Posted on 02/28/2007 7:54:19 AM PST by Al Simmons
Wedge Issues Posted by: Common Tator in FreeRepublic.com April 16, 2002
The one thing that amazes me on this site is the belief by some that the conservative position is the majority position.
Mostly people tend to believe it could be the majority position if the right candidate ran, or if it weren't for the media or RINOs or etc, etc. They really don't have a clue.
Roughly 2/3 of the public has firm views. They have made up their minds and do not change them. This group is nearly equally split between the left and the right.
There are about a 1/3 of the population that is never sure. Sometimes it will go left and sometimes it will go right.
When a party restricts itself to its base it will be in a minority party. The "base only" party will be reduced to crying as the other side works its will. In some nations both the left and right restrict themselves to just their base. That nation then develops five or six parties. And all governments in that nation are coalitions of a major party and some of the minor parties. In that situation the minor party always has more influence than its numbers represent. For the Rino and Dino haters that is the worst of all worlds.
Many of Rino and Dino haters try to make ours a 3 or 4 party system. They never figure out that their splinter right or left party would never get much power in a government based on coalitions. They are too small. It is the centrist parties that have a 1/3 of the public as potential members that get the clout in the Multi Party system. As you can see in a 2 party or a 5 or 6 party system the center tends to prevail.
But in our two party system the center is an instrument the major parties use to enact their goals. In the multiparty system it is the center parties that use the right and left to enact their centrist goals. Such a system like those in Italy and France are RINO and DINO paradise.
This nation now and for all of the last 140 years has been roughly 1/3 left, 1/3 right and 1/3 in the middle. Those in the middle who run for office are what we call RINOs and DINOs.
When Republicans drive RINOs out they leave the party to become DINOs and take their political power with them. The Democrat party gets them by default.
Then the Democrats thanks to its Dino buddies have a veto proof house and senate. It was Barry Goldwater's greatest accomplishment. In my BRAIN I knew Barry would elect a lot of DINOs ... and he did.
If a party with most of the center wins the presidency too, they have a filibuster proof senate. That party then can do anything it wants to do. When the party leadership takes control they implement the parties core beliefs. It was what LBJ did after Goldwater drove all the RINOs into LBJ's camp. It let LBJ do the "Great Society." LBJ had to have Barry's help to do it. And Barry did what it took to give LBJ the support he needed... LBJ had all the left. Barry gave him all the center.
To win control a party must keep its base and get over half the middle. If the Republicans have more RINOs than the Democrats have DINOs the Republican agenda prevails. If the Democrats have more DINOs than the Republicans have RINOs the Democrat agenda prevails.
Those that demand the defeat of RINOs are doing all they can to enact the leftist agenda. They are the most valuable asset the left has. One of the most effective tactics in politics in the negative campaign.
Negative campaigns are not about getting votes for your candidate. They are about getting the other side's base to not vote for their candidate. Thus if you can get the right to vote against a Rino or not vote at all, you can elect a very liberal candidate.
If you can force the Republicans to nominate a right wing candidate so right wing he can't get the center voters, you elect the left candidate.
Excellent post.
Hey, they've been talking about him the whole thread. I thought it only fitting to post portions of a speech that described them perfectly twelve years ago. ;-)
However, this ability should not be confused with electoral viability - the two are different. The two are separate.
Regards, Ivan
Post the part about slave reparations
What a Conservative that Keyes is, huh? Just like Jessie and Sharpton.
Your reprise of Common Tators piece is a welcome piece of rational thought. Where are economic conservative libertarians going to fit if not under the big tent of the Republican party?
At some point, one would think we will all begin to understand that the best solution is to get government to leave us alone to resolve our domestic problems. Before the Interstate Commerce Clause was interpreted to empower the federal government, we were pretty much there, just as the Founding Father's described our republic in the Constitution.
I have no doubt that states, municipalities or neighbors are better equipped to arrive at conclusions that reflect the beliefs and interests of their community.
You're lying as badly as the one I had the original exchange with. I said "I'm for saving" the GOP. I know you have problems with reading comprehension, but you do understand the distinction between what I said and what you claim I said, right?
Interesting to say the least. I am more than a little worried. Rules have not been uniformly enforced and posters are unhappy and some are flat out mad.
Hey, you're talking Rockefeller Republicans. The folks who were content being the perpetual minority party in Congress. The folks who hated Reagan even though he taught the GOP how to win. They would rather, quite frankly, lose than have to accomdate socons any longer. And they will engage in complete and utter acts of electoral delusion to justify that.
He hates it because President Bush took one of the Democrats issues and co-opted it into his own agenda. Ted Kennedy basically hung himself by breaking ranks with the Democrats and allowing the President to take one of the Democrat issues away from the Democrat party and co-opt and brand it into a conservative Republican issue.
LOL!!! So true!
It's the thin edge of the wedge for them - establishing some schools are good and others bad, is the beginning of being able to hire, fire and pay teachers on the basis of their actual performance, rather than being members of a protected profession. Socialists - in both America and Britain - hate this.
Regards, Ivan
I'd like to offer anyone who believes that a chance to buy a bridge in Alaska that hasn't been built yet for the low price of $2008. ;)
Somehow reminds me of Custer's line in Little Big Man...
You want me to think that you don't want me to go down there, but the subtle truth is you really *don't* want me to go down there!
So, what are they going to do, threaten Jim financially like you did earlier in the thread?
You are your ilk have turned off GOOD FReepers --- FReepers who donate here. Let's see if y'all pony up what you've caused to be lost come the next FReepathon.
933 posted on 02/28/2007 4:48:19 PM CST by onyx
Great points by Common Tator.
Let's grow up, conservatives.
Plus Rudy WILL fight the war, while Hillary has already said she will withdraw troops.
I think it wise to listen to Cold Heat. I can remember the Carter years really well. That was when the democrats had all the marbles and ran the military and the intelligence groups into the ground, as well as starting the war on terror through Carter's stupid backstabbing of the Shah.
Look, like I said, I don't really have anyone I support. And people who don't like Guiliani and want to support someone else...fine by me.
I just think it better to talk about the positives of those we support and if abortion is a sticking point, people should just say they can't get past it. That is enough. Hollering insults at freepers and calling Guiliani names starts reminding me of the Reagan/Ford arguments, and that is how we wound up with Carter! We just HAVE to keep the White House and retake Congress!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.