I have yet to see a coherent case made otherwise...
Nor an explanation why the political brilliance of the "moderate" strategies of '92, '96, '98, and 2000 didn't produce better electoral results, from those who applaud such strategies.
Posted on 07/15/2002 10:28:18 AM PDT by gordgekko
Maybe I am totally off base, and probably I should keep my views to myself, but I sense a Democratic victory in Congress in the making. It is true that President George W. Bush still has sky high ratings among the electorate. They see him as someone who thinks like they do. No matter what issues the Democrats throw at the President, nothing sticks to him. They used to call Ronald Reagan the Teflon President, but if Bush continues these ratings into 2004, he will do Reagan one better.
The Bush ratings do not apply to his party, however. In fact, several recent polls find that while the average voter believes that Bush is on the side of the average voter, Republicans in general are seen as being more interested in the welfare of corporate bigwigs. If Democrat strategists are able to take advantage of this voter perception they will hold on to the Senate, but will win control of the House as well. Republican strategists already concede gains in the gubernatorial realm. They are defending many more state houses than the Democrats.
One of the problems for Republicans in Congress is that grass roots conservatives don't feel that the party is willing to raise issues they care about. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision removing God from the pledge of allegiance and a New York federal judge's decision to release a terrorist are good arguments for confirming President Bush judicial nominees. It is unclear if the party is willing to make this a burning issue because the judge who wrote the pledge opinion was a Republican appointee. If the judiciary becomes a really credible issue, it does have the opportunity to arouse some voters.
One issue that would really stir the grass roots is immigration. Look at what has happened in Western Europe. Eleven of 14 Members of the European Economic Community now have right of center governments. And it is possible that total will be 12 this fall if German voters go the way the polls are now suggesting. Immigration was one of the key issues that brought those right of center governments to power. Even the Dutch government intends to curb the liberal lifestyle in that country. The problem is that President Bush has a fundamental disagreement with Representative Tom Tancredo (R-CO) whose views on immigration resonate well with the grass roots. So immigration will not be made an issue by the Republican Party or if it is it will be in the form of President Bush's outreach to the Hispanic community.
Another issue that stirs the grass roots is the Boy Scout issue. The Boy Scouts have lost millions and have also lost the right to use many public facilities because they refuse to permit homosexual scout masters. The grass roots are all with the Scouts. The party could win seats in the South, Midwest and even Southwest if the party made this an issue. But it is unlikely the party will raise this issue because the Bush Administration has made an outreach to the homosexual community. Just recently, the president signed a bill providing some benefits to same sex partners who were victims of the New York disaster on September 11th.
The Supreme Court's decision on vouchers thrilled most conservatives. This decision is very popular in minority communities where school children are trapped in failing education institutions. However vouchers are not popular in suburban communities. The issue has been defeated in Congress by suburban Republicans. Voters from the suburbs have defeated vouchers when they were on state ballots. So while the party might make this an issue and grass roots conservatives would like it, the suburban Republicans who are part of the Bush coalition might well revolt.
The voters and even some in the grass roots have turned on to the privacy issues. A year ago, in the wake of 9/11, they were willing to support intrusions into their privacy in the interest of safety. Attorney General John Ashcroft was once the darling of grass roots conservatives. He is now seen as the enemy of the Fourth Amendment and impatience with Big Brother security measures grows, especially among grass roots activists. But privacy will not be an issue with the voters at-large this fall.
That is why it is possible that the Democrats will make gains. The Republicans may not raise any issues that will get grass roots conservatives to the polls. In 1994 these conservatives constituted 37 percent of the vote. In 2000, they constituted only 31 percent of the vote. If they drop another percentage or two, Republicans will lose, and could lose big.
We shall see if Democrats are smart enough to turn voter perception about the Republican-Big Business connection into an issue that resonates with the average voter. Thus far they have proved remarkably inept in their efforts to develop issues against President Bush. It could be they will miss what for them is a golden opportunity. However, if they get their act together, President Bush will be dealing with a Democrat Congress for the two years before he has to face the voters. If what has happened in the Senate this past year is any guide, the president will get nothing conservative through the Congress. He will only win if he compromises with the liberals. Then the Democrats will say he is a do nothing president.
Paul M. Weyrich is president of the Free Congress Foundation.
Au contraire, they mean a great deal, that is why when he goes back on these initial policy tacks under pressure from Sec.State Colin Powell and EPA Dir. Kristie Todd Whitman (GWB reversing course and addressing the 'threat of global warming' with all sorts of plans...rather than just a simple debunking of the farce.) You have to ask, is he so foolish as to not know he can't have it both ways, and have both constituencies? )
I have a teeny, tiny bit of sympathy for smaller countries (like New Zealand) who have no real power and see these treaties as protection or an opportunity to be counted on the world stage. That's not an excuse, just a slight understanding of their thinking.
