Yes, my point was, where were these "Reagan Democrats" before they were "Reagan Democrats"?
I believe they were part of that very same "Silent Majority" we heard about and most Dems laughed over.
Look at the numbers that turned out to vote--there are plenty of potential voters who aren't coming to the polls...not even to "make history".
So no, I don't believe they're these gay marriage, pro-abortion, high-taxes/low liberty freaks. He said politely.
I believe there are plenty of pro-life, pro-tax cut,etc. folks who we haven't connected with, who need to believe there is a good reason to get out to the polls.
The area where Bush's poor communications skills hurt us most was in his clumsy explanations regarding the WOT. If those people could be made to see that Obama's path is going to lead us to catastrophe--and not necessarily today, but down the line, as Clinton's foolishness did--they will not sit home and think "Gitmo open, closed, what difference does it make, I have bills to pay."
We do have to reach out to those who will respond to OUR message. To do what the RNC has been doing--telling gays and prochoicers "We might think like you do!"--is suicide.
We MUST reach out to them and say "Look, who do you trust, those guys, or us when we tell you you deserve more of your tax money and you need protecting from Islamofascists who hate you?"
We don't win by being them; we win by doing something the RNC hasn't done in ages--act as conservative Republicans. Because what we're selling IS better--we just have to SELL it.
What is this big brouhaha over Steele? He is pro-life and pro-marriage. Should he not reach out to get votes from people who are not 100% pure to the Republican platform?
How do Republicans shed the need to present themselves as 'compassionate'? Conservative principles require discipline, hard work, ethics, doing what is right. There is nothing literally 'compassionate' about liberalism, its theology is about spreading around the misery index. Electing peoples who are self disciplined in the abilities in spreading the misery index promising peace, peace, peace, and prosperity has filled the void that 'compassionate' conservatism created.
The Reagan Democrats were self disciplined, hard working, and for the most part ethical peoples. The majority of them lived really really hard times. However, their offspring do not have a clue what hard times mean, but at the pace things are going they are going to find out real fast and the majority of them have no education on how to survive.
And the majority of these offspring of Reagan Democrats see government as the giver and taker of rights. They have become government slaves to answer other peoples problems. I know many hard working people, yet they work very hard looking for short cuts to succeed. That works only for so long before they reach a dead end and have to turn to government or relatives for a hand out.
Compassionate conservatism created more liberal minded people than it freed.
EXCELLENT!
(and we can't sell it unless we get people in the showroom!)