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Anger on Display Among Conservative PAC Audience
Fox News ^

Posted on 03/04/2007 4:15:07 PM PST by Sub-Driver

Anger on Display Among Conservative PAC Audience

Sunday , March 04, 2007 By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

WASHINGTON — America's conservatives are mad and they're not going to take it anymore.

That was the message the movement's leaders delivered throughout the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. last week.

One after another, conservatives told FOXNews.com that they are angry, irritated, frustrated and in some cases depressed. And the target of their angst and ire is none other than the Republican Party, which wants and needs their support to win the 2008 presidential election and avoid losing more seats in the Senate and House next election.

Many of these conservatives, whose national stars began to rise with the presidential election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, described the GOP's state of affairs in Washington with words like "failed," defeated" and "in the grave."

"The Republican Party apparently has a death wish, but that doesn't mean we conservatives have to go along with it," Richard Viguerie, a movement veteran who helped elect Reagan, said during his wildly-received speech delivered Thursday. "Let's focus on the conservative movement, not the GOP."

"We've got to stop being lackeys of the Republican Party. We've got to be a third force," said Bill Greene, head of RightMarch.com, an online activist network. He is running as a Republican in the June special election to replace the late Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., who died of cancer on Feb. 13.

Several candidates vying for the GOP nomination appeared at the conference. But one — Arizona Sen. John McCain — was notably absent, and the frontrunner in generic opinion polls — former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani — acknowledged to the crowd that he has differences with his audience on social issues.

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


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To: Rodney King
Pure and simple we need leadership and Rudy offers that. The two top Dems sure as heck have not led anything in their political careers. Give Rudy a chance to explain his plans and we might be suprised on what he says. As far as the social questions the American people will determine that and the people they elect will carry out their will.
121 posted on 03/04/2007 8:40:49 PM PST by Bombard
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To: truth_seeker

Viguerie goes back to direct mail for Goldwater. He predates Reagan.


122 posted on 03/04/2007 8:43:32 PM PST by Theodore R. (Cowardice is forever!)
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To: oceanview
If Reagan had done his homework, Roe would have expired in 1991.
123 posted on 03/04/2007 8:48:42 PM PST by Theodore R. (Cowardice is forever!)
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To: LtdGovt
On the basis of what principle would someone refuse to support Rudy against Hillary?

Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it, I don't think Rudy will even be there.

124 posted on 03/04/2007 9:22:31 PM PST by itsahoot (The GOP did nothing about immigration, immigration did something about the GOP (As Predicted))
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To: AuntB
Those are all good points about his performance in Congress. The argument against them will be that legislative effectiveness is still not quite the same thing as administrative effectiveness. That's not to say that he won't be an effective administrator. He may be great in that role. In addition, if he lacks administrative skill but has the insight to recognize that weakness, he can find staff people who will take care of the details. Everything I've seen makes me believe he'd be a good president, but true administrative experience is the one thing lacking on his resume.

As I said in my first post, my ultimate goal is to have someone who knows the right thing to do and will do it. I think Mr. Hunter passes that test with flying colors.

Bill

125 posted on 03/04/2007 9:40:27 PM PST by WFTR (Liberty isn't for cowards)
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To: oceanview
he wears a dress, etc.

How well would Rudy fair in a toe to toe with a belligerent, hostile government spokesman, wearing a dress? Hmnnn?

126 posted on 03/04/2007 9:43:35 PM PST by itsahoot (The GOP did nothing about immigration, immigration did something about the GOP (As Predicted))
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To: Rodney King
It was a joke. What's the big deal?

Once moght have been funny, but multiples?

127 posted on 03/04/2007 9:50:30 PM PST by itsahoot (The GOP did nothing about immigration, immigration did something about the GOP (As Predicted))
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To: oceanview

oh sure, let's dump the GOP >>>

they dumped us. maybe they need to be taught a lesson.


