It used to be that the Northeast was all liberal to moderates at the most rightward of the spectrum. So democrats up there were naturally liberal, and Republicans there were what a conservative would call a liberal or at best wishy-washy...
Down here in the South, we actually had loads of conservative democrats, who were much more conservative than even the Republicans of the Northeast. Southern conservative senators like James Hill, John Sparkman, Herman Tallmadge, Sam Nunn, Sam Ervin, Strom Thurmond, John Stennis, Russell Long, etc. All democrats, but decidedly NOT liberals.
I can think of a ton of Northeast liberal Republicans Senators: Prescott Bush, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jacob Javits, Lowell Weicker, Edward Brooke, George Aiken, Everett Dirksen, Nelson Rockerfeller, Margeret Chase Smith, and a host of other RINOs as we know them today.
The thing is that in our lifetime the American political party system went from regional to ideological in a 40 year time span, say 1960-2000.
The point I’d have fro anyone is this: Let the Northeast do their thing, even if it means RINOs, because the voters there just won’t EVER vote for our type of conservative.
Conservatives should concentrate on getting as many like minded people elected in those regions where that philosophy has always held sway; the South and the West. Accept the RINOs as ideological inferiors but whose numbers allow our more conservative party stalwarts to hold and wield power.
Too bad some think that always being on the outside looking in is more pure than winning and getting much of your agenda accomplished, or, in the worst case, like now, or at least 2008-2010, see the Left triumph legislatively. That and Supreme Court justices will hurt us for decades to come.
Well put and I could not agree with you more. I hope others on FR will take what you said to heart and learn to adjust to what needs to be done so we win more elections.
“Too bad some think that always being on the outside looking in is more pure than winning and getting much of your agenda accomplished, “
1980 - Ron Reagen - NOT A RINO
all else RINO - Bigger G’ment more intrusion in your everyday life. Not a good option in my opinion
Threading the needle is the tough part. Being conservative yet attracting enough “others” in order to win. My take is conservatism always works and usually wins if tried why not put forth the correct, right, conservative, plan that will ultimately get others on board as well. Liberalism won’t work.
I'm from Boston, and in my lifetime (I'm 68) the local Dems used to be socially conservative at least -- the Republicans never were, and fiscally were always the crony capitalist, big business (not small business) types. Frankly, here in MA we never get a chance to vote conservative. If a conservative actually has the temerity to run, the MA GOP will recruit (and support) a liberal to run against him in the primary. That seems to be what happened to Sean Bielat: the first time he ran, they didn't bother figuring he had no chance against Barney Frank. The second time, when it was for an open seat, they recruited some woman -- Elizabeth something -- to run in the primary. Also, I'm firmly convinced (admittedly without proof) that they also put up that Fall River dentist who nobody ever heard of but who claimed to be a real conservative in order to split the conservative vote.
“Down here in the South, we actually had loads of conservative democrats, who were much more conservative than even the Republicans of the Northeast. Southern conservative senators like James Hill, John Sparkman, Herman Tallmadge, Sam Nunn, Sam Ervin, Strom Thurmond, John Stennis, Russell Long, etc. All democrats, but decidedly NOT liberals”
If they were alive today and still in politics not a one of them would be a democrat.
well-stated.