What Can Conservatives Do Now With the GOP?
Barack Obama is setting up his incoming administration as Republicans across the ideological and strategic spectrum in the GOP are restructuring. How will Republicans emerge from last Tuesday's stunning losses and reformulate to become a winning party once again? Will it take four years or four decades?
Most conservatives of all stripes still call the Republican Party home and, in the two-party U.S. system, may have little option but to hang together under its tent.
And the conservative Christians of the "religious right," as the movement is widely known, remain the party's most reliable base and strongly supported Republican John McCain on November 4. He and running mate Sarah Palin, who staunchly represented their social views, got 73 percent of the white evangelical Protestant vote, just 5 percentage points less than Bush took in 2004.
If I were in charge of Republican reformulation (and believe me I'm not even close), I'd take note of two things:
1. George W. Bush completely divorced the GOP from two of its principal planks: fiscal conservatism and balanced budgets. He invented what's now oxymoronically referred to as big-government conservatism. There is, and should not be, any such thing. As Republicans build a new crop of up-and-comers to groom to run for Congress and state legislatures, they should seek socially moderate, fiscally conservative young Turks to build the Republican bench and move the party forward along with the country.
2. Young evangelicals are not as socially conservative as their parents or grandparents. They are much more concerned about the environment and less preoccupied with abortion or gay rights. Republicans should build a technological base that ties them more closely to this young generation just as Barack Obama's campaign team used technology to woo more young Democratic voters into his camp and into the party fold.
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The problems with Evangelicals
I think they are all right but really they should be treated like vegans at a bar-b-que. Tolerate them as part of the family but largely ignore their viewpoints. Not that evangelicals don't have valid arguments, but it's irrelevant to the current problems of our country and problems of moderate voters. I mean we have more serious issues than abortion and gay marriage like war and the economy. And on those to issues (war/economy) the Republicans need to get off their tired you-know-whats and think of better solutions. Staying the course and lowering taxes has been a stable since Bush got into to office and look where it got us! So a makeover is needed bad. To appease evangelicals all you have to do is say you promote "family values" and seek a true "compassionate" use of government (Bush did not live up to such a promise). And to appease moderates all you have to do is make sure your candidate doesn't say things like "God's plan" and doesn't draw that certain American element of uncultured Mid-Westernism (Think West Virginia - not to knock on W.Virginians but just use of example in terms of state perceptions). The G.O.P. was on the right track in needing a person seen as having Western values like McCain as opposed to Southern Strategy values. But they need to go further and the candidate should stop trying to court the people stuck in their tent (Are the neocons and social conservatives going to go anywhere?). GOP leaders need to continue to "litmus test" their candidate just like Obama was in Iowa and McCain was in New Hampshire. And again ignore the evangelicals if you want to stay relevant among a more secular generation.
Back to the drawing board
Well the old axiom "moderation in all things " is the sirens call to the "line in in the sand" crowd .But consider that it's a required part of the grieving process to second guess - what Republicans don't seek is advice from Democrats on how best to regroup.
The Republican's were screwed over by this JOKE BUSH
I don't vote for a PARTY,I vote for the person,and yes I voted for Kennedy in my Heart,because I was too young to vote in the Election of 1960.I have made mistakes in other Election's,like
Reagan and his trickle down"Reagan/nomics"I voted for O'Pea-
nut Head,excellent choice for me,and I voted for Clinton,good choice for me,except he couldn't keep his thingy in his pants,
but at LEAST we had some money in the VAULT when he left ofice and I voted for KERRY instead of BUSHY POO.I know KERRY had issues,but this BUSH has been sooGODDAMN BAD,he will go down as the worst representative of the USA that has ever happened to USA,for 200 years!!!I HOPE the HISTORY BOOKS assinaste BUSH,by
taking him out of every book and literature in PRINT!!!I also hope that BUSH lives to be at least 130 years in excellent health,and able to see and understand what history and the people of this great COUNTRY think of him!!!I am not mean and viscious but others are calling for BLOOD of this less than a CREEP,and I don't blame them either,evea his wife is dropping him off her SOCIAL CALENDAR--POOSSST!!!I love my COUNTRY dearly,
and I love GOD,who created this world and us people!!!I personally don't know anything good about O'Bama except he is an amazing ORATOR,much like HITLER was of OLD!!!The test of time
will give the US,a GO TO HELL,or maybe we can THRIVE,if the
"NEWBIE" does all the wonderful and miracules things he has promised to GET ELECTED,personally I think HE is the TAX and Spend Fool that "HE says HE is not"It is more than likely we will be in the MIDDLE of Socialism like the rest of the world.
HELL,that O'Bama person hasn't even stopped collecting the MILLLIONS more money,the election is over and you WON--WHAT do you now need more CHUMP CHANGE???Something is wrong and we may have a person who cheats when HE thinks no-one else is looking!!
I believe in FAIRY TALES,usually from small children's books,but
we must watch some people who MAY think they are MORE privleged
than regular FOLK!!!I have FUN with WORDS,but this is serious
things being discussed,and folks,just because we ELECTED a BLACK MAN to office doesn't mean we let him take the PIGGY BANK
home to put it in his personal BANK ACCOUNT,that money was raised from what I understand,was to go for the ELECTION not for
PERSONAL WEALTH!!!O'Bama has his own wealth,now become the PRESIDENT you promised--YOU know in your twisting of words to get yourself into the HIGHEST OFFICE in the USA!!!Be Honest like
you know"HONEST ABE"Or maybe I can't tell a lie,I cut the Cherr Tree down,better not cut trees down on your 4 year watch with US.I LOVE MY COUNTRY and you BARACK OBAMA,best love it toooo!!!
I know you say that you aren't a ISLAMIC Fool,and going to REV
WRIGHT'S church who preaches down with AMERICA,with your attendance of 20+ years,and being married in the same church,and
both of your children born and baptized in the same church,now
after admiting the REV Wright is your"SPIRITUAL MENTOR"NOW GOD!
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