Posted on 11/09/2002 5:46:45 PM PST by stainlessbanner
IMHO, the Democratic Party is SO decimated and rudderless that we could just sit and twiddle our thumbs until at least 2006 without having to worry in the least. But I certainly hope we don't.
It's the party of just about everybody except blacks, homosexuals, government workers, lawyers and establishment journalist. And the blacks are leaving.
Being ready will not be sufficient. We need to take the initiative now to cement our lead, or it will be short lived.
The GOP today is the party of, where the most freedom loving people are.
You might want to rethink that....
Pentagon Plans a Computer System That Would Peek at Personal Data of Americans
You might want to rethink that.... "Pentagon Plans a Computer System That Would Peek at Personal Data of Americans"
Freedom is truth. Freedom is thinking for ones self and not being told what to think.
The article you quote and link above leaves a lot of the above qualities of freedom -- to be desired.
Wow...how myopic. Oh how I wish they would try it!
I believe that Racicot hit the nail on the head with these comments. They are the defining principle that should move us forward from here.
I have not been as big a fan of Bush as others have been. There are many things I like about the man. I have not been particularly impressed with his defense or promotion of conservatism. That being said, his actions have brought us to this point. And whether I disagree with some of Bush's actions or not, he is to be congratulated for what has brought us to this point. I believe he and his team have accomplished this. So I salute them for their efforts and the success they have achieved.
As I've already stated, my main gripe with Bush has been that I didn't sense that he was defending or promoting conservative issues to the degree I wished he would. Some of you have have stated that Bush did what he did to get us to this point. And at this point I must concede that those who share my views didn't get us here. The Democrats didn't get us here (although I'd say they helped by their stupidity). George Bush and his team got us here. I can't come at this from an "I'm always right" position. I come at it from a position of suggesting what I feel is an important avenue for Bush and the Republican leadership to consider.
If the proponents of Bush have been right to this point, fearing to promote certain issues due to the alienation they might inspire, Bush will have to craft carefully sellected goals that see former and current Democrat supporters swung to our side in perpetuity. They must come to the conclusion that the Republican party cares more about their future than the Democrats do. In certain ways, I think certain minorities are beginning to feel this way already. Now that Bush is in the driver's seat with the House and the Senate behind him, it's time for him to capitalize on such endeavors.
When inner city students were given vouchers, Black groups viewed those favorably. These vouchers allowed their children to recieve the best possible education. It was government actually doing something for them, not just some political party pandering to them. In this same manner I think Bush could reach out to Blacks and other minority groups by promoting enterprise zones that would seen private business solve the inner city problems that have plagued miniorities for decades.
When Blacks and other minorities realized what successful businesses could mean to their communities, they'd recognize Democrats for the idiots they are when they slam big business. Republicans need to participate in more self-promotion along these lines. They need to clearly define the idea that they understand that people find it more fulfilling to receive a paycheck for services rendered, than for not being able to find work. To the degree possible the Republicans need to reach out to Black leaders and incorporate ideas that will see their communities advanced. To the degree possible, the Republicans should invite people from these communities to take leadership roles and help implement reasonable ideas to promote pride in their communities. This way the government doesn't have to police these areas to try to get them cleaned up. Local community members would develop their own policies to clean them up and keep them that way.
This is only one idea to help minorities by moving them away from government support. Others are out there. We should find them and implement fixes. The goal is to impress the minorities that we want a better life for them, while ultimately moving them away from direct government support. I believe this is possible.
Folks, we have two years to turn back the clock on socialism in ways that will accomplish three goals. 1. We must promote ideas that will clearly improve people's lives. 2. We must move government out of as many different areas of people's lives as possible. 3. We must gain converts that will support our efforts.
By proposing ideas that will improve people's lives, we can move government away from supporting them. And when their lives are improved, real results are realized, they will support us.
There is fear that Social Security will be weakened by Republicans. Republicans need to explain why Social Security must be changed. They need to explain that it will go broke if it isn't fixed. They need to explain that SS does not provide the type of retirement that people deserve. They need to propose a fix that hits even the dumbest of people right between the eyes, with it's clarity. The ultimate goal would be that the government would sooner or later withdraw completely from providing for people's retirement. They would reach a level of self-sustainment all on their own.
Medicare should be a part of this fix. Part of people's Medicare payments should be diverted to the new retirement accounts that would ultimately replace Social Security. In time the retirement funds would reach $10,000. Once a person's retirement account had that much in it, they could opt to self-insure themselves with an insurance policy with a $10,000 deductable. With government urging, the Insurance industry could develop some comprehensive self-insurance plans that would see reasonable health insurance within reach of most people. I would even venture to say that if government actually seeded the first $10,000 to these accounts, in the long run it would save a ton of money, because people on the tail end of life would be weened off Medicare with self-insurance.
I don't care what the exact plans look like that replace SS and Medicare, as long as they provide what people need and move government out of the servicing of these two functions. Private industry and personal responsibility should be the operative ideals.
Move people off the dole and into productive jobs via enterprise zones. Move people off SS and Medicare via their own payroll deductions. Provide a higher quality of life with less government involvement. This pulls the legs out from under those who would use government services as an excuse to support big-government. Once that happens, the Democrats have no base.
We have two years in which to implement plans that will evaporate the Democrat's core support groups. We introduce plans that will put people's well being into their own hands. We prove that we do care for them. We prove that they can be more successful under plans advocated by the right. We advocate smaller government and more power to the individual. We stress freedom and upward mobility for everyone.
We have an opportunity here. It will be interesting to see what we do with it. Will our majority end in two years, or will we take steps to ensure that conservatism is so deeply entrenched, that liberalism can only die a long-overdue death?
The electorate generally likes a mixed party government, which means that the president may lose in '04, unless we don't sit on our laurels.
The Democrats won't go away. And they still have control of the unions, including the unions of nearly all educational facilities.
I think there will be a split more and more between the gay men and the lesbians. The gay men I have observed who have steady partners also seem to be property owners, often owing rental property in addition to a home. In these situations, fiscal conservatism becomes a priority. The lesbians don't seem to be able to achieve much in the way of property ownership.
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