[sixmil]

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. The time to steer your party is not election time. By then it is too late, and you are forced to vote RINO, assuming you still believe your vote counts. The reason why RINOs, like liberals, seem to always be calling the shots is simply because they are more politically active. Those of us in caucus states have no excuse for being politically apathetic. Those in primary states will have a harder time breaking into the machine, but you have to get in and put your issues and candidates into the party platform before the primaries. Political activism/participation is something that has to happen year around. When you get mail from the party, take them up on their offer and go to the meetings and run for office. There you will be able to steer things and come election time you will not be forced to vote for the RINO to spite the socialist. Also, you have to remember that there has never been a successful 3rd party in this country. New parties are always spawned from existing parties, so save yourself some trouble fighting history and work the existing party.

[sixmil]

One more thing. I have nothing against 3rd parties, it's just that they have no viability in elections without run-offs. Until this is implemented in every state and at the national level, we are stuck with the 2 party system. For national elections at least, that would require a constitutional amendment, which is a pretty tough hill to climb.

[Red Jones]

When the republican party first started it was a 3'rd party. They became the dominant party within 10 years of being founding. The party was founded of course become some religiously motivated ideologues had a single issue that they cared deeply about and saw that their views were rejected by the other two parties. Their party succeeded because the elite among the journalists and the business class was sympathetic to them.

Ross Perot's efforts in 1992 were very impressive in my view. He got of to such a good start the first few weeks of his campaign. That shows how terribly dissatisfied people are with the two main parties. Perot actually was leading in some polls in august 92 when he self-destructed. It was all downhill from there.

In america we presume that everything is above board, that our democracy determines our government, etc. That is a pretty foolish assumption IMHO. Lots of republican voters were defecting to Perot that summer of 92. Then in August Perot attacked republicans in general in a very irrational and unreasonable way. He said 'Republicans' were trying to destroy his daughter's wedding, that they were spying on him, etc. It is reasonable to ask 'what made him do that?'. Is perot really that kooky? A man who is so skilled in business we would not think would do something so stupid. Yet he did. We should ask if he was influenced against his will by covert means.

[B. A. Conservative]

"The time to steer your party is not election time. New parties are always spawned from existing parties,"

I have no intention of trying to establish a third party. This is about reforming the Republican party. As to the timing, the number of Americans willing and able to devote year-around efforts to politics is extraordinarily small. Most Americans can only devote very limited time to politics and that time is focused at elections. In truth, I suspect that is true for the politicians themselves, but not in the same fashion. Politicians almost never decline a chance to meet or impress voters, but the only time politicians really care what the electorate is thinking is in the period immediately prior to elections.

Even if my impressions are not true for others, they do reflect my own efforts. I can't spend hours a day trying to influence the electorate when most will not be thinking, reacting or reading my thoughts on how to reform the Republican party in order to restore Constitutional law. I am willing to devote more time and effort around elections, because that is when I think I can influence more voters. Change occurs at the margin first. I would like, but don't expect to change the hearts or minds of "moderate", "liberal", or even many "main-stream" Republicans determined to vote the straight party ticket. But I hope to convince the genuine conservative Republicans who know the Constitution must be restored and quickly or it will be impossible to prevent the impending financial collapse of US credit or US currency or both. Going back to the revolution, information appearing now says that only about a third of the colonialists were committed to the revolution and self-government. I don't think I need to get anywhere near a third of Republicans to change the direction of the party. If members of the religious right and/or any significant portion of genuine conservatives realize the urgency of the problem, the clamor for the Contract with Congress in the 2004 election may only come from 5-10% of traditionally Republican voters, but it may be a deafening roar in the ears of Republican candidates.

I hope members of FreeRepublic will remember this post in the period leading up to the campaign in 2004. We have less than five elections to turn this aircraft carrier around. Those Freepers who believe the future of the United States is unlimited in time and that their grandchildren will still be fighting Democrats while they are collecting their Social Security checks and wondering if their great-great grandchildren will keep making the Medicare payments on their payroll deductions, need to think ahead only a decade. We are going to save or lose the battle for freedom and save or lose the United States as a Constitutional republic in the next ten years. Its win soon or start making your plans on how to start over. 1789 is less than 15 years away, but we won't be rich colonists with oodles of real money; we will be a hugely divided montage of largely disillusioned unbelieving angry mobs who can't believe that our money won't buy anything. Retirement plan, working class, jobs, self-determination and a host of other concepts will take on completely new meanings. It never ceases to amaze me how much faith Americans of today seem to be putting in governments of all levels to accomplish or do things. By 2016, there will be zero faith in any government and most will have ceased functioning in virtually any capacity. When people don't get paid in something they can spend, save or trade, they cease "working" or showing up at their employers' place of business.

I don't have to change the minds of the lemmings, only the minds of the people willing to analyze the future for themselves and to think about the consequences of what they see. If there are 5-10% of Republicans who are genuine conservatives, and I can capture their attention long enough to get them to think through the next 15 years of the future, and then think about how to change the course we are on; I think we will have the proverbial snow ball's chance. Right now, the United States doesn't.