Posted on 11/23/2022 9:03:40 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Since Election Day, I have been engaging in conversations about the political state of the country. In the face of the failed prediction of a red tsunami, many (both on the right and the left) are blaming the Republicans themselves for the disappointing results. Specifically, the two main culprits receiving most of the blame are Donald Trump and the right's pro-life stance (i.e., the Roe reversal). They say that in light of the failure of MAGA policies to win voters, it is now time to leave Trump and the MAGA Republicans behind and move on with more successful strategies.
But I am not so convinced.
And now that Trump finally announced his bid to reclaim the White House, things have become even more interesting. With just two short years until the next presidential election, such debates regarding the future of the GOP will expectedly be ramping up into high gear.
In one conversation I had on this issue, the other person, a Democrat, suggested that the right needs to "get back to the fundamentals of the Republican Party." I challenged him by asking what those fundamentals were exactly. I did not get a satisfactory response. He, like even many Republicans, could not articulate a grounded answer. So, it seems, those on the right are in the midst of an apparent political identity crisis. With eyes on 2024, now is a great time for us to re-evaluate what they consider are the fundamentals of the Republican Party — a sort of reset before diving into a new campaign cycle.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
I think it is first important to consider the nature of political parties. Since a political party is just that — a party — it is subject to change over time. It is not an ideology. Rather, parties embrace ideologies. The particular ideologies a party might support may evolve. For a party — that is, an organized grouping of individuals — may change its stances on things over time, much like any individual person may change his mind over time.
Ideologies, philosophies, etc. are not like that. They are the stances themselves. In other words, communism can never become capitalistic, for the moment it does, it is no longer communism. Atheism can never affirm a deity, for once it does, it is no longer atheism. A square can never look like a circle, nor can red look blue.
So those who claim the Republican Party needs to move on and get back to the fundamentals may validly be suggesting the party ought to change its ideologies (specifically in the direction of liberalism). But I don't think that is what they are meaning when they say it. To "get back" implies recovering something that was lost, as if the stench of MAGA Republicans were a deviation from the party's traditional aroma. And what was that traditional aroma? Historically speaking, it was the party's alignment with American conservatism.
European conservativism, which is how liberals define conservatism, is going back to the old days.
American conservatism is just letting people live their lives as they see fit.
I thought they gave up conservatives in 6 years ago or more.
“Conservative” is a relative term.
In our case it means conserving what AMERICA always was…which to us, is a GOOD thing.
Liberals, BTW, think it’s all bad. They are traitors by nature.
Republican Party Platform of 1860
May 17, 1860
Resolved, That we, the delegated representatives of the Republican electors of the United States in Convention assembled, in discharge of the duty we owe to our constituents and our country, unite in the following declarations:
1. That the history of the nation during the last four years, has fully established the propriety and necessity of the organization and perpetuation of the Republican party, and that the causes which called it into existence are permanent in their nature, and now, more than ever before, demand its peaceful and constitutional triumph.
2. That the maintenance of the principles promulgated in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in the Federal Constitution, “That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” is essential to the preservation of our Republican institutions; and that the Federal Constitution, the Rights of the States, and the Union of the States must and shall be preserved.
3. That to the Union of the States this nation owes its unprecedented increase in population, its surprising development of material resources, its rapid augmentation of wealth, its happiness at home and its honor abroad; and we hold in abhorrence all schemes for disunion, come from whatever source they may. And we congratulate the country that no Republican member of Congress has uttered or countenanced the threats of disunion so often made by Democratic members, without rebuke and with applause from their political associates; and we denounce those threats of disunion, in case of a popular overthrow of their ascendency as denying the vital principles of a free government, and as an avowal of contemplated treason, which it is the imperative duty of an indignant people sternly to rebuke and forever silence.
4. That the maintenance inviolate of the rights of the states, and especially the right of each state to order and control its own domestic institutions according to its own judgment exclusively, is essential to that balance of powers on which the perfection and endurance of our political fabric depends; and we denounce the lawless invasion by armed force of the soil of any state or territory, no matter under what pretext, as among the gravest of crimes.
