Winds Of Political Change Beginning To Favor Republicans

Real Clear Politics (originally in USA Today) ^ | 8/28/06 | Michael Barone

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"I have a bad feeling that some terrorist attack or some other extraneous thing will motivate them before election day."
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It certainly would change perceptions.

Honestly, what does the conservative base have to get excited about? I think we are on the right track in the middle east and the WOT, but other than that nothing really substantive has been accomplished in six years.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

If Chicago got homicides below 600 in 2003 for the first time since 1967, anything's possible.

(There were only 599.)

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"My point is, the only people who've said they may not vote for the Republicans this year are hardcore conservatives who see the R's as moving left. I haven't read similar thoughts about RINOs voting for Dems, or at least no more than usual."
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It sounds like we are on the same page. I think the PUBS have misjudged their base. The area where I see real resolve is on the WOT and even there we have Rino's who can wait to equivocate. Careerism has creeped into the conservative movement and it will be the undoing of the Pubs.

[napscoordinator]

If we have a terrorist attack, the Republicans lose for sure. There is no way this can happen. Please don't even think it. It would be the worst possible scenario. The Republicans would be blamed by everyone even conservatives. It would be just plain awful. It would be the end of Republicans for the next two years for sure.

[napscoordinator]

Iraq has calmed down there are less US soldiers dying that is why the media now reports the number of so-called civilian deaths

Spoke too soon...9 died today.

[edzo4]

and 5 people were killed in New orleans yesterday.

the point remains the same there are less soldiers dying, but the lamestream media is still going to hype everyone of them its an election year.

[LS]

Um, judges.

"Oh, of course, judges, but other than that, what do we have to get excited about?"

Then there were the tax cuts. Don't forget the tax cuts.

"Granted, tax cuts, but aside from judges and tax cuts, what else have the Republicans done?"

Ah, Partial Birth Abortion ban?

"Fine, but besides PBA, judges, and tax cuts what was there?"

No Kyoto.

"Ok, ok, no Kyoto, plus PBA, judges, and tax cuts . . . ."

Monty Python nailed this attitude years ago.

While the Republicans have disappointed in several ways, don't kid yourself for one MINUTE that they haven't done important things in the last six years.

[napscoordinator]

Your right. I was not doubting that just mentioning the coincident. I am on the side of war on terror that will win. I am in the military and was surprised that we had 9 soldiers die in one day was all I was trying to say.

[Rawlings]

The GOP has not been the party of leadership we were expecting. I admit that. BUT THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE. A no vote is a vote for the Rats. Maybe nothing magical has happened in Congress, but nothing disasterous has happened in the Congress either. A Democratic congress spells disaster. The way to get things going the way you want is to work within the primary process. That's exactly what the Club For Growth is doing. That's the American way and it's the way we get conservative leadership. Also don't forget that we are a Big Tent party. We have to be okay with squishy GOPers like Arlen Spector because they win the states that hard-core conservatives cannot. And finally, the only issue on the table this year is national security. On that we've got solid votes from every Pub save Chaffee. I'm a major socon who wants to see major spending cuts. Notice how the deficit is finally going down after conservatives made their voices heard. Remember the whole Harriet Miers debacle? Conservatives won that too. They didn't, however, win it by staying home and lettin the Rats win.

[kcbc2001]

MI Republicans are-and have been-on the offensive! MI is a conservative state-even if it blue. It's not like CA or ME. Stab-me-now is horrible on terror and immigration. I really can't see her winning in this climate-especially with a Republican who's a sheriff and knows what "illegal" means.

I'm glad to hear that others are optimistic about GOP fortunes elsewhere. It would really be horrible to finally get a GOP Senator and he'd be the minority party. And Carl Levin (yuck!) would be in the majority party. (Just thinking about it creeps me out!)

[LS]

I disagree. 1) everyone expects it to happen, and is actually surprised that it hasn't; and 2) to the degree that it ever does happen, people will turn on the Rats like you've never seen before. They will look like the Federalists in 1816 after opposing the War of 1812.

[napscoordinator]

Wow! That is great to hear. I would never have thought that. I am glad though.

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"Um, judges."

You've fallen for the hype. It looks like we've fought to a standoff on the SCOTUS, but at the appellate level there's a lot of openings and holds on good conservative judges. BTW, the holds are not just from the liberals, but also from so called conservatives like Lindsey Graham.
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"Then there were the tax cuts. Don't forget the tax cuts."

These tax cuts are temporary.
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" Ah, Partial Birth Abortion ban?"

Have all third trimester abortions been stopped? No, just one procedure. Also, RU-486 is legal without a prescp. now.
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"While the Republicans have disappointed in several ways, don't kid yourself for one MINUTE that they haven't done important things in the last six years."

I try to be objective in my analysis and I don't see a whole heck of alot that's been accomplished that is of a permanent nature. The WOT, middle east policy is epic in how it can transform the world, but even the PUBS seem to be wavering on seeing it thru.

[LS]

Sorry, I find your qualifications lame, at best. In the federal government, anything "temporary" usually ends up permanent. And for years, all I heard was "ban PBA." Ok, that's done and now it's "no big deal?" BS.

This is a chronic, anorexic-like, glass-half-empty person in whose eyesight the glass never fills up no matter how much water you pour in.

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"This is a chronic, anorexic-like, glass-half-empty person in whose eyesight the glass never fills up no matter how much water you pour in."
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Well since its degenerated into the typical "you don't agree with me so your bad" argument there's no point in going any further.