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.
Right, he wanted government out of the decisions of the parents. His position in the fight afforded the parents more power to CHOOSE what was best for their OWN children.
The BOE couldn't give a rats rear end one way or the other.
Says the woman who just told me to "go ________ myself."
Marking my place...I have to let my husband have the computer for a while.
Now that was good.
Then we better end the distraction of the pro-abortionist liberal candidates like Giuliani being supported on this CONSERVATIVE forum which is disrupting our efforts to support electable conservatives or even somewhat conservative candidates.
We don't want a repeat of Carter when the Rockefeller wing tried to make us swallow Ford as the nominee. That was too much to swallow as is Giuliani's even more radical liberalism. We need put aside the liberal candidates find a good compromise candidate that we can elect. Giuliani is FAR too liberal to qualify as an acceptable candidate. I'm all for compromise - let's find a somewhat conservative candidate - say Jim Gilmore - that we can agree upon and support. Duncan Hunter too conservative? Fine. Giuliani is too liberal. Let's find the guy in the middle and support him.
But the constant open campaigning for the radically liberal Giuliani is causing so much division here that we can't get done what we're here to do - promote and elect conservatives and support conservativism. The consequences of people abusing this forum to campaign for such a radical liberal are displayed for all to see as the forum devolves into near civil war.
Absolutely and the owner here needs to rise to the occasion. He is egging on the bullies - if not being one himself.
However it differs in two ways from the other example cited.
First, it's in the US, so it is our business. And since I'm on record that barring policies that truely violate human rights, we shouldn't be butting into Canada's business, the Canadians get no say in defending this ruling.
Second, this is a public school, the Canadian incident was a private Christian school. While I despair of Judge Wolf's opinion, at least Christians still have the private school option in Mass. For now.
Most important, Rudy had nothing to do or say regarding the either ruling. If he did, that's important. But to hang every wacko judicial ruling around the world relating to homosexuals on Rudy's doorstep isn't going to win votes. And it will drive people away.
Fascinating historical point, Ivan. Thanks for that post. Were the party to fracture, I wonder what blocs would go where, or if certain elements would simply be discarded, as you mentioned.
What saved me that time was that it was the middle of the night and that when I posted the naughty words I replaced most of the letters with ****....*LOL
...who has spent his political career pandering to every extreme liberal group he possibly could. Among these are NARAL, Stonewall Veterans Association, NOW, the New York Liberal Party, and even the Democrats (see Cuomo endorsement). It is apparent that the only time that pandering is an issue with you is when someone is pandering to conservative groups.
You try to tell me that I should be for: Abortion, Gay Marriage, Amnesty for Illegal aliens and Gun Control or at least support those who do, because a "Republican", even a small "r" Republican is better than any Democrat? And there are no viable candidates other than Rudy McRomney?
Duncan Hunter or someone else, yet to step up, has no chance so we have to "compromise" recognize "reality", lower our "sights" in order to "win". I don't call that winning!
The leadership of the party continues to shrink in my eyes. I have supported the President and the party with time, money, energy and effort. For that I have gotten weakness and compromise at every turn from the national leadership.
Given the opportunity to lead from the front almost eight years ago, our leadership has failed to develop strong, viable candidates for office at the national level. Now, at a crucial time, we have a President who appointed a crony to the office of National Chairman. Further, the Chairman is a sitting Senator who has to divide his time, thus short-changing both Constituencies.
This is just one of many strategic and tactical errors at a national level that causes me concern.
You supposed "leaders" of the party better get in a backroom somewhere with Newt and do everything that he tells you to do 'cause I'm not "buying" what you're "selling".
You are a riot. First you're against compromise, now your not. What a HOOT.
Regards, Ivan
I too have the carter years etched in my skin like a painful tattoo that I can't wash off.
Hillary is such a dork, that she is very likely to be just like him, and she has high level socialist connections and training. No submarines or peanut farms. (Actually, Carter never saw a sub, IIRC) LOL!
These social argument came because of the Democrats arrogant moves as they shifted left and tried to make us more European. This started a backlash that continues today as their ACLU continues to gin up controversy. They knew that they could use the backlash to frame conservatives as kooks, and Bible thumpin kool aid drinkers, and the MSM is totally on board with the tactic.
Every time the MSM drops one of Rudy's old quotes, they know what the result is going to be, and the social conservatives jump in unison like a bunch of frogs in a electrified bucket of water.
What is so aggravating, is that you point this connection out to them, over and over again, and they still cannot see what they are doing to themselves and the party.
I don't know about you, but I would be very po'D if someone was constantly yanking my chain! I would be embarrassed to have allowed this to happen!
But they are PO'd at the people the MSM tells them to be PO'd at, and not the true culprit. Not the real enemy. Not the chain puller.
It's the other way around there, Toots.
It's great to have preachers out there, working the ground, trying to change public opinion, and subtly moving public perceptions. It's electoral suicide to put them before the voters if the voters aren't yet on board with the sermon.
Well said. I am moved by a beautiful and inspirational sermon as well as others are - but the United States of America is not a religion. It is a country and *the people* (you know *we the people* from the Constitution) don't want preachers right now - they want political leaders. People go to church to hear a sermom and to be told what to believe. Politicans are expected to be able to compromise and to work with others and to talk about government and freedom, policies and what to do about the Islamic terrorist threat.
My vote for President will be the Republican candidate.
That vote may come down simply, to NOT voting for the DemonRat candidate...
Voting for any other third party will PEROT us once again and give us Hitliary Klintoon and ObamaSama as Veep.
This country could not tolerate that upchucking...
G
So you were the "star" of the evening that night. ;) LOL
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