The Right Needs to Get Centered

Washington Post ^ | November 9, 2008 | Rich Lowry

[nosofar]

Tuesday's Republican debacle was, as the social scientists say, "over-determined." It had many causes.

Was it brought on by congressional corruption, Bush administration incompetence, intellectual exhaustion or John McCain's failings as a candidate? All of the above -- and then some.

In 2006, voters set out to punish Republicans for loose practices in Washington -- most spectacularly the scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- and the mishandling of the Iraq war. This year, they decided that Republicans deserved another whipping, even before the September financial meltdown added yet another black mark against the Bush administration.

[nutmeg]

read later

[LibLieSlayer]

If the Republican party returned to just the center it would require a HARD RIGHT TURN!

LLS

[DBCJR]

That’s what the “Right” needs, consultation from the Post. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!

We need a message, and to get on it. WWRD?

[WellyP]

We screwed up and got punished. Now we have two clear choices, We can listed to NEWT and rebuild a political machine that can win or we can live in the past with our heads in the sand (or other places) and lose.

[Perdogg]

The GOP needs to get rid of homos like Rich Lowry.

[cripplecreek]

Sick of wandering in the wilderness?

Jump off a cliff.

[Bahbah]

Chipmonk Cheeks Lowry can just shut up, for all I’m concerned.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

I had respect for Lowry because of his conservative leanings, but he apparently has gone so far left that a move to the right would make him a moderate.

[SumProVita]

“The Right Needs to Get Centered”

Translation: Give up your principles, Conservatives.

[richardtavor]

Turning to the left was their demise, they need to become conservative again..Interesting that wapo is giving advice when they barely can printer their newspapers—I hope they go down totally..

[newheart]

I had respect for Lowry because of his conservative leanings

Lowry could not lean any further toward conservatism than his endorsement of Mitt. So, to him, I am sure that the center looks like the right to him.

[counterpunch]

John Boner's 'leadership' in the House played a huge roll in the GOP's defeat on Tuesday.
Since taking over the House GOP Leader position from Tom DeLay on February 3, 2006, Boner has over seen a 20% loss in Republican members in the House. This has been an historic loss in under three years.

Such a dramatic partisan switch has not been seen since the Republican Revolution of 1994, and has not happened to the GOP since the election of 1948.

Consider this. Under Boner's 'leadership' of the past 33 months, Republicans have had a 20% decline in the House. That means that the stock market has actually been a more sound investment than John Boner over the last couple years.

It is absolutely insane that the Republicans would keep John Boner in a leadership position after two back to back historic defeats. We must STOP THE INSANITY! Now!

The American people stopped trusting Republicans, because under the 'leadership' of Boner the GOP has had no ideas, no vision, no principles, no direction, no leadership, and no ethics. Neither the facts nor the perceptions will change so long as John Boner remains House Minority Leader.

Boner has been soft on earmarks, soft on ethics. He opposed the earmark moratorium and refused to call for Ney's resignation. He supported the bailout. He's looked the other way on both ethics and spending, and because of this, Republicans are now lost in the wilderness. The man who lead the GOP into the wilderness is not the man to lead them out.

Everyone must contact their nearest Republican representative and demand they push John Boner aside for Mike Pence!
 

[Timmy]

Rich Lowry is the editor of National Review, the leading conservative magazine, probably, in the world. He ain't David Brooks or Christopher Buckley, who have been "seduced by the world," so to speak. The article makes a lot of sense. We're still fighting yesterday's war. Unless we can adapt conservative principles to the new battlefield, we will continue to lose and the country will slide into European style socialism.

[itsahoot]

Another temptation will be to blame John McCain: He was a maverick and not a conservative, and if only one of the faithful had run, Republicans would have been spared this defeat.

This is a fantasy. It's hard to imagine any Republican running ahead of McCain this year. Besides, even if no one ever mistook him for an emblem of modern conservatism, McCain's campaign nonetheless reflected some of its failings.

Aw shucks, Little Richie is afraid he won't get invited to the parties.

[Timmy]

The problem is much bigger than Boehner. It's primary Bush and the Republican establishment. While I love what Bush has done in a lot of areas (abortion, judges, defense), he's refused to engaged the enemy (the Democrats) and have allowed them and the media to set the terms of the debate. When did he ever defend conservative principles, as Reagan did every time he opened his mouth? And nominating McCain. Perhaps any Republican would have lost this year, with the economy and the media, but at least we could have nominated someone with the stomach to fight Obama and expose his lies during the debates. The House members are casualties of the larger battle at the top.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Put a real conservative on the ballot and WIN!

[ChicagahAl]

“conservatism has no clear national political leaders:

It’s difficult to argue with that, at this point.

“The question is how to appeal to the center again.”

Wrong. The question is, when will the Republican party stop trying to appeal to the center, and once again try to appeal to conservatives?

[cripplecreek]

This is a fantasy. It's hard to imagine any Republican running ahead of McCain this year.

Never mind the fact that he trailed even the 2nd tier candidates till late in the game. His nomination was the result of being able to outlast the other candidates and then pick up their delegates.

Our primary system is in serious need of an overhaul.

[Maine Mariner]

Thank you for those observations. You are 100% correct.

I would add one comment. In 2006 several dozen state legislators across the Midwest, including my home state of ND were not reelected.
Long time conservatives were unexpectly defeated. It appears that left-wing groups were raising money and quietly (and legally) sending it to Democratic candidates.
We learned this several months later-I believe I learned about it on Free Republic. We should have been aware in January, 1997 of the left’s ability to raise money.