Well, that depends.
I remember my elementary and middle school principals. They were morons. My high school principal was great!
Posted on 05/03/2005 12:48:03 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
White House political operative Karl Rove told a Republican rally in Ohio Monday that Democrats faded from national power because the GOP has claimed the "mantle of idealism" over the past 40 years.
"It has been a remarkable rise," Rove said, "but it also is a cautionary tale about what can happen to a dominant political party when its thinking becomes ossified."
He said the GOP was nearly dead in 1964, after Democrat Lyndon Johnson crushed Barry Goldwater. He predicted it could be on the cusp of a political realignment that will leave it in power for a generation.
Rove, the architect of President George Bush's victory over Sen. John Kerry, was in some of Ohio's most conservative precincts as he addressed the Butler County GOP's annual Lincoln Day Dinner. The Southwest Ohio county gave Bush a nearly 53,000-vote plurality, his largest in the state, and close to half his margin of victory.
Smack between Dayton and Cincinnati, Butler County is among the state's fastest growing and represents the kind of territory that Rove likes to plumb for votes. He runs campaigns focused on suburban voters, a skill he honed in 1980s Texas politics, where once the Democrats had the upper hand.
U.S. Rep. John Boehner, the area's Re publican con gressman, said that Rove and Bush go back 30 years and that Rove is perhaps Bush's closest confidant.
"Karl Rove will always be sitting there on the president's right," Boehner said.
Rove told the 700 Republicans at the dinner that the Kerry campaign never had a chance in Ohio because the GOP had a huge grass-roots effort that was largely invisible but still potent across the state.
"Election night, they thought they were going to win," Rove said of the Kerry forces. "And they thought they were going to win because they thought they had us beat in Ohio."
Rove's blueprint for winning elections still emphasizes traditional values, education, low taxes and a word he stressed Monday - compassion.
"We defend time-tested values," Rove said, adding that the Republican Party is determined to reform and update 20th century programs such as Social Security that will be confronted by demographic upheavals in the decades ahead.
"We're shaping history," he said.
(steely)
Is power more important than principals?
Some of them seem to think so. :^)
Well, that depends.
I remember my elementary and middle school principals. They were morons. My high school principal was great!
"We're shaping history," he said. That's debatable, but time will tell!
"We're shaping history," he said.
I pray that this is true.
Rove’s idea of compassion. Insofar as they drive down wages to the pleasure of cheap labor business interests.
Yes it has. Although it has quickly turned it into the mantle of the biggest pork barrel spending of all time. Just as the dems were shocked at their sudden loss of power, so will the GOP be shocked. Only I don't think it will take 40 years for it to happen. The GOP needs to remember what put it into office, and put down the Cuban cigars and start cutting government.
Rove is smoking crack.
Fiscal policy is shot, Republicans spend like drunken sailors.
The Judiciary is out of control, completely. And nothing is being done.
Mexican illegals break our laws with impunity.
There is no energy policy(ANWR, MORE refinerys.)
Bush might be a Republican, but he is no conservative, he's socialist light, and that is crystal clear now.
All it is going to take is a conservative, a real one, to come along and split the republican vote ala Perot. Then we are in for socialist scum being in control again.
Dissilussionment is setting in, and the republicans better wake up and take notice.
Rove, the architect of President George Bush's victory over Sen. John Kerry,
The arrogance of these morons...The swift-boat vets, Free Republic and John Kerry gave the win to Bush...And, George got a lot of Christian votes because he's a Christian...
I'd rather change that to Conservatives will hold power for many years.
This is partially true. No one wishes to identify with the obstructionist Party of "NO" that tells us we cannot do anything but burrow under ground and wait either for the end or the day Hillary is in the W.H. to rescue us from ourselves.
It isn't the only reason for victory. Legislative wins, Democrat scandals, WOT, mockery of the traditional values held by the traditional Democrat Block (blue Collars, catholics, minorities etc.) in cojunction with new media and a strong motivated grasroots have all played a role.
"It has been a remarkable rise," Rove said, "but it also is a cautionary tale about what can happen to a dominant political party when its thinking becomes ossified."
I hope he is relating this wisdom to certain Senators that think the stats quo will protect their power, rather than being bold by acting on the ideas they used to win election.
Rove told the 700 Republicans at the dinner that the Kerry campaign never had a chance in Ohio because the GOP had a huge grass-roots effort that was largely invisible but still potent across the state.
