So far, the GOP is not giving conservatives reasons to vote on November 5th

Enter Stage Right ^ | July 15, 2002 | Paul M. Weyrich

[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.

[Paul Ross]

Wrongo, no dissension. Just a point of information about Rummy. And Rummy is not without his faults, although I am willing to overlook them in this context. I doubt we conservatives can be called the Knights of Nie. But YOU appear to be the Knight Good Sir Belvedere...who followed King Arther on his broom-stick horse everywhere with his cocunuts making the clapping sound. You prefer form over substance.(Visual required, Reg.)

[Itzlzha]

This from the Bush-bot who wants Sununu Jr. in NH over Smith, a real Conservative.

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

Oh, I HOPED you'd have the nerve to reply...

Care to read THIS?

The Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party

Posted by GOPcapitalist to Itzlzha

On News/Activism Jul 15 2:17 AM #68 of 74

You hit the nail on the head with Sununu. He funds his campaigns with money from Cynthia McKinney's pals, including her most notorious donor Abdurahman Alamoudi of the American Muslim Council.

Alamoudi is the guy who stated at a protest rally "I have been labeled by the media in New York as being a supporter of Hamas. Any supporters of Hamas here? [Cheers from protesters] Hear that, Bill Clinton? We are all supporters of Hamas ... I wish they added that I am also a supporter of Hezbollah."Here's what I discovered by accident while looking to see if Hillary & co. had recieved donations from Almoudi like McKinney (Hillary did along with the left of the left Democrats like Kennedy). Sununu recieved at least two checks from Alamoudi:
$500 on 9/21/1999
$250 on 5/9/2000

This discovery raised my curiosity so I made another comparison between Sununu's donors and the notorious Cynthia McKinney list. A brief glance over the two found another Democrat mohammedan activist linking the two, Abdulwahab Alkebsi. Alkebsi cut a $700 donation check to McKinney on September 11, 2001. A brief internet search for his name revealed an article in which he was quoted complaining about post 9/11 government raids on the assets of islamic groups with terrorist ties. Alkebsi's name appears next to a donation to Sununu's current campaign, $1000 on 3/7/2002

Go SEE for yourself...or would the TRUTH be too much for you to handle? These donations are EASILY confirmed...

This should be good....

[Dane]

Wrongo, no dissension. Just a point of information about Rummy. And Rummy is not without his faults, although I am willing to overlook them in this context. I doubt we conservatives can be called the Knights of Nie. But YOU appear to be the Knight Good Sir Belvedere...who followed King Arther on his broom-stick horse everywhere with his cocunuts making the clapping sound. You prefer form over substance.(Visual required, Reg.)

Form over substance, blah, blah, blah, same old same old from the unappeasables. I much prefer the form over substance, especially when the substance from the unappeaseable crowd only does it's magic when smoked from a bong and that substance ignores political reality.

[Sabertooth]

Didn't Reagan also grant amnesty to illegals?

Reagan's signature is definitely on that Amnesty that came out of Congress in '86. I supported it too, live and learn.

The result of that "one time" Amnesty is a far worse Illegal Alien situation than we he had before the Amnesty. We were promised better enforcement of our borders and that the FedGov would get serious about the problem. But neither Reagan, Bush41, Clinton, nor Bush43, have undertaken this responsibility seriously.

How about you, me, President Bush, and the rest of the GOP learn from the mistake of that Amnesty, and endeavor no to repeat it?

[Sabertooth]

Didn't Reagan also grant amnesty to illegals?

Reagan's signature is definitely on that Amnesty that came out of Congress in '86. I supported it too, live and learn.

The result of that "one time" Amnesty is a far worse Illegal Alien situation than we he had before the Amnesty. We were promised better enforcement of our borders and that the FedGov would get serious about the problem. But neither Reagan, Bush41, Clinton, nor Bush43, have undertaken this responsibility seriously.

How about you, me, President Bush, and the rest of the GOP learn from the mistake of that Amnesty, and endeavor no to repeat it?

[Itzlzha]

Pop Quiz: Who interprets the Constitution? Who is charged with this and who is the authority?

You have three guesses.

And when the (R)'s have control, what makes you think that Chafee, Snowe, and the other Liberal RINO'S aren't privy to whatever the info is that has been used to blackmail the (R)'s like Lott?