Yet and still, he was one of this country's greatest Presidents.
My point proven right here!
Conservatives are told to B.O.H.I.C.A. for the moderate/lib Repubbies, but these same Moderat/Libs NEVER SUUPORT CONSERVATIVES or their agenda when Conservatives are in a majority!
They sell themselves to the DEMONRATS, and screw up Conservative measures and nominees.
SCREW THEM. For each jack-off moderate/squish Lib we lose, we can lure Conservative Southern Democrats across if we adhere to our PRINCIPLES!
Anyone notice since the (R)'s stopped being Conservative, the defections from the DemonRat party has stopped? And thaks to Jeffords, who was SHOVED DOWN CONSERVATIVE THROATS, we no longer control the Senate.
Do you think Chafee, Snow, et al will allow CONSERVATIVES a to be in control? Not a chance.
Let them die strangled out of Party $$$ and support...kill ANY measures that help their districts, strip ANY posts from them and actively RECRUIT CONSERVATIVES to oppose them.
Oh yeah...this is the (R) Party that screwed Schundler, is screwing Simon, Bob Dornan...the list goes on.
I agree with Reagan... "I didn't leave the Party, the Party left me!"
If you Bush-bots LIKE where it all is going and the pandering to the moderate/squish Libs...when the Prez is enjoying HIGH poll approval, and the Country is united in a Conservative Cause...defending the very SOUL of America...pander away.
You will lose in the end, and it will be up to real Consevatives and those of us who believe in a CONSTITUTIONAL Gov. that will be forced to pick up the pieces and restore the US to it's former glory.
I would like to see us play "big dog chained in the front yard" to some degree here (like the Taiwan situation for Example) while leaving ourselves free to dismiss troublemakers as such.
Thanks I missed that one. Somehow I have a bad feeling Cheney is continuing his tenure as a silent Sec of Def. If that's so let's see how well Rummy takes to it. Like you I can not understand the damage Cheney did as Sec of Def. One carrier building yard isn't good. He as well as Bush should be pounding fist to open at least another and get it tooled and trained. One terrorist strike in that area of our defense would put us at least a decade or likely further back in development. This is the yard that must refuel nukes as well possibly another can do that task I'm not certain.
The best defense is not the one you plan for the future but the one you currenty can use at any given time. Future plans and studies do not stop current enemies from attacking now. Plan sure by all means but never at the expense of current proven weapons and Naval systems.
Sununu Jr. is as conservative (or more so) as Smith, plus he doesn't have delusions that America would ever want him as president.
Trying to label Sununu a "terrorist" is beneath contempt, especially coming from a supporter of an opportunist like Bob Smith.
Post #8 dealt with Pubbies/conservatives abandoning President Bush. My response most assuredly dealt with that topic.
I don't see how your response could have addressed post #8 anymore directly.
You dismantled his entire premise of a so-called "profound dismay" with Bush by the "grassroots" which had therefore "given up on him, and the GOP."
As you accurately pointed out, the polls show the opposite..with Bush highest support among conservatives.
Excellent response.
Sure, we will load them down with all those stinky little fish and bill it to Joe Andrews.
The mental image of pranking the head of the UN.
3:00am:
"Brrrring!"
"Hello?"
"Is this Kofi Annan?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"Sir, this is an emergency.. Is your referigerator running?"
"Wait, let me check.."
You are mistaken if you think the country is "conservative." It is not. It is center-right. You can accept that reality, or pout, but there is no evidence that the voting populace is as conservative as it was 20 years ago.
I have yet to see a coherent case made otherwise...
Nor an explanation why the political brilliance of the "moderate" strategies of '92, '96, '98, and 2000 didn't produce better electoral results, from those who applaud such strategies.
Yet and still, he was one of this country's greatest Presidents.
Yes Roanld Reagan was a gift to this country, too bad that some the people who worked in his administration don't know a whit about politics and think they are know it alls.
A well known conservative and poster to FR(holdonnow) who worked in the Reagan administration went on a tirade one night and called me a little puke and basically said how dare conservatives question Reagan.
When I mentioned that the Reagan Justice Dept. didn't call the 2nd amendment an individual right he got defensive and basically said it was no big deal.
Like you stated before Reagan was one of this country's greatest Presidents, but that does not excuse the "excuse" of many of the Bush bashers, who knee jerkingly cite Ronald Reagan and who get mad when the facts are presented before them.
They use Ronald Reagan as a crutch, when Ronald Reagan himself, IMHO, would be looking disparingly at their knee jerk comments.
You have three guesses.
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