Posted on 03/08/2009 8:02:43 AM PDT by FreeManN
The Republicans' Bizarre New Strategy Dan Gerstein, 03.04.09, 12:00 AM EST Instead of trying to out-Bush Bush, they should outsmart Obama.
Ever since last fall's deck-shuffling election, the strategist in me has been very curious to see what the Republicans would do both to repair the damage the Bush presidency had done to their brand and to reposition their party to compete in a radically different political environment. In particular, I wondered how would they win back the trust of the sensible center that thoroughly repudiated their governing approach in November.
Well, just six weeks after the official start of the Obama era, the results of the GOP's deep soul search seem to be in, and Republican leaders have more than lived up to their promise to think outside the box. Indeed, I doubt anyone outside Rush Limbaugh's reach would have ever guessed that the right's strategy for countering Obama--and ultimately escaping the minority wilderness--would be to out-Bush Bush.
...The cumulative upshot of a month's worth of coordinated Republican attacks on Obama's stimulus plan, Bobby Jindal's widely-ridiculed response to the president's address to Congress and the lock-stepped echoes heard at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference. The economic climate may have dramatically changed, as have voter attitudes about government's role, but the GOP formula has stayed almost exactly the same...
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
“Right now our only chance is to get support from across the aisle, so I will welcome that support no matter the form it comes/”
That was juan mccain’s plan and look what happened.
Your logic makes NO SENSE whatsoever. Why would bo supporters support rinos?
Yes some conservative demos may bail on bo but they will not cross over to support rinos like juan mccain, Lindsay Grahmnesty, Kyl, Chambliss, Specter, Snowe, Cornyn et al.
Moderate demos will look for other moderates to support not rinos who supported the 1st Islamo-Marxist-Illegal-Alien POTUS in US History that they have decided to abandon.
Certainly you don’t think that the ultra left wing demos are going to abandon their main man and become rinos, do you Carolyn.
So pray tell where from “across the aisle” do you think this support for UR rinos is going to come from, Carolyn?
“The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him.”
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01
“I don’t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don’t care. It’s not that important. It’s not our priority.”
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02
He had no choice. She didn't have a prayer. She was a ludicrous, inexplicable pick.
I’m not meaning to identify each one of these people with the attitudes I referred to, because the frustrating matter is that we can’t TELL who keeps up the bad ideas: they all PRETEND to be conservatives until it’s too late.
But these are the sorts I mean by the “GOP establishment”:
Michael Steele, Mike Dawson, Ken Mehlman, George Allen, George Bush, John McCain, Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, Eric Cantor, and the big-business groups like CATO, the National Chamber of Commerce (NOT local chambers), and Super-Rangers like Haley Barbor, Don Evans, George Pataki, Jack Abramoff, Karl Rove, etc.
Again: I do not mean to impugn each of these as being part of the problem: a lot of people I’ve encountered really love Haley Barbour. On the other hand, I knew first-hand friends of Micheal Steele who were so impressed by him, so it’s not fair to leave any likely “good guys” from the list.
In all fairness, on September 13, I was ready to nuke Iran. Bush six months later was right. And eight years later, I can tell you we didn’t lose 3000 men in the middle east to bring one man to justice.
(I don’t think I’d’ve nuked Iran, but if you asked me at the time, I’d’ve probably said I was.)
Great list!
RE “You guys who keep telling us that we have to moderate our beliefs to win, have it all wrong. Moderation is a loser”
I agree that we cant out liberal democrats. However republicans need to learn how to poll test phrases and create 527 organizations to demonize democrats. If we believe in something unpopular we must sell it to the voters not just tell ourselves life is unfair when they reject it. The recent Steele actions is an example of what not to do. Stay away from liberal shows.
good comment
I can’t quarrel too much with your list. None of them are conservatives.
LOL
He ends it in 2007 just before pop of bubble. Now why didnt that sell?
Absolutely right!
Good job.
Are you being purposely obtuse? Would you rather Feingold and Bahy vote for the $410B bill or that they vote with Republican’s to block it? Especially when we have Republicans like Specter voting for it? I prefer they have a smart moment and vote against it... I am not rooting for the destruction of my country.
My point, if you read my original post all the way through, is that I don’t recall the Republicans acting like a very conservative congress.
The Reps really held razor thin majorities, especially in the Senate where the minority can act like the majority. The Jeffords switch was very damaging during Bush’s first term and then 9/11, the Iraq War, and Katrina dictated priorities.
Good points.
I don’t excuse Bush for anything he did. I just think that if we’d managed to get some strong conservatives in there, even in the minority, he might have made different choices. Instead we had too many “get along” types in there who exacerbated his worst impulses.
"Get Osama Bin Laden before I leave office, orders George W Bush"
“President George W Bush has enlisted British special forces in a final attempt to capture Osama Bin Laden before he leaves the White House.”
Dated: June 15, 2008
FYI, I found the youtube press conference (about six months after 9/11) using similar words BUT I think you would be misconstruing Bush's words. Here is the link with all the words. You miss his point and I believe you miss the threat of radical Islam and what Bush was attempting to do.
FYI, I did a search on your so called Bush quote. See what I found below. Huffington Post used the link below to spread the word so you KNOW it is bogus and misleading. I cannot find one news report that uses YOUR Bush quote. It figures. I think you are a troll. Prove me wrong.
The link that uses YOUR Bush quote is from some leftwing anti-bush blog and THAT is why you did not provide me the link. You are not trustworthy.
No, you don't recall. You are hallucinating. I voted for Duncan Hunter in the primaries.
Was it that bad? I only saw him walk out, looking fruity and freaky, with that awful smile (and I highly resepect the guy), but didn't hear any of it... Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks
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