The Republican Party would do far better to put the "Bush Era" behind them.
Posted on 05/04/2009 4:20:21 AM PDT by VU4G10
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Saturday that it's time for the Republican Party to give up its "nostalgia" for the heyday of the Reagan era and look forward, even if it means stealing the winning strategy deployed by Democrats in the 2008 election.
"You can't beat something with nothing, and the other side has something. I don't like it, but they have it, and we have to be respectful and mindful of that," Mr. Bush said.
The former president's brother, often mentioned as a potential candidate in 2012, said President Obama's message of hope and change during the 2008 campaign clearly resonated with Americans.
"So our ideas need to be forward looking and relevant. I felt like there was a lot of nostalgia and the good old days in the [Republican] messaging. I mean, it's great, but it doesn't draw people toward your cause," Mr. Bush said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
You are so right....and so Jeb Bush doesn't get it. Good bye Jeb Bush. We don't want you.
Truer words were never spoken. If you leave Reagan (the personification of conservatism) behind then you are abandoning a priciple that has deep roots all the way back to the old testament. Edmund Burke, Russell Kirk and Reagan himself are rolling over in their graves at the intellectual dishonesty of our current "conservative" leadership.
Answer:
"A political party cannot be all things to all people.
It must represent certain fundamental beliefs
which must not be compromised to political expediency
or simply to swell its numbers."
-- President Ronald Reagan
"We don't intend to turn the Republican Party
over to the traitors in the battle just ended.
We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged
to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support.
Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates
wouldn’t make any sense at all.""
-- President Ronald Reagan
Time go get back to basics ping.
Well what do you expect?
What resonated with the base scared the h*ll out them.
Reagan gave us everything we have as conservatives. Geo, H.W. Bush and “W” have gotten us where we are today. And they did not do it by staying with our principles. The GOP abandnment of those principles is what has caused the the collapse of the party. When we rid ourselves of the liberal influence we will begin to win again.
The Republican party is constantly on the lookout for that sort of threat to the status quo. IF a small-government advocate comes along, the established-party works like crazy to minimize the threat. The party did it to Reagan, and it'll keep doing it. It's the nature of "having power."
We just need to make sure we're listening to the people
I just read the article, and the take-away that I get is that this bunch is engaged in the "I hear you" strategy of human relations. Saying "I hear you" is nothing more than an acknowledgment, and generally indicates nothing more than being polite up front while carrying on without regard to what one hears.
The other notion I get is that these chumps are listening for cues as to what people want from the government so they can promise to deliver it. So, if you are one of the people on the listening tour that says "lay off half the federal government, and repeal half of the legislation," they'll listen politely, promise "Yessir, we will try, but we need your vote." But if you say "I don't have health insurance," the response will be "Vote for us, and you'll get it."
I dunno if the establishment GOP is going to survive or fail, but as long as it acts like it's acting now, I'm not giving it any of my support.
It is time to leave Jeb behind.
The Bush Family is pure evil. Jeb, in making a comment like this, also proves he’s an idiot as well.
It appears to be the knee-jerk reaction to a poorly titled article. The party does NOT have a Ronald Reagan waiting in the wings.
One of the things that is poorly understood about Reagan is his background as a writer and a thinker.
The years that it took Reagan to come to the conclusion of his ideas. His unique background in Hollyweird could likely not be duplicated in today’s political environment.
The next politician who happens to be able to communicate and has conservative ideas is NOT the the next “Reagan”.
The party has done an awful job of communicating it’s message and that is what Jeb is addressing.
"Credit where credit is due" and all that... ;-)
My request from the RNC for money in 2009 could not have come at a better time. Will just be putting a note saying take me off of your lists...don’t call me I’ll call you.
The simple fact remains that the Bush family represent a strain of Republicanism that has always been its corroding cancer. The Bush family is evil. They should be asked to leave the party. At the very least, they shouldn’t even get close to lamenting nostalgia for a time when the party meant something. He should have SHUT his fat yap.
The Republican Party would do far better to put the "Bush Era" behind them.
The reason we aren’t getting another Reagan is that at the regional and local level we breed eunuchs. Reagan was congenial and comic but he also had an edge. He called evil evil and good good. That moral edge needs to be there or people will start suspecting the party is nothing but corporate-global types, like the Bush family, who are so morally obtuse we are now replacing a leftist member of the SCOTUS who GOT THERE by a member of the Bush family itself. I’m telling you we need some anti-Bush itch ointment in the Republican party.
Obama is what you get when you elect a clueless unprincipled pampered elite to office of president. George W Bush is our Jimmy Charter, one of the worst presidents ever also just like Nixon a closet big government liberal.
So Jeb you are reading this all wrong, we needs Reagans not Bushes. Your best bet Jeb is to change your name cause no one will vote for a Bush ever again.
Our country is just like your household. You want everyone to be safe and healthy, and you want to be able to feed, educate, and clothe everyone, but you have to follow your budget. You can't spend more than you take in and you have to save for emergencies and for luxuries. That is exactly how our country should be run. We are as loving and compassionate as we can be, but everyone has to live within their means and if they want more, they need to work harder to achieve it.
Just like in your home, money doesn't just appear like magic and you can't support your neighbors and their expensive habits.
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