Posted on 01/05/2010 6:00:06 AM PST by rabscuttle385
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele offers a simple explanation for why the GOP all too often lost touch with typical Americans since the Ronald Reagan era: "We screwed up," he claims in a new book offering a blueprint for the party's resurgence.
That "we" includes the last two Republican presidents and the most recent Republican candidate for president.
In "Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda," released Monday by Regnery Publishing, Steele says the GOP should acknowledge where "we most glaringly compromised our principles" in the past decade and hold its elected officials accountable.
"We must support Republican officials who assert these principles," he writes. "When elected Republicans vote against Republican principles, the voters must withhold their support -- withhold it vigorously and consistently."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Along with Goldwater. The conservative movement did not start with Reagan.
21 year duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......
You are so right, I keep thinking of this year and the great opportunity we have, and then I picture the R’s screwing up again. Keeps me awake at night.
Sooooooo, the RNC is gittin religion, is it? BS! I don’t care what they SAY, only what they have done, are CURRENTLY doing, and based upon this, what they are likely to do. So far I give
the GOP an F. What has the GOP done to reign in Graham and McCain?
Nothing.
The GOP is still promoting RINO candidates.
The GOP has refused to fund Scott Brown, the man who has a real shot at replacing Ted Kennedy in the Senate. They had plenty of money for Romney though.
GOP you PROVE it, and they will come.
What a liar! He supported the rino Wayne Gilcrest for congress in Maryland when every other major republican (including Steeles old partner former Governor Bob Ehrlich) abandoned this incumbent and supported the conservative challenger Andy Harris. Gilcrest lost in the the primary and then pulled a "Scuzzyfava" and supported the dem in the general. Steele is a liar and a hypocrite. He feels the wind blowing and instead of leading he writes a book to cash in on the "conservative" sentiment. I guess the speaking fees he's been charging are not enough to satisfy him.
You are correct. The RNC is in it for itself which is made up of RINOs. Steele sees the outrage by the public manifested by the Tea Party groups, and is adjusting his message accordingly. He is still a RINO representing RINOs.
STARVE THE BEAST
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Michael.
One thing I've long believed is that the GOP found it much harder to govern in power than it was to serve as the opposition on the sidelines. I despised Bill Clinton as much as anyone, but I have to admit that the period between the 1992 election and the 1994 GOP sweep of Congress made for some of the most entertaining media stories of my life. The whole U.S. government was basically a farce, and life was a lot of fun when I didn't feel any obligation to take it seriously.
Well said!
The Bushes screwed up by trying to be Dems on odd numbered days and Repubs on even numbered days.
Dem voters still voted Dem, but Repub voters (and campaign contributors) stopped giving enthusiastic support.
Look at Calif’s Republican Governor, Arnold Wimponator. He recently announced he gave Dear Leader’s performance as Prez thus far an “A”.
With Repubs like that, who needs enemies?
Of course, Steele’s past statements were less than “Reagan-ish”. Some more like “Rino-ish”, so did Steele write that book or was it ghost written? And did he mean those words and is he a true conservative? Or just an “election year conservative”?
Nice that he’s finding religion, but it’s too late for that. We don’t have time to find out if he really means it or if he’s still trying to bail out the sinking lifeboat.
Dump Steele — who supports only RINOs and wants to play the losing “big tent” game with Dems — and put a REAL conservative at the helm of the GOP. Is this a war of ideas or a just a parsing of minor differences between two similar parties? Time to draw a line in the sand.
One week of statements from a real conservative GOP boss and we’ll know if the GOP can be saved or if a third party is required. And if a third party is needed to say what we want said, then forget about 2012. And 2016, too.
Put up or shut up, Mr. Steele.
I guess he got the memo that WE AREN’T DONATING TO THE NATIONAL GOP UNTIL THEY START FOLLOWING OUR PRINCIPLES AGAIN.
The PARTY doesn’t run things, WE DO.
They serve us and represent OUR wishes, and when they stray from that, BLAMO, no funding for you. It’s just that simple.
The last time the National party contacted me, I told them the same. I get the feeling that the poor guy had heard it a lot, because he hung up with out saying goodbye even. Golly, isn’t THAT a great way to help bring the party faithful back into the fold... not.
Has he finally seen the handwriting on the wall?
The Repubs that love Reagan saw it all squandered by the like of Newt,McCain etc etc.
When the people gave them the power, they used it to their own greater desire to become members of the Washington Club.
BIG mistake.
Is the republican party’s affirmative action appointee just figuring this out??!!
Which is why I voted for Duncan Hunter in the primary, who didn’t need any conversions throughout his career.
Verify before trusting is what I say.
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