GOP Spine Needs to Stiffen in Spite of Specter Switch

Townhall.com ^ | Wednesday, April 29, 2009 | Matt Kibbe

[cripplecreek]

Divining intent are we?

What a joke

[Sylvester McMonkey McBean]

Political parties are dinosaurs.

Voter direct will be the “new” norm. Imagine a candidate doing 25 3-minute platform video speeches on all the current “hot-button” issues that show up right in your Email box.

Direct marketing goes political. Fill out a simple form online, check your “hot-button” issues, check your candidates, and the nicely packaged speech from each of your selected candidates are right there for your consumption. Rinse, repeat.

It’s coming. Good, bad, or indifferent.

[Post Toasties]

I am having trouble grasping how ideological purity is a good compensation for losing all the progress made since Reagan.

It's a 'feelgood' kinda thing by those who are ok with marginalizing themselves and their beliefs.

[cripplecreek]

Very astute posting.

In my district we worked long and hard to defeat a RINO and replace him with a conservative only to have the GOP toss him overboard at the first opportunity. Now we have a far left democrat in his place and no one but party leadership to blame.

In the race for Rahm Emanuel’s seat A good conservative (and a FReeper) named Rosanna Pulido ran. Granted she was a long shot but the GOP could have given at least token support. Instead she had a local GOP alderman telling voters to write in Abe Lincoln rather than vote for her.

As a party the GOP needs to give up on expecting loyalty and start earning it.

[Kansas58]

NO it is not coming.
It won't happen.
MOST people do NOT vote based on issues.
I know that is hard for most “issue oriented” people to understand, but that is the truth!

Also, we are NOT a direct Democracy, we are Republic, we vote for people, not issues, directly.

[Kansas58]

Get rid of your Republican Alterman.
Every Party will have jerks who do things that you do not like.
Any 3rd Party will have “THINOS”

(Third Party in Name Only)

[Richard Kimball]

Many of the Republicans would rather be out of office than vote for conservative principles.

They'd rather Democrats win than for government to get smaller or regulations to go down.

As to the Republican party, pffffft. I'll contribute to a candidate, but not to the party. Never again. How many Freepers contributed to the Republicans only to have them give it to Specter so he could change parties. We've known for years Specter would stab us in the back right in front of our face.

[Sylvester McMonkey McBean]

It is a sad state of affairs. In the current guise, there’s Republicans, and Republicans that “play ball.” Quite simply, if you don’t play ball, you don’t get the nod.

[Sylvester McMonkey McBean]

I'll respectfully disagree with you on this one. As a representative republic we cast votes for candidates based upon what we perceive to be the candidate's alignment with our own issues.

"Voter direct" campaigning will be a core component for all serious political players before the next presidential election.

[Man50D]

Those who insist on a “Third Party” strategy are usually egomaniacs that do not know how to work in large groups.

I see you're still in that deep state of denial that there is actually a two party system instead of facing the reality of there is a one socialist Republicrat party system. Let me know when you snap out of that fallacy. Then you we can have a reasonable discussion

[Man50D]

We just need to make the GOP true to conservatism

You had that opportunity for the past several years. The OP(formerly the GOP)increasingly move to the socialist left over that time is more than enough proof you could not stop the shift within the party.

I don’t think any party can ever again pull off what the Republicans did against the Whigs.

That's pure conjecture. I doubt anyone expected the Republicans to overtake the Whigs but it happened.

The two parties in power are just too researched and calculating to not handle the complaints of a 3rd party and respond to them.

You're under the false impression we have a two party system. We have one big socialist Republicrat party thanks to the OP selling out it's conservative principles to expand the voter base. Another party will restore the two party system.

We need the GOP to run to us, not the other way around.

We need to dump the socialist republicrat party in favor of a conservative party. You're insistence to remain with a party that keeps throwing Conservative principles under the bus only weakens the Conservative cause and empowers socialism.

Stick with the GOP and make it a better more conservative GOP.

You need to wake up from the nightmare. The OP not only didn't stick with conservatism but has repeatedly spat in the face of conservatives and yet you want to remain with socialists? LOL!!!!!

[HangnJudge]

Fine, as long as the new party is majority former Democrats.

I know many Liberals who are
visibly distressed by the actions of their Party
Many classic Liberals would be better defined as Libertarians,
and can be made to see the ultimate destruction
associated with Socialism

As I hear many Conservatives just as distressed
by the Moral Posturing of the Republican Party.

The Basis of USAs strength is fundamentally Capitalism
constrained By Libertarian (to left) and Conservatives (to right)

Socialists Hate Liberty,
but many Liberals do not
If a liberal can be made to see that
I am not telling them how to personally run their own life,
dialog is opened, and
they might convert in droves

The task is to get a liberal to grow
their Libertarian nature
and leave the nest of The
false premise of Socialist Security.

[Delacon]

Bravo

[Man50D]

Third Parties are for egotistical morons who like to lose!

Insults isn't exactly the way to go if you're trying to convince people to support the OP but it is consistent with those who used the same loser tactic prior to the election. You're party has been losing for years thanks to the egotistical morons like Specter and you expect support of Conservatives ? LOL!!!! It's no wonder the OP has lost so much power over the years.

[Clintonfatigued]

I’m all for having stiff spines, but when the ‘Rats have 60 Senators, Obama, Reid, & Pelosi will have unlimited power.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

Thanks, but that didn’t make ME feel any better. :0)

[Kansas58]

And your solution?

Face it, you do NOT have a solution.

The ONLY way that we can hope for any conservative victories is for conservatives to take control of the Republican Party.

[HangnJudge]

Bravo

I am convinced that Government should not Govern moral behavior
anymore than is should not constrain free will.

A people who are told What To Think,
are just as enslaved as those who are told What To Do

Only by permitting Free Will can
truly Moral behavior develop
and true Freedom Flourish.

The Government that gets out of the way
Does not prevent people from rising, or falling
by their own choices. Personal initiative is no longer atrophic,
and the populace regains strong mental and Moral muscles,
or not, it is their own choice.
If a person wishes to destroy themselves, that is their business,
whether I help my neighbor, or not, is my business.

It is no-one Else's, except God
And each individual is accountable for this

I am intensely Conservative,
but I see no kindness, or necessity in,
forcefully removing one's free will
Except in so far as it impacts someone elses

[Kansas58]

There are huge differences between the Republican Party and the Democrat Party.

That you refuse to notice only means that you are some type of Libertarian who does not care about:

Abortion
Euthanasia
Gay Marriage
National Defense

[HangnJudge]

Abortion - Murder, Breach of Natural Law
Euthanasia - Breach of Hippocratic Oath
Gay Marriage - Breach in most fundamental social contract
National Defense - Necessary due to man's fallen nature

Libertarians I know are generally supportive of
National defense, Contract issues, and Natural Law issues