Hmmm, who owns the Gop? Now let's see, who could that be?
Could it be SATAN SATAN SATAN SATAN?
Posted on 10/20/2007 7:28:15 PM PDT by Delacon
David Brooks and Dean Barnett both tackle Huckabee's gradual rise today, and both see a lot of promise: Brooks writes that whereas "each of the top-tier candidates makes certain parts of the party uncomfortable ... Huckabee is the one candidate acceptable to all factions," while Barnett acknowledges that the Huck's "taxing and spending in Arkansas may not be every conservative's ideal," but suggests that he "probably has fewer policy skeletons in his closet than anyone else in the field."
I dunno - as Matt says, taxing and spending are a pretty big deal in the GOP, and it's clear that Huckabee wouldn't be acceptable to this particular faction, at the very least. Throw in his wetness on immigration and his various rhetorical forays toward a "conservatism of the heart" on trade and inequality and so forth, and you have a candidate with as many deviations from GOP orthodoxy as John McCain and Fred Thompson, certainly, if not Giuliani and Romney (both of whom have enough skeletons to fill the whole house).
Which is why the current Republican race is so interesting - it's a laboratory, in a sense, for determining which interest groups really have clout in the GOP primaries, and which issues really excite the faithful. If Rudy Giuliani wins the nomination, it will tell us a lot about the real influence (or lack thereof) of folks like James Dobson; if John McCain gets the nod, we'll know that immigration and (to a lesser extent) campaign-finance reform are more important to activists than to actual voters; if Huckabee becomes a significent spoiler (or, though it's much more unlikely, an actual contender) then we'll know the Club for Growth doesn't have quite as much clout
(Excerpt) Read more at rossdouthat.theatlantic.com ...
Here is a good analysis - - mass media vs blogosphere vs website visits - - from a conservative website/writer:
(Just do a quick flypast over the Dems data and scroll down to the GOP!)
http://thetomoreport.blogspot.com/2007/10/2008-presidential-media-showdown-how.html
The results are pretty surprising and are presented in a visually brilliant graphic!
LOL Thanks.
Another RINO Establishement love letter for GW Bush lite.
I trust the word of the Club for Growth who is more often than not spot on. Huckabee is a tax and spender. No thanks.
> > > > “Who Owns the GOP?”
> > I do believe that is what the current fight between conservatives and whoever it is backing Rudy is going to decide.
Strategy ideas, anyone? I will post some of mine in the near future.
First, put Newt in and get issues under control and ready for 2008.
The RNC must be redesigned and become an offensive organization. It should become sleeker, more representative, and more agile.
The election process for the GOP Chairman should change from the state representatives to direct vote by party members. This will prevent the lame candidates we have been forced to tolerate; it’s too important of a job.
An official culture inside the RNC must be developed. The national party should take lessons from the Texas GOP on how they outline their beliefs, such as America is a Christian nation granting freedom of religion to all others.
The RNC should hold bi yearly retreats for all federal party representatives to discuss business, Republican principles, and how to improve Conservatism; paid through fund raising. Educate politicians on party issues and political maneuvering.
Create effective think tanks to deal with challenges, such as how does the party overcome the bias of the media.
Develop a state of the art PR machine to fight the Dems, media, and keep the movement on the offensive. If you communication the message, it will win.
Encourage the relationship between the GOP and talk radio. Hold yearly meetings with talk radio hosts.
Force RINOs out by defining what a Republican stands for. Discipline Rinos by cutting off money and officially asking RINOs to leave the party. Bush’s loss of confidence began IMO when he tried to develop a party culture and Jeffords jumped ship. Jeffords should have been forced out. A majority founded by RINOs is a house built on sand.
Examine the financial structure of the RNC, reorganize to free up money to attract talent in running the organization. Whoever produces successfully keeps their job.
Have yearly town hall conventions to discuss the movement and party, open to all party members.
Educate the public about what it means to be an American and what their rights are.
Who owns the GOP?
It’s an interesting question.
One group that might be said to own it is the party pros—long time policians, staffers, advisers, the RNC, and so forth. They are the insiders who run the show and set the policies and decide which candidates to fund.
Another group that partly owns it is the big contributors and lobbyists, who regretably are largely country-clubbers. They give the big bucks, and without their support and consent it’s hard for a candidate to make his way.
