Posted on 05/09/2008 5:51:33 AM PDT by Keyes2000mt
It goes without saying that the GOP is taking a dreadful thrashing right now. Conservatives are unmotivated, Democrats are obliterating Republicans in the fundraising arena, and the GOP's poll numbers have dropped off a cliff.
George Bush, the face of the Republican Party, has an approval rating of 30% and according to Rasmussen Reports, one of the best polling agencies in the business, 41.4% of Americans consider themselves to be Democrats while only 31.4% say they are Republicans. Worse yet, voters trust the Democrats more than Republicans on the economy, government ethics, the war in Iraq, health care, Social Security, education, immigration, and abortion. Yes, the GOP still has an edge on taxes and national security, but how are Republicans going to compete in 2008 if they cede all those other issues to the Dems?
That's something Republicans in Congress are just going to have to figure out. How do you win elections when your supporters are unenthusiastic, people are sick of your political party, and money is in short supply? Unfortunately, in 2006, the answer was, "You don't."
In 2006, Republicans lost 6 seats in the Senate and 30 seats in the House. Although it's far too early to say for sure, judging by the direction the political winds are blowing, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising if the GOP loses another 4-6 seats in the Senate and an additional 10-15 House seats this time around.
So, why does the GOP seem to be trapped in this recurring political nightmare?
There are a plethora of different reasons for it: the war in Iraq, gas prices, a soft economy, George Bush's lack of communication skills, corruption scandals, the illegal immigration brouhaha, nominee John McCain, out-of-control spending -- you can go on and on.
However, there is one overriding problem that dwarfs all the others, a problem that few people in the leadership of the Republican Party seem to have come to grips with. That problem is that conservatives, who are the heart and soul of the Republican Party, no longer believe that the GOP has their best interests at heart.
That's not to say that there's no difference between the two parties -- because there is. That's not to say that the country would be better off if John McCain loses; it most certainly wouldn't be. That's not to say that the Republican Party isn't more conservative than the Democratic Party; without question, it is.
That being said, does the Republican Party adequately represent conservative interests? No. Do George Bush and John McCain's values and beliefs match up well with those of the average conservative in the Party? No, they do not. Does the machinery of the Republican Party -- the RNC, the NRCC, NSCC -- treat conservatives fairly and do a good job of representing conservative interests? Not at all.
In other words, to many conservatives, the Republican Party has ceased to be an organization that serves their interests and has become merely an allied organization that shares many, but not all, of the same critical goals.
That may seem like a small distinction, but it's an important one. Conservatives will stay up late volunteering for a campaign, give until it hurts, and crawl over broken glass to put candidates in Washington who're "on their side."
However, it's a totally different ball game when we're talking about mere allies. Why give money and spend precious time volunteering on the campaigns of people who are going to turn right around and cut you off at the knees on spending and illegal immigration once they get to DC?
In other words, the attitude towards the GOP has become, "He may be a son-of-a-b*tch, but he's my son-of-a-b*tch." That's what today's Republican Party is to most conservatives: our sons-of-b*tches.
........Which brings us, as conversations of this sort usually do, back to Reagan. Why did conservatives love Reagan? Certainly, he was a great President, but he departed from the conservative orthodoxy on more than a few occasions. Reagan signed an abortion bill when he was governor of California, the debt exploded under his watch, he raised taxes, he signed an amnesty bill, and Iran-Contra was certainly a big scandal. Yet conservatives, who were just as serious about their principles back then as they are today, supported him ferociously when he was in office and revere the man's memory.
Why?
Simple: because there was never the slightest doubt in the minds of conservatives that Ronald Reagan shared their values and was doing everything within his power to use conservative principles to make our country a better place. So, when Reagan did something that conservatives disagreed with, they figured he was just doing what he had to do for the sake of politics and didn't hold it against him.
Republicans today don't have that luxury because the assumptions that conservatives made about Reagan have been reversed. If a Republican does something that pleases conservatives, they often assume that it is being done for political purposes while deviations from the conservative norm represent what Republicans really want to do.
