Posted on 05/09/2009 3:52:50 PM PDT by Mr_Moonlight
American politics . . . is ultimately just a popularity contest.
WE conservatives are having one of our grand knock-down, drag-out fights over the future of conservatism and the GOP. Should conservatives compromise on gay marriage or abortion rights? Should we jump on the environmental bandwagon? Are there ways to reform health care without abandoning our principles? What would Reagan do? What would William F. Buckley think?
Frankly, I love these arguments. I think they're healthy and good for conservatism and the country. One thing I love about conservatives is that we have these internal debates more often than the Five Families went to war in "The Godfather."
The mainstream perception that conservatives are close-minded and dogmatic while liberals are open-minded and freethinking has it almost exactly backward. Liberal dogma is settled: The government should do good where it can, whenever it can. That is President Obama's idea of pragmatism and bipartisanship: He's open to all ideas, from either side of the aisle, about how best to expand government and get the state more involved in our lives.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
LOL :) We were treated to a Steyn gem today, so why not a Goldberg gem to complement it? :)
The GOP is already failing, without even trying to have its own Barack Obama, who is also a failure!
But we just got rid of Specter.
Ummm, we did have our own Obama. And we voted him down too.
I thought Palin was our obama, there is a messiah-like atmosphere amoung her supporters. altho she has far more executive expericence than him.
Lord I hope they don’t jump on the “environmental bandwagon.” The environmental movement has been a major cause of the destruction of the integrity of private property rights and the expansion of government through regulation of natural resource use. Private property rights and private ownership of elemental resources is fundamental to personal freedom, a free market economy and an independent America.
The media took a little Barry Soetoro, added a twist of adoration and created Barak Obama. The media will never do that for any conservative and we’ll have left-wing neo-cons carping about the right-wing take over of the Republican party. Heck, look at how some freepers treat Ron Paul, the most authentic constitutionally conservative Republican we have. Can you find anyone in the Democrat party giving similar treatment to Barry?
The OP (headline) isn’t citing Obama as the cure for all things, quite the contrary ... read the rest of the article before passing judgment
I’m going to disagree, just because aiming for our own Barack Obama is aiming too low.
On the other hand, I think Cheney/Gramm would have been an awesome ticket. Except I’m not so much imagining them yelling at the hippie protesters at Lafayette Square as having a rifle target competition.
“GOP NEEDS ITS OWN BARACK OBAMA”
We do....we have many Barack Obamas in the party; that is our problem.
I don’t think the general public is going to want more Obamas. In fact, it will soon be a real liability.
SOme smooth jackass like Barack OHussein. Great.
I think you've missed the point of the opinion piece. It had nothing to do with ideology, and everything to do with personality. While political and policy position are important to both side of ideological spectrum, to the middle third of America (the third that actually elects Presidents), they're virtually moot.
A great percentage of Americans who voted for Obama have no idea what his position were before the election nor do they know now after the election. But, they knew that they liked Obama's optimism, charisma, articulate and compelling oratory and calm demeanor. That's what gets Presidents elected - not their positions. In rare cases, the state of the country and the gravitas of the candidate will overshadow charismatic deficiency (Eisenhower comes to mind). But, that's certainly the exception and not the rule.
I think that was the point Goldberg was trying to make, albeit rather clumsily.
As usual some FReepers don’t read entire articles or reason.
Own Obama is having a candidate who has a message, can speak and get the message out.
Can generate huge crowds and energize them.
Why I support Gov. Palin.
Not a candidate who is a bean counter , mumbles and would
be lucky to win their own state.
I nominate Megan McCain. She’s articulate, beautiful, intelligent, and speaks as if she reads from my own heart!
May 04, 2009
Rush Limbaugh defended Palin and heralded her as the “most prominent and articulate voice” for conservatism.
AS Michael Reagan said re convention night:
Wednesday night I watched the Republican National Convention on television and there, before my very eyes, I saw my Dad reborn; only this time he’s a she.
In one blockbuster of a speech, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin resurrected my Dad’s indomitable spirit
We don’t need, nor would we fall for, a false Messiah the way the brain-dead RATS did.
No. What we need is a person of intelligence and ruthlessness who can actually win over people who are not rural or southern suburban white protestants. Hint: it aint Sara Palin.
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