Posted on 02/11/2008 1:48:13 PM PST by Choose Ye This Day
Now that Mitt Romney has stepped aside in the GOP presidential race, many conservatives are trying to figure out where to go from here. John McCain will be the Republican presidential nominee. Conservatives are dispirited because on many issues they don't consider him one of them. And it's true -- he is a moderate who considered leaving the GOP in 2001 ... he did think about joining John Kerry's ticket in 2004 ... and he did side with liberals over conservatives on everything from immigration to closing Gitmo.
But we have no time to be dejected and have to keep things in perspective. Remember, between 1932 and 1980, there weren't any conservative presidents. Even when they were in the wilderness, conservatives were hard at work. In 1951, William F. Buckley wrote "God & Man at Yale" and later started National Review magazine. We saw the rise of Barry Goldwater. Phyllis Schlafley and others defeated the Equal Rights Amendment. Ronald Reagan challenged the Republican establishment from the right and eventually became the party's standard-bearer.
So despite the wishful thinking on the part of liberals everywhere, conservatives are not about to give up and go away. In fact, this could be a moment of liberation. Many prominent conservatives think that the movement has become too closely aligned with the GOP anyway.
Whether a year from now we have President Clinton, Obama or McCain in the White House, the challenges facing America are going to be huge. Beyond the war and the economy, there will be a push for new climate change and immigration laws that conservatives are not going to like. And traditional marriage and our successful anti-terror policies will face renewed attacks in federal courts. So this is no time for conservatives to sit on the sidelines.
On the state and local level, we can recruit and support solid, traditional conservatives for everything from the school board to the state house. We can be active conservatives in our neighborhoods and churches by working with others to highlight what is good -- and defeat what is bad about today's popular culture. We can join organizations that do great grassroots work on the issues we care about. We can show how much we support the troops and their mission by helping returning vets and their families.
We are a movement that believes in personal responsibility, so it's time to take some. There are consequences to losing. Now is the time to rebuild and re-group, not whine or complain or sulk. Reagan lost many political battles along the way but never lost hope in the enduring nature of basic conservative principles. Neither should we.
In my opinion, a Dhimmicrat in the White House is inevitable this cycle. We need to focus on trying to win House and Senate seats so we can keep the Dhimmis from accomplishing their agenda.

Please let me know if you would like to be on or off the Laura Ingraham PING list.
Purely for political reasons, if somehow McCain gets Condi Rice on his ticket, I believe he can trump Obama in either slot. We shall see.
Whether it's Obama, or Huma, there will be a full-blown Muslim in the Oval Office.
Do you see her accepting a VP slot? I have always felt she’d be like a Colin Powell, not wanting to get involved in political machinations and elections.
I’d agree with you. That would be the ONLY choice that McCain could make that might be able to defeat Obama.
Put conservatives into the hopper.
It’s THAT simple. But it takes a bit of time for them to shake down and be there on election day for us.
We got complacent and didn’t do that.
Anyone think that Laura would be a good candidate?
> Remember, between 1932 and 1980, there weren’t any conservative presidents.
Herbert Hoover wasn’t conservative either.
She isn’t a politician....
The GOP primary have shown that various conservatives have trouble working together. The want their egos stroked and want to bully other conservatives. Look at the conflicts between Huckabee vs Romney vs Thompson. The old Reagan Coalition is broken. Conservatives need to reflect on how conservativism fits into today’s world and adapt.
Who wants to be first mate on the Titanic? Anyone other than Huckabee?
The captain would order the ship full speed ahead. The first mate would warn there's an iceberg ahead. But the captain would say we're making great time.
Based on Condi’s incredibly disappointing handling of the Middle East and her active efforts to decrease Israel’s power in that region, I can’t think of any reason she’d be desirable as a VP. Once she became Sec of State, she became one of “them”.
McCain considered joining Kerry on the ticket is the new favorite anti-McCain libel.
Now how long did that process last? One milli-second? One Hour? One Day? One Month?
He turned him down - that’s all that matters.
Such childish complains. Like he was supposed to use profanity and curse Kerry out on the phone in order to prove himself as a True Republican. Or maybe he should have sued Kerry for even entertaining such thoughts. Or he should have just put him on hold and go about his business, like receiviing a call from Telemarketers.
Laura Ingrham is beautiful and brilliant conservative woman. If she doesn’t calm down and get a hold of herself, she is going to end up in Ann Coulter world - Conservative_Britney_Spears.com LOL!
Part of this is about key people overplaying their hand and overstating their case. Sometimes it backfires and this is one of those times.
“That would be the ONLY choice that McCain could make that might be able to defeat Obama.”
Rice would get smoked in any debate. She has never struck me as fast on her feet.
Meanwhile, just sit back and watch them perform like modern day Sisyphus's' and struggle anew every day to try to make chicken soup out of chicken sh!t.
How about JC Watts?
We ate one excrement sandwich when we went with W, why should we eat a bigger one with McCain?
Even though not prominent, I think like one.
“We are a movement that believes in personal responsibility, so it’s time to take some. There are consequences to losing. Now is the time to rebuild and re-group, not whine or complain or sulk. Reagan lost many political battles along the way but never lost hope in the enduring nature of basic conservative principles. Neither should we.”
-bingo-
Real Americans don’t hold their noses, especially when it would take more than that. With McCain, it would take a gas mask and a hazmat suit.
