Conservatives, Republicans and Self-Inflicted Wounds

Townhall.com ^ | March 10, 2013 | Derek Hunter

[New Jersey Realist]

A fact of life is: When republicans engage in acts of torture it is wrong. When democrats engage in acts of torture is is OK. Got it?

[muawiyah]

The whole point is to ultimately get more votes or our guys than the other side gets ~ and in single member districts there are only ever going to be two major poles of politics ~ or one if you are infiltrated by commies or criminals (see: Democrat party).

Gay voters will follow the money. Our traditionalists do not vote for Republicans if they perceive that the party, or a major part of the party, has gay leadership. With the traditionalists making up the majority of the party's supporters, and also making up most of the various Conservative coalition partners, there would seem to be no reason whatsoever to bring Christie or the gay crowd onto the stage for a round of applause.

[Kaslin]

You wrote: The whole point is to ultimately get more votes for our guys then the other side gets

You are so right with that. The problem is that our side is so divided that we do not have a chance.

The only way we can win is when we are united. This is something I have been preaching for several years, but no one wants to listen :(

[oldbrowser]

The next two days saw Sens. Mutt and Jeff avail themselves of every possible opportunity to try to devalue what Sen. Paul accomplished.

I suspect that Mutt & Jeff were getting ready to announce some great compromise/surrender with Obama when Paul stole the spotlight.

[MestaMachine]

This is quite an accomplishment...to be so right and so wrong simultaneously.

[SoConPubbie]

The only way we can win is when we are united. This is something I have been preaching for several years, but no one wants to listen :(

You are right, we are divided, but divided not along superficial or non-important lines and ideas, but along the very bedrock of principles.

We are divided along the principles of rule of law(Amnesty for Illegal Aliens), the Gay Agenda, Abortion, and the concept and principle of limited government.

All of which, is non-negotiable from a conservative's point of view.

All of which, the GOP-E and money people are against.

So there really is no ground for compromise but simply a fight, a "War" for control of the message and ultimately, the leadership of the party.

We either win this war, or the GOP goes the way of the WHIGS.

[SoConPubbie]

This is quite an accomplishment...to be so right and so wrong simultaneously.

Care to share what you believe to be so wrong with Muawiyah's post?

[muawiyah]

We got out more people to vote for Mitt than for McCain, but we fell way short of the Bush high water mark!

What has been missing since George Bush last ran is a major Republican voter registration drive.

I gather the fear was the leftwingtards thought we'd get all these new Conservatives registered and vote down their boy in the primaries, so it didn't happen.

The new registrations have to be gotten in the Spring during the primaries when there's a lot of public interest in politics or you just don't get them. Screwing around with the primary like the Mittbots did in Virginia makes it look like the Democrats have taken over anyway and that tends to discourage voters.

Teach the people there's no sense showing up for a primary and they'll not show up for the general election either ~

[oldbrowser]

The only way we can win is when we are united.

I like that quote from Reagan about the 80% friend not being my 20% enemy. It succinctly describes our problem.

We need to get over judging who is 100% "true conservative" and who is just a "RINO". Ever since the wordsmiths at democratic troll central introduced these concepts, we have been at war with ourselves.
Conservatism is a process of evolution and some people never get to the 100% mark. It's no reason to exclude them.

[muawiyah]

The Whigs didn't disappear ~ their party structure disappeared ~ they stuck around and are with us yet. Except for their highway lobby they show up as Fiscal Cons. That might also explain the otherwise undeserved popularity off the Libertarians.

[SoConPubbie]

We need to get over judging who is 100% "true conservative" and who is just a "RINO". Ever since the wordsmiths at democratic troll central introduced these concepts, we have been at war with ourselves.

So, from a conservative perspective, where do we draw the line for withholding support from a potential Presidential candidate?

Which issue, combination of issues, or number of issues are you really willing to sacrifice for a win?

1. Abortion?
2. Gay Marriage?
3. Amnesty?
4. Limited, constitutional Government?

[MestaMachine]

No, no, no. Didn’t mean muawiyah’s post. Meant the article.

[SoConPubbie]

The Whigs didn't disappear ~ their party structure disappeared ~ they stuck around and are with us yet. Except for their highway lobby they show up as Fiscal Cons. That might also explain the otherwise undeserved popularity off the Libertarians.

True, but they never were in power again. They never were able to move an issue forward again.

Your principle could also be applied to the Democrats, who are just short of being actual Communists (Some actually are) and the GOP-E, which are actually now Democrats, but not the old-time conservative kind.

[SoConPubbie]

No, no, no. Didn’t mean muawiyah’s post. Meant the article.

Thanks for the clarification, sorry for my obtuseness.

[MestaMachine]

Right on mccain and graham, VERY wrong on the rest. In fact, mccain and graham are prime examples of what you get when the second half of his article comes to pass.

[Venturer]

I certainly agree with you The only way we can win is United.
My only problem is uniting behind a POS aint my bag.

[muawiyah]

Abe Lincoln himself had been a Whig ~ and a railroad lawyer to boot ~ and after the Civil War several more former Whigs were Presidents.

[SoConPubbie]

Abe Lincoln himself had been a Whig ~ and a railroad lawyer to boot ~ and after the Civil War several more former Whigs were Presidents.

True, but as you state, they were former Whigs.

[stars & stripes forever]

McCain and Lindsay know the young Turks are rising. In order to hang on to their perks and power, they would rather side with those on the opposite spectrum than give an inch to those who can (and will) make a difference.