Republicans Forgot Reagan's Message

Human Events ^ | November.10, 2006 | Marc Rotterman

[azhenfud]

"It doesn't matter who we put up there, they will be trashed. However, after a setback like this election, it would be nice if our side didn't turn on them like a pack of vultures."

Buzzards only flock to that which is dead stinks to high heaven. If Republicans carelessly put politicians in office who stink, watch out - because buzzards will fly in.

[IronJack]

"If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that's what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it.

There are a couple of problems with applying this description to today's RINOs.

1) They don't get 75 or 80 percent of anything. They're lucky if they get anything at all.

2) Half the time, they don't even ask for anything. Eighty percent of zero is zero.

3) They never come back to fight for the rest. They grovel for the pittance they're given, then slink away and gobble down the Democrats' table scraps.

4) "Radical conservatives" are the only folks in the GOP these days that have any notion of principle. The rest are accommodationist cowards, opportunistic hacks, or Democrats who took a wrong turn during the credentialing process.

[Mojave]

They grovel for the pittance they're given, then slink away and gobble down the Democrats' table scraps.

While lining their own pockets.

[republicanwizard]

Oh yeah! call me a liberal! That's brilliant! Great comeback!

[Reagan Man]

You're welcome.

Btw, you're post was great.

[Sam Hill]

"n.b. James Baker was heavily involved in the decision to withdraw from Beirut, as was SECDEF Weinberger et al."

Good point.

Also, I imagine he had a lot of input in the decision of GHWB to end the First Gulf War prematurely early.

[upsdriver]

My point is that prior to the election, Bush & Rove were like heroes to many on this site. The same thing when Mr. Newt gave up the speakership. Reagan also went through it with alot from his own side in 86 and after. These people were trying to do there best, but the media was successful in undermining our own support for them.

[TAdams8591]

The problem with your premise is a lot of those "conservatives" including Santorum, did not run on the issues as conservatively as they did in the past.

I still believe in a majority of the areas of the country (but not where I live for instance), Reagan conservatism will win.

[Reagan Man]

>>>>>Great comeback!

My exact thought. LOL

[TAdams8591]

Absolutely agreed, on both counts.

But I will state areas in which I agree with the President and areas where I disagree just as I did before the 2006 election.

And if they go after the President or anyone in his administration as they will do, I will be as outspoken as anyone on this board against such outrageous and unfair tactics.

[Mojave]

It's amazing how many of these advocates of moving left claim to be conservatives. Reminds me of a call-in radio show.

[TAdams8591]

I remember many Republicans attacking Ronald Reagan as too extreme. There was not a single conservative with whom I was acquainted in REAL LIFE at the time, who wasn't crazy about him, even when they disagreed with something he did.

Some of those same people, while supportive of President Bush are not as happy with him as they were with Reagan.

I do think, many conservatives have been using Ronald Reagan to measure President Bush (I must admit I am one of them), and President Bush comes up short, in their eyes, which is a problem President Reagan didn't have. And for this reason there is a greater number of conservatives overall who are less satisfied with the performance of President Bush than they were with performance of President Reagan.

[upsdriver]

That's fair, I am the same way. I haven't been posting on here till after the election, but I also have disagreements with our leaders on issues, also. The only thing is, as a whole, we all need to stick together, somewhat, and go after our real enemies.

[ladyinred]

This is at least the 30th reason republicans lost. They lost mostly due to lies from the leftists through their mouthpieces the media who bashed them for years, who never told a good story from Iraq and who made sure no one knew any thing good the President did. Give me a break with these stories.

[TAdams8591]

"There was not a single conservative with whom I was acquainted in REAL LIFE at the time, who wasn't crazy about him, even when they disagreed with something he did."

The above was actually my sentence, and somehow I mixed in with your words, that I quoted, Mojave. Sorry, about that.

[upsdriver]

Exactly, I listen to NPR each day and all I ever here is negative stories on the war and the Bush administration. But let them interview a democrat and it's nothing but a love fest. I also listen to Rush to keep my sanity!

[TAdams8591]

"we all need to stick together, somewhat, and go after our real enemies."

I couldn't agree more and have said so many times.

Of course when we are on this board, we are disussing or debating at times major points and at other time finer points, that we are apt to discuss more amongst ourselves.

But when Democrats unfairly attack the President, and I have the ability and opportunity, I stand up for him, as I did for the President's father, and for Ronald Reagan.

[TAdams8591]

Thankyou! : )

[Stultis]

Republicans lost because the Bush Administration and the Republican leadership too often cavalierly abandoned the populist conservative message and policies of President Ronald Reagan.

Sorry. Can't stand by and see the (IMHO, somewhat odious) adjective "populist" applied to Reagan.

Reagan's principled position on trade, his "supply side" economic philosophy, not to mention his views on immigration, where all markedly, even radically, opposed both to the tenets of classical political populism, and to any contemporary or recent incarnation thereof.

[upsdriver]

I love discussing politics and argueing about it, but I'm alot better doing it face to face then on a computer screen. I hope I didn't leave the impression I had any real disagreement with your take on things, It sounds like we are on the same page.