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The Emerging Conservative Consensus
Pajamas Media ^ | Dec. 16 | Jazz Shaw

Posted on 12/16/2009 12:31:45 PM PST by AJKauf

Ask yourself who would win in a theoretical election: Obama ’09 or Reagan ’84? Sure, President Obama’s victory last year was impressive, but his approval ratings are dropping by the hour and the late Reagan is consistently cited as one of the country’s most beloved former presidents. Perhaps Reagan wouldn’t win 49 states as in 1984, but is there any doubt, knowing what we know now, that Reagan would emerge victorious — and do so decisively?

Republicans can win big in 2010 and 2012 by talking less about social issues and more about economic liberty and federalism.....

(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
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1 posted on 12/16/2009 12:31:45 PM PST by AJKauf
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To: AJKauf
First, social conservatives (or "so-cons") ought to begin emphasizing means over ends. On social issues, the United States has become more liberal since the 1980s. As a result, so-cons have allowed themselves to become caricatured as Bible-thumpin', gay-hatin' bigots. But they could destroy this image, and in fact win more policy debates on a local level, if so-cons publicly embraced the libertarian live-and-let-live roots of conservatism

Excellent points.

2 posted on 12/16/2009 12:33:45 PM PST by steve-b (Intelligent Design -- "A Wizard Did It")
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To: AJKauf
Republicans can win big in 2010 and 2012 by talking less about social issues and more about economic liberty and federalism.....

Thisa is exactly right. We should be talking smaller government, low taxes, and balanced budgets. The next time any Republican should mention abortion or gay rights should be December 2012, when we're discussing potential Supreme Court picks by the new Republican president.

3 posted on 12/16/2009 12:33:57 PM PST by Philo1962 (Iraq is terrorist flypaper. They go there to die.)
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To: AJKauf

GO SARAH!!


4 posted on 12/16/2009 12:37:26 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Join the TEA Party Rebellion!! God save this great Republic!!)
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To: Jim Robinson

Ditto that!


5 posted on 12/16/2009 12:39:17 PM PST by TheCause ("that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States")
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To: Philo1962; steve-b

Kick out the social planks, you sink your ship.

In fact, it may be sunk already!

Go Tea Party!!


6 posted on 12/16/2009 12:39:26 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Join the TEA Party Rebellion!! God save this great Republic!!)
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To: AJKauf

bookmark


7 posted on 12/16/2009 12:39:43 PM PST by GOP Poet (Obama is an OLYMPIC failure.)
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To: TheCause

Damn the RINOS! Full steam ahead!!


8 posted on 12/16/2009 12:40:46 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Join the TEA Party Rebellion!! God save this great Republic!!)
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To: AJKauf

I fundamentally agree with this.


9 posted on 12/16/2009 12:41:02 PM PST by AzaleaCity5691
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To: AJKauf
The best guarantor of how conservative the Republican Party has really become is to read the Party Platform. It is devised by the leadership of the grassroots. The Platform has become even more conservative since 1984.

Ronald Reagan's best trait was the fact that he honored the ordinary people of this nation.

10 posted on 12/16/2009 12:41:52 PM PST by Slyfox
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To: Philo1962

Well it depends. Obviously, in my state, I want to talk about those things because they win votes all day long.

But it’s not as easy a thing when you’re talking about suburban voters in New York or Michigan. You should always go for a candidate as conservative as can get elected in any district but the key is “get elected”.

Are Childers, Bright, Griffith and Marshall in Congress because they ran as Nancy Pelosi clones who were ready to take away guns, marry the gays and abort them babies? Hell no! They all ran by portraying themselves as “good ole’ boys” and using economic populism as their differential.

The Democrats have figured out that running socially conservative, economically liberal candidates works in districts that are socially conservative with some economic liberal tendencies among their residents. Why not do the same thing in districts that we know are socially moderate but economically conservative? Would you rather have an Obamaphile who’ll vote for socialized medicine.