5. That the present Democratic Administration has far exceeded our worst apprehensions, in its measureless subserviency to the exactions of a sectional interest, as especially evinced in its desperate exertions to force the infamous Lecompton Constitution upon the protesting people of Kansas; in construing the personal relations between master and servant to involve an unqualified property in persons; in its attempted enforcement everywhere, on land and sea, through the intervention of Congress and of the Federal Courts of the extreme pretensions of a purely local interest; and in its general and unvarying abuse of the power intrusted to it by a confiding people.
6. That the people justly view with alarm the reckless extravagance which pervades every department of the Federal Government; that a return to rigid economy and accountability is indispensable to arrest the systematic plunder of the public treasury by favored partisans; while the recent startling developments of frauds and corruptions at the Federal metropolis, show that an entire change of administration is imperatively demanded.
7. That the new dogma that the Constitution, of its own force, carries slavery into any or all of the territories of the United States, is a dangerous political heresy, at variance with the explicit provisions of that instrument itself, with contemporaneous exposition, and with legislative and judicial precedent; is revolutionary in its tendency, and subversive of the peace and harmony of the country.
8. That the normal condition of all the territory of the United States is that of freedom: That, as our Republican fathers, when they had abolished slavery in all our national territory, ordained that “no persons should be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law,” it becomes our duty, by legislation, whenever such legislation is necessary, to maintain this provision of the Constitution against all attempts to violate it; and we deny the authority of Congress, of a territorial legislature, or of any individuals, to give legal existence to slavery in any territory of the United States.
9. That we brand the recent reopening of the African slave trade, under the cover of our national flag, aided by perversions of judicial power, as a crime against humanity and a burning shame to our country and age; and we call upon Congress to take prompt and efficient measures for the total and final suppression of that execrable traffic
10. That in the recent vetoes, by their Federal Governors, of the acts of the legislatures of Kansas and Nebraska, prohibiting slavery in those territories, we find a practical illustration of the boasted Democratic principle of Non-Intervention and Popular Sovereignty, embodied in the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, and a demonstration of the deception and fraud involved therein.
11. That Kansas should, of right, be immediately admitted as a state under the Constitution recently formed and adopted by her people, and accepted by the House of Representatives.
12. That, while providing revenue for the support of the general government by duties upon imports, sound policy requires such an adjustment of these imports as to encourage the development of the industrial interests of the whole country; and we commend that policy of national exchanges, which secures to the workingmen liberal wages, to agriculture remunerative prices, to mechanics and manufacturers an adequate reward for their skill, labor, and enterprise, and to the nation commercial prosperity and independence.
13. That we protest against any sale or alienation to others of the public lands held by actual settlers, and against any view of the free-homestead policy which regards the settlers as paupers or suppliants for public bounty; and we demand the passage by Congress of the complete and satisfactory homestead measure which has already passed the House.
14. That the Republican party is opposed to any change in our naturalization laws or any state legislation by which the rights of citizens hitherto accorded to immigrants from foreign lands shall be abridged or impaired; and in favor of giving a full and efficient protection to the rights of all classes of citizens, whether native or naturalized, both at home and abroad.
15. That appropriations by Congress for river and harbor improvements of a national character, required for the accommodation and security of an existing commerce, are authorized by the Constitution, and justified by the obligation of Government to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
16. That a railroad to the Pacific Ocean is imperatively demanded by the interests of the whole country; that the federal government ought to render immediate and efficient aid in its construction; and that, as preliminary thereto, a daily overland mail should be promptly established.
17. Finally, having thus set forth our distinctive principles and views, we invite the co-operation of all citizens, however differing on other questions, who substantially agree with us in their affirmance and support.
APP Note: The Official Proceedings of the 1860 Republican National Convention indicates that the platform was announced and read on the second day of the convention (May 17, 1860).
Republican Party Platforms, Republican Party Platform of 1860 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/273296
Yes, America used to be a conservative country, in its culture. And we want to return to that.
However, returning to that is a default of what we want, which is to live our lives free of government.
chgogal posted:
Which POTUS was as successful as Trump? Look at what Trump accomplished:
Who the heck can accomplish the above in four years while being impeached twice and investigated by Obama's Weaponized Agencies?
Republicans serve as rocks in the river of corruption.
People need to see rocks, they represent hope.
...but alas the river of corruption just goes around the rocks.
