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The GOP Should Go Upscale
Townhall.com ^ | January 31, 2009 | Michael Barone

Posted on 01/31/2009 4:52:16 AM PST by Kaslin

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To: heye2monn

Frum and Barone are either stupid (no way), seriously misguided, completely missing the implications of the 06 and 08 elections, or in the camp of the enemies of the America that we believe in.


21 posted on 01/31/2009 6:00:24 AM PST by David Isaac
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To: Kaslin

I don’t really think big changes are necessary. If McCain had just gotten Republicans to come out and vote for him, he might have won. A lot of conservative Republicans stayed home and a lot of moderate Republicans voted for Obama. Both groups had their reasons.

If you don’t have the voters who are supposed to be a lock on your side, you don’t have a chance.


22 posted on 01/31/2009 6:11:59 AM PST by randita (Starve the beast - earn as little as you can get by on and spend even less.)
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To: autumnraine
Here’s an idea! Stop trying to find “demographics” and cater to them and start acting like the Republican party.

That would require principles...

23 posted on 01/31/2009 6:12:38 AM PST by Onelifetogive (Let's get to altering or abolishing!)
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To: Kaslin

The GOP went into the general election with the weakest candidate, John McCain. And they still garnered 46 percent of the vote. It reminded me of 1996 when the GOP put up Bob Dole for president? Whats up with that? Are we to put up candidates because it is there turn, or because they are the best candidate to present conservative ideals? I chose the latter. But to do that the GOP needs to go to closed primary elections. How non-party people get to pick our candidates is to bizarre to think about.


24 posted on 01/31/2009 6:14:23 AM PST by RDasher ("El Nino is climate, La Nina is weather")
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To: Caipirabob
We should not make the mistake of underestimating the effect of the MSM and the ignorance of the electorate.

The electorate is lazy and will believe what the MSM tells them over and over.

This does not bode well for the future.

25 posted on 01/31/2009 6:21:25 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma (When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule the people mourn. Proverbs 29;2)
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To: Kaslin

This is nothing but one more attempt to save the republican (no cap on purpose) status quo & to never have to look themselves in the eye and face the truth that they are now part of a one party system. Or maybe simply to fool what’s left of their so called base.
Why don’t they try TALKING to these “demographics” (us) out here in the real world? From everyone I know and talked to during the elections, the simple truth is that NO ONE thought it made a difference no matter WHO they voted for so MANY sat this one out. But then, that’s just a pesky little fact and we all know how those things tend to get in the way of big government.


26 posted on 01/31/2009 6:30:25 AM PST by Ozarkie
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To: autumnraine
Here’s an idea! Stop trying to find “demographics” and cater to them and start acting like the Republican partyyou believed and practiced conservatism.

Much better!!

27 posted on 01/31/2009 6:47:22 AM PST by org.whodat (Conservatives don't vote for Bailouts for Super-Rich Bankers! Republicans do!)
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To: Kaslin

What a load.

It’s the same thing I said during one of the Bush campaigns:

If the party goes right, it becomes Reagan and wins.

If the party goes left, it becomes Dole and loses.

Simple as that, and borne out by several recent presidential elections.


28 posted on 01/31/2009 6:50:01 AM PST by George Smiley (They're not drinking the Kool-Aid any more. Now they're eating it straight out of the packet.)
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To: Ozarkie
This is nothing but one more attempt to save the republican (no cap on purpose) status quo & to never have to look themselves in the eye and face the truth that they are now part of a one party system. Or maybe simply to fool what’s left of their so called base. Why don’t they try TALKING to these “demographics” (us) out here in the real world? From everyone I know and talked to during the elections, the simple truth is that NO ONE thought it made a difference no matter WHO they voted for so MANY sat this one out. But then, that’s just a pesky little fact and we all know how those things tend to get in the way of big government.

Pretty well covers it, it's time for the so called to republicans to put up are shut up, What is their game plan to fix what the have Mucked-up.

29 posted on 01/31/2009 6:50:27 AM PST by org.whodat (Conservatives don't vote for Bailouts for Super-Rich Bankers! Republicans do!)
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To: Kaslin
The GOP has to return to its conservative roots if it wants to survive.

The party stopped being true to itself and started trying to emulate the Demonrats.

Solidify your base in the south. lest the party loses them to a 3rd party. Focus in on winning back the voters in Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Missouri.

The GOP is never going to win on the east or west coasts, so forget about them.

30 posted on 01/31/2009 6:59:45 AM PST by TennTuxedo
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To: Kaslin
"Going upscale" should, IMO, mean that the R party targets anyone who "has a little", or who wants to.

Conservatism is a key ingredient in upward-mobility, where accumulating wealth through the fruits of one's labors is the bedrock foundation.

Contrast that with the dems' redistributionist policies, which seek simply to tear down upscale citizens, and many Americans would see the light, to borrow a cliche.

Just my $.02, of course.

31 posted on 01/31/2009 7:05:31 AM PST by MortMan (Those who stand for nothing fall for anything. - Alexander Hamilton)
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To: Kaslin
There's a tension here, which Republicans can exploit, between the tactics of the MyObama campaign and the policies he favors that would limit choices -- one-size-fits-all government health insurance, the effective abolition of secret ballot unionization elections, and environmental policies that reduce your choice of cars and increase the price of energy.