128 posted on 03/04/2007 9:51:44 PM PST by Coleus (Roe v. Wade and Endangered Species Act both passed in 1973, Murder Babies/save trees, birds, insects)
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To: Sunsong
What do you think of Fred Thompson? I could support most anyone - but McCain(s).

I think Fred Thompson was too much of a McCain follower when he was in the Senate.

Fred Thompson will be an interesting candidate. When he was running for the Senate, he wouldn't come out and declare himself as pro-life, but his votes were consistently good on the issue. I think he could hold many of the pro-life voters in the party, but he would lose some of them. In that sense, he's kinda like McCain.

Fred Thompson hurt himself with Republicans and conservatives when he was chairing that committee looking into illegal campaign contributions by the Chinese to Clinton/Gore '96. He should have stayed on target and nailed the Clintons on taking illegal contributions. If he had done that, we might have been able to impeach Clinton on bribery charges. Instead, he took the whole committee into some nonsense study of campaign finance reform. The general conclusion was that we needed all that McCain-Feingold nonsense.

Another factor that will hurt him is that he's one of the senators who voted against impeachment. If we'd impeached that piece of trash Clinton, we wouldn't be worried about Hillary getting the Democrat nomination in '08. We weren't close to the two-thirds needed to convict, but his failure to vote for impeachment is a stain on his performance as a senator.

Outside these details, I don't dislike Fred Thompson. I don't remember where he stood on illegal immigration. I'm afraid that he would support various amnesty plans as McCain does, and in supporting amnesty, he shows himself to be weak on border security. Anyone who is weak on border security is also weak on national security. I think he'd be good enough on tax issues. He wouldn't stand up against spending as we need, but I'm not sure that anyone else will either. He'll do well enough on the Second Amendment although his campaign finance reform stands make him suspect in the minds of most pro-gun and pro-life voters. I think he'd appoint pretty good judges to the Supreme Court.

If Rudy Giuliani weren't in the race, he'd probably be a frontrunner from the moment he entered the race. His masculinity gives him the illusion of being conservative, and that might put many conservatives in his camp. His being an actor would draw people who don't really pay attention to the details, and there many people who are too shallow to understand the issues but will vote for someone they like from TV. If Fred Thompson ran with someone like J.C. Watts as his running mate, he'd be much more likely to win than any combination that included either John McCain or Rudy Giuliani.

Bill

PS. He's the only candidate that I've actually met. The fact that I've met him doesn't change the fact that I'd rather have Duncan Hunter, maybe Tommy Thompson, maybe Newt Gingrich, or maybe even Mitt Romney in the White House.

129 posted on 03/04/2007 9:58:47 PM PST by WFTR (Liberty isn't for cowards)
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To: Condor 63
"Let's focus on the conservative movement, not the GOP."

We're all human, and we need to remember that power corrupts. Not all who claim to be "GOP" members are, actually, conservatives. I've heard it said that conservatism works every time it's tried, and I believe that's true. What has to happen to make it work is that WE let those elected "GOP"ers know that it's the American tax-paying VOTER who put them there, and REMIND them WHY they were elected in the first place.

It's because the voters BELIEVED in them. We know what we want and expect from our leaders. They know it, too. I think we just need to keep reminding them of it. It's too easy in the scheme of human frailty to forget, once you're in the thick of it.

I vote for "Mr. Smith". =)

130 posted on 03/05/2007 12:20:47 AM PST by Just Lori (There's nothing democratic about Democrats.)
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To: oceanview

Sorry but we are in the wilderness already with the GOP pursuing democratic or socialist light. W has been coffin nails for the republican party and his RINO buddies. 2006 election is just an indicator of things to come and we have got to get back on track with what wins for republicans and that is conservatism not open borders, out of control spending, corruption and RINO presidential candidates.


131 posted on 03/05/2007 12:58:06 AM PST by assault_rifle123
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To: TommyDale
Some may do so, but you have to understand that for many, this is a case of religious and moral principles. You do realize that, right?