This is true. They bought their workers and assumed bused in rallies representated the end result. They failed to take into account that the large numbers in support of Bush were neither bribed, bused in, or pressured by unions.
"We defend time-tested values," Rove said, adding that the Republican Party is determined to reform and update 20th century programs such as Social Security that will be confronted by demographic upheavals in the decades ahead.
Bush may be deteremined, but I'm not entirely convinced everyone in the Republican is as committed.
Absolutely. This Administration proves it. How I now long for the days of divided government.
These are Principals:
If the administration wants to get things done with the help of the people who got him elected by volunteering, they should realign their priorities to match the base.
1. BORDERS: No lip service, FIX THE PROBLEM. Time to choose, Mr President - US or THEM. We've answered your call to choose sides, now we expect the same from you.
2. IRS: Enact something along the lines of the FAIR TAX, and get rid of the IRS. April 15th was just here, so the political will to do something about that 800 pound leper gorilla is out here. Collecting taxes should be transparent and as painless as possible. The current method is neither. It is more like being gang raped for six months of the year, without any thanks. Our Founding Fathers would've revolted years ago at just a fraction of this level of taxation.
3. UN: GET THE US OUT!!! If this one needs explanation, I give up. Just mention the UN, and we get that soiled sort of feeling that we get whenever someone uses the word Clinton.
If even two of these three things happen during this second term, Social Security will be a non-issue. The economy will skyrocket just by taking the IRS's chains from us. Unemployment will drop to near zero by getting the illegals out, wages will increase, and nearly every statistic there is will improve.
Ignore any of these three items, and the GOP is done. We don't expect to see definite results on all three, but the border issue is non-negotiable. Without fixing that, you can count yourself as the last GOP President. We the people will fix it for ourselves, with all incumbents paying the price.
Other than the crimaliens, who's going to vote for them?
In the previous elections I supported Bush and the Swift Boat Vets to the max with donations. I am receiving phone calls and letters from the Republicans almost every day asking for donations. I respond to both with, When you show me you are serious about fixing the illegal immigrant problem, then the money will start flowing again.
“Keep” it?!? And do exactly...what?
Memo to Rove, Bush, Frist, etal.: Power not used is power lost!
Now, after all of that, we turn around and whine about what powerless little victims we are of the big bad people in the house and senate. What?
We disparage the other side for not being patient and seeing the bigger picture when it comes to the Iraq war. What, may I ask, is the difference with the way we are treating or our own team right now?
They need us to back them up. We need to get ourselves out of the big comfy chair, talk to our friends and neighbors who are wavering, and help these guys tackle one thing at a time. Bolton, judges and social security.
If anyone, anyone ever calls my house asking me how I think the president and republicans in congress are doing, I'm going to tell them great, fine, terrific, couldn't be better. Put that in your poll and smoke it.
Why? Because even though I heartily disagree with the current approach to border control and even though I think we're spending like a college kid with his first credit card, I realize I contribute to that, for better or worse. (I want our highway fixed, doggonit) Anytime the press quotes sinking poll ratings for Congress, or the President, the assumption is because "he is getting way, way too conservative."
We know, of course, that much of the ratings drop is that conservatives aren't happy. But it will never be presented that way, because, well because even good journalists are completely clueless about that. They just don't see that part.
We have to work on is realigning this country to create a "new middle" that is on the conservative side of the line. Then we can continue to work towards the right. But we have to provide backup to those—even the RINOs—to keep things headed in our direction. Before the RINOs can go, we have to convince the people in those districts that this is the way they want to go. Win from the ground up. Always from the ground up.
Kvetching our lives away is only going to keep it from happening. We'll hand the whole platter back to the other team, sad and confused, because the we the people got mad, stomped off the field and didn't block for our QB. And that would be the most shameful kind of loss.
/rant
All good points. I concur.
AND especially LIP SERVICE.
Remarks like that often come back to haunt the speaker. Hopefully these won't be filed under the category "famous last words."
I just get kind of antsy when someone says something like this. It smacks of hubris.
I suppose that means you intend to run.
Good post. I agree.
GOOD!
I don't know where Rove is getting his arrogance, but the way I feel now, I may just not vote the next 2 times. That would be Hastert and whoever runs for Pres in '08.
Talk about disillusion...
You said it all, Stopislamnow.
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