Say all you want about Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins but if those seats were held by two Democrats the passage of ObamaCare would be a certainty and we’d have no hope. At least with them, we have hope. And I believe they are the only kind of Republicans you can elect in Maine.


11 posted on 12/16/2009 12:46:41 PM PST by AzaleaCity5691
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To: AJKauf

Reagan didn’t talk about social issues. That’s odd. I remember him doing just that.


12 posted on 12/16/2009 12:48:09 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: Jim Robinson

Nobody said anything about kicking out those planks, Jim. We should just stop bringing them up in conversations. If anybody asks, just say, “Well, I’m sure you’re familiar with our party platform,” and leave it at that.

This is what we need to focus on:

1. Create Jobs

2. Balance the Budget

3. Smaller Government and Lower Taxes

Keep it simple, steer clear of any ugly, divisive arguments over abortion, and we win big. Then we get to pick people like Roberts and Scalia for the Supreme Court.


13 posted on 12/16/2009 12:48:39 PM PST by Philo1962 (Iraq is terrorist flypaper. They go there to die.)
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To: AJKauf

Hunter/DeMint 2012. Real Reaganites.


14 posted on 12/16/2009 12:48:49 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: Jim Robinson
Jim, you are absolutely correct. Kick out the social planks, you sink your ship.

Every single time the rinos try to push the social planks out, namely the Pro-Life Plank, the grassroot leadership works even harder to make sure they are not toyed around with and they make them even stronger.

What the rinos try to do is convince everyone that the social planks are the thing that is dragging the Party down, when it is the insistence of the rinos to get rid of the social planks that actually causes good conservatives to stay home and not vote. Especially when the rinos come up with lame candidates like Bob Dole.

15 posted on 12/16/2009 12:50:45 PM PST by Slyfox
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To: steve-b

How are you going to convince ‘Rome’ that there’s no such thing as a free lunch?
It’s been true since time began, but they still believe it. They’ve been conditioned to believe they are entitled.


16 posted on 12/16/2009 12:51:00 PM PST by griswold3 (You think health care is expensive now? Just wait till it's FREE!)
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To: AJKauf

>>>Republicans can win big in 2010 and 2012 by talking less about social issues and more about economic liberty and federalism.....<<<

No, Republicans can win big in 2010 and 2012 by talking MORE about social issues AND more about economic liberty and federalsim, not to mention more about national security through strength, rather than bowing.

Without social conservatism, the GOP is effectively a 3rd party, with ZERO shot at the White House.


17 posted on 12/16/2009 12:55:00 PM PST by Above My Pay Grade ("I don't have a whole lot of mercy for the bad guys, I'm on the good guys' side." -Sarah Palin)
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To: AJKauf

“economic liberty and federalism”

The key.


18 posted on 12/16/2009 12:56:00 PM PST by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
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To: Philo1962

B/S!

This nation was founded by Christians and plank number one is the principle that all men are created equal and granted certain unalienable rights by God their Creator, including among others the rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Which social planks are you willing to give up?

Life?

Liberty?

Private property?

Religious freedom?

Freedom of speech?

Right to be secure in our homes and private affairs?

Rights to due process, presumption of innocence and speedy trial before a jury of our peers?

Right to keep and bear arms?

Bring it on, pal!

All others, keep your powder dry!

Rebellion is brewing.


19 posted on 12/16/2009 1:04:14 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Join the TEA Party Rebellion!! God save this great Republic!!)
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To: Philo1962

The only legitimate government responsibility regarding the economy and “creating jobs” is to stay the hell out of our way!!

Read up on Ronald Reagan:

Government is not the solution, government IS the problem!!

Government is established among men and is granted certain just powers by us to preserve, protect and defend our unalienable rights—not to control us or to do for us!!


20 posted on 12/16/2009 1:10:40 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Join the TEA Party Rebellion!! God save this great Republic!!)
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