Republicans can argue that their policies will let you choose your future.

Having successfully purged most libertarian-minded politicians from the party, just how is the GOP going to find anyone who can credibly make such arguments? Ron Paul tried - that's why young voters flocked to him. Bush, Cheney, McCain, and Palin eagerly took the opposite side of the spectrum: "We're still Mom and Dad, and you kids (voters) are damn well going to do as you're told!" That sent a thrill of pleasure through moms and dads throughout the heartland and some massive-looking Sarah rallies...at the cost of perhaps ruining the GOP's chances for a generation among the young.

32 posted on 01/31/2009 7:15:43 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves ("One man's 'magic' is another man's engineering. 'Supernatural' is a null word." -- Robert Heinlein)
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To: raybbr
Anyone want to guess at his percentage if he had say, picked Huckabee for VP? Or Lieberman? Or Giuliani?

I can't tell you that. But I can tell you this: Our country is registered 60% Democrat. When McCain alone was on the ticket, local GOP headquarters was less than 10% capacity with volunteers. They couldn't give away lawn signs. When Sarah joined the ticket, they couldn't get in lawn signs fast enough and the volunteers came out of the woodwork. Other than the full-time kid who was hired by the McCain campaign, everyone we talked to or worked with there had volunteered because of Sarah.

Joe Biden couldn't get 500 people to take free tickets to a well-advertised event in the middle of the day at the local high school gym. It was so pathetic that the media covering the event wouldn't even show crowd shots: only shots of the amen chorus behind the speaker and one-on-one interviews after the event. Most of us don't think he drew even close to the 500 claimed.

Sarah's tickets to a 6 a.m. airport rally were gone one day after the visit was announced. Crowd shots looked close to the 3000 attendees claimed. McCain carried our county by 58%, largely because he had the sense to stay away and send Sarah.

33 posted on 01/31/2009 7:20:35 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or, are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Stupid advice. I believe I disagree with every bit of it.

If you find yourself thinking Michael Barone is stupid, look inwardly.

34 posted on 01/31/2009 7:20:39 AM PST by Plutarch
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To: TennTuxedo
The GOP is never going to win on the east or west coasts, so forget about them.

A party that can't win on the East or West Coasts eventually won't be able to win anywhere. Reagan's coalition was built of people with very different priorities but one common theme: "Government is too big and powerful, and it's hurting all of us. If we band together we can limit its power and help all of us." The GOP has to get back to that central, unifying theme, or it has no reason to exist. You get what we have today: a "Ban Abortion" party, an "Old Country Church" party, a "Blow Up Iran" party, a "Gun Show" party, a "Country Club" party and a "World's Biggest Corporations" party wearing the same lapel pins at a convention, but having virtually no goals in common.

35 posted on 01/31/2009 7:24:17 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves ("One man's 'magic' is another man's engineering. 'Supernatural' is a null word." -- Robert Heinlein)
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To: brwnsuga
Republicans are already fighting an image of only being interested in rich corporate types, so this would be extremely damaging for the GOP future.

Agree, and honestly, I'm not sure it's just an image. Over the last couple of years, the money class/banks/wall street types have gotten everything they wanted from the government, while pulling scams of incredible proportions. While this was happening, congress was happily passing laws to allow them to change contracts on consumers, removing bankruptcy protection from the individual and allowing a supposed reserve the size of a handkerchief to cover deposits the size of an aircraft carrier.

36 posted on 01/31/2009 7:37:25 AM PST by Richard Kimball (We're all criminals. They just haven't figured out what some of us have done yet.)
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To: Kaslin
Obama carried narrowly those with college degrees and ran far ahead among those with graduate degrees.

Yessss....by then the indoctrination is complete. Grade 1-12 than 1-4/5-6/ 7-8- 20 years in some cases. Those EDU. Camps Work!

37 posted on 01/31/2009 8:01:20 AM PST by BellStar (Buy Gold and head for the hills please God give us another chance!)
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To: Mr. Jeeves

How did Palin “eagerly” purge any libertarians? Yes, she sounded like a liberal when denouncing greed on Wall Street. But that little stupidity was merely echoing her boss, McCain, and hopefully she has come to her senses now. Can you tell me where else she was anti-libertarian? Has she said anything about libertarians after the election?

As for your mocking phrase about “Mom and Dad” Republicans telling young voters what to do, that’s just silly. The Republican Party could do many things better, such as being tougher against bailouts and socialized medicine. But adopting the hormone- and THC-driven values of the MTV generation is not one of them.


38 posted on 01/31/2009 8:16:02 AM PST by heye2monn
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To: Mr. Jeeves
A party that can't win on the East or West Coasts eventually won't be able to win anywhere.

And not only because of the electoral votes, but because that's where opinions are shaped and what happens on the coasts is simply a 5 or 10 years ahead of what happens in land.
39 posted on 01/31/2009 10:31:09 AM PST by only1percent
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To: Kaslin
Republicans can argue that their policies will let you choose your future.

Isn't that exactly what Reagan wanted?

40 posted on 01/31/2009 11:06:39 AM PST by GVnana ("I once dressed as Tina Fey for Halloween." - Sarah Palin)
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