Another group that has a claim to own it is the Republican voters. They tend to be more conservative than the rich donors, and when the pros and donors ignore them or kick them in the face, then they stay home and allow the Democrats to win. Is that their fault, or is it the fault of the pros who just kicked them in the face? Maybe a little of both.
It’s pretty hard for a party to succeed unless all three groups respect one another or at least agree to work with one another. For instance, the voters demanded many years ago that the party should pass a pro-life plank, but the pros and the donors recurrently talk about Big Tents, back RINOs, and try to undermine that plank. It’s self destructive behavior, because they are undercutting their own power base, but they just can’t seem to help it.
There’s no way for Republicans or conservatives to win unless they agree to work together and support each others’ bottom lines. As insiders, the pros and the donors are always in a position to pull a fast one, and they often do. But then everyone pays for it, as we saw in the 2006 election. The conservatives could pull out and start a new party, but that would take time, and the new party would soon have the same problems as the old one. It’s human nature. So, better to work together, if we can.
And that means, among other things, respect life, respect family, respect the Constitution, uphold the law justly, and cut back on taxes and spending. Although not all Freepers may agree, it all begins with respect for life, which is the bottom line, the first of all constitutional rights, the one thing that can’t be compromised.
TaxhikeMike is NOT acceptable.
This question [the title of the piece] on it’s face is an ugly one to ask and in the way that it’s asked. It goes to show us just how far party members have devalued the concept of individual liberty, instead embracing the nasty side of collective bitterness and the internal squabbles within the group — a group whose focus has shifted from promoting freedom to conrolling behaviors of others. This is sad!
Lots of insight in that post.
As far as I am concerned we can change things in the primary. We no longer have the ability to choose our candidates, it’s the “Party” so we end up voting for the lessor of two evils and that is no longer acceptable.
Congressional Republicans have been our biggest letdown, they have no spine and have sold us out consistently and it has got to end. We run as “Conservatives” and we win every time. Yet once elected they vote and govern like Rino’s and I am personally fed up with the cowardice and the direction they have led us in.
We had the best opportunity just blow by us when we controlled both houses. Now we are again in the minority, they do not know how to lead. The Democrats have their way with them and they are afraid to speak up. This is not why we elected them.
Start next year, get as many people to run against the party favorite in a Primary, send them a message that we are tired, we are fed up with their leadership and we will guide the Republican and Conservative agenda forward and take back the house.
We effectively turned around the Republican Party here in Erie County, we Can and Must do it on a National level this coming year. It can be done, we did it here.
PrimaryChallengeCoalition.org I’ll buy the domain and with help we can move this forward across the country. A few candidates from each state will send a message and get National attention.
Your feedback is welcome.
“Strategy ideas, anyone?”
We get behind the most electable (that means drop our illusions about the lesser performing candidates) most consistent candidate and back him with everything we have. In my estimation, based on polls and prescence that man is Fred Thompson. I feel that if we conservatives make this kind of move we can wittle the field down to three or four in short order. My number one guy is Duncan Hunter but I am realistic enough to know better. He’s not going to win, he won’t even show. I will not help Rudy get nominated by being stubborn vis a vis Hunter. We have GOT TO avoid Rudy at all costs. Thompson for me is a good second choice.
Now to Mitt. Mitt has organization that only millions of dollars and fellow Mormons in early states can bring. Mitt to me is NOT trustworthy although he says the right things...he’s just not believable knowing how recent his conversion has been. That being said, he would one heck of a VP choice for Fred, Fred ought to stay friendly with Mitt when possible, he may need him later. That money and that organization will be key in defeating the Beast.
This clown got outraised in fundraising by Ron Paul, for crying out loud. He only raised $1 million in the 3rd quarter, and this was AFTER the free publicity he got from his strong Iowa straw poll showing.
The media is shilling for Huckabee to take down Fred and elect Rudy by proxy. If Huckabee's nominated they will lose the election, independents and libertarians are not going to vote for another big gov't socon.
UH, SINCE WHEN?
His non-stop RECORD of Open Borders and Amnesty is there for all to see. He is up to his eyeballs in Tyson control, which wanted the OBL...and Mexicans labor to displace Americans.
Guess where he is on the Texas Trans Corridor....
What is your view of organizations such as Club for Growth?
Thanks for replying. You are correct. The media must take down our front runners. Huckabee is not electable and it is not just that he is from Arkansas.
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