Posted on 11/05/2008 2:33:07 PM PST by Presbyterian Reporter
Some interesting comments from David Frum, as the GOP soul-searching and finger-pointing begins: Republicans face fraught choice between two roads to revival.
A generation ago, Republicans dominated among college graduates. In 1984 and 1988, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush won states like California, Pennsylvania and Connecticut – states that have been “blue” for a generation. (America’s least educated state, West Virginia, went for Michael Dukakis in 1988.)
Those days are long gone. Since 1988, Democrats have become more conservative on economics – and Republicans have become more conservative on social issues.
College-educated Americans have come to believe that their money is safe with Democrats – but that their values are under threat from Republicans. And there are more and more of these college-educated Americans all the time.
So the question for the GOP is: Will it pursue them? To do so will involve painful change, on issues ranging from the environment to abortion. And it will involve potentially even more painful changes of style and tone: toward a future that is less overtly religious, less negligent with policy, and less polarizing on social issues. That’s a future that leaves little room for Sarah Palin – but the only hope for a Republican recovery.
This argument makes sense to us, and we’ve been holding forth in our comments on this very topic. If the GOP decides to go in the Bobby Jindal direction (fundamental Christianity, creationism, hard-line anti-abortionism, aggressively anti-gay rights), it will be committing political suicide. As much as anything else, this election was a referendum on the social conservative agenda, and the social conservatives did not win.
I think not.
Charles Johnson seems to be conveniently forgetting the Judeo-Christian principles that founded this country and made it to be the country it is today where anyone can become their own squawk box.
bttt
Good to know where the flakes at LGF stand. Good riddance.
I’m OK with social conservatives being a solid core of the GOP as long as they are firm believers in limited government as well. No more Mike (”I love God and gubmint cheese, too”) Huckabee types.
The GOP meltdown has commenced ...
Social conservativism isn’t the problem. The problem is that the Republicans are tied to Wall St. and big business and a lot of Americans have problems with CEOs destroying companies and walking away with millions.
I always enjoyed Sliders, but never dreamed I'd get in an episode. Looks like I did because the RATS on my world are talking about redistributing wealth by giving tax credits to people who don't pay taxes, mandating a new retirement plan through an additional 5% payroll tax and destroying 401(k)'s. I'd better check on what else is different on this world since 1988. Maybe the Amiga is the dominant computer as it should have been on mine.
HOGWASH!! So MONEY is the only thing that counts in this country???? Then let it fall in the ocean because it wasn’t founded and graced by GOD to be MONEY BASED.
|
“As much as anything else, this election was a referendum on the social conservative agenda”
Sure it was, which is why abortion, gay marriage etc. got almost no attention in the election. One question on abortion tied to judges inthe debates and one question regarding gay marriage in the VP debate.
by the way gay marriage failed in three large states.
No I think we should double-down on being spineless, Country-Club, DC cocktail creates of Washington DC. WHO IS WITH ME!?!? Let’s all get invited on Rachel Maddow and trash conservatism woohoo!
Well wasnt the reasoning behind McCain being the best the Republicans could offer, because he was Maverick and didnt toe the conservative line? Look how that turned out.
“Those days are long gone. Since 1988, Democrats have become more conservative on economics – and Republicans have become more conservative on social issues. “
That is quite simply, wrong.
Both parties are in fact, more liberal on economics than they were in 1988 The Dems have moved to outright anti-capitialism, high taxation, and redistribution of the wealth. Republicans have moved away from a free market approach to a managed economic approach.
The Republican party has not changed on social issues. Hollywood/MSM has moved to the left and it seems as though the Republicans have moved to the right (would a TV show titled “Sex in the City” been even possible in 1984? Was gay marriage even thought of in 1984?)
However, on the other hand, we have to get candidates that really want a permanent lower tax for everybody and less government.
“””The problem is that the Republicans are tied to Wall St. and big business and a lot of Americans have problems with CEOs destroying companies and walking away with millions.”””
Yes, the Republicans are guilty of this crime. But so are the Democrats. The problem is that the mainstream media in their role as spokespeople for the Democratic Party have instilled in the public’s mind that it is only the Republicans who are beholden to big business.
Just the lopsided campaign contributions from the NY banks and brokerage houses to Obama and the Democrats refute that. But, the American people are easily handed a lie.
..I read some of that sentiment this AM by a frequent poster during the campaign...
The GOP needs to do a “Day in the Life” film of an average American to illustrate the burden that government places on people.
Frum and Co. are soooooooo wrong on that. Check out the marriage ammendments throughout the country. Most people are center-right on social issues. The GOP just does a piss-poor job of explaining why taxing cooperations is bad. They also have to emphasize personal responsibility. Remember during the VP debate that got the most positive reaction. But then it was just dropped. The GOP has to go watch some tapes of Reagan. Badly.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.