The GOP's 20% Problem

The Wall Street Journal/Opinion Journal ^ | 10/12/2007 | Peggy Noonan

[Servant of the Cross]

Fred Thompson gives "a very incoherent and not very concise stump speech," peaked months ago, and is the campaign's "biggest dud." Mitt Romney has "an authenticity problem"; he is "almost too mechanical about the issues." John McCain faces "enormous hurdles," and the "irony" of his quest is that he may just be repeating 2000. Mike Huckabee has "the obvious problems--being from Hope, Ark., and quite frankly having the last name Huckabee." The craven Republicans are "terrified about losing the presidency after losing Congress." All this comes from Terry McAuliffe, longtime Democratic Party mover, maven and moneyman, who's obviously hoping for a Democratic win.

Only kidding. It comes from Mr. McAuliffe's new podium partner on the Washington speech circuit, longtime Bush operative Dan Bartlett, recently departed after years as White House communications director.

[Servant of the Cross]

It is good to see Peggy on top of her game with these pointed observations of the RNC establishment. I like the comparison of the recent Dan Bartlett commentary to something that Terry McAuliffe would say (you know, this also is a call for FReeper commentary to possibly refrain from saying what also comes out of Terry McAuliffe's mouth). In our exuberance to promote 'our guy', we don't need to trash other ABR's (anybody but Rudy). Apparently, the RNC establishment is trashing them enough.

[Badeye]

I disagree.

The primaries are for taking on your own parties internal differences, airing them out, turning them inside out in short.

Too many people misuse Reagan’s ‘eleventh commandment’, as in this context.

Anyone remember Ronald Reagan going after Jerry Ford in the primaries in 76? I do.

Anyone remember RR going after Bush the Elder in 1980?

I do.

As for Peggy, love her to death, but her bitterness about not being asked to join the current administration has made her ‘snippy’ and ‘unreliable’ since the January 05 hit piece about the Inaugural.

[RC2]

One thing that Mr. McAuliffe negelects to state is that the biggest majority of Republicans don’t have the ties that the Democrats have. Ever watch the “Clinton Chronicles”? Worth watching. After watching this, most would not vote for anyone from Arkansas.

[Russ]

Peggy turned into a scold a few years ago and hasn’t let up since. If she thinks Thompson has peaked then all I can say is she’s whistling past the graveyard...

[Badeye]

‘Peggy turned into a scold a few years ago and hasn’t let up since.’

Yes, she has. Its unbecoming.

She makes some good points about Bartlett, and the administration. But she can’t hide her bitterness towards the President not hiring her in some capacity.

Just my opinion, based on reading her columns and books over the years.

And I’ll note, gee Peggy, you worked for Reagan...yet you still keep popping up in DC. When will you go home for a break?

[Badeye]

‘Peggy turned into a scold a few years ago and hasn’t let up since.’

Yes, she has. Its unbecoming.

She makes some good points about Bartlett, and the administration. But she can’t hide her bitterness towards the President not hiring her in some capacity.

Just my opinion, based on reading her columns and books over the years.

And I’ll note, gee Peggy, you worked for Reagan...yet you still keep popping up in DC. When will you go home for a break?

[Badeye]

‘Peggy turned into a scold a few years ago and hasn’t let up since.’

Yes, she has. Its unbecoming.

She makes some good points about Bartlett, and the administration. But she can’t hide her bitterness towards the President not hiring her in some capacity.

Just my opinion, based on reading her columns and books over the years.

And I’ll note, gee Peggy, you worked for Reagan...yet you still keep popping up in DC. When will you go home for a break?

[bill1952]

I say that the GOP in general, and conservatives in particular, need a quick resolution to all of this by way of a clear winner early on in the process.

Look, here it is:

Either Rudy, Fred, or possibly Mitt is going to be the nominee.
Rudy.
Fred.

Then, either the GOP will have turned into the type of Republican Party that Rudy personifies and represents, or it may return to the conservative values that empowered them to the great success of the recent past.

The modern GOP has fractured into elitist Ivory tower snobs like McCain and Trent Lott, all of the K Street, open border, Globalist, show me the money crowd, and those of us remaining of true conservative values, both fiscal and family.

This then will be a battle over the future face of the GOP, and I firmly believe that Rudy will lose to Hillary.

The electoral numbers are there.

Fred has a chance, but Hillary is still the one with the electoral advantages and it is up to Fred - and us - to overcome them, and prevail.

Will the future face of the GOP be this?

Or this?

You choose.

[jrooney]

Amen Badeye. Like Newt, Noonan spends all her time aiming and firing at the GOP, never at the democrats. To her readers, it dissuades some from voting for the GOP and pushes some to the democratic camp. I quit listening to this windbag a while ago and I suspect good ole Ronnie would be very disappointed in her.

[PhilCollins]

We don’t need to have a clear winner early. We need to start the Republican National Convention without knowing who the nominee will be. That will cause the convention to be more suspenseful and exciting, causing more people to watch and hear the great republican ideas. All of the republican conventions, since 1980, have been boring, since we knew who the nominee would be before the convention. However, after the convention, all of the anti-liberal voters, including Constitution and Libertarian Party members, should unite and work together to defeat the Democrat.

We should help the Democrats to be divided, before and during their convention. That might cause more of them to vote for the Green Party nominee.

[Badeye]

‘....and I suspect good ole Ronnie would be very disappointed in her.’

Same here.

[jalisco555]

We should help the Democrats to be divided, before and during their convention. That might cause more of them to vote for the Green Party nominee.

That won't happen. They want to win too badly. They're like we were in 2000, Broken Glass Democrats. It's why all the talk about "I could never vote for Guiliani/McCain/Romney etc." is so scary. The Democrats will by absolutely, 100% united behind their nominee, whoever it is. If we don't act the same way we're toast.

[ex-snook]

"The GOP's 20% Problem"

A mere pittance compared to the GOP's 70% Iraq problem.

[dforest]

I liked the piece. Heard Laura Ingraham tear Bartlett a new one yesterday.

Rudy is the Bush on steroids candidate. I don’t want anymore of that.

Notice how all pundits who don’t praise Rooty or Bush get badmouthed?

[dforest]

I liked the piece. Heard Laura Ingraham tear Bartlett a new one yesterday.

Rudy is the Bush on steroids candidate. I don’t want anymore of that.

Notice how all pundits who don’t praise Rooty or Bush get badmouthed?

[dforest]

keep getting that Temp Unavailable message

sorry about the double post.

[JamesP81]

It’s a shame that we lost the great Ronaldus Maximus. His counsel is sorely needed now.

[Cicero]

It’s a valid criticism of the “Republican establishment.”

And those who read past the first paragraph will find that Peggy isn’t saying those things about the Republican candidates: Terry McAuliffe is, and his buddies from the Republican establishment.

Yes, it’s true that Peggy soured on Bush, often for the wrong reasons. But at this point what she says only makes too much sense. The Republican establishment is deaf to the base. They are more concerned about their future lobbying jobs and about getting along with hillary when, as they presume, she wins the next election, than they are with getting back in touch with the Republican base, reinvigorating the party, and winning the election.

About those things, she is absolutely right.

[dragnet2]

Sadly I see little difference between the same old two parties. It like they’ve become two divisions of the same giant corporation.

Most party conservatives of today, would have been labeled liberals and leftist just a few decades ago.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

That next shot you hear will be the RNC shooting itself in the foot. Hillary has to love it.