Posted on 11/18/2008 7:24:10 PM PST by Wegotsarah.com
As Republicans sort out the reasons for their defeat, they likely will overlook or dismiss the gorilla in the pulpit.
Three little letters, great big problem: G-O-D.
I'm bathing in holy water as I type.
To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ails the erstwhile conservative party and will continue to afflict and marginalize its constituents if reckoning doesn't soon cometh.
Simply put: Armband religion is killing the Republican Party. And, the truth -- as long as we're setting ourselves free -- is that if one were to eavesdrop on private conversations among the party intelligentsia, one would hear precisely that.
The choir has become absurdly off-key, and many Republicans know it.
But they need those votes!
So it has been for the Grand Old Party since the 1980s or so, as it has become increasingly beholden to an element that used to be relegated to wooden crates on street corners.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Don't you just love it when writers directly contradict themselves in the space of a few sentences?
Note to Rich Lowry: the NR masthead needs a minor change.
Never stand between a man and the shrill, strident voices in his own head. ;)
I have always defined myself as socially and fiscally conservative and a Reagan conservative because defining myself as part of the religious right is too narrow as there are those on the right, who share my values who are not religious. Religious, or not religious, all we who share the same fiscal and moral values, should be pushing for our conservative beliefs side by side. And in my humble opinion, that's pretty much the way it is, with a few exceptions.
Strongly agreed. The criticism is unfair and inaccurate.
LOL! The MSM has been saying this about social conservatives for years. Amazingly, when social conservatives stood their ground, and held the GOP to those principles, the GOP was strong, and won back the House and Senate, as well as several terms in the White House. When the GOP started getting squishy, and listened more to the liberals, and tried to remove any notion of religion from their midst, they started losing again.
Agreed. I've heard that criticism for the past 25, 30 years, and have not seen the evidence for it, though I have looked for equally as long.
You are exactly right!
The GOP, divided against itself as it currently is, cannot possibly win another election, not in our lifetimes, and possibly not in the next century. When it comes to staying in power, the Democrats have the decided advantage. That is because, to the Democrats, gaining and keeping power is the Prime Directive, superceding all. The promotion of socialism and government dependence is simply the best tool for them to retain that control.
Republicans suffer the disadvantage of having "values" and "principles", and the further disadvantage of being comprised of several groups with slightly differing priorities in how these values and principles get listed.
The 2006 and 2008 elections were mandates against the open borders, outsourcing, globalist, Free Traitor, RINO neo-con wing of the GOP. Naturally, they would like to blame anyone other than themselves, but this is the reality. People losing jobs by the million is not a winning strategy, and this faction of the GOP is finished. McCain was rightly perceived to be part of this bunch, and his poll numbers below 30% betrayed it, right up to August 29. "Country First" is a hollow rallying cry, coming from the corrupt east coast cabal that are hell-bent on selling us all down the river. Reagan drew votes from working people of the Republican and Democrat parties. All these ordinary people who have grown accustomed to eating regularly and living indoors are necessary votes for a winning ticket.
The religious wings of the GOP present even more divisions. If we try to run a Southern Baptist, we lose the Mormon votes in the western states. Likewise, if we try to run a Mormon, we lose the Bible Belt states. If we run an Episcopalean from the northeast, we risk losing both of those groups. And with any of the above, we risk losing votes from the non-affiliated Republicans. Those are the problems inherent in any political platform weighted along any religious lines.
Then we have the Constitutional conservatives, those who believe the GOP can be successfully unified on the traditional Republican party platform of supporting and conserving (actually rebuilding) our constitutional republic. Under such a platform, the interests, rights, and liberties of all the various groups, even the Democrats, are protected equally. This is the only winning platform, and will win only if the competing factions and candidates lay aside their differences on other issues.
Sarah Palin was convincing when she spoke of "Country First" and of fighting corruption. John McCain was not convincing, and unfortunately, he was at the top of the ticket. Farther back in the primaries, Huckabee and Romney were perceived (rightly or not) of representing their respective religions first, and the country somewhat less.
Whoever the future GOP candidate is, they and their message need to be convincingly pro-American and pro-Constitution, first and foremost.
“But when you’re a sleazy WaPo whore anyone more devout than a flaming atheist is a threat to your peace of mind and must be attacked at all costs.”
Well put.
But now she'll be one of the house conservatives of the Washington/New York axis. She can paw the floor at parties and have a couple of bones tossed her way by the elitist snobs she is toasting in her Benedict Arnold column.
What a loathesome woman.
It’s very obvious what she meant. Not only did the Jews wear armbands, so did the Nazis.
I’m really glad to see some of our quisling enemies being flushed into the open.
The problem is that there are two strains of social conservatism — one that simply wants government to leave them alone and one that wants to use government to impose its preferences on the rest of society. The latter is more prominent for obvious reasons (the biggest mouths and pushiest elbows get the attention), and scares the bulk of the electorate away.
Clearly, one must ultimately depend on an standard of right and wrong that is not dependent on a specific religion.
yes indeed! And if you and others would like to add real strength to your religion, take a look at fhu.com where there is a wonderful Be Still exercise which trully is the holy grail of religion.
Wellington Silverback IV is not surprised, but displeased. This sort of thing just isn't done, old boy.
Clearly, one must ultimately depend on an standard of right and wrong that is not dependent on a specific religion.
Or more clearly - there seems to be one religion completely separate from all the others. One that is based on love from the heart and that has withstood 2000 years of assaults yet still stands, still makes sense...
Yep, you might get trampled. Well, I’m off to handle some snakes. have a fine day, y’all!
That’s what they all say.
The truth, I think, is even more pathetic than that. If they were accomplices to evil, you would think they would have some spine. But as it is, the worst that can be said is that they a just spiteful, egocentric neurotics.
I am reminded of a one panel comic called “The passive-aggressive mugger”. It showed a seedy looking individual with a bag, in front of two women. He says, “Give me all your money, or you’ll force me to throw these kittens in the river!”
This is the kind of pathos I’m talking about. Emotionally, they are like Woody Allen, filled to the brim with feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, surrounded by a veneer of utter arrogance and self importance. They cower before most everyone, who they fear and hate, yet behave in a vicious manner to the helpless and weak. They are defeated people, who live for the cheap shot that involves no personal risk.
They lead lives of whiny desperation and contempt for anyone and anything better than themselves. Their lives are their own punishment.
Thank you—don’t be concerned, I won’t send money because there is none—:)....and very good points, you should start your own blog. -:)
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