[Iam1ru1-2]

"This behavior created a generalized, overriding sense among voters that many Republicans had simply abandoned the conservative principles that they were elected to implement."

Take note John McCain!!!

[Spirochete]

Opportunity knocks. Will Republicans get the message?

Well, they were on message 12 years back. It took about 80 days to lose it once elected.

[WashingtonSource]

I am "cheered up" that voters elected people claiming to be conservatives. But, I am depressed that this was simple a ploy concocted by two rabid Communists -- Shmucky Chuck Schumer and Lewinsky wannabe Rahm Emmanuel. They are going to use these "fronts" to push their radical agenda and, most importantly, thwart the mergence of a conservative Supreme Court.

[buffyt]

I agree 100%!

[JamesP81]

Nail on head. Those that think we should nominate John McCain or Rudolph Guiliani for president in 08 need to read this. We need a real conservative running for the whitehouse, not either of these two who play conservatives on TV.

[MaineVoter2002]

This is the best time to join http://www.gopteamleader.com (it's free) and get other conservatives to join. We only have less than 2 years to sign up new conservative voters. The GOP especially needs to target the younger and minority conservatives.

[NEPA]

And in Pennsylvania, Navy veteran and Democrat challenger Chris Carney stressed his Navy experience and committed to "winning" in Iraq, leading Richard Perle to support him.

Actually Carney's main message was that the R incumbent Sherwood had an affair. At least 75% of his commercials harped on it.

[Iam1ru1-2]

It seems that even though the demonrats have taken over the majority of Congress, we have a more conservative Congress NOW than we had BEFORE because the demonrats decided to put forward more conservative candidates this time. How ironic that while the GOP stood pat with their lying, cheating, immoral, big spending candidates to run again, the demonrats chose a more moderate to conservative candidates to run against them. AND GUESS WHO WON? There was not a single turnover in Congress of any democrat to republican, just the other way around. This should send a very powerful message to the RNC that they need to get back to basics when choosing which candidates they will back among those candidates who are running for office.

[backtothestreets]

"the American people didn't quit on the Contract with America, we did"

No truer statement on the election results were ever spoken. The displeasure with the Republican Party abandoning conservative principle has been aired loudly for years, and it was likely aired most loudly on FreeRepublic, a conservative forum.

Note to the Republican Party: You should have been spending more time visiting FreeRepublic. You would have seen your base eroding and learned ways to keep it intact.

[PatrickF4]

Senator Coburn is on the money:

"Civility does not mean an absence of conflict, but a return of honor and dignity in our politics. The great debates in American history like the Lincoln-Douglas debates or the debates about the Constitution were intensely confrontational, but no one feels soiled after reading them."

The leaders were more civil, which is sadly lacking in some of our leaders... but the voters, like us, were just as nasty as ever.

Can I exchange him for Ted Kennedy or John Kerry?

[arthurus]

The election of conservative Democrats does not mean that they will vote the way they ran when in Congress. The Congress now is Pelosi and Murtha.

[Lesforlife]

Doubtful!

[MaDeuce]

"In North Carolina, for instance, Democrat challenger Heath Shuler won by declaring that "I strongly support the Second Amendment," .... "In Montana, Jon Tester won a razor-thin victory by expressly advocating Second Amendment rights"

Yeah ... talk is cheap actions are what count. When the time comes, these wolfs in sheep's clothing will vote with the dem majority. If these new so-called Blue Dog Dems loose their bid for reelection in '08 ... so be it. The dems know that to win the political war, you will have to loose some soldiers ... as long as their disarmament legislation is passed it is a victory for them, and a loss for liberty.

[BW2221]

I was talking to a Reagan Democrat shortly before the election. He had voted Republican for at least a dozen years, but was going to split his vote this year. He asked me two questions: "Why does George Bush always favor fat cats and over American interests?" and "Why are we fighting in Iraq when we have no border security?"

People who don't think the large shift of independents to the Democrats wasn't largely a referendum on George Bush are kidding themselves.