Republicans Plan Renaissance Mountain Weekend

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Bush was Reagen II? Are you insane? He spent like there was no tomorrow, increasing public spending by 70%. He gave into wasteful government programs (the Medicare Act of 2003 being a prime example), didn't try to reign in the government with the sole exception of attempting to privatize social security. The only thing anywhere near Reagen's policies Bush did was lower taxes and his handling of the 2000 recession, which was a success.
Bush sr was little better, having repeatedly given in to Democratic-sponsored 'tax and spend' policies and expanding wasteful spending, such as increasing spending for welfare and for unemployment insurance. Unemployment and poverty increased as a result.
As for Reagen...if you look at statistics listing population below the poverty line....they maxed at the peak of the Carter-based recession in late 1982 at around 15.2% and steadily declined tell reaching 12.8% in 1989. The last half of the Carter administration showed the most rapid climb in poverty rates in recent history, jumping from 11.7% in 1979 to 13% in 1980 to 14% in 1981. Contrary to your conclusion, Reagen reduced poverty in the US, while it increased under Bush sr, and more slowly under Bush jr, due to their spending practices.
As for this mythical 'working man' they no longer exist. They are and have long been a dying breed, giving into union leaching in the hippie era which has resulted in jobs going overseas due to the insanely high demands for pay and pensions. Those who demand such pay out of 'entitlement' deserve to loose their jobs to someone from China, or a new immigrant to the US who actually works for their money.

Stephen of WI 1:25PM August 03, 2009

It is so funny to me that the Repubs like to call President Obama, the Dems' Messiah. Blah, blah, blah,.
Now think about it. Don't you think the GOP has praised their Pres. Reagan as their Messiah?

Seawife of AZ 3:33AM August 03, 2009

Channel Reagan? Did you fall asleep for eight years?
From January 20, 2001 until January 2, 2009 we had Ronald Reagan's policies fully implemented by George W. Bush.
Trickle down economics, lack of sensible government control over selfish short-sighted business leaders, huge deficits, a large increase in the number of people below the poverty line, no energy policy, the attempted destruction of the American worker, and on and on. It was Reagan's policies without any common-sense restraints.
Reagan's policies nearly destroyed the economy of the United States.
And you want to bring this back?
Ridiculous.

jimatmadison of WI 8:12PM August 02, 2009

Amen to returning to those. When are the Repubs going to figure out that they need to start STANDING for something, lose the centrist BS, find a strong public speaker, who possesses clear and concise ideas about his/her beliefs and isn't afraid to SAY SO!? We're looking for a conservative leader, willing to stand up for the constitution and those core principles we believe in!

Maria of IL 7:07PM August 02, 2009

The RNC must get rid of the wingnuts and the Oil, Military, Industrial Complex, big drug companies, lobbists and the rest of the Fox News pack of spinners and toss them overboard.
The Dick Cheney is reportedly still alive and is seen outside his crypt from time to time and hiding behind his straigt daughter. I have take the time to write his Eulogy now so that he may read it:
Citizens:
Ding Dong! The Dick is dead. Which old Dick? The Wicked Dick!
Ding Dong! The Wicked Dick is dead.
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Wicked Dick is dead. He's gone where the goblins go,
Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
The Wicked Dick is dead!
Mayor:
As Mayor of the Munchkin City, In the County of the Land of Oz, I welcome you most regally.
Barrister:
But we've got to verify it legally, to see
Mayor:
To see?
Barrister:
If he
Mayor :
If he?
Barrister:
Is morally, ethic'lly
Father No.1:
Spiritually, physically
Father No. 2:
Positively, absolutely:
Munchkins:
Undeniably and reliably Dead
Coroner:
As Coroner I must aver, I thoroughly examined him.
And he's not only merely dead, he's really most sincerely dead.
Mayor:
Then this is a day of Independence For all the Munchkins and their descendants
Barrister:
If any.
Mayor:
Yes, let the joyous news be spread The wicked Old Dick at last is dead!

