Posted on 02/04/2007 1:31:12 AM PST by Jim Robinson
I've long assumed that the Republican Party platform included pro-life, pro-family and pro 1st and 2nd amendment planks. Is this true or false? Or is the platform amended each election cycle to conform to the positions of the top polling potential presidential nominee (ie, the one with the most money or star billing and the MSM eye)?
If these planks are based on longstanding, sound conservative principles and are sincerely respected and upheld by the majority of the members, then I'd like to propose a motion that before being seriously considered by the official party powers that be, prospective nominees for the office of President of the United States must in the least demonstrate a solid history of being pro-life, pro-family and pro 1st and 2nd amendments, in addition to a solid history of abiding by and fighting for the other basic Republican planks, ie, national security, national defense, limited government, conservative spending, lower taxes, strict constructionist judges, local control of health, education and welfare, etc, etc.
Or is it too much to ask of the politician asking for our support for the highest office in the land to respect and abide by conservative principles and the basic planks of the party platform?
Or is there a movement underfoot to remove these planks from the platform?
We don't elect leaders. Sheep need leaders. Turning the general election into a second Democrat primary is not a winning strategy.
A fancy Madison Avenue label on two liberal New York lawyers isn't going to win the war.
Perhaps it's time to consider direct action. Join your county's GOP Central Committee. It's probably too late to become a delegate to the California GOP Spring Convention, which will be held Feb. 7-9th in Sacramento, but maybe you could attend anyway, and plan to become a delegate to the next one. Seek a position as one of the delegates to the Republican National Convention. Seek appointment to the Platform Committee. Run for the National Committee position for your state. Get on the Executive Committee. Then work like heck to get conservative planks in the platform. I know this all sounds daunting, but that's how the system works, and you've got a big advantage as the owner of this web site. It all starts at the local level.
Most RINOs feel the same way.
So, are you member of the Republican Party?
Or facts, for that matter.
Personally, I think he has shown signs of seriously impaired judgement at times, myself - as well as leaning towards not allowing the populace to defend itself.
He worked to revoke gun permits against long-time permit holders, even thought there was no indication they were involved in any wrongdoing.
His "broken glass" approach had a gaping hole in it - namely, his overly-vigorous support of NYC's sanctuary city policy.
He fought it through the federal courts, lost, but decided to ignore the ruling. Meanwhile, the sanctuary city policy took a vital crime and terror control tool away from law enforcement - how many 9-11 perps were visa overstays? That to me shows a blind side big enough to drive a truck through.
And finally, his pushing Bernie Kerik to be head of DHS without vetting him concerns me the most. He wanted Kerik for the most important anti-terror job in the country - and Kerik was a business associate. Yet Rudy had no idea of Kerik's significant ethical problems. I'd think if Rudy was such a hotshot executive, he would have done more homework in Kerik long ago. Instead, it all reeks of cronyism - and the best executives avoid such.
You're not mentioning the fact that the NJ GOP sabotaged Schundler's campaign from the get go.
Rudy is a Scoop Jackson Democrat masquerading as a Republican (that's because there are no more Scoop Jackson Democrats).
Pro-third trimester abortion, pro-gun confiscation and pro-gay agenda is all bad. We must do better than this...
Hey, I'm more than cool with that. Scoop Jackson was in every way a conservative. Ronald Reagan himself called Jackson one of the greatest congressmen of his lifetime.
So you are cool with supporting a guy indistinguishable from a Democrat? Telling.
Yep, the Rockefeller wing would rather sandbag conservatives than win. Quite telling.
If that's the label you want to slap on a man who held a great man conservative values and who earned high praise from Ronald Reagan, sure.
See, maybe you're naive enough to believe that Reagan just decided to call a Kennedyesque liberal one of the greatest lawmakers of his lifetime, but I know better. Reagan recognized the dedication, patriotism, and conservatism of Jackson despite the D by his name.
You're the one who agreed with the assessment that Rudy was a Scoop Jackson Democrat in GOP drag.
Certainly.
And a tangent: There's a fundamental dishonesty among some GOP folks, observable here on FR, who want to move the party leftward.
In general elections, they scold conservative purists for balking at candidates like Arlen Specter or John McCain, claiming something to the effect of , "I'm not exactly pleased with [insert RINO here] either, but if you fail to vote for them, you'll help elect a Democrat [blah blah blah...]... the time to take out [the RINO] is during the primaries." Well, OK. That's a coherent point of view -- 'vote for the conservative in the primary, and the Republican in the election.'
But then, long before we even get to the primaries (such as the scenario now w/ 2008 presidential potentials), these same people will campaign hard *against* any conservative candidate to ensure that the RINO gets the nod. So the goal is seemingly to screw conservatives, while still trying to keep our votes in the general election. And like battered wives, we keep going back to them, convincing ourselves that it'll be better next time, or that the alternative is worse.
I will offer a "Second" to your motion, Jim.
Did you somehow miss the part about Ronald Reagan being among Scoop Jackson's admirers?
We don't elect leaders.
For being British, your punctuation really stinks. It shows little pride in your heritage.
But, why should I bother with someone of limited literacy in his own native language? Maybe they didn't want you on the other side of the pond. Come back Saturday next if you are still having trouble.
Sounds to me like you're yellow after your stupid quote.
Is it coherent to keep these planks in the platform while doing the opposite when elected? ... And can a Republican get elected to congress or the White House who repudiates these planks in honest representation of himself, as Rudy did last night on H&C? When did we Republican conservatives buy into the liberal notion that America will not support a true conservative so we need to compromise every aspect that makes us conservatives, resulting in some of our party voting for the liberal democrat candidates?
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