The lesson for Republicans: They didn’t learn the lesson of 2006 (RINOs destroying the party)

Hot Air ^ | 10/14/2008 | Ed Morrissey

[airborne]

It’s almost as if McCain and the GOP are intentionally trying to alienate us conservatives, and give the election to the Dems.

And I’m darn close to writing McCain off.

[sam_paine]

The GOPers have heard the conservatives loud and clear.

They’ve heard that we’re going to stay home, and Johnny McCain is swimming to the last raft floating with the rats.

They know they can’t count on them to step out on a limb, like opposingGW or whatever, so they slither into the shade.

We taught the GOP a lesson. We taught them to shun conservatism.

[dr_who]

The conservativee movement in this country grinding to a complete and irreversible halt under Juan McCain, on the other hand: now, that prospect genuinely terrifies me.

Not so. The "movement" didn't originate in Washington, DC. Few movements do for that matter. And the ones that do are all left-wing and authoritarian in character.

[pgkdan]

McCain's going to kill us in the fall. He'll get enough support from indies and so called Reagan democrats to win but those folks won't go GOP down ballot. He'll win and the party will lose...so will the country.

After yesterday's speech I'm done with McCain. I won;'t vote for him but I will show up and vote for Thelma Drake and I hope Jim Gilmore. God help us.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

We taught the GOP a lesson. We taught them to shun conservatism.

Ah. Of course. It's all our fault, teaching them to "shun conservatism" by not rewarding them with our ballots and $$$ support simply because they continually insist upon shunning conservatism.

"This must be the Ike Turner Theory of Electoral Loyalty.

[upsdriver]

Not only are they wearing blinders, they are running scared and in the wrong direction. They no longer are guided by the principles they initially ran on. The only thing that matters now is holding on to their seats of power. The irony is that their very actions are what will cause them to lose those jobs.

[pgkdan]

The current crop of gas bags need to bet fired by new conservative talent that needs to be developed at the grass roots level.

Good luck on getting that done in the next 6 months.

[sam_paine]

Once Juan goes down under an electoral tsunami of McGovern-esque porportions...we'll have all the leverage necessary....

No. We won't have diddly squat. They are taking the party with THEM....it is not coming back to Goldwater-land. Got it?

Pols don't think they can win with conservatives, and they think they were proven right in 2006, so it doesn't matter if it's all convoluted or what...we as conservatives have NOTHING left because we let them take the infrastructure with them.

And....a bunch of pajama-media sitting around posting "I told you so" is not going to pay for tv and canvassing and stuff that's required to campaign.

Buckley warned about a loss sending conservatism adrift. God rest him in his happier place.

[Boagenes]

The Republican Party leaders are arrogant beyond words. It all goes back to the "bridge to nowhere" and the shamnesty debacle. These checked pants, country club, Rockefeller, free trade, open borders, RINOs still don't get it. They don't understand the anger and the fury from the base. They still don't see what has done this to the party.

There needs to be a house cleaning. All Republican leaders must be thrown out. We need to start fresh with guys like the ones who stood by us on the amnesty debacle - DeMint and Coburn were two of them, weren't they?

The party needs to be rid of the RINOS. So long as RINOS control it, they can count on results like what happened in Mississippi. They are facing a disgusted, dispirited, angry base and without them, the party is over.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

The "movement" didn't originate in Washington, DC.

Of course not. Any movement, however, certainly may be killed by actions taken (or not taken) in Washington... as the current blighted crop of "Republicans" in Congress amply demonstrates.

[Boagenes]

Oh yeah, and then they top it off by putting a RINO like McCain on the Presidential ticket. This party is clueless.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

They are taking the party with THEM....it is not coming back to Goldwater-land. Got it?

Nope. You're not only thunderingly, crashingly wrong... but: you'll live to see just how wrong, assuming no undue floods or lightning storms in your immediate area. ;) Got it?

[processing please hold]

I agree with your post 100%. That wrong direction is leading them right over the cliff.

[sam_paine]

They haven't been hurt enough yet to be brought back to reality. .... Other than that - they are the same.

That's all you need to say. Here's two truisms: Corporations never actually pay taxes, and career politicians never get hurt.

The scurry to the left is because they know there's loyal broken-glass moderates who'll vote for change every time. Conservatives continue to prove that they can't be counted on. Ask Rick Santorum.

[Big Horn]

If the Republicans have to run candidates that hate America and want to destroy the constitution to be popular like the rats, then to hell with it. I will go down with my boots on and fight for freedom with my last breath.

[sam_paine]

Ah. Of course. It's all our fault, teaching them to "shun conservatism"

I'm just observing what low-down politicians are doing. It's pretty easy to see.

I think the conservative inactivism is what allowed mcpain to get to where he is now, and why Fred and Hunter never had a chance....the rest of the party knew that we don't havve any pull.

[VRWC For Truth]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

The GOP is insane.

[upsdriver]

Yep, and I have no intention of going down with them. There will be other elections, we will take our party back.

[WVRockDJ]

Ditto. Well said.

[processing please hold]

The scurry to the left is because they know there's loyal broken-glass moderates who'll vote for change every time.

God willing they will rue the day for going left. I can see a time not too far from now where the dems will have a super majority in both houses and have a president in the WH to boot.

career politicians never get hurt.

I'm a big believer in term limits. That problem would be on the way to being solved. They would be out of there before cronyism and one hand washes the other could take root.