Laura Ingrham is beautiful and brilliant conservative woman. If she doesnt calm down and get a hold of herself, she is going to end up in Ann Coulter world - Conservative_Britney_Spears.com LOL!
OTOH, McNut, Huck and Mitt are all more conservative than Gerald Ford and probably Nixon and Ike too.
Its funny that Laura calls Romney, “The Conservative’s Conservative”. In teh past, Romney dissed Reagan and pandered to various liberal groups. The conservative media realizing the toxic political climate for conservatives now just want someone to pander to them.
Agreed. And, even if the party gives it to you, it's still an excrement sandwich. Hell, your mother could give it to you and it would remain an excrement sandwich.
Take a look at a timeline of Abraham Lincoln's life.
He had more ups and downs than a roller coaster before he was 30 yuears of age, but he didn't give up.
Whether or not anyone, as a conservative, can vote for John McCain doesn't mean that, as a conservative, they should give up.
Fight on! Fight the good fight!
In the end, all you can say is that you, maybe, made a difference; no matter WHO you are.
LAURA INGRAHAM PING!!
Tired of Sodomites recruiting your children in public schools?
Tired of environmental whack-jobs keeping us from liberating us from Saudi terror by drilling for our own oil?
Tired of importing lead-tainted children’s toys from China?
Tired of paying for illegal immigrants health care?
Tired of your tax dollars being used to abort children?
Tired of being regulated out of business?
Of course, the liberals and neo-liberals will whine stuff like “you cant win”, “take votes fron so-and-so”, or “youre a populist”....but this is a winner platform
Yeah, a conservative lumped with someone who consistently raised taxes while he was in office, along with someone who stated, during a Republican presidential debate: I like mandates, mandates work.
How about we detach the litmus test that some are using for the White House from the tag of conservative. Because church attendance certainly doesn't indicate economic or smaller government, two very strong pillars of conservativism.
Truth is an absolute defense to libel. It is irrefutable that McCain's staff discussed him being on the ticket with Kerry's staff, and it is also irrefutable that McCain said he would have to seriously consider such an offer.
Sorry, no libel.
Laura is right. There’s no time to whine, complain and sulk. Laundry list of what conservatives need to do:
1. Get conservative candidates at all levels elected this election
2. Form a party within a party, draw a hard line between us and the Blue Bloods.
3. Use our leverage for concessions from the GOP leadership to share power.
4. Reach across the aisle and work with conservative Blue Dogs on legislation.
5. Start setting the groundwork for 2010.
Just off the top of my head.
Conservatism does not change... it is the same principles and ideology that founded this Nation and it will remain the same until the end of time. moderates and liberals compromise on principle... Conservative hold to those principles because without them... we become moderates and liberals.
“A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers.
I do not believe I have proposed anything that is contrary to what has been considered Republican principle. It is at the same time the very basis of conservatism. It is time to reassert that principle and raise it to full view. And if there are those who cannot subscribe to these principles, then let them go their way.”
Ronald Reagan 1975 CPAC
Let’s face it. Conservatism is being hijacked by people who identify themselves as such, but then turn around a say the government is the solution to the problem. Look at the “stimulus package”. It’s a government handout with borrowed money that blows up the budget. This is a good thing? Go take a look at all the “conservatives” that voted for it.
I’m extremely dissapointed about McCain and in the electorate in general. Has everyone been dumbed down enough that the two nominees will be Senators from a Congress with a 19 percent approval rating?
So where do we go? If you’re interested in re-gaining the Republican party, start by electing people to the state legislatures who will do away with open primaries. Then, go out and work for any conservative running at any level. Don’t sit this one out.
Thats not what this primary shows at all. What it shows is that the primary process is either broken or manipulated to deny conservatives a representative voice. 60+% of the republican votes cast in the primaries so far have been against McCain. McCain is leading in the primary process because of the delegates from blue states. Half of the delegates he has are from CA, NY, MA, CT and NJ, states he will not win in November. Many of the red states, like TX, don't hold primaries until late in the process when visibility, expenses, and momentum have caused the conservatives to drop out.
Should a Dem win the White House, He (or she) will have a huge mandate to usher in socialism with a Dem Congress. The country will turn sharply Left that the meanings of Left Center Right will change. For the next few years, we need to honestly debate what conservativism should be and it shouldn’t be.
I like JC Watts, Also
Please put me on the list.
So, does the RNC drag conservatives down or do conservatives take over the party? What is the difference between being conservative and being a republican? Where do conservative ideals diverge from republican ideals?
Condi’s an empty suit. Useless. Had high hopes for her.
Wishful thinking. I like many other FReepers supported Hunter and Thompson and when they dropped out reluctantly supported Romney. I will in no way support McCain. If you can't see the difference, you are already too far gone.
It would be a more a moment of liberation for us, Laura, if the GOP leadership wasn’t joining the MSM in labelling McCain a conservative, and forever confusing the public on what that means. It would be better in some ways to have an avowed liberal in the White House than a liberal in sheep’s clothing.
“Whether a year from now we have President Clinton, Obama or McCain in the White House,...’”
No matter what she says, that’s still downright depressing.
just a guess...sit around , bitch and moan the next 4 years. We seen this coming and some how we allowed Mccain a stage. so I don't think we will do jack sh*T, first thing first should be the PRIMARIES are held on 1 day, summer perferably. all my choices were out of the race before super tuesday.
wtf is condi going to do as vp, she has disappointed me as Sec of State.
wtf is condi going to do as vp, she has disappointed me as Sec of State.
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