Posted on 11/04/2008 10:20:52 PM PST by paudio
You may be right, unfortunately since Dubya uses that word so often, and then was so ineffective when the media started to attack him, even the word freedom has lost its powerful meaning.
We must work hard but Hispanics, even just with the amount Bush got...could help a GOP majority.
For those of you who believe reaching out to hispanics means pro-open borders, get a life.
P.S.—If you think Obama will do anything to stop illegal immigration you are just dumb. So live with it.
Obama won, among other reasons, because traditional Republican turnout was down approximately 10%. McCain does not inspire Republicans. He is not a candidate of ideas. His political claim to fame is “reaching across the aisle”. A candidate of ideas would have others reaching out to him.
Principles are either principles or they are opinions. The problem with your approach is it is the reason we lost and will continue to lose.
If you don’t offer an alternative don’t expect for someone to chose you over the other guy.
The problem IS the big tent. Not the other way around. That is a proven fact. If you give people something to vote FOR they will come out.
McCain was chosen for us by the states with open primaries. He isn’t, and wasn’t a conservative. If you remember he and the gang of fourteen hamstrung the Republican Congress and Bush from actually accomplishing anything meaningful.
Yes he was strong on defense, but he is a social liberal...sorry maverick.
He wouldn’t have even made it this close if it wasn’t for Governor Palin. He was well on the way to being the Republican Dukakis.
I say it is Palin that shows the true path to success for the Republican Party. My only fear is that watching the Republican leadership direct the party is like watching a monkey try and screw a football. After a while the novelty wears off.
Hell knows that the “little tent” full of purists didn’t save America. Big tent time? You bet.
Define what the values of the Party are first and foremost and then extend the tent to anyone who is willing to live with those values. If you are not, get the hell out. Sorry, but we lost because we threw a bone to the members of the party not willing to live with conservative values. Meanwhile, the democrats ran to their base and, small wonder, won big. We need to stop running from our base and start running to them.
Obama won, among other reasons, because traditional Republican turnout was down approximately 10%. McCain does not inspire Republicans. He is not a candidate of ideas. His political claim to fame is “reaching across the aisle”. A candidate of ideas would have others reaching out to him.
After 4 years of Obama (and possibly 4 of Obama-Pelosi-Reid) the word Freedom may become more potent!
and he never once called those out to destroy him "my friends."
This will be difficult but I think the RINOs need to be weeded out of the party. The GOP, IMHO, should stand for small government. I am not sure if RINOs actually believe that. (Actually I am not sure what RINOs believe) If the RINOs are willing to vote in a candidate who is going to expand government just because they disagree with social conservatives on abortion or gay marriage then they really are not one of us.
To them I say good riddance. I'd rather have a GOP that stood for principal then capitulate to these wolves in sheep's clothing.
It is not the job of the VP candidate to rally the base.
It is the job of the PRESIDENTIAL candidate to rally the base.
McCain was anathema to the base. Palin was a brilliant choice, but while she covered for McCain she did not solidify the base in a way that would extend further outward - that was his job, which he didn’t do. If it was Palin running for POTUS, she’d have won.
The “big tent” theory fails to recognize you have to get the base FIRST. Trying to look like a liberal doesn’t do any good when there is a viable liberal to choose instead.
“What we NEED is a Republican Party based on SOLID CONSERVATIVE IDEAS....”
ROFL!!!!!! Yea, that worked real well. Obama, Pelosi, Reed, Biden, et al...thank you for your support. If only we had had a SOLID CONSERVATIVE we would have beat Obama?
Sigh, commonsense has left this planet, I swear........
A lot. Martinez, Graham. I really don’t even want to think of any more tonight.
Stand for what you believe and when they screw up, the people will come back to you.
To elaborate further. . .the core values of the party is what establishes the “tent.” For example, the conservative values the Reagan espoused built a strong platform. People then came to that platform and under that tent because it was something to believe in and it won them over. But if you build a tent to try to extend it to cover people who are standing around and standing for nothing, then you are doomed.
It needs to become more libertarian. When the big brother party is viewed as the preferred choice by individuals who make good money and who are otherwise economic conservatives, there is a problem.
The Rove strategy was to divide the electorate along social conservative lines and attract those who otherwise would find the Dem’s economic policies attractive by embracing some of those (ie Medicare expansion).
You don’t abandon the Joe the Plumbers of the country, but you incorporate your defense of their pursuit of the American dream within a framework of consitutional liberty which advances the notion that people are capable of living their life as they see fit, so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others to do the same.
I think there’s still a healthy distrust of Washington DC among the American people. The incumbent presidential party just got thrown out.
Now, there is the notion that the American electorate is too far gone, too stupid, to understand why their constitutional liberties are of great importance. I find myself attracted to this view. If so, then there’s not too much we can do at this point. I guess we’ll have to wait until the people simply get tired of the bums and want someone new. But this is an electorate, 40% of whom according to Gallup, believed that the GOP still controlled Congress. Look, we don’t have a lot of bright bulbs in this country. Our illiberal-left dominated public schools guarantee us that.
I think this country has been too much of a success for its own good. People no long appreciate being a citizen of this great land. They no longer appreciate their constitutional liberties. If I didn’t live here, I’d be inclined to see them enjoy that which they seem to believe they want so bad.
No.
McCain was a big tent skidmark on Republican underwear.
It’s time to bleach!
it seems like so far that black turnout and vote was nationally not that much different than 04
or at least Barone said that 3 hours ago
(?)
I think white housewives gave us Obama
We need another Lee Atwater or Karl Rove!
McCain could have won this election. He talked about fighting, but he didn’t fight for it. There were so many missed opportunities. And really! Be realistic. What else should we have expected from McCain? I held my nose and I voted for him. In the general election.
In the primary, I voted for Ron Paul. Thanks to all of you here who were so nasty to my candidate. You like the results?
If I say any more, I’ll get banned.
“The “big tent” theory fails to recognize you have to get the base FIRST. Trying to look like a liberal doesn’t do any good when there is a viable liberal to choose instead.”
Are you implying that the Republican party “base” let us down again and handed Obama to us on a silver-tongued platter? Just like they handed control to the Dems? Wow, we sure taught the Republicans a lesson, didn’t we? At what cost? AN OBAMANATION! Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll survive....maybe....probably not....but oh well...we can hoist our principles on our pinard.
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