George B of TX 2:26AM August 01, 2009

Two words: Sarah Palin
She is the ticket to the Republican party regaining control of this mess Obama has created.

craig of KS 2:13AM August 01, 2009

Oh please, Reagen's ideas are responsible for the economic boom of 1982-2000, and the recovery from the Tech Bubble of 2000. The Republican party needs to move back to as far right as it was in 1982 and re-implement the ideas in question, combined with a more rigorous pruning of government such as the privatization of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as balancing the budget and ending the trade deficit. What the NRC should be doing is rooting out all of the 'moderates' such as McCain and Powell, as it was the moderates and 'compassionate conservatives' (such as Bush) who, upon abandoning core conservative principles and embracing leftist ones, caused the Republican party to implode from 2005-2008.
During the boom of the 'Reaganomics' period (1982-2005), the US GDP rose from $5,744,000,000,000.00 to $10,965,000,000,000.00 or 90.9%, while the Per Capita income rose from $24,800.00 to $37,000.00 or by 49.2%. In short the average standard of living rose by nearly 50% if one bases it on GDP per capita alone. The above figures are using the 2000 value of the USD as to avoid distortion caused by inflation.
Now some may claim that Clinton is responsible for the 1993-2001 period, however for the most part they are gravely mistaken. People fail to realize that the reason why the budget was so balanced under Clinton was because of fiscal conservatives in Congress. They prevented Clinton from spending like he wanted to, as they could block his programs.
The population of the US didn't vote against conservative principles in 2008, they voted against Bush, as that is what Obama's campaign was, link every conservative to Bush and use his unpopularity to win. The truth of the matter is that fiscally, Bush was far from a conservative, and was indeed liberal in his second term.
All this talk about 'widening the base' of the Republican party is nonsense. It is when the core conservative principles are in force that the party is most powerful, having a nation-wide approval rating of 64% in 1994 when the fiscal conservatives took control of Congress. As they abandoned those principles in Bush's second term, the support collapsed to currently hovering around 30%. The lessons from history are simple--to 'widen the base,' you need to restore the core conservative principles.
As for the dark times now, well it took Carter to get the US Reagen, and Obama is a mixture of Carter and FDR. I only hope someone like Reagen, or Britain's Thacher comes out of the woodwork soon to lead the US back into prosperity.

Stephen of WI 11:31PM July 31, 2009

Republicans have to decide who they want to be. They can be the party of fringe radical right wing conservatives and probably never get elected again or they can listen to a larger part of the population and begin to represent most of America with their ideas. The trouble is, most of what most of us want is mostly in line with Democratic ideals right now. So as long as they are afraid of being "Democrat light", they are going to miss the target.
We tried the conservative philosophy for the better part of the past 30 years and people have seen their standard of living fall almost continuously during that time.
Republican leadership needs to ask itself if it really wants to continue to represent the interests of the rich and privileged or if it wants to represent the people who elect people to office. We're not completely stupid, we can dissemble your spin and twisted logic; we know you're lying when your lips are moving. Sooner or later everybody votes their pocketbook and when you enrich only a few pocketbooks, all the empty pocketbooks figure out that it's time to look elsewhere.
We looked elsewhere in 2006 and you didn't get the message; we looked further left in 2008 and you still didn't get the message. My guess is the dissatisfaction with Congress will not play well for Republicans in 2010 or 2012.
Take it or leave it, just my humble opinion.

Leftie of CA 3:48PM July 31, 2009

The only way to regain credibility is to purge the Wingnuts. The RNC should consider sending my "Right Wing Deprogrammer" to all party members. It's at least an honest attempt!

Regroupthink.com of NJ 12:51PM July 31, 2009

It should be a short meeting since they haven't had an original idea since the 80's - and even then the ideas weren't beneficial for the country as a whole.

Jilli of TX 12:01PM July 31, 2009