Posted on 01/04/2008 2:12:05 AM PST by Aristotelian
Iowa Republicans went to the polls yesterday, and pity those who thought they were merely choosing a presidential nominee. Turns out they were taking a mallet to the modern frame of the Grand Old Party.
Or so goes the thinking of certain pundits and political gurus, who've taken the fractured state of today's Republican race as evidence the Reagan coalition is dead. The party is shrinking, its groups flying off in all directions, they say. "It's gone," says Ed Rollins, the former Reagan adviser and current Mike-Huckabee muse. "The breakup of what was the Reagan coalition--social conservatives, defense conservatives, anti-tax conservatives--it doesn't mean a whole lot to people anymore." It's time for something new, these people say. Though don't ask them what.
Or don't even bother, argue New Republic editor John B. Judis and think-tanker Ruy Teixeira, who claim it is simply too late for Republicans: The country is plodding toward a new era of Democratic rule. "Political, ideological, demographic and economic trends are all leading toward durable Democratic majorities in Congress, control of most statehouses and, very possibly, the end of the decades-old GOP hammerlock on the electoral college," they wrote recently.
True, the GOP is flailing. Congressional Republicans were tossed out for loss of principles. The nation is uncertain about President Bush's aggressive foreign policy and its mixed results in Iraq. Demographics hold big challenges. Tensions have flared among the party's wings. And, while the nomination race has churned up capable folk, none have so far demonstrated the force to calm the waters.
Yet the reports of the Reagan-coalition death are exceedingly premature.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Aggressive? Lately it's been looking kind of limp.
So unless you his a grand slam home run every time at bat, you call it "mixed results". What a bunch of crap. I don't need to read any further than that.
Yet the man who won in Iowa embodies not one of these characteristics. Hopefully this is one of those Pat Robertson flash in the pans.
Like h@ll we are - GRRRRR....
lol!
Even though Jim Robinson called me 'moonbat' instead of 'moonman' (I took it as a reference of endearment), I still think Rudy, followed by McCain, are the only Republicans who can win for the party.
Personally, I like Fred.
You mean this message?
1. Make Bush Tax Cuts Permanent.
2. Private accounts in Social Security
3. Support Human Life Amendment
4. Oppose DC Gun Ban
5. Appoint Strict constructionist judges
6. Reign in excessive government spending
7. 2nd amendment defines an individual right to bear arms.
8. Repeal the McCain/Feingold Campaign Finance Reform legislation.
9. Oppose federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
10. Support Military’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy
11. Keep fighting in Iraq until we win.
12. War on Terror is war on islamic extremists
13. Add 100,000 troops
14. Support School Choice/Vouchers
15. Apply free-market principles to solve problem with taxpayer-funded default medical care for people without insurance.
16. Laws to overturn Kelo, protect private property rights.
17. Drill for oil in ANWR.
18. More research before taking drastic actions on the so-called “global warming” problem.
19. Roll back tax rates across the board
20. Lower corporate tax rates
21. eliminate the death tax
22. Eliminate unncessary regulations on business
23. Tort Reform
24. Close the borders
25. End illegal immigration
Rollins is a hack and it’s a shame Reagan ever had anything to do with that loser. He’ll be a drag on the Huckster’s campaign in the end. Just you watch.
Yep! And when they "pork" it up like they have done recently, they'll get super killed.
I don't know which I'm going to enjoy more.....Huckabee flaming out or watching Rollins hit bottom with him.
This Huckaee momentt will end as abruptly as it started. I faith in that, I have Faith in America.
Your post #8....excellant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They may be pro-life and pro-gun but they do not demand smaller government. All you have to do is look at how many Republicans are serving in Congress who favor government solutions.
The mantra: "presidential candidates supporting true conservative values are guaranteed electoral victory" is no longer true.
We are long past the Reagan years and the culture of this country has changed.
I read you excellent list with only one thought: Bush. He never really was much of a conservative. His idea of governing successfully was to buy off the opposition. So we have plenty of liberal legsilation signed by Bush. But what of the conservative reforms you cite? Nothing.
Look at the actual vote totals; Lot more GOP than RAT/commie. If the ratio stays the same on the National level, the RATs are in a lot more trouble than they know.
Look at the actual vote totals; Lot more GOP than RAT/commie. If the ratio stays the same on the National level, the RATs are in a lot more trouble than they know.
“I read you excellent list with only one thought: Bush. He never really was much of a conservative. “
Bingo. Romney is more conservative than Bush.
It’s Romney’s list. Not Bush’s list, which in 2000 included a drug plan and No Child Left Behind. We know how they went.
I think he probably is like Robertson. In the meanwhile he is making it difficult for Thompson and the sooner Huckabee leaves the scene the better. If Huckabee ends up leading to a McCain or Guiliani nomination we are all “Hucked.”
” We are long past the Reagan years and the culture of this country has changed.”
Hip hip hooray ! Nailed it !
But how many of those Republicans ran as small government social conservatives, but haven't governed that way? I know my Republican Representative had strong Reaganesque principles when he was first elected, but after 20 years or so he keeps going along with "exceptions" to small government rather than maintaining his principles.
Many people don't even know about those kinds of votes, so they continue to think he's serving our interests, so he doesn't even have any competition in the elections. That doesn't mean his constituents have abandoned their principles, or that his electorate is less conservative, it just means he's been sucked into the liberal vortex of Washington DC...
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