< Insert obligatory "Who do you want, Hillary/Clinton/Gore?" drivel here. >
Posted on 06/13/2003 1:55:59 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
Is Free Republic too "Republican?" I've been receiving a lot of complaints lately that FR is not really conservative, it's Republican. Is that a bad thing?
When I started FR (see the wayback machine) I don't think I even used the labels conservative or Republican. But, even though I was a registered Democrat at the time (I registered when I was very young), I was definitely anti-Democrat. And definitely anti-big government, anti-government corruption, anti-government abuse, anti-liberalism, etc. And I still am.
As FR became more and more popular, people started referring to it as a "conservative" web site and so eventually I posted the label to the front page. If it no longer applies, big deal. What's in a label? I'll change it to "Republican" if demand warrants.
I'm still anti-big government, anti-government corruption, anti-Democrat and anti-liberalism. I just happen to believe that in the current political environment we stand a better chance of defeating the left (liberalism/socialism/marxism, etc) by using the Republican Party to defeat the Democrats. The organization is there. The platform is there. The winning candidates are there. The dollars to run winning campaigns are there. The momentum is there. And the vast majority of the conservative voters are there.
Makes perfect sense to me. I want to defeat the left, and I want to do it as quickly as possible. I'll go with the organization that can get the job done.
My current goal is to defeat liberalism by defeating the Democrat Party. If that labels me a Republican, then so be it. If the vast majority of the FReepers want it so, then Free Republic will officially become the newest "Republican wing" of the Republican Party.
Long live Republicanism. Long live the Republic!'
What say you, FReepers?
If the GOP doesn't enact conservative principles (such as CUTTING spending, REDUCING wealth redistribution, ELIMINATING arbitrary regulation--remember those?), why would I care whether they keep control of Congress?
If they only put forth judges who are palatable to liberals, why would I care whether they're approved?
If they only want tax cuts that provide "refunds" to people who never paid them in the first place, why would I want them passed?
"Earn" comes in when they put conservative principles into practice. The GOP is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
But he was used by the GOP to served an important function — keeping the GOP in control of the Senate. Lott should have made sure the Jeffords continued to be use by the GOP and not by the Democrats. Lott failed.
If you believe that they are the best alternative at present, then they have earned your vote and your support until something better comes along. I'll bet that Bush 41 didn't "earn" your vote, and look what happened.
'Course, lots of them vote Republican, as even a small l libertarian, which I keep thinking I may be, can see that the Republican Party is our best hope at this point. After all, the Republicans are taking us down the road to socialism at a slower pace.
< Insert obligatory "Who do you want, Hillary/Clinton/Gore?" drivel here. >
Assess the situation at the time.
I am having a hard time following your logic. So if Traitor McCain gets the Pubbie nom. in '08 we should vote for Harry Brown and give Hitlery the White House? If McCain were the Republican nominee I'd vote for him over anyone the Dem's are currently running and I think he's a straightup fruitcake as well as a RINO. No other party would have a shot. If you can show me where I espoused a preference for RINO's I'll request the post be deleted.
Well said BUMP! I vote nay as well. Even though politics IS about winning, it demands accountability. Government without accountability is tyrannical...or borderline fascist. The modern-day GOP needs us to demand accountability and to incrementally change the last 50 years of liberal policy to conservative constitutional policy through our votes, our money, our support, our participation, our criticism, our conservative and constitutional principles and our demand for accountability and integrity in public service. Though its hard to find that line between "incrementalism" and compromising all of our principles, I believe its safe to say that making FreeRepublic "affiliated" with the GOP crosses that line IMHO.
Indeed. Shouldn't that serve as a cautionary note to Republicans willing to cast aside principle?
I voted for Bush41, but it's his own fault he lost the votes he won in '88. No one's vote is a politician's entitlement.
Jeez! This has got to be one of your goof threads.
Lemme make it simple. All human and even animal behavior is motivated by a very simple principle; that every single action we take is either to avoid pain or to seek pleasure. Carrot/Stick.
The only "juice" this forum ever had was the stick. Any carrots we happen to have aren't going to touch the carrots brought to any given politician by lobbyists, contributers etc. Can't touch that.
What we do have is the stick, and we have an awfully big one to. GOD GAVE IT TO US, WE SHOULD USE IT. The message should be if you get in office and don't act as you should, we'll a. commence to administering a thorough beating and b. continue the beating until you get it through your head that this is supposed to be a free and moral country with a limited government.
The reason why FR shot to the top as it did was because it was a sorely needed "white blood cell" outfit. We were the anti-bodies to the liberal disease. The liberal disease has been afflicting the GOP and if we don't get a handle on it, it will be to late and we'll all become puss.
I always saw your point about voting republican at election time. I may or may not question the wisdom of it, but I consider the strategy itself to have merit.
We always want the dems out that's a gimmie, but just sticking GOPs in is not the answer. We have both houses, the executive and a majority in the SC and government is more out of control, socialist and abusive than ever, and it's growing at an incredible rate. You know why? Because we have too many blue bloods, neocons and Rockafeller types.
At some point it becomes illogical to continue a strategy that's simply not working.
What the hell are you talking about!? I never asked anybody anything. At the end of his post, JimRob said, "What say you, FReepers?" I told him what I had to say. What is your problem!?
"If McCain were the Republican nominee I'd vote for him over anyone the Dem's are currently running and I think he's a straightup fruitcake as well as a RINO."Putting you to the test.
Telling the GOP leadership that you will vote for Republicans, even if they are RINOs, will only embolden them to hand-pick more RINOs. Once you give up the leverage of your vote, they can ignore you with impunity.
Nay.
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