Left Turn: Is the GOP conservative?

National Review ^ | July 23, 2003 issue | National Review Editorial Board

[LTCJ]

Wrong. There is simply a spectrum of political opinion in both parties. And whether we like it or not, the vast majority of Americans are neither to the far right or the far left of the spectrum, but scattered around the middle.

Debatable - assumes a normal distribution. There are those, including myself, that believe the electorate is bimodal and becoming increasingly so. If this is true, the first party to recognize the fact and target their true central tendancy will have a huge strategic advantage.

[ARCADIA]

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. I hear Howard Dean is taking volunteers.

I think there are alot of people who feel this way. You may want to get yourself out of the way less ye be trampled.

[Sid Rich]

Everything you say is true...but complain about the President or party and you're anathema. As long as the flags are waving and we're shooting some people somewhere around the world, a good chunk of the GOP will consider Bush a "conservative."

[Dan from Michigan]

scattered around the middle

What's the 'middle'????

[finnman69]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/942488/posts?page=185#185

To: jpl

Oh well. Guess we all have our faults. Trusting people I know and have been through the trenches with (so to speak) is one of mine. I have a lot of good friends who don't care much for Bush. Some I try to persuade otherwise, some I don't. We also have a lot of DU trolls and also some not so friendly so-called right-winger types posting a lot of leftist garbage and propaganda and those guys are more likely to be shown the door. Some people you can trust and tolerate more from than others and that's just the way it is.

185 posted on 07/08/2003 11:17 PM EDT by Jim Robinson (Conservative by nature... Republican by spirit... Patriot by heart... AND... ANTI-Liberal by GOD!)

[rogerthedodger]

"But Mr. Washington, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Adams! If we don't remain loyal to King George, then goodness, our only choice will be some worse tyrant!"

[Joe Bonforte]

"Shouldn't be hard to find wacko libertarian bush bashing posts. FR is full of em these days.",

Perhaps so, but you made a specific charge that libertarians were calling Bush "fascist" on FR. Has anyone really done that? If so, where?

[henderson field]

Excuse me. This country was founded by English Protestants. They wrote the Constitution. If you agree with it, you're welcome to stay. If you don't, get out.

[PhiKapMom]

As soon as Ralph Reed's interview with Candy Crowley from CNN is up on the site, it needs posted.

Reed covered all these complaints and in the end the bottom line is that 96% of REPUBLICAN conservative base support the President enthusiastically. He also went on to say that without the increased spending for DoD and Homeland Security including Iraq and Afghanistan, the budget for the Country would be shrinking not growing.

Great interview. I was tipped off that Reed was going to be on and I broke my own pledge not to watch CNN.

BTW Crowley used the Cato Institute as an example of conservatives that don't appreciate Bush. The last time I heard Cato was Libertarian.

[finnman69]

I think there are alot of people who feel this way. You may want to get yourself out of the way less ye be trampled.

Good, I will be the first in line to hold open the door for them. Good Riddance. The only thing more pathetic than the Bush bashing I hear here is the fact that these losers keep saying they will pull their support from the GOP but dont actually have the conviction to do it. I can't stand non-team players. Either get with the program or get out.

[Sid Rich]

Run along and report me to fearless leader...

[finnman69]

I have seen posts like that. These people get banned and their posts pulled.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

BTW Crowley used the Cato Institute as an example of conservatives that don't appreciate Bush. The last time I heard Cato was Libertarian.

They're a breed sometimes sneeringly referred to as "Beltway libertarians". The line between their policy prescriptions and those of the conservative think tanks is often fuzzy.

[deport]

Well that can bitch and moan but President Bush is much the same today as in the campaign, imo. The scope has changed in many ways but I don't think his approach has. He'll try to reach some accord with factions and move forward. Nothing new there.

I'm sure someone will post it...... Maybe the transcript will be up later on.. who knows. I don't

[Ahban]

There are those, including myself, that believe the electorate is bimodal and becoming increasingly so

Bingo. The mushy middle are not moderates, they are people with no well-thought out position and could be persuaded to go far right or far left, depending on circumstances and who makes the case best. Is the GOP making a strong case for conservatism?

[LTCJ]

Well, it's a dangerous path to take, but I'd argue that in the last 50 years Jimmy Carter did more than anyone else, except Ronaldus Maximus, to further conservatism. Four years of Jimmuh moved the entire country towards the GOP.

Echoed to some extent by the influence of Clinton on the last election. And there was an interesting parallel in the activism over the Florida slight-of-hand attempted by the Dems. We almost had right-wingers in their 70s wielding pitchforks in the streets (hi Dad!).

Sometimes the quickest way to get a pendulum back to the right is for someone to give it a hard shove to the left.

[Sid Rich]

Are you intimating that the only way to get a Republican Congress to act conservative is to have a Democrat in the White House?

[finnman69]

Thank you for a reasoned appropriate post.

[Ahban]

finntann's "door" cliche is going to backfire on him. The Constitution Party wants you. www.constitutionparty.com

The CP chairman supposedly did a great job on Hannity and Colmes last night.

[Texas Federalist]

Hear! Hear!