Posted on 07/22/2009 12:48:29 PM PDT by Salena Zito
A recent Gallup poll found that twice as many Americans have become more conservative than liberal. Yet, at the same time, twice as many Americans now identify themselves as Democrats as opposed to Republicans.
How did this seeming paradox come about? What, if anything, can the Republican Party do to restore itself? Or are these so-called "Blue Dog" Democrats the new placeholder for the conservative spot on the block?
First, let's look at the origins of conservatism. British parliamentarian Edmund Burke, defender of the colonists' cause to preserve their rights against oppressive taxation, was conservatism's founding father. He spoke in favor of limiting government power and railed against ideologues who, divorced from reality, drove the French Revolution into a reign of terror and eventual dictatorship.
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
I agree this nation has gone to the dogs.
Twice as many people identify themselves as Dems? Twice as many? Am I the only one who thinks these numbers are screwy?
“What, if anything, can the Republican Party do to restore itself?”
Kick out the RINOs of course. Easier said than done.
it’s fear, my fine feathered friend plain old fear
the rats are so mean, so dirty and will kill anything they can so people say they are a rat so they can live to fight another day esp if they have a family to raise
The reason so many Americans call themselves “conservative” in these polls is because they simply do not know what “conservative” means. There also is this phenomenon to factor in: many people are personally conservative, but when the subject of politics comes up, they suddenly become blithering socialist idiots. They truly believe it is the duty of government to take care of them.
There are relatively VERY few actual, real, genuine conservatives in America.
>> “What, if anything, can the Republican Party do to restore itself?”
Kick out the RINOs of course. Easier said than done. <<
Kick out the RINOS for sure!
I think the Founding Father of Conservatism was God.
The biggest problem with this article’s premise is that it links conservatism with the Republican Party. People who talk with me would say that I’m “conservative” in my personal and political views, but I am not a card carrying member of the Republican Party. I think what’s really happening is that fewer and fewer people, particularly conservatives, are choosing to be bound to a word, and are instead choosing to embrace an idea. In the past, when I was much younger, if you were conservative, you HAD to be a Republican. Nowadays, I think people are finding such a distinction too restrictive.
Love your vegetarian tag line, too funny. :)
Today, well lately we are hearing all about blue dog dems. There is something missing, what could it be???
Easy, where the heck are the conservative repubs. Come on people, do they even exist? Who are they?
This is why conservatism is lost to the repubs, because there are very very few to identify conservatism with. Definitely not the party. Bush fixed that!
I seen a bumper sticker the other day. It had a pic of Pres Regan and two words: AVENGE ME.
Pres Regan lived and breathed conservative values. 90% of the current repubs would not know it if it slapped them across the face
I totally agree and I believe that the American Revolution was inspired by God and the United States Constitution is a holy document
I don’t think it is necessary or useful to dredge up Edmund Burke to understand the phenomenon.
I think it is simply the case that on many issues, viewed in isolation, such as crime, national defense, high taxes, etc., the instinct of many people is to have a conservative view on these issues.
At the same time, both the popular culture in television, movies, music, books and magazines, etc. and the education establishment in schools and universities stigmatize Republicans, with the result that people without strong party feelings, especially young people who absorb more of this spin, naturally tend not to associate themselves with Republicans.
No surprise, Americans don’t have a clue. We have plenty of evidence of that in the 233 yrs of our existence.
I agree with Mark Levin, Blue Dogs are liberals who go home to right of center districts and lie. I would’nt count on them blocking anything, they are Pelosi’s toadies.
Nope they are about accurate. It is surprising the Republicans elect anyone anywhere given the Treason media’s constant attacks for the benefit of the Party of Treason.
It’s pretty hard for me to figure out how David Brooks and David Frum are successors to Edmund Burke. I don’t think Burke would have acknowledge these two.
Of course, kicking out half the party will really make things sooo much better. Lead that drive to 10% of the electorate.
Republicans must compete in the cities or the party is eventually doomed.
It is only when the RATS screw up big time that the GOP can win the presidency.
60% of the electorate is moderate. Extemism rarely wins in American politics. And that is exactly the label hung on the GOP even filled with “RINOs” as you believe.
Effective conservatives are Republicans. Those for whom perfection is a higher goal than winning chase all manner of will-o-the-wisps offered by fringe parties.
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