To: exodus
I doubt we disagree much regarding what a conservative is. I just want the Democrats OUT! NOW! The sooner the better. This takes brute force and bludgeoning. No third party can accomplish that. After the death grip has been broken, then we can argue about finesse.
# 113 by Jim Robinson
Let's say that you get what you want. The Republicans win it all. They gain a two-thirds majority in the House and the Senate, and even win the Presidency, by pandering to the liberals. We steal virtually all the Democratic Party's voters.
Now we can work for smaller, less intrusive government! Now we can institute conservative policies! Now we can rid the country of nanny-state do-gooders! Now we can stop the officially sanctioned encroachment of our freedom!
Wrong.
At the first sign that Republicans are going back on their promises to support and extend socialist feel-good policies, the liberals would abandon the Republicans. If that happened, the Republicans would lose their majority.
They would never risk it. Republicans could never alienate their liberal base and still retain power.
In order to draw in liberal voters, Republicans will have to fulfill the desires of socialists. That's the only thing that will bring liberal votes to the party.
If the Republican Party makes a successful power grab by bringing in the liberal vote, the Republicans will become a liberal party.
We must teach the Republicans that to retain our vote, they must consistently support conservative ideas and conservative policies.
The only way to show that we are serious is to vote for third party conservatives.
"If I vote for a Democrat to protest the direction taken by the Republican party, Republicans will point to my liberal vote as the direction they should go to gain my support.
If I vote for a Republican as the lesser of two evils, they'll point to my vote as an expression of confidence in their socialist policies.
If I stay home, and don't vote at all, they'll use statistics to decide why I didn't vote this time, and they'll bend those statistics to mean whatever is convenient for their purposes.
I want a conservative, so I'll vote 3rd party. When I vote for a conservative, even a 3rd party conservative, THERE IS NO QUESTION what it takes to win my vote. I want a conservative, and I won't accept anything less.
Republicans will point to my vote as the direction they need to go in order to gain my support. Democrats themselves will move to the right, as Clinton did in 1992, in an attempt to show me that they believe, just as I do, in freedom."
Yes, I'm being sarcastic.
But the reality of our current situation is that the vast majority of the voters are gathered in the center of the political spectrum, and that's the kind of government that Americans have voted into place the last several elections.
The far reaches of both ideologies...right and left...are trying to control America's political future by resorting to what could only be called extortion: "do things my way, or I'll take my vote away and guarantee a victory for the other side".
Bill Clinton knew this, and kept moving more and more to the center, until the remains of the Reagan Revolution became political pariahs (see Gingrich, Newt), and unable to summon up sufficient cojones to boot a president who lied under oath on satellite television to a significant part of the civilized world, out of office, fearing the fact that it would make them look worse in the eyes of an electorate that basically didn't give a damn about the stain on the dress, or the nation.
People who didn't really like politics but voted nevertheless (and that would be the vast majority of the American voter), liked the fact that the stock market was kicking ass, and that the president was "doing a real good job"--most of them thinking that faced with a similar question, they would answered the same way Bill did--, so they shifted to Bill.
The GOP has a choice, swinging to the far right, and watch the undecided voter and even some of the center-right swing to Gore, or go get them, and bring them back.
Just my opinion mind you, but if I was running the GOP, I would be taking a long, hard look at where the future of the party was, and trying to assess the journey there. That assessment would tell me that my base was shrinking, while theirs was expanding. That's why I don't think that the far right vote is as important right now as the independent/undecided/center-right/center-left vote.
Now, that's politics, and that's reality.
If I vote for a Republican as the lesser of two evils, they'll point to my vote as an expression of confidence in their socialist policies.
If I stay home, and don't vote at all, they'll use statistics to decide why I didn't vote this time, and they'll bend those statistics to mean whatever is convenient for their purposes.
I want a conservative, so I'll vote 3rd party. When I vote for a conservative, even a 3rd party conservative, THERE IS NO QUESTION what it takes to win my vote. I want a conservative, and I won't accept anything less.
Republicans will point to my vote as the direction they need to go in order to gain my support. Democrats themselves will move to the right, as Clinton did in 1992, in an attempt to show me that they believe, just as I do, in freedom."
Right on bro. If anyone worries about wasting thier vote, just remember that your vote doesn't really count anyway since they can not count accurate to one vote, and don't forget that your vote is cancelled out by democrats who register their cats and dogs to vote. Protest votes do count, and if you are really serious about affecting the system, don't forget that money can buy way more votes than the one you are alloted by law.
Let's look again at Jim's quote to which you responded as it says nothing about fixing the GOP. Here is what he wrote:
"To: exodus
I doubt we disagree much regarding what a conservative is. I just want the Democrats OUT! NOW! The sooner the better. This takes brute force and bludgeoning. No third party can accomplish that. After the death grip has been broken, then we can argue about finesse. # 113 by Jim Robinson
I am in total agreement with Jim. Read the words. Sure you might punish the GOP by voting third party but you will end up punishing the rest of us as well. NO THIRD PARTY CAN DEFEAT THE DEMOCRATS. That is a fact. I won't argue the degree to which Republicans are better or worse than Democrats with you. I believe a Republican in office is better than a Democrat if only marginally.
Now if you are wanting a method to send a message that will be heard and yet not give quarter to the DemocRATS I offer the following:
After 32 years (16 General Elections), with many of them involving my volunteer work and financial support of the GOP and its candidates I re-registered to vote with Party Affiliation - NONE. When volunteers, as I used to be, call and look for a donation to the RNC or a particular candidate I let them know the best support they can hope for from me is my vote on election day and that it is not a slam dunk, as I am NOT A REPUBLICAN.
I tell you, should the idea catch on and millions, take the same action it will be noticed. But even if it isn't I can make my statement.
Listen you sound passionately conservative and my hats off to you. And you are entitled to do whatever you believe is right with your vote. However, given that JR's and others mission first requires the removal of Demccrats from office, unfortunately here in the last few years that means voting for the Republican as there is no 3rd Party remotely on the horizon that will have a hope of doing so. The fact is that we have been so long now entrenched in a "two party" system that I don't believe it will ever change. Not in our life times and I am assuming you are much younger than I.
But if it floats your bubble, by all means go for it.
BTW, I believe you invited my response since you pinged me to your comments.
Have a great day.