Is Free Republic too "Republican?"

Jim Robinson

[wardaddy]

No sir.

We are more conservative than GOP.

a few moderates and NeoCons here and there

less libertarians than there used to be

less paleos too

but we are still pretty right of the GOP

unfortunately for the nation

[Kryptonite]

Funny what happens when conservatism takes a back seat to pragmatism. And I was part of that too.

Nice of you to acknowledge your own (HUGE) part in this fiasco, but I see it differently. Your insistence on continually bashing Romney, who HAD won the support of pro-lifers and many other prominent conservatives, demoralized the base to the extent that the religious bigots, from Iowa and beyond, somehow determined that Huckabee or McCain deserved their vote more than Romney.

We all learn from our mistakes. This one is particularly costly, however.

[Big Horn]

I agree that to defeat liberals you need to defeat Democrats and that means elect Republicans.
I will never allow an enemy to get elected because I sat at home and not voted.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Naaaa.....I’m voting for O-BA-ma!

(barf)

[Mr. Mojo]

Your insistence on continually bashing Romney, who HAD won the support of pro-lifers and many other prominent conservatives, demoralized the base to the extent....

To assert that JimRob's criticism of Romney had the effect of demoralizing enough of the GOP base to sway the primaries to McCain is to give him far more power than he possesses.

[Kryptonite]

Perhaps. This didn’t happen because of one person, that’s for sure.

[billmor]

“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.”

Thanks Jim for bring some sense into this chaos we see today..You are right- we have the organization and it is Republican...and FR is free and open to good ideas, which to many of us are Republican and conservative ideas..an open forum is necessary so all these ideas can be heard and thrashed out..

It will make more sense therefore to stay united behind one party- the Republican Party- and try to bring it back to common principals that unite us all—Reagan’s principals...

Pres Reagan was able to form a very wide base- from moderates to conservatives because he was open to ideas and listened to people..He himself was a former Democrat who changed to Republican and developed more conservative ideas over the years as he matured as a political man...That was his strength- a strong mind- coupled with a warm personality. Sure the press and Dems skewered him but overall he was so likeable that they went along with him...If McCain can follow that same script he can be a winner..If we continue to give good workable ideas and if McCain is open to these ideas,then we all can be a part of a winning coalition..

One more thing- Reagan had some great speech writers- Peggy Noonan and Karen Hughes..McCain needs to find one or two just like them and start incorporating their ideas and start communicating them to the voters, just like Pres Reagan did......

[calcowgirl]

Read that post again:

2003: "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."

2008 (today): We've fallen a long way since June, 2003 when this was posted. The organization is crumbling. The platform is all but ignored. The candidates are no longer conservative and no longer winning. The dollars for winning elections have dried up. The momentum has fizzled. And the vast majority of conservative voters, don't.

[cpforlife.org]

“Principle above Party. The reverse gets us nowhere.”

I wrote that in a post a while back. It’s tough to maintain sometimes but should be near the top of political rules.

[SierraWasp]

Good summation, Jim. What's so sad now is that the presumed "leader" is actually going to have to coerce and/or compell conservatives to comply with and actually vote for his candidacy out of pure unadulterated fear... instead of inspiring us to follow some actual leadership!!!

I've had problems with party above all since Bill Simon couldn't be supported enough to take out Gray Davis here in CA. Now I see he took yet another cue from his old boss Rudy and has been endorsing MuckCain!!!

I hope you keep the site a "tent" for genuine conservatives that don't believe government is the solution and should be bigger, that instead, like Reagan, it is the problem. Thank you for this blessed oasis in a liberal sea of slimey GovernMentalism & EnvironMentalism!!!

Genuine Conservatism is what needs a "stimulus package!"

[NormsRevenge]

I, for one, don’t mind being one of the voices crying out in the wilderness of looming doom and deceivers approaching and already in our midst.

Personally, I do not begrudge anyone for voting for the Gubinator in 2003 and 2006. The forces behind his insertion into the Recall followed a standard recipe and to date are successful continuing to use the same again and again.

I do respect those who are willing to be honest with themselves, and in turn others, when time shows that those crying voices, when heeded , sometimes can save all of us a lot of dinaro and pain for future generations to follow.

It may mean remaining enslaved to a liberal machine bent on a west coast EUtopia near-term, but it also affords folks an opportunity down the road to fight those fights that can be won and also advance the case for further efforts to battle the machine on better terms.

Are even darker days that 2006 ahead, quite likely, Yes.

Should all hope be abandoned.
No.

Time to wet the whistle and check the snares in the wilderness and see who and what I caught today here at FR.

God Bless the US of A and God Bless those who fight the good fight, here and abroad for freedom and liberty unencumbered by socialist dogma and certain eventual failure in securing the same for all of us..

[backtothestreets]

"Funny what happens when conservatism takes a back seat to pragmatism. And I was part of that too."

Don't be too harsh on yourself Jim. The root problem is not pragmatism, but conservatism itself. It needs to be defined clearly once again.

Too many people that presently describe themselves as conservatives do and say many things that isolate the very people they must bring on board as allies. When most the conservatives should be acknowledging those things they have in common with people that have little real knowledge of what constitutes a liberal, conservative or moderate, the conservatives tend to address only those things that make them different.

Jim, I recall mentioning to you back around September that McCain was was rising. Just as I saw that event, I now see conservatism inflicting wounds upon itself.

For conservatives in America today, they must first go all the way back to basics and rediscover themselves what values the nation was founded upon. When they find these root values, there they will find American hearts and souls, and once found the best label they can wear is not conservative, but American so people throughout the nation will know of what they speak.

Jim, you're in the driver's seat. Maybe it is time to start the ball rolling by asking FReepers the most basic of questions regarding conservatism. What is it? Unless it finds itself quickly, it cannot even begin to hope anyone else will find it.

Best Regards,
Chuck ... An American

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from Jim Robinson, posted June 13, 2003.

[Larry Lucido]

Funny how this thead was stated way back in 2003 and even then you needed the Wayback Machine to see the beginnings.

[SunkenCiv]

:’) And even then the allegation had to be discussed.