Wake up Republicans and Conservatives

Dec/15/02 | JVERITAS

[f.Christian]

I want the pubbies to ride this out and watch the rats/wolves eat their own!

[cynicom]

jv...

Question....After the Bush speech, if you were Lott, what would be your inclination as to party affairs????

[ChadGore]

VANITY ! wakeup !

[LibFreeUSA]

Lott is not a racist or a bigot. The issue here, for better or for worse, is that he is a 'dufus', and he is not worth the price of defending. So, he must go! Period!

Now, he is deeply compramised, and we will have a tough time getting Pickering confirmed, because he (Lott) wont have the standing to get this done.

[JCG]

The Republican party should unite behind President Bush who strongly rebuked Senator Lott remarks but he also clearly stated that Lott should remain as the Senate majority leader.

Yes, if you want a DemocRAT sweep in 2004. Lott is damaged goods with a target on his back. The CBC and other Liberals will put slugs in his back for the next two years.

But there is even a greater reason why he must go: LOTT IS A LOUSY LEADER!

It's time to unite behind Don Nickles, Bill Frist or Mitch McConnell.

America's Fifth Column ... watch Steve Emerson/PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
New Link: Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)

Who is Steve Emerson?

[GWfan]

You are, of course, right. It seems that there have only been a handful of us here on FR who have been vocal supporters of Lott.

I have noticed that a lot of the posters calling for Lott's head hate the GOP and don't care if we hold on to the majority at all. For others, no one will ever be good enough to be the majority leader, there are threads right now fighting about his successor. Still others yet can't forget impeachment and blame senator Lott for not being able to get enough senators to break ranks with the dems on Clinton.

If those who call for Lott's head on a platter are successful, they won't have to worry about chosing a replacement for him. Senator Daschle already has all the votes he needs.

[FairOpinion]

I absolutely agree. The Democrats can do nothing to us, if we stand together. We need to think of the full implications of the possibilities. The horror-scenario you outlined, that we may well lose the Senate over this, is all too real.

We need to look at the "big picture" and not just have a knee jerk reaction -- "great opportunity to get rid of Lott". We may well be cutting off our nose to spite our face and worse, we may be killing our chances to pass Bush's agenda and end up guaranteeing Bush to be a one term president.

With the Republican majority we have the greatest chance to pass the Bush and conservative agenda, and if we blow it, we really have nobody to blame but ourselves.

As others pointed out, a lot of conservatives refused to vote for Bush I, voted for Perot, and we got 8 years of Clinton. Were you really happier to have Clinton for 8 years, than to have Bush I, a Republican for 4 more?

You don't like Lott, ask yourselves, do you like Daschle better and President Hillary in 2004?

This one action could set a series of event in motion, which may well be very detrimental to the Republicans.

Once this blows over, THEN, LATER, we can review Lott's actions as majority leader and change. But changing now, will embolden the hyenas.

Just think, suppose Bush makes some accidental stumble, next thing the Democrats will demand that he be impeached, smelling blood from their success with getting rid of Lott. Is this what we want?

[jveritas]

Senator Lott needs to understand from President Bush comments that he should further apologize if he offended anyone, and clearly explain that he is not a racist. Senator Lott has done the above and he continues to do so. Please watch him tomorrow on BET channel.

[FairOpinion]

GWfan:Still others yet can't forget impeachment and blame senator Lott for not being able to get enough senators to break ranks with the dems on Clinton.
----

Actually NOT being able to impeach Clinton was a blessing in disguise. If Gore had become president, after Clinton was forced to resign, there is no way we would have a Republican President today.

So God helped us out, we just didn't know it at the time.

I think people who hold grudges against Lott, should let bygones be bygones, and if anything, the fact that Republicans would leave Lott as majority leader would give us more leverage to have him work harder AND he himself may be seeing the Democrats in a new light, and be much less willing to compromise with them.

Throwing the Senate into turmoil would hurt our agenda and help the Democrats, who are already demanding more representation on the committees.

[inkling]

The political reason to oust Lott from leadership isn't the fear of losing the black vote, it's losing the white vote. Suburban middle-of-the-road whites will not support a party if they believe it is racist. And for moderates, who get their news from SNL, Leno and Letterman, that is exactly what they will believe about the GOP.

If I as an ardent Republican think that Lott makes us appear racist to outsiders, what will the great middle believe? And that is the demographic that wins elections.

Lastly, if a valued conservative (like Bush, Rumsfeld, Nickles, etc.) was been unfairly labeled a bigot, every Freeper would rally to his/her cause. But Lott has a proven record of failing conservatism (i.e., impeachment, power-sharing, Jeffords, Homeland security, etc.) -- he isn't worth wasting our political capital.

[neutrino]

I want the pubbies to ride this out and watch the rats/wolves eat their own!

Exactly!

[FairOpinion]

Actually I think it's ridiculous to make him apologize over and over and over and over again, for what was really nothing but a slip of a tongue, a grain of sand the Democrats, with the help of Republicans managed to turn into Mount Everest.

How many times did Clinton apologize?!

What about Clinton's refusal to take Bin Laden when offered to him on a silver platter? We may not be facing a worldwide Al Qaeda terrorist network today.
And here one unfortunate expression is grounds for lynching?
And Republicans are putting up the rope?

Who would want to be a Republican, if they make one mistake and the other side attacks them, the Republican through their own to the wolves?

[Hugin]

Before all this started I was all for replacing Lott due to his poor leadership. But I agree, the Pubs will be making a big mistake if they get rid of him based on one dumb remark. They will simply perpetuate the double standard whereby every minor gaffe by a Republican is a career ender, but Dems are never held accountable.

[Right_in_Virginia]

President Bush did not "clearly state" that Lott should not remain as majority leader.

And, therein lies the problem. If the president believes Lott is not a racist, and accepts his apology...why the heck is the president allowing his own party to rupture at the seams over this?

Why can't Republicans act smart?

[GWfan]

I agree with you, but FR this week has the sharks circling after smelling blood in the water. These people will never get beyond blaming Lott.

Thank God that it is up to the senate Republicans, and not those at FR whether Lott stays or goes as ML. I think he will stay. He has a TON of support from his fellow Republican senators. Notice that there is only ONE, count 'em, one senator who is willing to put his name to any statement questioning Lott's authority. Nickles is the one who probably won't be in the senate long after this.

Where is the dem senator outrage?? We have only heard from old crusty so far on this. IMO, she made a really stupid mistake as a fairly new senator.

[Nick Danger]

It is with great pleasure that I announce the end of the media feeding frenzy on the subject of Trent Lott.

He has been blown off the stage by Al Gore's announcement that there will be no Gore candidacy in 2004.

All media sharks previously assigned to dig up old dirt on Trent Lott are hereby directed to proceed immediately to the fax machine for new instructions from the DNC. Lott is to be left twisting slowly in the wind... I repeat, Lott is to be left twisting slowly in the wind.

[jveritas]

To collectingdust

Mark my words, if the Democrats play the race card they will loose. If they use Lott as their primary issue in 2004 then their fate is sealed, they will be crushed. White suburban women will not buy this propaganda of branding the Republican Party as racist; you should not be very concerned about this. The more Democrats use the race card in politics the more they will loose non-black voters which is 87% of the electorates. On the other hand, you need to be very afraid from the dark scenario I mentioned in my thread, i.e. the Republicans loosing majority in the Senate if Lott is pushed very hard or humilated. It is a realistic scenario and it will greatly increase the Democratic chances of victory in 2004, much more so than speculation if the white suburban women will not “feel” good about Lott as senate majority leader and hence vote Democratic because of that.