Until the Republicans can repair that breach of faith and convince conservatives that the GOP has the same goals as conservatives do on issues like spending, the size of government, and illegal immigration, the Party may win some battles, but it's going to slowly, but surely lose the war for the future of our country.
The article is spot on.
Spot on.
Spot on.
Bears repeating.
Oh, please..
If they do, they were not Conservatives to begin with. Period
>> How do you win elections when your supporters are unenthusiastic
They could try the ONE thing they haven’t tried... returning to small-government, fiscally responsible Republicanism.
Today, you can’t truthfully call liberal leaning Republicans RINOs, because the ENTIRE PARTY is RINO.
It’s really the GOOD Republicans like Tom Coburn who are RINO. They try to uphold the “old” Republican ideas, but sadly they are out of step with their own party.
So sad. But it’s our own fault. It’s the result of an irresponsible electorate wanting taxpayer goodies at the LOCAL level (city, school board, county, state) that breeds taxpayer-fleecing Congresscritters.
In a democracy you get the government you deserve.
He could have shortened this to the last four paragraphs and it would have been even more succinctly correct.
It’s a great analysis. Newt doesn’t even get this. He doesn’t get that his appearance with Pelosi was viewed through this mindset.
Maybe the spinelessones shopuld have listened to the base....
“Communist/Socialist/Marxist”
I agree. That’s why I won’t vote for Obama=Communist, McCain=Socialist, or Hillary=Marxist.
The Republican Party, all horn and no tusk!!
Nailed it.
Oh please is right.
The democrats....i.e., socialists and communists....are clueless about the economy. Is was the Republican Congress that saved the economy in the Clinton years, NOT Slick Willie. The first two years of Clinton’s first term were lousy in terms of economics. With the Republican wins in the House and Senate in 1994, the financial markets were re-assured that this new, fairly conservative Congress would block the worst of the socialist proposals emanating from Slick Willie and his power-hungry wife, and the financial markets responded favorably to these GOP electoral victories. The end result was good economic times.
Government ethics? Are they kidding? Who trusts the democrats more in this area? The democrat congress has an approval rating of what, 11 - 13% ? That’s nothing to crow about.
The War in Iraq? The democrats want to cut and run and surrender to Al-Queda. Billy Clinton did nothing for 8 long years in regards to fighting terrorism.
Health care? Immigration? (I presume they mean illegal immigration). The dims blow in this arena, too.
This poll must have been taken by college faculty OF college faculty.
That problem is that conservatives, who are the heart and soul of the Republican Party, no longer believe that the GOP has their best interests at heart.
The Biggest problem with the republican Party at the Moment?
Witness the BOR interview last night.
Commander McQueeg is not only insane but he’s really, really stupid.
Bush, at least has a brain and has kept us safe for the past 8 years.
No fan of GWB here.
Especially social conservatives that want big government, taxes, and social socialism for their pet causes (And, of course, for the children).
Reagan was an anomaly. Except for Coolidge, most Republicans are for big government, high taxes, big spending, but only slower and, supposedly, more carefully. Why after 150 of government waste, scams that this notion still exists in Republicans is beyond me. So, since it is so constant, there must be a force which is stronger than common sense, experience and good theory. I believe it is cash, money, greed. Republicans want their cake too. In some ways I find Republicans more disgusting than Democrats. Democrats say they are for big government, and come through with it. Republicans seem to lie to my face. It's like, "Who you going to believe, Republicans or your lying eyes?"
Or straight from the DNC. Ethics? Iraq? Gimme a break..
It certainly exposed the Democrats as being soft on Communism and not willing to fund and equip groups to fight those Commies. This is some of what made me a conservative.
That COULD be true. After all, its been a while since the Democrats controlled all three branches of government. If and when that happens again, the people will be reminded as to who they can really trust on those issues.
This guy is dead accurate. Great post!
You didn’t include the possibility of not voting for any of these socialist clowns.
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