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Yes, Reagan was great, but it's time to move on
Chicago Sun Times ^ | Feb 11, 2004 | George Will

Posted on 02/11/2007 10:46:19 AM PST by PhiKapMom

Edited on 02/11/2007 12:14:43 PM PST by Lead Moderator. [history]

In this winter of their discontents, nostalgia for Ronald Reagan has become for many conservatives a substitute for thinking. This mental paralysis -- gratitude decaying into idolatry -- is sterile: Neither the man nor his moment will recur. Conservatives should face the fact that Reaganism cannot define conservatism.


(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: conservatism; reagan; reaganism
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To: Liz

The Rudyphiles are freaking out ever since that poll was published yesterday that shows 48% of social conservatives reject him when they learn of his positions on their issues.


201 posted on 02/12/2007 5:28:14 AM PST by TommyDale (Who do you trust? An ex-mayor? Or the ranking member of the House Committee on Armed Services?)
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To: TommyDale
The Rudyphiles are freaking out ever since that poll was published yesterday that shows 48% of social conservatives reject him when they learn of his positions on their issues.

What's up with the other 52%?! Are they just stupid or what?

202 posted on 02/12/2007 5:34:20 AM PST by Spiff (Rudy Giuliani Quote (NY Post, 1996) "Most of Clinton's policies are very similar to most of mine.")
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To: Spiff

Those are the wishy-washy element of the party that hold to no principles.


203 posted on 02/12/2007 6:02:16 AM PST by TommyDale (Who do you trust? An ex-mayor? Or the ranking member of the House Committee on Armed Services?)
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To: TommyDale
And what if the social [but not necessarily fiscally] conservatives are not the majority of Republicans? What then? What if pro-growth Republicans outnumber the OT championing conservatives?
204 posted on 02/12/2007 6:07:45 AM PST by LowCountryJoe (I'm a Paleo-liberal: I believe in freedom; am socially independent and a borderline fiscal anarchist)
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To: LowCountryJoe

It doesn't matter if the social conservatives are not the majority. If Rudy wins the nomination, that portion of the GOP says they will not vote for him. Try winning an election without those millions of votes. GWB needed all of them to win in 2000 and 2004.


205 posted on 02/12/2007 6:13:53 AM PST by TommyDale (Who do you trust? An ex-mayor? Or the ranking member of the House Committee on Armed Services?)
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To: TommyDale
Those are the wishy-washy element of the party that hold to no principles.

Yeah, the Rush Limbaugh/Sean Hannity wing. They're waiting for their favorite radio host to tell them what to think. They have no core principles and couldn't answer the poll without hearing the proper answer from Limbaugh or Hannity. I guess, some of them heard Hannity already too and that's why they voted the way they did.

206 posted on 02/12/2007 6:14:23 AM PST by Spiff (Rudy Giuliani Quote (NY Post, 1996) "Most of Clinton's policies are very similar to most of mine.")
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To: Spiff

Exactly. Hannity is already a Rudyphile. I don't know about Limbaugh, but his guest host last week was sure in Rudy's back pocket.


207 posted on 02/12/2007 6:23:12 AM PST by TommyDale (Who do you trust? An ex-mayor? Or the ranking member of the House Committee on Armed Services?)
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To: LowCountryJoe
And what if the social [but not necessarily fiscally] conservatives are not the majority of Republicans?

Fine with me.

208 posted on 02/12/2007 6:24:16 AM PST by Wormwood (Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderate)
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To: PhiKapMom

I don't expect people to become clones of the Gipper.

I do, however, expect conservatism to remember what and who he was, and why he was a winner, while the modern GOP is a loser.


209 posted on 02/12/2007 6:25:29 AM PST by RockinRight (When Chuck Norris goes to bed at night, he checks under the bed for Jack Bauer.)
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To: areafiftyone

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1781176/posts

This is fun to watch: a good tribute to Ronald Reagan


210 posted on 02/12/2007 6:28:44 AM PST by Loud Mime (“War’s very object is victory, not prolonged indecision." Gen Douglas Mac Arthur)
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To: TommyDale
The Rudyphiles are freaking out ever since that poll was published yesterday that shows 48% of social conservatives reject Giuliani when they learn of his positions on their issues......

No question, social conservatives make or break an election. Even with these astronomical numbers moving away from Rudeinsky, the Rudybots will sail on.

(Sniffle) Going down with the SS Rudeinsky won't be much fun.

211 posted on 02/12/2007 6:42:50 AM PST by Liz (Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test a man's character, give him power. Abe Lincoln)
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To: EternalVigilance
He started his political career as a liberal, and then saw where his political bread was buttered in GA and "moved right."

Since then, his highly touted "ideas" have tended to be shallow and ultimately meaningless pap. Poll and focus group-tested pap.

He was a failure as a leader because of it.

In the final analysis he was more worried about what the Democrat Media and the political establishment thought than he did about doing what is right. And that's always a losing proposition in the long haul.

I thought you supported President Bush?

212 posted on 02/12/2007 6:49:08 AM PST by ksen ("For an omniscient and omnipotent God, there are no Plan B's" - Frumanchu)
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To: ksen
I thought you supported President Bush?

Huh? We weren't talking about President Bush.

213 posted on 02/12/2007 7:40:35 AM PST by EternalVigilance ("With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?")
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To: Liz
>>>>Abortion is savagery beyond imagination.

Birth control gone bonkers.

214 posted on 02/12/2007 8:07:57 AM PST by Reagan Man (Conservatives don't vote for liberals.)
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To: TommyDale
The Rudyphiles are freaking out ever since that poll was published yesterday that shows 48% of social conservatives reject him when they learn of his positions on their issues.

And the rest will quit him when they find out too, and wait until the gun issue folks toon in?
215 posted on 02/12/2007 8:08:50 AM PST by Delphinium
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To: LowCountryJoe

I agree. States should have been allowed to decide slavery, not the feds. What was the Republican Party thinking?


216 posted on 02/12/2007 8:34:33 AM PST by streetpreacher (What if you're wrong?)
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To: Reagan Man

To the disturbed Planned Parenthood abortion obsessives, abortion is just another form of birth control.


217 posted on 02/12/2007 8:40:30 AM PST by Liz (Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test a man's character, give him power. Abe Lincoln)
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To: Liz

"Pro-lifers are merely treating Rudy EXACTLY the way Rudy himself treats the unborn.........as a disposable nuisance

Abortion is savagery beyond imagination."



SADLY, WORTH REPEATING.


And a ping to post 198


218 posted on 02/12/2007 9:08:38 AM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
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To: RockinRight

I would second that!


219 posted on 02/12/2007 11:38:13 AM PST by PhiKapMom (Broken Glass Republican -- Rudy 08 -- Take back the House and Senate in 2008)
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To: EternalVigilance
Huh? We weren't talking about President Bush.

My bad, I read your post and thought you were describing President Bush. ;^)

220 posted on 02/12/2007 11:38:29 AM PST by ksen ("For an omniscient and omnipotent God, there are no Plan B's" - Frumanchu)
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