[bigbob]

Here’s a perfect place to start:

Liberals constantly accuse us of being “the party of no” and asking “so what is YOUR plan, then?”

Simply point out that conservatives don’t look to a government “plan” to solve every issue. There is no bigger difference between the two philosophies, and no simpler way to explain it.

Why the Tea Party and others can’t seem to get this through their heads is beyond me. But every time the liberal trap is sprung, the “conservative” falls right into it and starts babbling about “our plan”...

[informavoracious]

Our “plan” is that, though imperfect, the conservative way — the Constitution and capitalism — is the best there is. They keep believing in utopia. Like Obamacare: the attempt to get everyone “covered” resulted in far fewer people covered than before they started.

[zencycler]

Liberals constantly accuse us of being “the party of no”

I would counter this by saying that BOTH D's and R's are the "party of no" - it's just that both are saying "no" to two different things.

While it's true that (Conservative) Republicans often say "no" to entitlements, Democrats nealy always say "no" to economic rights and liberties. I'd then rattle off a list of examples to which the Democrats would say "no", starting with "as I strive to succeed in life, will I be able to keep a substantially greater portion of what I earn"? And concerning THAT fundamental liberty, I would also note that, at the extreme, not being able to keep ANY of what you earn IS the definition of slavery.

[TomGuy]

every time the liberal trap is sprung, the “conservative” falls right into it and starts babbling about “our plan”...

Dem defending Obamacare: What is the Republicans' plan?

Dem defending the poor economy: What is the Republicans' plan?

Dem defending more unemployment extensions: What is the Republicans' plan?

==

Dems are expert at putting Republicans on the defensive. Recall Romney in the presidential debates. Whenever the Dem side got a tad uncomfortable, the moderator would change the debate by putting Romney on the defensive with another shiny object to distract him.

It does come down to a failure of the Republicans to get their message heard. That is party because they do not have a cohesive message any more.

[IronJack]

I agree completely. Don’t let the libs get away with the “presumptive” question (Have you stopped beating your wife?) or the false dichotomy (Would you prefer Obamacare or wholesale deaths of uninsured?)

Challenge their most basic assumptions: “diversity is good.” (Why?) “It takes a village.” (No, it doesn’t.) “This country was founded on a separation of church and state.” (No, it wasn’t.) “Slavery was wrong.” (No, it was a perfectly legitimate institution in its time.) “The US is an imperialist power.”(Really? How many colonies do we have? How much territory have we acquired through war?

Gore their sacred cows. Knock over their straw men. Disprove their presumptuous axioms.