is the only way to win, then the republic really is dead. I will not compromise my core values any longer, even if it means losing elections. I would rather be destroyed with my honor and dignity intact, so that some day when I have to answer to my Creator, I won’t have the stain of moral cowardice on me.


4 posted on 01/20/2009 4:47:13 PM PST by JamesP81 (I shall give their president the same respect they gave mine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc

What happens when they don’t appeal to the white guys?


5 posted on 01/20/2009 4:48:57 PM PST by Sybeck1 (Million Minuteman March (Spring 2009))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc
Frum has been smeared by the talk-radio world for allegedly being a RINO or a faux-conservative, largely because he a) didn’t buy the right’s effort to position Sarah Palin as the new Queen of Conservatism and b) believed that merely recycling old lines from the Reagan ‘80s would not lead to a new era of Republican dominance.

Ah yes, the Talk Radio listening nutjobs in fly-over country vs. the intellectually superior Beltway pundits and cocktail party class.

The latter can all STFU and enjoy their permanent minorty status.

6 posted on 01/20/2009 4:49:57 PM PST by DTogo (I haven't left the GOP, the GOP left me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: penelopesire

Agree......


7 posted on 01/20/2009 4:50:06 PM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: DTogo
Ah yes, the Talk Radio listening nutjobs in fly-over country vs. the intellectually superior Beltway pundits and cocktail party class.

The latter can all STFU and enjoy their permanent minorty status.


Agreed. They can all go piss up a rope.
8 posted on 01/20/2009 4:51:10 PM PST by JamesP81 (I shall give their president the same respect they gave mine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: JamesP81

I stand with you. He just says “the culture is different”, well, he should buy a clue, it’s precisely because so-called “conservatives” keep selling us down the river that the culture is different, and not for the better.


9 posted on 01/20/2009 4:57:53 PM PST by mrsmel (Hussein is not my president.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc

FRUM??????????????????????

has HUMAN EVENTS gone retarded?


10 posted on 01/20/2009 5:01:09 PM PST by GeronL (DAY 1, YEAR 0 - The first day of the Oministration. The nightmare begins.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc
I wish Frum the best of luck in leading the American right out of the wilderness.

The American Right is right where it has always been, at work building Western Civilization and making a living doing it. Its the rest of America that is drifting, flirting with the wilderness. It remains to be seen if she can be saved from her fantasies before too much damage is done.

As for Palin, the "right" didn't "try" to turn her into the Queen of Conservatism. We recognized that she was a woman of integrity, which is something that McCain sorely lacks. You can't put a weasel at the top of the ticket and then wonder why your support wasn't stronger. You can't put someone who doesn't believe in conservative principles at the top of the ticket and then wonder why more people weren't persuaded.

Frum and evidently Tucker both think that the way to victory is for Republicans to position themselves farther left, to try to coopt some percentage of Obama voters. He's missed the plot, however. If winning means becoming a faux-Obama, a slightly more priggish version of Obama, most people will prefer the genuine article. And rightly so.

And in any case, if we win by adopting Obama's positions then we've won nothing. Obama's philosophy wins. This isn't a basketball game, where winning on points matters. Its a war of ideas. We advance our ideas, and the political victories follow. Electing people who don't believe in our ideas, but they wear our party tee shirts is pointless. We've been doing it for years, thinking we were at least choosing the lesser of evils, but instead we've found ourselves led and surrounded by supposed leaders who don't know what they stand for other than being elected.

Frum wants to be their court philosopher, and he is evidently the right guy for the job. And Tucker would be his PR man.

11 posted on 01/20/2009 5:06:32 PM PST by marron
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xcamel
ObamaDailyNews.com, OTimes.net, ObamaReview.us

I dunno

12 posted on 01/20/2009 5:07:02 PM PST by GeronL (DAY 1, YEAR 0 - The first day of the Oministration. The nightmare begins.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc
David Frum may see the Republican future as shining the shoes of Marxists but he will find that the big tent voters will vote for the real DemoRats. THEY know how to take care of their own.
13 posted on 01/20/2009 5:09:19 PM PST by Navy Patriot (John McCain, the Manchurian Candidate, makes a Marxist President.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc

I’m sorry that Human Events appears to have caught the disease.


14 posted on 01/20/2009 5:11:20 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc
The veteran conservative pundit and former Bush speechwriter...

No Thanks! The last thing we need is anyone from either of the Bush administrations guiding us after they pretty much destroyed the Republican Party.

15 posted on 01/20/2009 5:19:47 PM PST by RJL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc

If Frum is our new guru, we’re dead.


16 posted on 01/20/2009 5:24:34 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc
Majority Mob Rule

This is what happens when politicians buys the loyalty of voting blocs with schemes of wealth redistribution.

17 posted on 01/20/2009 5:44:21 PM PST by Iron Munro (Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Squantos; GeronL; Travis McGee; Cicero; RJL; marron
Of course, Frum was right on both counts. If Palin was in fact the new conservative superstar she was made out to be, she would have turned out enough votes to carry John McCain to victory. Palin ultimately turned out to be the Newt Gingrich of the 2000s, a figure loved by the base and loathed by virtually everyone else.

What a load. No Vice President nominee ever carried an election and Newt was reviled by "the Base" for general weaselness (professionally and in his personal life). Being a Bush speech-writer does not a Conservative make. Far, far from it.

Keep the faith!

18 posted on 01/20/2009 5:45:40 PM PST by NewRomeTacitus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Cicero; MartinaMisc
I’m sorry that Human Events appears to have caught the disease.

Two things have resulted from Obama's election.

One is that the weak sisters are showing themselves in all their glory.

And the other is that I've no more patience with them.

19 posted on 01/20/2009 5:48:49 PM PST by marron
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: MartinaMisc

WHY does this joker, D.R. Tucker, have a job at HUMAN EVENTS? I don’t believe I’ve ever read ANYTHING this fool has written that I wasn’t dumber for having wasted my time. Who is this character? I ask the same question every time somebody posts something he/she has written on FR, and I get the same answer every time - nothing. And don’t ask me what I think of Frum. I might tell you and get tossed from FR.


20 posted on 01/20/2009 6:26:23 PM PST by penowa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson