Conservative-GOP marriage over?

politico ^ | Monday May 7, 2012 | Craig Shirley

[Bigtigermike]

It should come as no surprise that the Republican National Committee has been “covertly” supporting Mitt Romney throughout the primaries, as POLITICO recently “revealed.” It was the worst-kept secret in Washington

Reagan, the über outsider, called for a “new Republican Party” back in 1977. Reagan wanted the GOP to shed its country club, corporate boardroom image and become a genuine conservative movement, focused on the individual.

Reagan’s words threatened the status quo of the scions and heiresses of the country club and corporate boardroom set. The former California governor and his conservative followers were never accepted by these insiders

[...]

The Republicans’ desire for power is usually stronger than any desire for restraint by conservatism. It always seems to leave conservatives disappointed.

Many conservatives have, in fact, decided that their beliefs have become permanently inconsistent with Republicanism. This may be more apparent in 2012 than ever before. No offense to Romney, but he is the perfect nominee for the Republican Party in 2012 because he — like the GOP — has adopted a variety of positions over the years in order to acquire power. The Etch A Sketch comment was stunningly accurate.

The “lesser of two evils” argument is now settling over the landscape. Perhaps. The “conservatives have no place else to go” storyline is being pushed. Maybe.

On the other hand, some conservatives now view this election as a clear Hobson’s Choice or possibly a Morton’s Fork. One choice is bad or nothing; the other between two bad options.

Conservatives should be clear-eyed, though. The job of the Republican Party is to deceive conservatives into handing over their support. This does not mean that conservatives can’t arrive at the conclusion that this choice is between the lesser of two evils.

But they should prepare to be disappointed.

[Bigtigermike]

Craig Shirley, president of Shirley & Banister Public Affairs, is the author of two biographies of Ronald Reagan, including “Reagan’s Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All.” His most recent book is “December 1941: 31 Days That Changed America and Saved the World.”

[Vendome]

Yep and so long as self serving A-holes and in general Tards, who can’t seem to be bothered to think about the consequences of their support for the RNC, I don’t see them changing.

I will never, ever send the RNC a plug nickel and that started with their pushing GW on us.

Sure, he turned out to be a decent President but, without 911 he would have largely been nothing more than a manager and place holder.

And the RNC, GOPe and other jerkoffs continue to push their guys and undermine mine.

Eff them to hell.

[roses of sharon]

Being a battered wife for 3 decades is obviously not working.

Time to let go Conservatives.

[jimpick]

I will support any 3rd party conservative. Screw the GOP. We have irreconcilable differences. The GOP is just out for power and not the people or the republic.

[Bigtigermike]

100% agree!!!!!!

[RIghtwardHo]

A rousing Amen to that from me, my friend.

There MUST be a divorce from the GOP if we are to survive. We outnumber them. We can rid ourselves of them. But too many of us react to fear and “news entertainment”. Stop it. Be conservative ... truly conservative. Think for yourselves and let’s get these people out of what should be our Party.

[papertyger]

The “conservatives have no place else to go” storyline is being pushed.

I don't have to "go" anywhere.

I'm perfectly content to "stay" home, and tell those critical of my choice, or claiming I will have no right to complain, to ES and D!

I'll support the GOP again when they are ready to make common cause with me instead of Marxist demagogues. Till then, I won't "eat the rich" but neither will I defend them from those who will.

[voicereason]

Wait for the ABO crowd to come out with their doom-and-gloom screed about how the Republic will end if we don’t all get behind Romney. That argument is so tired and overused, but it is all they have. The GOP / RNC leadership are taking us down the same path as the Rats, just at a different speed. Since the GOP are okay with being the party of mediocrity and avoiding embracing conservatism, they’ve certainly lost my support. (see tagline)

[dajeeps]

It isn’t just conservatives, either. I am not a conservative, but a classical liberal and I feel like there is just no more redemptive quality in the GOP. Free markets, fostering of copious competition, and respect for property rights and individual freedom is all that I am interested in and there is just no reason to believe that is what the party cares about.

There is a toxic cloud over the beltway of late, created by hyper-partisanship and the politics of personal enrichment at the expense of everyone else. It is the ugliest thing I have ever seen, and don’t care much to contribute to it. I cannot stop what others do with their votes, but they feed the cloud to the peril of us all. May God watch over us and not deny his providence for the sake of the faithful in the very trying days and years that lay ahead.

