[RKBA Democrat]

I respectfully disagree with you. The reason why conservatives lost this election, and why they haven't actually won a national election since at least 1994 or perhaps as far back as 1984 is actually quite simple. Conservative leaders haven been unable to consistenly articulate a positive vision for a conservative future.

I think you can distill the conservative message for the 2006 election into one sentence: "vote for Republicans or your family will die." While conservatives may be able to argue that this is true, it isn't a positive message for the future that is going to get people excited about voting for conservatives.

What really set Ronaldus Maximus apart from other conservatives in my view was his ability to articulate a positive vision for a conservative future. He was able to communicate that vision and make other people want to be a part of it. In the 26 years since President Reagan was elected to the Presidency, the conservative message has evolved from the shining city on the hill, to vote for Republicans or your family dies.

Is it any wonder that the electorate is tuning conservatives out?

Oh, and it sure doesn't help when the individuals who are elected to office as so-called "conservatives" act like FDR leftists on a spending binge. For once, I think that the exit polls were actually accurate in their assessment of what voters were really concerned about. I suggest reading those with an open mind.

The electorate is a whole lot smarter than they're given credit for.

[chasio649]

He was able to communicate that vision and make other people want to be a part of it

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Communicating well is not this administration's strong point....just another chink in the armor.

[hoosierham]

I agree.

President Bush has had great difficulty getting his mesage to the people or even that he has a message.He has also tried to play nice,too nice, with those who attack him and his policies.

He and the Republican leaders acted like it was their turn to spend ,spend,spend and the public does vaguely understand deficits cannot go higher without negative consequences.


Look for a lot of "tax the rich" proposals next spring.

[uncbob]

Conservative leaders haven been unable to consistenly articulate a positive vision for a conservative future.

Nah it is the stupid damn voters who know NOTHING how the goverment works

Best communicator we had in ages was Reagan and he couldn't get a GOP controlled congress while winning TWO landslides

[grids]

The electorate is a whole lot smarter than they're given credit for.

I respectfully but wholemindedly disagree. If the electorate had replaced the Republicans as majority with, say Libertarians, or Rastafarians, or Nefarians, maybe you could make that claim. But to replace Republicans with the only party who's demonstrated time and again that they govern even more poorly is the sine quo non of stupidity. Does anyone think that the Democrats will pull us out of Iraq cleanly, when they voted to give the President authorization to commit war, and when they overwhelmingly voted NOT to create a timetable for withdrawal in the House? I'm not arguing for withdrawal, but if this election were about replacing corruption with a wholesome, moral people, or about replacing the Party of War with the Party of Withdrawal, then the electorate most certainly got it wrong, and are stupid.

[Sam Hill]

"The electorate is a whole lot smarter than they're given credit for."

Yeah, you must be right.

These "smart" voters threw out the GOP because of their high-spending.

And replaced them with... Democrats.

LOL!

This thread, like the hundreds of others like it on FR are even more depressing than the election results.

Everybody has saddled up their hobby horses for delusions on parade.