I seem to recall someone named David Souter...a GHWB appointee who votes with Ruth Bader (Meinhoff) Ginsburg like a lapdog! Care to tell me how this situation will change?

[BillyBoy]

>> That's right. If we conservatives hadn't supported Bush the Elder we wouldn't have that great conservative jurist David Souter on the bench now. <<

Actually, Bush would have probably nominated someone else if it weren't for John Sununu Sr. talking him into it. Souter had no track record and Bush was reluntant to pick him, but then advisor Souter (R-NH) heavily lobbied for his local guy and INSISTED he would be a "home run for conservatives". So Bush gave Souter the benefit of the doubt.

The lesson? Select Republicans who will insist on PROVEN conservative judicial nominees. This is probably a big reason why Sununu the Younger would never get my vote in the primary...although a bunch of freepers want to conviently ignore the family track record (and the fact that neither Sununu will admit they screwed up with Souter!)

[Poohbah]

Bob Smith takes money from PETA, aka Earth First!'s Sinn Fein group.

[Dane]

Oh sheesh, you have to post twice(replies #264 and #265) to get your precious kitty as a signature.

Oh well, nobody ever will ever argue that narcissists are rare on amongst purists.

[Torie]

Maybe Sununu doesn't know about these guys' background (the amount of money involved is hardly huge), or maybe he does and thinks that to quote Ronald Reagan, they are endorsing his views, he not theirs. To suggest otherwise is McCarthyite quilt by association. If you have something in Sununu's actual background that demonstrates that he is an apologist for unacceptable Muslim positions (foreign or domestic), why don't you just go ahead and elucidate those? Smearing Sununu because he is of Arab ancestry, and took a few bucks from some Arabs simply won't cut it.

Having said that, if it is brought to Sununu's attention about what this said about Hamas, it would certainly be smart politics for him to return the money, and I hope that he would. None of that changes the reality however that Smith's carreer is a dead man walking. He has got to be one of the dumbest members of the Senate. Maybe not as dumb as Akaka or Murray, but close.

[Temple Owl]

Let me ask you this. Who would be the candidate or candidates for whom you would vote?

[Jhoffa_]

My point is that this "party unity" is important in November.

The best place to start putting our Constitutional Government back togeather again is in the judiciary, specifically the SC.

I am not too sure I have allot of faith in either the senate or Dubya in this regard either, but otherwise we are surely screwed.

All daschle will have to do if we lose is continue his patented "aw-shucks" foot draging routine till 2004.

[Temple Owl]

I think I get it. You would prefer Bill and Hillary. Is that right? Or who would be your ideal candidate?

[Paul Ross]

So you prefer to run around looking like you're Chong, from Cheech & Chong? Figures.

[Sabertooth]

As you know, I don't. I intend to vote for Gov. Davis. That will sure punish Bush for being such a RINO. Don't mess with ole Torie; he's quick to lash out.

Yeah, you're a tough old codger.

I remember you saying this, but I forget your rationale for voting for Davis.

[rdb3]

Got it.

Hey! Don't forget the kitty-kat again! ;-)

One more thing. I'm not a member of the GOP. I'll vote for a Pub over a Dem any day of any week. I'm registered as an Independent (although I'm radically "conservative"). In fact, I refer to myself as a post-conservative. If I truly laid out my political thoughts for all to see, you'd all swear that I was totally nutz.

[PhilDragoo]

And can we send a bunch of pizzas to Kofi's house?

Kofi's security team carries H & K MP-5's, though denied by the BATF when applied for. How can this be?

After Bush removes us from Kyoto, ICC and Bosnia, there is a complex on the East River needing fumigation before selling to Donald Trump for one dollar.

More cowboys, fewer diplofairy fascists.

[MissAmericanPie]

The big thing for me, that makes me a "Bush Basher" is their expectation that I will stay in line, because I have no place else to go, while a desperate attempt is being made by the Repubs to replace my conservative vote with three socialist votes. No thanks, I won't play their game, no one with any common sense or self respect would, I'll write in a conservative.

[Jhoffa_]

The big thing for me, that makes me a "Bush Basher" is their expectation that I will stay in line, because I have no place else to go ..

We don't..

I am not Dubyas biggest fan either, BELIEVE ME. But, we really have no where else to go in November.

What else is there to do?

[Sabertooth]

Hey! Don't forget the kitty-kat again! ;-)

Sorry, I wasn't trying to dis you.