Time Mag Blames 'Extremely Conservative Ideas' for GOP Decline (MAJOR BARF ALERT!)

MRC ^

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

     How many times can you use the discrediting term "extremely," suggesting "extremist" positions, in a single sentence describing the state of the Republican Party? Three, if you're writing Time magazine's cover story. Michael Grunwald contended "the party's ideas -- about economic issues, social issues and just about everything else -- are not popular ideas." He then asserted in the article for the May 18 edition of the magazine: "They are extremely conservative ideas tarred by association with the extremely unpopular George W. Bush, who helped downsize the party to its extremely conservative base."

     Grunwald proceeded to characterize the GOP's agenda as a "hard right" one which pleases Rush Limbaugh but not a majority of people, arguing: "A hard-right agenda of slashing taxes for the investor class, protecting marriage from gays, blocking universal health insurance and extolling the glories of waterboarding produces terrific ratings for Rush Limbaugh, but it's not a majority agenda."

     [This item, by the MRC's Brent Baker, was posted Saturday on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     An excerpt from "Republicans in Distress: Is the Party Over?", which is part of the magazine's "Endangered Species" cover story package:

....Republicans actually have plenty of ideas.

That's the problem. The party's ideas -- about economic issues, social issues and just about everything else -- are not popular ideas. They are extremely conservative ideas tarred by association with the extremely unpopular George W. Bush, who helped downsize the party to its extremely conservative base. A hard-right agenda of slashing taxes for the investor class, protecting marriage from gays, blocking universal health insurance and extolling the glories of waterboarding produces terrific ratings for Rush Limbaugh, but it's not a majority agenda. The party's new, Hooverish focus on austerity on the brink of another depression does not seem to fit the national mood, and it's shamelessly hypocritical, given the party's recent history of massive deficit spending on pork, war and prescription drugs in good times, not to mention its continuing support for deficit-exploding tax cuts in bad times....

     The piece in full: www.time.com

     Image of the cover: www.time.com

[truthandlife]

The Dems know that the only problem they have in 2010 and 2012 is if the GOP turns back to its conservative roots. If they come out watered down (ie McCain, Dole) then the Dems know they have free reign for years to come.

[a fool in paradise]

Time-Lies. Boycott Time-Warner.

[rockrr]

"They are extremely conservative ideas tarred by association with the extremely unpopular George W. Bush, who helped downsize the party to its extremely conservative base."

Wow, I'm surprised that he didn't use "icky" in his "thoughtful" piece of urnalism...

[devistate one four]

This is some of the funniest stuff in news that I’ve seen.
It looks as though we’ve got all of the “experts” fooled.

They haven’t a clue about conservatism or tea parties.

[sphinx]

Is Time still publishing?

I would think a rag that has left-footed itselfself into near extinction would be a little cautious about diagnosing other people's problems.

[RockinRight]

What are these “extremely conservative” ideas? Where are they?

[wac3rd]

The Media is so tanked, it is clinically insane. They refuse to report facts, but push a “hate USA” mantra incessantly.

I saw three positive news articles on blacks, then juxtaposed was a white child molester.

The media fawns over a Left Wing puppet.

[RockinRight]

I really try not to swear too much, but the only phrase that keeps running through my head as I read this crap is “f___ing idiot.”

[abb]

[ex-snook]

Right you are. The Bush skin was the skin of a conservative but the voice was the voice of a liberal neocon.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Why is the media so concerned about the so called decline of conservatives?

Probably cognitive dissonance. All of this GOP-is-dead talk started after LBJ's landslide in '64 too. RINOs like John Lindsay and others preached the need to become more moderate in order to win. Of course, we all know what followed after.

[freekitty]

Time is a magazine for third graders.

[jveritas]

Excellent reminder from history. I also read that Carter just won the elections in 1976 the Republican Party was so damaged or thought to be so damaged that some Republicans suggested to change the name of the party to something else.

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

On the Ideals and Dangers of Liberalism

Modern Liberalism's Second Childhood

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

Bill Schneider noted the line of defeats on CNN, but put all the blame on the “far right” conservatives. In one sense, the media have stayed remarkably consistent: ever since Barry Goldwater in 1964, they’ve consistently preached that conservatism always puts Republicans on the brink of disaster (even after the Reagan landslides and the short-lived “revolution” of 1994). They’ve consistently whined that the moderates are maligned and neglected – and they’ve never considered that these “moderates” are often self-impressed careerists who preen over how much more reasonable they are than the “fringe” and who aren’t exactly specialists in “party unity.” But that’s why the media love them – they give them a pretty much permanent narrative of GOP “fratricide.” --L. Brent Bozell III

[GraceG]

>> What are these “extremely conservative” ideas? Where are they? <<

The media misses the point, they confuse the babbling of YEC folks with the logical conservative arguments from Goldwater.

They are essentially trying to use the crazies in the far right to stigmatize the Logical arguments and reality that Reagan gave us.

They do this by trying to tie the sound economic and political ideas of Goldwater to the crazy religious ideals of Fred Phelps.

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

The watchdog media...“The legislative achievements have been stupendous — the $789 billion stimulus bill, the budget plan that is still being hammered out (and may, ultimately, include the next landmark safety-net program, universal health insurance). There has also been a cascade of new policies to address the financial crisis — massive interventions in the housing and credit markets, a market-based plan to buy the toxic assets that many banks have on their books, a plan to bail out the auto industry and a strict new regulatory regime proposed for Wall Street. Obama has also completely overhauled foreign policy, from Cuba to Afghanistan. ‘In a way, Obama’s 100 days is even more dramatic than Roosevelt’s,’ says Elaine Kamarck of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. ‘Roosevelt only had to deal with a domestic crisis. Obama has had to overhaul foreign policy as well, including two wars. And that’s really the secret of why this has seemed so spectacular.’”
— Time’s Joe Klein in the magazine’s May 4 cover story on Barack Obama’s first 100 days as President.

[GraceG]

>> Why is the media so concerned about the so called decline of conservatives? They should be rejoicing. Or are they concerned because they are just making lies and fabrications about the conservative decline and they know that are writing and speaking BS? Go to sleep now liberals there are no more conservatives left in the country, you won (extreme sarcasm). <<

They are concerned because if we “go away” there will be no one to blame for their own failures and that people will wake the heck up.

[1010RD]

At my dentist’s office, we use TIME to wipe our boots.

[Bitsy]

how much more reasonable they are than the “fringe” and who aren’t exactly specialists in “party unity.” But that’s why the media love them – they give them a pretty much permanent narrative of GOP “fratricide.” —L. Brent Bozell III
And, that's why they should be irrelevant to us. This country was not built on luke warm, mansy-pansy feel good people.