Posted on 05/10/2009 9:23:54 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Two major debates face conservative Republicans about the future of the party. The first, rekindled by Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party, is whether the GOP should move furtherfurther leftward. The second is whether conservatives should tone down their advocacy on social issues. History is on the side of outspoken conservatives in both debates.
To learn where to position themselves, some big-government GOP loyalists are going on so-called listening tours. The trouble is, skulking around the country on pandering tours isn't leadership. Politicians, lobbyists and campaign consultants who caused the problem cannot fix it. You can also rebrand damaged goods all you want, but they're still damaged goods, which is why GOP establishment leaders are incapable of understanding the problem -- it's them.
The ascendancy of conservatives to power was done by boat-rockers, not establishment politicians. Barry Goldwater laid the foundation of reducing government to conform to the Constitution. Ronald Reagan demonstrated that the conservative vision of smaller government is one of prosperity. The Gingrich revolution started making congressional leaders the servants of the people, not vice versa.
In each case, the message was reforming the Washington establishment. President Obama's campaign used a variation of that theme. His message of change, while obfuscated, clearly resonated with the grass roots. He remains popular, although polls show his version of change is substantially less so.
The current GOP leadership has no message or vision that appeals to the grass roots. We never hear from them the boat-rocking message of successful conservatives.
...
Democrats have nothing to fear from today's Republican Party leaders. That's why Democrats have taken to targeting Rush Limbaugh and others who aren't in formal leadership positions in the GOP but who forcefully articulate a conservative vision.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
WowZah! another ‘Cowboy’ coming down the trail?
Giddyup!
and that’s from an Ol’ Vikings fan..
Hail Mary or Bust, Baby! :-]
Fortunately, the loathsome Muslim culture constitutes a tiny minority in America.
Crawl back into your mud hut.
“But the perception is that the Republican party is the Christian fundamentalist party. “
That pretty much sums it up. And that’s not a very popular stand these days, especially with young people.
Like it or not, the younger generation believes in doing their thing and letting everyone else do their thing. In reality, they are more Libertarian than they are Liberal.
In hindsight, I believe that McCain didn’t lose because of economic issues but because of social issues. And it has little to do with abortion and gay marriage. Even California didn’t get acceptance for gay marriage by the voters.
There’s a sense of people in the country that the GOP is the group that wants to tell everyone how to live and to make everything under discussion a moral issue, even if it’s not a moral issue.
The left have done a good job portraying the GOP this way.
But of course the leftists do the same thing. They just have a different moral code. And they have no problem forcing it on others.
They get away with it, though, because they don't invoke religion to justify it.
A mutiny on a sinking ship is a farce.
The keel for a new Reagan republican vessel has been laid:
No he won. We beat the liberal Nelson Rockefeller's ass in the California primaries and secured the GOP for Reagan's eventual victory in 1980.
The LA Times telling the Republican Party what it needs is like Bob Dylan giving Pavarati voice lessons!
I'm not saying it's fair. But the perception is that the Republican party is the Christian fundamentalist party.
You are being demoralized by the liberal MSM. We must have the courage and purpose to defeat both the MSM and the Democrats.
They are one and the same.
Funny that the RINOs never remember that.
And beating Rockerfeller got you what ?
IT GOT YOU LBJ AND THE GREAT SOCIETY.
Yeah, it was great to have LBJ for 4 more years.
Fantastic accomplishment.
It's what your Rockefeller wing wanted. RINOs are treacherous.
I know.
She sure does!
We need to do one of two things.
A) Abandon the GOP and let it sink like the Whig Party. Then start or take over a 3rd party with the goal of making it a true second party—a counter to the Democrats—not a partner.
B) Re-take the GOP from the lounge lizard Country Club set. We need new leadership—No Bushes, No McCain’s etc... We need to take over from the top down. The party must be turned to the right—and I wonder if its even possible at this late date. The present GOP should replace the elephant for a RINO.
Or just support new candidates directly. The state and national parties typically do little to recruit, develop or support candidates. They’re all about incumbent protection.
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