Well he did change things, one of the worst Democrats in history was elected with barely 40% of the the PV. (the lowest PV and still elected, in our nation’s history)
The country IS AND HAS changed drastically, but not in the way you think. Conservatives are now a very unpopular minority and the for the Democrats, the election in ‘08 is theirs to lose.
The entire image of Conservatism has become unappealing to the American Public. There are many reasons why, and in order to understand what it is that has made this trend occur, we must first look at what image we are projecting to the public, and why we are being seen in such a bad way.
The idea that we must lose in ‘08 to rebuild strength for the future, is like giving Iraq to Al-Qaeda so they’ll stop attacking our troops in Baghdad.
If people here truly fear Socialism as much as I do, they should not fear Rudy Giuliani, he is no socialist. What they should fear is what damage another Democrat controlled government will do to this country in even one short term. All this in-fighting and stark division that is strangling the GOP will be the main reason the Democrats take this country into Socialism.
“We heard that same rant in ‘92. Ross Perot was supposed to change the GOP for good. The third party Perot formed was going to revolutionize American politics, etc,,,,.”
And if Ross Perot hadn’t been such a nutjob, he might have pulled it off. Thankfully, the pressure of the campaign acted as it should: it exposed him for for what he was.
“The country IS AND HAS changed drastically, but not in the way you think. Conservatives are now a very unpopular minority and the for the Democrats, the election in ‘08 is theirs to lose.”
I disagree with you in part. To the extent that conservatism has become unpopular as a political philosophy, it is largely a result of it’s association with the GOP. As for this election being the Democrats to lose, I think you’re probably right. And that is truly amazing: even I didn’t think that the GOP was that inept.
“All this in-fighting and stark division that is strangling the GOP will be the main reason the Democrats take this country into Socialism.”
No. The socialists have simply played their cards very well. They take a long term view of things and never give up the fight. What we have right now from the point of view of electoral politics is a choice between two political parties who offer either socialism or socialism-lite. It’s really a non-choice.
I think you also operate from a faulty premise in that electoral politics is the be all and end all for conservatism. It is not. Frankly, I wish conservatives would take a deep breath and stop being so focused on electoral politics.
Rooty IS a socialist. What else would you call someone that says the Constitution guarantees the RIGHT to Government funding of abortion and WELFARE for Illegals?
Do you Prefer Communist or some other classification for him?
PSYCHO-FREEP wrote: “The country IS AND HAS changed drastically, but not in the way you think. Conservatives are now a very unpopular minority and the for the Democrats, the election in ‘08 is theirs to lose.
The entire image of Conservatism has become unappealing to the American Public. There are many reasons why, and in order to understand what it is that has made this trend occur, we must first look at what image we are projecting to the public, and why we are being seen in such a bad way.”
*
PSYCHO-FREEP, thank you for providing a classic example of why so many FReepers are hostile to Rudy Giuliani’s candidacy. Even more so than Rudy himself, it is his supporters and apologists who are creating so much ill will for him because you come on FR, and without any supporting documentation or data, you try to tell us things that JUST AREN’T TRUE.
1. Conservatives are NOT a minority. According to the most recent Battleground Poll, Sixty-one percent (61%) of Americans described themselves as “conservative” or “very conservative” and thirty-four percent (34%) of Americans described themselves as “liberal” or “very liberal.” These numbers have not varied by more than two percent (2%) either way in the LAST SEVEN Battleground Polls beginning in April 2002.
2. Conservatives are NOT unpopular. The gap between conservatives and liberals is wider than it has been in any of the last seven Battleground Polls over the last four-and-a-half years. Liberals have never been more unpopular than now and conservatives never more popular than now.
The Battleground Poll is the most intensively researched bipartisan poll in America, the only poll that openly reveals all its internal questions, the most accurate poll.
3. Why, then, did the Republicans take such a beating in the Fall, 2006 elections? Because the GOP was largely perceived by the voters as having ABANDONED ITS CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES. Big spending, corruption and a failure to conduct the war in the Middle East effectively were the reasons for the Republicans’ downfall.
The ‘Rats ran the most conservative candidates they could find who could still be called Democrats. Many of them campaigned on such issues as integrity, fiscal responsibility, the RKBA and traditional family values (pro-life and anti-gay marriage).
What conservatives need to do is to take back control of the Republican Party from the moderates and liberals who are running the GOP into the ground. They have taken away the things which make the Republican Party different from the ‘Rat Party.
The great majority of FReepers have have enough of the Rudynistas whizzing on our legs and telling us that it’s raining!
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2006/10/10/the-greatest-news-yet-in-the-battleground-poll/
What you don't seem to recognize is the fact that Conservatism didn't lose Republicans the 2006 Congressional Elections. The IRAQ war DID.
Americans HAVE NOT rejected Conservatism on Abortion:
Americans HAVE NOT rejected Conservatism on Guns:
Americans HAVE NOT rejected Conservatism on Immigration:
Americans HAVE NOT rejected Conservatism on Limited Government:
So WHY are Republicans losing? There are not "many reasons why Conservatism has become unappealing to the American Public". There is one reason, and its name is IRAQ.
It's one thing to go in -- even on "iffy" evidence ("Close enough for Government Work") -- and depose and execute a brutal Dictator whom most Americans have grown to hate. Right or Wrong, Constitutional Declaration of War or not, most Americans will cheer when some sh*tty little tinpot mass-murderer gets his arse kicked by the United States Armed Forces.
But it's quite another thing when you ask the American Public to continue sending their husbands and wives, sons and daughters 7,000 miles overseas Four Years after "Mission Accomplished" to try and Referee an Islamic Civil War in order to buttress some pie-in-the-sky Neo-Conservative pipe dream about nation-building "Democracy" in a theocratic Hell-hole. By overwhelming and ever-increasing majorities, Americans are UTTERLY REJECTING Neo-Conservative Nation-Building in Iraq.
So, here's the Scoop: Conservatives can WIN on Abortion. And we can WIN on Guns. And we can WIN on Immigration. And we can WIN on Limited Government. But we CAN'T WIN on an Iraq War which the American Public HATES, and the 2006 Elections proved it when we got our heads handed to us!
So, now, the Rudy-bots want us to run a Liberal-Party New York Cross-dressing Lawyer who's Weak on ALL of our Electoral Strengths (in point of fact, an outright Traitor to Conservatism on ALL those issues), and whose only "Strength" is on an Iraq War which most Americans are growing to detest!
That just makes no sense at all.
We should play to our Strengths (Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Limited Government) where the American Public supports us -- not the Albatross 'round our Necks (the Iraq War) where the American Public HATES us, and has already handed us a resounding Defeat!!
What they should fear is what damage another Democrat controlled government will do to this country in even one short term.
I don't plan to vote for fear. I plan to vote for optomism, conservatism, and what is best for the country. I do not fear the battle, I only worry that we will not find the person who can lead the way.
Of all our candidates that are announced, none of them have shown they can lead the way. And the one some people tout as the "best leader" would lead us astray.
Then obviously you are no conservative. I suggest if you wish to win with a liberal you're in the wrong party. If you wish to win with an abortion loving, gay rights loving, illegal alien loving, gun grabbing liberal you should become a Democrat. We are NOT going to allow you (the collective you) to take the Republican any further to the left. It's way too far left already. We're going to take it back to the right and if you can't live with that, then get the hell out!