Political Battle Under Way Within GOP, Say Conservative Leaders

cnsnews.com ^ | November 05, 2008 | Fred Lucas

[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.

[CottonBall]

He said Republicans win by running on President Ronald Reagan’s ideas and lose when they move left.

No doubt. We've all (well, most of us) reluctantly supported the Bushes and now McAmnesty. With the reluctance and disgust growing with each election cycle.

[farlander]

“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. “

Well then and here is the exact point. Those RINOs need to be purged. They can go ahead and register Democrat.

[patriotspride]

” Well... there will be a few more have-nots by the end of the week. We are laying off until the smoke clears and we can figure out how to survive as small business people in the New World Order. Its too bad... but... they voted for change and now thats what they are going to get.”

Good luck to you, and lets hope that Obama was only after the prize ( being president) and actually realizes the folly of his business hurting plans.

I’m a realist and don’t think that will happen, but we can always have a wish.

[goldstategop]

We cannot have a political party that agrees with the Democrats on every issue. Otherwise the GOP will be like the Canadian Tories, a caretaker party put into office every now and the by an electorate tired of the same old Democratic faces but which does not disturb the party of permanent power, the Democrats.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[patriotspride]

” I like Jindahl and, now that international internet campaign contributions are legal, a billion supporters in India can’t hurt!!!”

I think it will be some combination of Palin/Jindahl.

They are straight talkers.

Also, one the contributions, let’s see if that’s ever scrutinized as it should be....

[warsaw44]

Most of the people I know who voted for McCain were voting against Obama, for Sarah and really couldn't care less about McCain. The numbers of young people I met who were really excited about Sarah was very high.
Just yesterday I met a young meter maid, maybe 30 or so, black, and very excited about Sarah. Had no interest in Obama at all. Not a republican either.
America will pay and pay hard in the next four years. We need real conservatives running our party.

[CottonBall]

I’m glad I live in Texas.

Why? You're invaded with illegals.

[CottonBall]

They did it before.

Long ago, before the illegals and generations of anchor babies. Texas is not the Texas that was fiercely independent long ago. The areas for rugged individualists is...possibly Idaho? Wyoming? Maybe Alaska?

When the votes are as close as 55-45 for a socialist, I don't think that state has a chance of being independent. Here's the list of top red states and the percent for McCain: Oklahoma 66%, Wyoming 65%, Utah 63%, Idaho 62%, Alaska 62%, Alabama 60%, Louisiana 59%, Arkansas 59%.

I am amazed at Oklahoma - I never realized what a conservative state she is. This, along with the anti-illegal laws passed there make her worth looking at moving to.

[IMissPresidentReagan]

I don’t know anyone who was a McCain supporter from day one...I know several who supported McCain only because he was not Obama, and I saw that support become more enthusiastic as Palin was picked!

HOW DARE the media lay the blame at her feet. She had more balls than the entire Republican Party, excuse my language. She has nothing to be ashamed of. She drew the crowds....how large were McCain’s crowds before Sarah? How large after?

We need to form our own media too. Fox is not the answer.

[rollo tomasi]

Homework? I graduated already, maybe you should wake up to the fact that the electorate keeps clamoring for more federal government goodies. This = a slowly creeping European style of government. Have all the tax cuts/breaks imaginable, again they come and go just like European Countries. What huge preexisting spending programs/Departments were killed during Reagan's watch?

With huge Federal programs perpetually in place to provide for the basic needs of the population that get sucked up in an inefficient bureaucracy, limited government is all but dead. Isn't that the goal, to be able to control our government so it runs efficiently and be left alone to pursue our own happiness? Now we have "clowns" dangling the tax rate if front of our faces like a carrot to a horse while spending trillions on programs designed to PERPETUALLY be dependent on the federal government.

[Mr. Jazzy]

Yup. He is a goner. Here is the link:

http://www.westportnow.com/index.php?/v2/comments/christopjher_shays_concedes_in_4th_congressional_district/

[JacksonCalhoun]

Good, Shays is a backstabbing jerk, glad to see him go. Was he the lone GOP rep from New England?

[henkster]

The media wants the GOP to go left, so that the GOP can become the docile political window-dressing for the democrats. The GOP becomes the Washington Generals to the democrat Harlem Globetrotters. And the game is a facade.

[henkster]

“This party is facing oblivion if it continues to cater solely to white, suburban/rural voters in the South.”

Look, if the rest of America wants socialism then they can go vote it for themselves. I’ll not cater it to them.

[Betty Jane]

We also need to realize that the most important state position is Secretary of State. They are the ones who decide whether to strictly follow election laws.

[Mr. Jazzy]

I am glad he is gone because he was a LIBERAL first. A pro-abortion ROCKEFELLER republican who voted with democrats almost half of the time! He was also a BIG time supporter of the Brady bill and gun control legislation. He voted WITH DEMOCRATS against impeaching Clinton on all four articles brought before the House. On the war in Iraq, he initially was a very strong supporter but then began to call for a time line for troop withdrawal and said “I believe the President is wrong” about not giving a date certain to leave. He, against the conservative leadership wishes, co hosted a set of hearings about prisoner abuse by US military at Abu Grab.

Want me to go on with reasons why we are better off without him?

He fancied himself a “maverick”, I think the guy was a jerk and I am HAPPY to see him gone.

[Texas_shutterbug]

"I’m more afraid of Bush’s Patriot Act. This will be used against us, mark my words. Bush lost me when he created Homeland Security. The words Patriot and Homeland bring visions of WWII Germany to my mind. Scoundrels and despots always act under the guise of patriotism and providing security"

And there you have why the democrats so hated the Bush administration. And why they were so fired up to win, but very few here will see that.

[gogeo]

I feel absolutely demoralized. I feel like they destroyed Sarah...

They went after her, big time. She did great when they let Sarah be Sarah.

[Texas_shutterbug]

"We have been in a 25 year span of basically uninterrupted prosperity."

When republicans wake up to the fact that "profits" and "prosperity" don't mean the same thing, we'll come out of this hole we've dug ourselves in.

We've had tremendous job losses in this country. Real wages have gone down.

Keep up the "prosperity" meme, and we'll be a minority party for the next fifty years. It' ain't true for the vast majority of Americans.

When republicans figure out that trickle down isn't lifting up the majority of Americans, and figure out what to do about it, we'll have a shot at winning again.

Until then, we can hide behind bogus statistics, but we'll lose.

This is our wake up call, or we'll lose the middle class to the democrats forever.

[gogeo]

He said Republicans win by running on President Ronald Reagan’s ideas...

Yes, but that is so vague as to be misleading, IMO.

We shouldn't be running on Reagan's policies, because this is a different time and electorate. We should, however, be using his principles.