Posted on 11/05/2008 4:59:01 AM PST by kellynla
CNSNews.com) – Facing the most liberal president and Congress in a generation, conservative stalwarts do not blame the GOP’s disastrous election performance solely on Republican nominee John McCain or on President George W. Bush. The ultimate culprit, some say, has been big government Republicanism.
Long-time conservative activist Richard Viguerie thinks the Republican Party’s problem this year is not unlike its problem in previous election cycles.
“Moderate and liberal have not done very well,” Viguerie, the chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, told CNSNews.com. “Both Bushes had problems, and Bush the son nearly destroyed the Republican Party. People are looking for a clear conservative choice.”
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said this is not the first time Republicans have had a bad election cycle.
“We will get the same advice from the establishment press, which will advise the party to move left,” he said. But when that was tried, it did not work, Norquist told CNSNews.com.
He said Republicans win by running on President Ronald Reagan’s ideas and lose when they move left. He cited President George H. W. Bush’s failed reelection campaign in 1992 after running successfully as a Reagan tax-cutter in 1988, as well as Bob Dole in 1996 who had previously opposed the Reagan tax cuts, and now McCain, who has supported legislation on campaign finance reform and global warming.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
Until various factions of conservatism realize and accept that there are many meanings of the word conservatism, there will be no party rebuilding (Republican or other parties). They will simply blame each other and claim that their ideas are the ‘pure’ conservatism, while others are not.
you have a convenient loss of memory...
when I have time I will remind you of the Reagan legacy and the contract with America, workfare, lower tax rates just to name a few...and Obama will be history in 4 years...just like the other clown, Carter.
The furor could have been mitigated had Bush got tough---(1) had he prosecuted Wall Streeters who corrupted and stole from the system; (2) had he gone after those who forced banks to lend to marginal people; (3) had he went and got illegals who flipped houses for huge profits, then absconded to Mexico and left banks (and taxpayers) holding the bag.
I live in one of those areas. My cong. district (Il. 14) used to be completely safe. We now have a dem. representative. Sure, the 'racial analysis' changed a bit over the last generation, but the fact remains that we threw it away. Got lazy, got fat, and became that 40 year old caricature of Republicans that they like to use. The district didn't flip when the house did, but our rep. decided to quit in mid term, and we didn't have a plan. The commies did. I don't believe that the United States is a leftist country. They just have the best organization, and the best(by far) propaganda. They're 'in it to win it'. As long as the new congressman stays out of jail, and seems non offensive to the voters here, he'll probably be pretty hard to pry out.
Can someone tell me the name of the Representative that was Repbulican who won re-election that Fox talked with last nigh?
He said we need new leadership - for the past 8 years Republicans have used pork to get anything passed that was needed for the war on terror. When you make a deal with the devil the Devil always wins.
He stated that we can’t win by compromising any of our conservative values.
When asked how they could be conservative and get anything done with so few of them left in Congress, he stated that by doing what we did in 1994 we took the fight to the American People. Anytime we have a conversation directly with the American People we win.
He has a website, unfortunately I didn’t get his name. I totally agree.
“lower tax rates come and go”
kinda busy here but under Reagan the top federal income tax rate went from 90% to 28% and have remained well below 90% since then....do your homework before you bother me with your blather.
I’m not even talking about the GOP; I’m talking about the conservative movement. Unless we can agree on what conservatism is, and do not exclude any of the core conservative areas, we’re not going anywhere.
You just can’t throw a bunch of conservatives under the bus and expect to succeed. And in this election cycle, pretty much everyone got thrown under at one time or another.
I voted for Sarah...I don’t believe I had a single item of campaign material that had McCain’s name on it. All of my campaign signs, stickers, etc, were for Sarah!
Laura Ingraham is ripping moderates. She said she will NEVER vote for another moderate republican again and blames them for all this. She’s right.
“Both Bushes had problems, and Bush the son nearly destroyed the Republican Party. People are looking for a clear conservative choice.”
Now there is a real understatement!
I guess not very conservative, but he has nice hair. ;-)
The one to watch is the reelected Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams. Solid GOP conservative...and African American too!
Hey Republican bigwigs. Take a lesson from your most successful politician of the last forty years, Ronald Reagan. Don’t move toward the middle...MOVE THE MIDDLE TO YOU. Champion conservative ideas, then get out there and SELL THEM. Don’t pander. Stick to one clear set of concepts and hammer them home to the American people, and stay with them once you’re elected (and you will be elected).
}:-)4
My wish: Sarah Palin DUMPS the Republican Party and creates a brand new party — A blend of conservative & libertarian ideals. She can call it the FRONTIER party and our mascot will be the Moose. I would register as a FRONTIER gal, wear Moose antlers, donate money, help get out the vote, and volunteer my time and energy.
I will not donate another penny or another minute to the Republican party. Ever. George Bush destroyed this party by practicing the art of turning the other cheek over and over and over and over again. I never liked McCain and were it not for Sarah I would not have been happy voting for him.
To mis-quote Ronald Reagan — I didn’t leave the Republican party, the Republican party left me.
Parties are defined by the politicians elected into power and the politicians elected to power are voted in by the American voter.
If you get home on day from vacation and your house is filled with your son's less than desirable friends, you don't just walk away from the house whining about it and buy yourself a small apartment. You kick out the people you don't like out of your house.
“Sarah Palin was destroyed by the national media. The damage is done?”
Total BS!!!!
History tends to repeat itself.
An Arizona Senator got throttled in 1964 but gave us a great gift in Ronald Reagan.
Another Arizona Senator got trounced in 2008 but once again gave us a gift in Sarah Palin.
What we choose to do with this gift will be our future.
Palin was a HUGE factor in this race and EVERYONE knows it especially the Media and trust me, they are petrified of her.
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