I do. But in my view, the highest political principle is keeping Hillary, Obama, Gore and others out of the White House. And I think the dispute is rather petty. Would you not even vote for Rudy if you believed that he would indeed nominate judges like Roberts?
132 posted on 03/05/2007 5:41:24 AM PST by LtdGovt ("Where government moves in, community retreats and civil society disintegrates" -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: LtdGovt
"Would you not even vote for Rudy if you believed that he would indeed nominate judges like Roberts?"

We have no guarantee of any such appointment, given the history of the Senate and previous Republican appointments.

"But in my view, the highest political principle is keeping Hillary, Obama, Gore and others out of the White House."

I think the highest principle is following what God instructs us to do, regardless of political fallout. That is what religious and moral principles are about.

133 posted on 03/05/2007 5:44:55 AM PST by TommyDale (What will Rudy do in the War on Terror? Implement gun control on insurgents and Al Qaeda?)
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To: Old_Mil

That was a statement from 1996, when Clinton had moved to the center, declared in his SotU that the era of big government was over, and just after he had signed the welfare reform legislation.


134 posted on 03/05/2007 5:51:34 AM PST by LtdGovt ("Where government moves in, community retreats and civil society disintegrates" -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: WFTR

I could support both Hunter and Gilmore, if they get the nomination. But some will refuse to do so. And because this election is so crucial, they need to be pushed to support the candidate. There will never be a candidate who satisfies 100% of the GOP. In a time of war, you don't have the luxury of being able to stay home, unless you're willing to make the country pay the price.


135 posted on 03/05/2007 5:53:44 AM PST by LtdGovt ("Where government moves in, community retreats and civil society disintegrates" -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: LtdGovt
Would you not even vote for Rudy if you believed that he would indeed nominate judges like Roberts?

We have a presidential candidate who is just like Clinton with women, dresses up like a girl and lived with two homosexuals...

These same folks upset by Coulter would have us believe government should sanctify perversion with some honorable status equivalent to marriage.

I am tired of these people who try to pass some perversion of nature off as a normal thing. It is a fetish, a religion of deviance and I will not bend my knee in acquiescence to it.

136 posted on 03/05/2007 5:54:37 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: Rodney King

I have lots of friends and family in NY. Many who are NYPD and FDNY, I don't know of any that will vote for Guiliani. Personally, they didn't like him when he was Mayor and they don't like the idea of him being President. My Dad, a die hard New Yorker and Republican said there is no way in he!! he will support Guiliani. I think it is quite arrogant for the RNC to push candidates that don't believe in the core values of the conservative voter.


137 posted on 03/05/2007 5:54:45 AM PST by panthermom (Duncan Hunter 2008!)
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To: itsahoot
Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it, I don't think Rudy will even be there.

Then why are so many people threatening to sit out the election if Rudy wins the election? Surely, they need to feel threatened by it in order to try to blackmail others into submission. I'm not shouting all over Ron Paul threads that I will sit out the election if he is the nominee, because I know that he won't be.
138 posted on 03/05/2007 6:01:20 AM PST by LtdGovt ("Where government moves in, community retreats and civil society disintegrates" -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: TommyDale
We have no guarantee of any such appointment, given the history of the Senate and previous Republican appointments.

If you did have the guarantee, would you vote for Rudy?

I think the highest principle is following what God instructs us to do, regardless of political fallout. That is what religious and moral principles are about.

We'll see how that will play out.
139 posted on 03/05/2007 6:17:21 AM PST by LtdGovt ("Where government moves in, community retreats and civil society disintegrates" -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood
We have a presidential candidate who is just like Clinton with women, dresses up like a girl and lived with two homosexuals...

Outrageous! Stone him!

I am tired of these people who try to pass some perversion of nature off as a normal thing. It is a fetish, a religion of deviance and I will not bend my knee in acquiescence to it.

I sincerely wonder why this subject is on your mind so much of the time.
140 posted on 03/05/2007 6:18:20 AM PST by LtdGovt ("Where government moves in, community retreats and civil society disintegrates" -Janice Rogers Brown)
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