Posted on 11/05/2008 6:46:24 AM PST by 82ndABNOfficer
‘Conservative’ is a brand in the market of ideas.
Sorry, Thane, but to be a "base" implies that a group actually has the power to sway elections. That is clearly not the case with conservatives.
We conservatives have f**ked up badly -- we've become arrogant, lazy, and dogmatic. We eat our own with "how many angels" minutia. We sound ugly and often act ugly. We haven't the slightest clue how to practice politics in the current political environment.
If anything, we're to blame for not being able to put forth a message worth listening to.
“Sorry, but aside from tax cuts, the courts and defense, Bush was the most liberal president in recent history. Bush may be a good man, but he destroyed the GOP, and especially the “conservative,” brand.”
That’s exactly what I’ve been preaching this morning to my fellow conservatives at work. Any conservative who doesn’t see that is in denial.
That’s right, they sure didn’t get any money from me this year and that is because of the humiliating treatment of Bush. There were a lot of people who supported Bush in 2004 and McCain snubbed us, going for the independent and moderate democrat vote. LOL, look what he got. This is not Bush’s fault, it is the republicans who wanted to run from him rather than go towards him as a united party. At least the democrats stick together through thick and thin, they do not devour their own in public.
Liberals are for big govt too and proud of it. The difference is Republicans are for big stupid govt.
After 911 Bush had a mandate and could have done so much good, instead he was a disaster to Conservatives. Bush and Rove have pretty much destroyed the GOP. His latest bailout of Wall Street will haunt us for a long time. We are now in for some very hard times.
Bush did a lot of good stuff... tax cuts.. attacking al queda.. patriot act.. freeing iraq.. conservative judicial appointments.. increased border officers... and fence.. created homeland security..
This is what happens when Republicans turn their backs on Conservatism.
tax cuts will expire. al qaeda will probably take over Iraq now.
President Bush will always have my respect for the great job he did defending our country from terrorists, however, he also held conservatives in contempt when they dared disagree with him on the Meirs nomination, amnesty, the bailout. He did not show the same contempt when libs called him names, mocked him cruelly, incessantly, and picked apart bills he supported that THEY wrote (No Child Left Behind - MR TED KENNEDY). Somewhere along the lines Republicans became convinced that they needed to play nice and reach across the aisle to the hateful liberals, despite the huge thumb they kept jabbing in their eyes.
NO MORE ‘REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE’. If I hear a Republican candidate say that......I will not vote for him/her. I’VE HAD ENOUGH of mamby-pamby, PC politics. Screw ‘em!
>>>>>>Whether we like it or not, when most people hear the word “conservative,” they are going to think of people like Bush<<<<
Not much to say except “I disagree”.
Calling conservatism a “brand” falls right into the MSM trap of treating our political philosophy as some sort of marketing gimmick and as something that is “sold”.
Bush and McCain are not even close to being representatives of conservatism.
Bush became a big spending liberal with his no child left behind program and the prescription drug program, the biggest increase in the entitlement programs since medicare. He signed McCain-Feingold rather than veto it. He pushed amnesty. And those are just a few of the things that alienated his conservative base. As a result, the Reps lost control of Congress and may never regain it in our lifetime.
Nope. Whether YOU like it or not, when most people hear the word "conservative," they think of Televangelists telling them how to vote about gay marriage; people who come unhinged on the matter of illegal immigration; Newt Gingrich getting caught with his pants down; and a whole host of smug politicians who couldn't be bothered to actually explain their principles.
Politics is very much a game of perceptions, and conservatives are often seen as narrow, unpleasant, and unreasonable. You can't blame that on Mr. Bush.
Don't cast the blame any farther than you can reach, FRiend -- the blame is yours. (And mine....)
If you think that President Bush represents the core values of true conservatism then you yourself are a liberal.
Boy, that shows how out of touch I am. I thought is was Bush who turned his back on us (immigration, bailout, et al). And after going to the wall for a guy twice, I'd think there would be a little loyalty on the other side....
Bush turned on Conservatives, and Conservatism long ago. This is the result. The GOP should learn from this.
Conservatives did not turn on President Bush.
President Bush turned on conservatives after conservatives dragged him over the finish line twice.
Conservatives only asked for the occasional nod in their direction but they got the finger.
True conservatives didn’t choose President Bush or John McCain as their first pick in the primary elections but when it came time to vote in the general election they stayed the course.
Conservatives didn’t go for the glam, glitter and empty promises as did the moderates, minorities and swing voters to whom Bush and McCain have constantly pandered.
This election should wake the Republican party up and reaffirm that their future lies with conservatism - not with being Democrat-Lite.
Are you a conservative?
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