but the GOP has managed to lose them a number of times,
I say it’s because the Tea Party stood up to the Establishment.
I can’t count how many intelligent people I know who say it’s all fixed, there’s no difference between the parties,
and this year they saw conservatives take down fat RINO cows.
We HAVE to keep doing what the independents like, keep them voting. Not just for our own satisfaction and conscience, but to keep the indies with us.
Independents’ Day - Yes, Independent Voters Went Republican, And We Will Need To Keep Them
The first link has a range of 22 to 44 as the percent of independents in various states for the governor and senate races.
Republicans won the midterm elections. Now can they survive?
Americans' agenda is simple. In broad terms, they want the government to spur job growth, but not by subsidizing more government jobs with taxpayer dollars. They want Washington to balance the budget and reverse the growing influence of government on daily life. They want the government to encourage success, allow failure, punish those who break the law - and then get out of the way. And above all, they want politicians to follow through on their promises, even if that means tempering those promises in the first place.It's been posted alredy. I linked directly the printer friendly version. The whole article is quite remarkable.They also show clear support for the following five ideas:
l (1) Balance the budget as quickly as possible through meaningful spending reductions, a hard spending cap and a constitutional amendment so that it never gets unbalanced again.
l (2) Eliminate all earmarks until the budget is balanced, then require a two-thirds vote by Congress for future earmark legislation.
l (3) Keep taxes down by requiring supermajorities for increases, and eventually enact tax reform with a simple, low, fair rate that drastically reduces the length of the IRS code.
l (4) Create a blue-ribbon task force that engages in a complete, line-by-line forensic audit of federal agencies and programs to end waste and reduce red tape and bureaucracy.
l (5) And require Congress to provide specific constitutional authorization for every bill it passes so that the government stays within the boundaries imagined by the founders.
One more thing: Voters want their representatives home in their districts and holding monthly town halls. The worst strategic mistake House Democrats made this year was canceling scores of public meetings, denying their constituents the chance to be heard. Hell hath no fury like a voter silenced, so the voters spoke in unison on Election Day.
I've found that each of these policies has at least 60 percent public support, so if you agree with most of them, it means you're in the American mainstream. It also means that - wait for it - you agree with the tea party.
I think in the vast majority of the country that conservatives can take the majority of independents. In big cities and the two coasts, moderates may be the only candidates with any chance to win for now, IMHO.