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To: okie01
Historically, these "purges" take a while. If you go back to the post-Civil War Republicans, they were still putting forth former officers well into the 1890s. The Dems, on the other hand, couldn't seem to shake William Jennings Bryan. It took the assassination of McKinley (for worse, IMHO) to shift control of the GOP to TR; then TR's third party run in 1912 to open the door to the Wilsonians.

Those in the Revolution of 1994 who are still "true believers" are few and far between. Newt personally has way too much baggage, both personal and political, to hope for the presidency. All the other so-called leaders, as you point out, are either leading the wrong thing or aren't leaders at all.

Sadly, there are several media realities as well: a "leader" today must have a certain Hollywood charisma. Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, even Washington would never have stood a chance today.

43 posted on 01/24/2007 7:07:47 AM PST by LS
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To: LS
Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, even Washington would never have stood a chance today.

A very perceptive -- and meaningful -- observation.

As was your comment about "purges" -- these things take time. This was clearly a case of the 1994 "Republican Revolution" running out of steam -- spent because, given a lack of leadership, the Republicans forgot what it was that brung them.

It will (and should) take time for the party to examine itself and regain conviction as to its principles and direction. And, once it has rediscovered its core principles, a leader like Newt needs to emerge.

I don't believe this can be done in two years. I just hope it doesn't take forty-two...

And I hope that, in the interim, the GOP is strong enough on defense that the Democrats don't get to play out their nihilist fantasy.

46 posted on 01/24/2007 7:26:04 AM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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