Richard Viguerie: Ted Cruz's Victory Foretells Conservative Takeover of GOP

Sacbee.com ^ | 7-31-2012 | Richard Viguerie

[tennmountainman]

"The victory of Ted Cruz in the Texas Republican Senate runoff primary means that the torch is being passed to a new generation of principled small government constitutional conservatives and that the 'let's make a deal' Republican Party of old will soon go the way of the Dodo bird.

"Ted's nomination sent a strong signal that a new conservative Republican Party is being born and, by 2016, principled conservatives will replace most leaders in Congress and the Party at the national, state, and local levels. GOP leaders should 'ask not for whom the bell tolls -- it tolls for thee.'

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/31/4679803/richard-viguerie-ted-cruzs-victory.html#storylink=cpy

[Maceman]

I'm not ready to characterize the TEA Party as conservative, yet. They are more libertarian and solely fiscal-issue centric, an libertarianism is NOT strictly conservatism. Not to say that conservatives can't identify with the TP.

I'd love to live in a country where the two major competing political groups are the conservatives and the libertarians.

That would be a colossal improvement over what we have now, where the major political opponent is the totalitarian left.

[oldbrowser]

More like a retaking of the GOP.

I look at it like the grassroots of the party reasserting themselves. The GOP was diluted when the socialists took control of the democratic party and ousted their moderates. The democratic moderates then moved to the GOP.

In truth we now have two parties: the socialists/marxists and the republicrats.

[353FMG]

The MSM should always be regarded not as a news agency but an intrinsic part of the dhimmicrat party.

[fwdude]

Yes, that would be an improvement. But the way libertarians denigrate real conservatives, we wouldn’t miss the abuse from the Left.

[Dr. Sivana]

I believe Dewhurst was a bit complacent and took his insider status for granted and dropped the ball big time.

If so, then he is stupid and incompetant politically as well as corrupt. He had Dick Lugar as a warning, a long term incumbent with great status in a somewhat less conservative state.

Orrin Hatch figured out. He's entrenched establishment, but he is neither stupid nor incompetant.

[tennmountainman]

Keep your chin up!
If Cruz can win in Texas against the GOPe’s.
We can win anywhere, if we have a credible candidate running.
Mourdock won in Indiana. Walker won his recall, Fischer won
primary in NE. Even COD beat Castle.
Given an energized grassroots Army, as shown last night,
a credible candidate and Grassroots will Steamroll GOPe’s
Astroturfers.

[randita]

The Tea Party is getting more savvy in their choice of candidates to support. I believe Sarah Palin has played a huge unofficial leadership role by getting out early and endorsing top notch conservatives who can win against the establishment primary candidates and also can win in November.

When Palin puts her stamp of approval on a candidate, it gives the Tea Party confidence in supporting that candidate.

[randita]

The Tea Party is getting more savvy in their choice of candidates to support. I believe Sarah Palin has played a huge unofficial leadership role by getting out early and endorsing top notch conservatives who can win against the establishment primary candidates and also can win in November.

When Palin puts her stamp of approval on a candidate, it gives the Tea Party confidence in supporting that candidate.

[DoughtyOne]

Richard Viguerie: Ted Cruz's Victory Foretells Conservative Takeover of GOP

That's a pretty rosy outlook. It's certainly where I've wanted to see our party go for the last 24 years.

Lets hope the guy is right. I have a hard time thinking the RNC and guys like Rove, Card et al will go down without much of a fight. This could easily turn into an old fashioned western range war.

There are times when I get the impression the old guard in the Republican party (the current leadership) would rather see it dissolved than let Conservative Constitutional Republicans take over.

McCain and others have made it crystal clear what they think of Conservatives over the years. A pox on them all, with that school of thought. It's time for some real leadership for a change.

Boehner, McConnel, move over...

[Maceman]

Yes, that would be an improvement. But the way libertarians denigrate real conservatives, we wouldn’t miss the abuse from the Left.

And vice versa, from what I see here on FR. But history shows that political abuse is by nature an inherent part of human political action.

Even America's founders weren't shy about abusing their political opposition.

[Phlyer]

an[d] libertarianism is NOT strictly conservatism.

The terms 'liberal' and 'conservative' have become so distorted that any meaning has been sucked out of the words. Or another way to put that is: 'liberal' or 'conservative' means whatever the person using it says that it means - at least to him/her.