[nathanbedford]

Conservatives want to obtain and maintain political power.

In America political power comes through a political party.

Third-party movements invariably elect the political party against whom the splinter group is most opposed.

Conservatives who want to obtain and maintain political power have very little chance of succeeding with a third-party.

Conservatives who want to obtain and maintain political power are well advised to do so by taking over the Republican Party and to strictly eschew flirting with third party.

The presidential nominating process in 2012 was fair, consisting of over 20 debates and 50 primaries.

The harsh reality is nothing other than Conservatives failed to sell their message to the bulk of the Republican electorate.

Next time, the Republicans would be well advised to raise money, disband their circular firing squad, and support an electable conservative.

[RitaOK]

Romney pushed everything Obama has pushed and did it first!

Everything that Obama pushed that is most grievous is in the Supreme Court today, but Romney pushed it first.

The GOPE under Obama claimed they deplored it all and gave him not a single vote.

As kingmakers for Romney, who is a self professed PROGRESSIVE, the GOPE will now PASS the VERY SAME crap when pushed by Romney.

They want to push the party LEFT and intend to do so, with our help.

VOTE ROMNEY, THE TEMPLATE FOR OBAMA RULE /S

[Tau Food]

I really look forward to the party unifying after Romney loses. It’s absolutely essential that Romney get stomped so that the party elites accept that conservatives and Christians cannot be taken for granted again.

[Dawgreg]

I divorced the RNC after they “chose” McCain in 2008. I voted for Sarah Palin not that knothead from Arizona but no more. More and more I’m seeing the RNC as bad as the DNC. We are in dire need of a true constitutional conservative party.

[katiedidit1]

I read something just recently about the RNC violating rule #11 and I think rule #38 during the primary process and declaring Mitt as the nominee before he has the necessary delegates. I did not research it but it was circulated on a Ron Paul blog.

[Houghton M.]

Not buying this. Conservatives outnumbered GOP-e’s. But we bickered among ourselves and handed it to Romney. He was open about his strategy being “divide and conquer” and even then we did his bidding. We even used obvious Romney-planted sound bytes to discredit the “other guy,” the conservative we didn’t agree with.

We have no one to blame but ourselves. Until we learn to unite around a single candidate, they will defeat us.

Taking over the Republican Party is the only real option. Taking our bat and ball and going home only guarantees the Devil’s win.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

[RitaOK]

I am very afraid that you are exactly right.

It is scary as hell, this REBELLION of ours, but it can only get far worse, fast, if we do not begin it.

We must vote, “other”, for the presidential box and do our best down ticket.

The Marxists have been nothing if not patient and methodical, and we must be the same and trust God for the rest.

The John Cornyns, McConells and McCains and Grahams have killed us off.

” DOGS AGAINST ROMNEY! “

[jimpick]

I don’t care if a third party gets the dems elected as my conservative beliefs are not being met by the GOP. I will continue to support conservative republicans but will not be bullied into electing a liberal in the GOP. The GOP is no longer a 100% lock on my vote. They have proven that good conservatives are outcasts to them. I will no longer be scared to vote third party if that is what is required to get a conservative elected. If the GOP wants to get elected then they will have to move to the right, otherwise the dems will get elected and they will lose their power. It goes both ways the dem party gets elected if they do not support conservative values as well.

SCREW you GOP I have waited patiently for far to long. If not this election when will I make my stand against the liberalization of the GOP. I will tell you when it will be, the first chance I get to vote for a conservative that is when. It is up to the GOP to stop the dems from getting elected by preventing the party from fracturing.

[onyx]

The best candidate doesn’t always win.

The best campaign does, (ruthless as it just may be, and his was).

[papertyger]

The presidential nominating process in 2012 was fair, consisting of over 20 debates and 50 primaries. The harsh reality is nothing other than Conservatives failed to sell their message to the bulk of the Republican electorate.

Nonsense. The narrative has been orchestrated by a very finely tuned information dissemination mechanism endorsed by both major sides of the contest.

The only way to break that agreement is to demonstrate to one side or the other that further participation will result in not just permanent minority status, but inevitable failure as a self sustaining entity.

You don't do that by continuing to play a game where rules wink in and out of existence with no other purpose than to insure you lose.