The rocks get a cut, so rocks can’t be too big.
Trump is a damn.
Conservatism as a political ideology is best defined by what it opposes. In practice, it has proven to be a failure.
I hope that some day this country will return to Constitutionalism. But I don’t see it happening.
An important exception. Going back to the time of vehemently anti-business, anti-wealth Andrew Jackson, his philosophy was so extreme that it forced the wealthy and corporate powers to unite as the pro-business Whig party.
But they were not alone in this. Everyone else opposed to AJ joined this new party, the Whigs. And they did well for a while, until the issue of slavery arose.
The rank and file of the Whigs were very opposed to slavery, but the big business leaders of the Whigs just couldn’t bring themselves to oppose it, because “slavery is a business”. So no matter how angry the rank and file became, the party leaders wouldn’t make a stand.
So the rank and file split off and formed the anti-slavery Republicans. While they still had money, the Whig leaders lacked the numbers to be a viable political party, so as such, the Whigs withered.
Yet while they agreed with the Jacksonian Democrats in *some* things, they could not abide them on most things.
(There are some suggestions that the “Pap Finn” character in Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ was modeled after a typical Jacksonian Democrat. A hate-filled, abusive drunkard.)
So the former Whigs enlisted in the Republican party as its pro-business wing, and strove to obtain the reigns of power. And they have been at it ever since, often thwarting the Republicans, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
After WWII, they became known as the “country club Republicans”, and today we know them as RINOs. They always put big business interests, especially internationalist big business interests, over national interests.
As such, they remain a “traitor with a knife”, standing behind conservative leaders, always willing to betray them to prevent their victories.
Yes!
Especially this:
That the maintenance of the principles promulgated in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in the Federal Constitution, “That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” is essential to the preservation of our Republican institutions; and that the Federal Constitution, the Rights of the States, and the Union of the States must and shall be preserved.
“...in light of the failure of MAGA policies ...”
MAGA policies did not fail and reflect solid conservative values.
The number one principle of conservativism is the belief that a limited government serves the people better than a powerful, centralized government which is fundamental to liberals and establishment Republicans.
But MAGA does much more - strong military without social science influences; energy independence; strong borders; responsible trade policies, traditional educational and cultural programs; sensible elections with ID and same day voting with paper ballots; foreign aid reduced and for friendly nations only; etal. This is MAGA. This is Trump - and this is NOT McConnell and all of the establishment Republicans.
And this should be a litmus test for anyone running as a Republican wanting my vote!!
There were two main reasons the red wave didn’t happen.
1. R leadership (Rhona especially) failed to organize any kind of early voting ground game, including mail ins. Because they’re dinosaurs, always fighting with tactics from two elections ago. They suck, period, and need to be fired NOW.
2. Linda and his abortion attack right before the election. Exit polls showed it did not affect turnout at all for Rs, but absolutely impacted Dem turnout. The exit voters had the issue very high, much higher than usual. And the D campaign folks had ads all over driving them, using “Republican plans to outlaw choice.”
Dispute this? Let’s see your data.
Right now, the GOP resembles the Washington Generals playing against the Harlem Globetrotters (DemocRATs).
Conservatism is eliminating the role of government from every day life.
That means DRAIN THE SWAMP is the core requirement of conservatism.
When you hear candidates talk about wanting to go to Washington to get things done. We have to cut taxes. We have to GET THINGS DONE.
That person must be kept from office at all costs. That person’s greatest aspiration in life is to be part of the swamp. Getting things done means having the government do things. Absolutely Not Conservatism.
Cutting taxes means nothing. Nothing at all. It involves money, a substance we all now know is created from nothingness by the Fed. How can a substance from nothing have any meaning in ideology? It can’t. Cutting taxes is not a measure of conservatism.
The core measure is DO NOT GET THINGS DONE. The goal is to decrease what is done.
I find it comical that they were complaining about this crap even back in 1860.
“We have the best government money can buy......” - Mark Twain.................
That is a good explanation. I usually tell people that we wish to conserve Constitutional governance.
That is ridiculously taken out of context, in the rest of that speech to the libertarian audience Reagan proceeded to explain why they were wrong.
Care to show Reagan as a libertarian, show us the speeches, his arguments for them etc.
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