Conservative New Hampshire citizens (like my wife and I) moved away a LONG time ago...his neighbors are now former residents of Massachusetts.
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.
Conservative New Hampshire citizens (like my wife and I) moved away a LONG time ago...his neighbors are now former residents of Massachusetts.
The pressure is coming from anti-conservative Karl Rove. I believe he is drawing a paycheck from the DNC.
I'll be voting Bryant in the primary...I can't hold my nose to vote for Lamar! in the general if he defeats Bryant.
I'm sure the Sununu campaign is staying awake nights, quivering over your "evidence."
Oh, BTW...I notice you conveniently ignored my factual data on his $$$ from the same folks that Cynthia McKinney relies on...Wassa matter...no fight left in ya?
I have no idea if your "factual data" is factual, as you are the only source I've seen report this. In any case, this is your problem. As a Texan, I'm thankfully over a thousand miles from your little berg of a state.
Probably not now latter in a few years? Yes or a likeness thereof. I hear numbers mentioned in political threads so often. Funny it only took 55 persons to shake off the tyranny of the crown. As a matter of fact many of the Sheeple were more than willing to remain under the crowns rule. It doesn't take a majority of either party to change this nations direction it takes just a few willing to stand up for right over wrong and not give in. You will not find men or women of such stature in RINO stock.
The great Republican Big Tent experiment failed. It abandoned it's base and a price has been paid in a loss of the senate and possibly the house next. Like I've said if not for Bill Clinton's scandle Gore would have won by a landslide simply because the GOP is not offering the long standing vast difference in policy it once did. Instead it's offering a watered down version of the Democratic Party platform which angers the Conservatives, pleases the DEMs and gives Dems yet more room to move even further left. Do you think the Dems are mad about this? They love it. The media pushes canidate moderate as does the RNC and conservatives are shut out. It's a win win for the DEMs.
The party loyal sheeple on both sides follow the leaders call without questioning the direction the leader is taking them. The conservatives will not have a voice because the GOP is too busy media approval chasing rather than standing it's ground. Do what is right first not expedient and the problems will take care of themselves.
Self respect.
Don't get me wrong, I like Texas (except Lubbock...another story)...but don't bad-mouth my home when ya gots troubles of your own!
Besides, we vote first!
I can give you three good reasons for voting GOP.
1). National security
2). Just look at the fine mess Californians find themselves entrenched in from a liberal democrat govenor, a liberal democrat majority state senate, and a liberal democrat majority state assembly.
3). No more frankly, quite malicious and counterproductive to our nation's prosperity, livelihood and growth, democrat harum scarum tactics which include politics of personal destruction, obstruction, blatant demagoguery, used only and primarily to keep their ample democrat elitist behinds in office so that they can focus solely on their own financial security.
Same here. Bryant was done dirty by both the RNC and the White House as well. I think Bryant would be the best one for the job and history says Alexander stands little if any chance of being elected senator. Not even Frank Clements father of Bob Clements could pull off that one after serving as our governor.
There is no way to destroy the Democratic party without first destroying their protectors, the Republican party. Voting third party or not voting at all will not achieve this nearly as fast as simply voting in as many stupid, liberal democrats as possible.
Well, I don't know about my fellow unappeasables, but that little speech sure won my heart and mind....NOT.
If you want to see dumb, look in the mirror. The "dumbest of the dumb" are the people who gave your moribund party two back to back landslides for Reagan after the sorry, worthless GOP had inflicted Nixon on us and doomed us to Carter's treason.
We then gave the GOP majorities in both houses of Congress, which your idiotic northeastern leadership has frittered away in every election since, after thwarting the new conservatives we elected at every turn. We also have you boys to thank for both terms of Clinton because of the sorry, liberal candidates you offered, though you insist it's our fault for not voting for them. If that isn't dumb, then nothing is.
That arrogant, "get lost you losers" attitude is going to send your party back to minority status. Enjoy democrat rule, boy. You're working your butt off to make it happen.
So that the republicans can succeed with the democrat's agenda? No sale. sorry.
It isn't necessary to try to address rdb3 in Ebonics. He speaks English just fine, you know.
That's the funniest thing you've posted in a week, Malcolm. A warning, though: huffing that much glue can't be good for you.
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