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Execute a third-party tantrum over every slight, real and imagined...and watch the GOP go court someone else's vote, because you're telling them that you cannot be relied on in any way, shape, or form.

This is not for people who like short slogans and sound bites, but there is a fascinating and very insightful article from a Dean supporter here. It's kind of a post-mortem, and it concerns how the Deaniacs (including Dean himself) managed to con themselves into thinking they had actual popular support... when what they were really experiencing was their own noise bouncing around in an echo chamber on the Internet.

I recommend this article to all thinking Freepers, because we here on FR are vulnerable to making the same mistakes. We had our very own on-line echo chamber long before anyone ever heard of Howard Dean. And if we're honest about it, we'll admit that we have had our own little 'Deaniac' episodes along the way.

One of the things I try to keep in perspective is that, to the extent that I fit in here, I am a 95^th percentile right-wing nut. Anyone who ran for office using my positions, on my hot-button issues, would go down in flames in all but a handful of Congressional districts. The minute I forget that, I have lost touch with reality.

I have seen numerous posts on this thread so far alleging widespread dissatisfaction with the direction the Republican Party has been taking in recent years. Earth to Freepers: the market is signalling the Republicans that they are doing everything right. Some of us have wondered over the years whether we would ever live to see the day that Republicans would hold the White House, both houses of Congress, and a majority of the Governorships. Not only do they have that now, they increased their majorities in both houses in the last election. If I run the GOP, and you come to tell me that I'm doing it all wrong, I am going to dismiss you as a nut.

Folks, let's not fall into the Deaniac Internet Echo-Chamber trap. We are not the American electorate. We are highly vocal ring-wing nuts... the exact counterpoint to Dean's highly vocal left-wing nuts. Our advice on how to win elections is worth about as much as Howard Dean's is right now. And that's especially true for guys who have gone from being in the wilderness for 40 years, to owning the Democrats.

That's not to say that the GOP can't screw things up. Nothing is forever. But let's be cool about this and recognize that we are not the guys anyone is going to come to for advice on what to do next. Boo and hiss at Karl Rove all you want, but Bush is President and his party gained seats in both houses during an off-year election... not an easy or common thing to pull off. There is no objective fact for Bush to look at that doesn't tell him that Karl Rove is very good at what he does.

One of the things that many people have speculated about is whether the Deaniacs will accept reality, or whether they will go off in a snit... and come November, either write in Howard, or vote for Ralph Nader, or stay home altogether. People wonder about that because the Deaniacs are widely perceived to be a bunch of immature moonbeamers.

I hope we can do better than that.

Fair enough.
I recommend you read the article at the top of this thread, and tell me how many Freepers were giving Karl Rove the heat at that retreat.
My guess is not that many.
There is an echo chamber on FR, and it's filled with the sound of self-satisfaction and bleating that we have a Panglossian Presidency. People have hypnotized themselves that this election will be a walk, and that nothing that Bush has done will endanger either his reelection or the seats we take in the House and Senate.
In the article, many GOP Congressman told Karl Rove that's not what they're hearing from their constituents.
The GOP is no better served by a yes-forum than President Bush is served by yes-men.

I have seen numerous posts on this thread so far alleging widespread dissatisfaction with the direction the Republican Party has been taking in recent years. Earth to Freepers: the market is signalling the Republicans that they are doing everything right. Some of us have wondered over the years whether we would ever live to see the day that Republicans would hold the White House, both houses of Congress, and a majority of the Governorships. Not only do they have that now, they increased their majorities in both houses in the last election. If I run the GOP, and you come to tell me that I'm doing it all wrong, I am going to dismiss you as a nut.

Your post is spot-on.

However, it's evident that the current direction of the country is increasingly socialist no matter what party is in power.

In short: America is screwed. We're going socialist, people. Might as well get used to it.

Earth to Freepers: the market is signalling the Republicans that they are doing everything right...they increased their majorities in both houses in the last election.

Good post Nick. However in regard to this point, I'd suggest past performance is hardly a predictor of future success. We had a very different set of circumstances in place in 2002. Obviously 9/11 was a more recent occurrence, but also the administration had not veered left with the likes of Prescription Drug Bills, amnesty, etc.

Pre-2002 I'd submit this administration was acting far more conservative than it has since. They'd have been well-advised to continue on that course, yet here we are.

That's the point of many of us here. This leftward drift is actually damaging Bush's reelection chances, and some of us are trying to surface the issue before it's too late.

It's sad to see you have such a low opinion of FReepers, but not surprising. If we don't have the impact you say we don't, could it be because those who took it upon themselves to harness the energy of FR have squandered whatever momentum we had like the Deaniacs you so artfully compare us too?

As far as you're concerned, we have no role to play in these elections, other than to meekly pull the R lever. If we are so ineffective and not listened to, why do you bother with FRN? The GOP doesn't pay any attention to FR, according to you, we're just a bunch of "nuts." Thanks for making that clear.

I have a higher opinion of FReepers. I've seen us in action many times over the years and witnessed our successes. I've seen for myself and been told of our impact. To dismiss us as the irrelevant right-wing equivalant of Deaniacs is insulting.

If, as you say, we don't matter, then who cares if we vote third party? Or are we just trying to protect our invitations to Important Conservative Republican Meetings?

P.S. I have seen numerous posts on this thread so far alleging widespread dissatisfaction with the direction the Republican Party has been taking in recent years. Earth to Freepers: the market is signalling the Republicans that they are doing everything right.

The article which these comments are based on states that the Republican Caucus is responding to market forces telling them of widespread dissatisfaction with the direction the party is taking.

P.P.S. I read the Deaniac article. Liberals falling for a fantasy is nothing new. The Deaniacs were just the last ones to figure out Howard Dean was not presidential material.

Nick, the article was brilliant - so brilliant, it cost me a 4 hour careen through blog-space, where I wasted 4 hours learning much but doing little to convince others of my views. As if to prove the point, it's a virtual reality, at best.

"We had our very own on-line echo chamber long before anyone ever heard of Howard Dean. ... Folks, let's not fall into the Deaniac Internet Echo-Chamber trap. We are not the American electorate. We are highly vocal ring-wing nuts... the exact counterpoint to Dean's highly vocal left-wing nuts."

I agree with that. We need the 'homebase' of getting our own consensus and world-view shaped up and the comfort of knowing we are not alone, but moreso we need the friction of meeting the real world and not spinning our own realities too hard. I often wish we had more liberals around to keep some of the debate a bit more honest, etc.

To me, that means I need to go out and meet the neighborhood today in my race for my office (check my homepage).

"One of the things that many people have speculated about is whether the Deaniacs will accept reality, or whether they will go off in a snit... and come November, either write in Howard, or vote for Ralph Nader, or stay home altogether. People wonder about that because the Deaniacs are widely perceived to be a bunch of immature moonbeamers."

It is not recognized that Dean HAS WON in a way: His message won. The same way the Apple "Mac" meme eventually "won" when Windows95 finally caught up to it. Kerry and others caught Dean's message and followed his lead. His candidacy died, but his message of an AGRESSIVELY ANTI-BUSH MESSAGE is still around, and is influencing the debate. This was not the case in June, when it was questionable whether the Democrats would go after Bush on a 'popular war'.