The only political spectrum that really means anything is the degree to which authority and responsiblity are individual, or collective (the state). On one extreme are anarchists, and on the other extreme are socialists / statists / communists / fascists. The challenge of history has been to find a good compromise between those extremes. I happen to think the US Constitution provides about the best balance that has ever been invented.

Some self-styled 'conservatives' (who have as good a claim to that abused term as anyone else) would use the power of the federal government in the same way that the 'liberals' or 'progressives' do: to enforce their particular view of what is 'right' on others. I happen to think that abortion is murder, but to a Constitutionalist, it's not the federal government's job to police murder. A 'Wade v. Roe' where the federal government would force all the States to outlaw abortion is just as unConstitutional as Roe v. Wade.

Libertarians do have a place on that spectrum - near the anarchy end. But they are definitely not 'social conservatives' who feel the federal government should outlaw abortion, or define what can be called 'marriage.' Once upon a time - when the US was being founded - the term 'liberal' meant pretty close to what 'libertarian' means today. But today's 'liberals' or 'progressives' are only distinguishable from Leninist communists by the fact they work for statism from within rather than through violent revolution. Their end goal is the same.

If you feel you are a conservative because you disagree with the Democrat party on social issues, then fine. Like anyone else you can make that term mean whatever you want. You can certainly draw a distinction between yourself and a libertarian if you'd rather be divided from them than united against the Democrat party. A 'fiscal conservative' can also claim that label. And a host of other little subdivisions of those who don't like what the Democrat party is doing.

But I'll stick to a 'moderate' position as a Constitutionalist. I happen to think that is 'conservative' as well because it is a position that wants to 'conserve' the US Constituion, and it is 'liberal' in that it lines up with Jefferson, Madison, and John Locke against the monarchists/statists of their time. But as I said - that's just my own use of the term.

[Zionist Conspirator]

First of all, I'm elated if conservatives really are about to take the GOP back (though you'd never know it by our presumptive standard bearer). However, I now have some concerns about Viguerie.

I've been to his web site and it attacks labels the pro-Israel position "neocon" even though his own poll on Israel vs. Iran returned a 71% pro-Israel response. As I understand it, he used to be pro-Israel. Has he changed into a "palaeo?"

Another concern is that (according to Wikipedia--granted, not the most reliable source) he is against the death penalty and wants a moratorium. NB: I am not defending the death penalty as currently administered, which is contrary to Divine law. If Viguerie is opposed for the same reason, well and good. BUT, if he is opposed to the death penalty in principal then I have a problem with his position.

[DoughtyOne]

We refer to our own idiots in D. C. as the GOPe. I think it’s way past time to come up with something for the media, like the DNCm. I’m sure most of us would even go so far as to refer to them as the DNCp, for propagandists.

I think I’ll start referring to the MSM as the DNCp.

Has a nice ring to it...

[Notary Sojac]

Libertarians and social conservatives agree on about 90% of what needs to be done, at the federal level at least.

I'm more than willing to set aside any differences until a goodly chunk of that 90% has been accomplished.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Oh BS. One victory is one victory.

[Phlyer]

A little more red meat for those of us who crave more.

Unfortunately, very little. In just about the 'reddest' of the red states, it took a runoff election when the choice is between a clear fiscal conservative and a big-government spender. If it's that much of a struggle in Texas, it'll be a long, hard path to get the federal juggernaut from its rush off the cliff - taking us all with it.

Congrats To Cruz and Texas Patriots!

Absolutely! Though the struggle was harder than it should have been, they (perhaps "we" is fair since we certainly voted for Cruz in the primary) still pulled it out. And in this 'reddest of the red states' I think that Cruz has an excellent chance to be elected. One more solidly responsible person up there is an important victory.

[Maceman]

Libertarians and social conservatives agree on about 90% of what needs to be done, at the federal level at least. I'm more than willing to set aside any differences until a goodly chunk of that 90% has been accomplished.

My point exactly.

[2001convSVT]

No more deals, smaller government NOW!

[rbbeachkid]

I agree with you. With the exception of National Defense issues, Conservatives and Libertarians pretty much see eye to eye as far as Federal involvement is concerned.

However, National Defense is a huge problem. I don’t want to set that aside.

Closing down most of what is left after that is something we can work together on.

[Jewbacca]

“libertarianism is NOT strictly conservatism”

Not strictly, no. But all government is inherantly liberal.

So restriciting government is inherantly conservative.