Republicans See Gingrich, Cheney, and Limbaugh as Their Spokesmen

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I have to say I stand shoulder to shoulder with Limbaugh, Cheney, Gingrich, Romney, Heritage etc. But I can't stand the Republican party at this point. That's why I love this debate and the way the drive-by media spins it. Liberals keep preaching how the Republican party needs to become more mainstream. Is that what they did? Give me a break. Seriously folks, that's what McCain was! The absolute WORST thing about the election in 2008 was that I didn't vote FOR anyone. I voted AGAINST someone. Neither of the candidates gave me any reason to have any faith in them at all. The best leaders in the field were gone by November. The last time the Republicans ran a true conservative we elected Reagan. Since then the party's best leaders haven't been faithful to conservative principles and the country has suffered because of it. When the Republicans held the Presidency and Congress, they couldn't even support the president's Supreme Court Nominations and thanks to one of their own, the president was castrated. Finally, the Republican party lost all credibility when the put re-election in front of values. Immigration. Deficit. Supreme Court & the Congressional Nuclear Option. On & on where the ELECTED Republicans betrayed conservative voters in order to become more moderate so they could get re-elected. Let me say this ...when Conservative Republican candidates become more moderate THEY TURN INTO LIBERALS. What the hell's the difference when they decide to get moderate and the liberals get THEIR AGENDA passed? Why vote Republican? I have to say this, if Limbaugh, Gingrich, Romney, etc DON'T start defining the Republican party, I won't be voting Republican. CONSERVATIVE FIRST, PARTY SECOND.

John of KY 9:59AM June 15, 2009

Interesting article. I agree with the comment that at some point Obama will fade. Something will happen. (It's already happened, but not enough have noticed.) Mr. Schlesinger's description of Rush Limbaugh as one who throws bomb is itself an inaccurate and incendiary comment. I would say Limbaugh is a penetrating and forceful commentator who espouses a political, social, and economic philosophy that is diametrically opposed to that of our President and most of the Democrats.

Jeff of NY 11:18AM June 12, 2009

Rush says what all right thinking americans know - that lazy shiftless, and stupid american auto workers only produce decent cars when lead by their Germana or Japanese masters / managers. Senator Toyota - (Shelby) is right boycott and shutdown these evil Obama creations! Liberate our brave underpaid business executives from the evils of blue collar workers!

Jeb Bush - Sara Palin 2012 of PA 12:30PM June 11, 2009

A note to Donna:
They did include Democrats in the poll. Obama, of course, came through with strong numbers (67%). Pelosi scored 6% among Democratic supporters. Hillary Clinton got 3%. Biden received a whopping 1%, and Harry Reid couldn't even manage half a percent.
Curiously, 20% of the Republican supporters named Nancy Pelosi as the leader of the Democratic Party. Okay, it's not so curious, is it? After all, Democratic supporters picked Limbaugh and Cheney as the leading faces in the GOP.
And another thing: Nobody will win many swing voters calling it the "Democrat party". Gingrich, Limbaugh, and Cheney are not the leading names in the "Republic party", although, to be fair, out here in Washington state we have this curious thing called the "GOP Party", which was the designation selected by several prominent Republican candidates in last year's election. That's right, that's the state of the Republican Party: even its politicians don't want to be known as Republicans. They'd rather be members of the "Grand Ol' Party Party".
Perhaps you caught Shepherd Smith having his say about conservative extremists on FOX News yesterday. He read a letter that denounced "Hussein" as a "socialist Marxist". Likewise, that sort of bitter, ridiculous disrespect isn't going to win swing votes come 2010 or 2012. And, frankly, that's what the whole "Democrat party" thing sounds like. No, it's not as extreme, but neither is it any more intelligent.
Conservative politics are in disarray, and Republicans can spend the next seventeen months getting organized and building a useful platform, or pouting like children until they get spanked again at the ballot box. One would think someone like me, who believes well to the left of the President or the Democratic Party, would be happy to watch Republicans and their supporters flush away the next election, but there is a lot going on right now, and it would be helpful if conservatives would, at some point, get serious. We've heard nothing but bluster and pouting from them since November. There is a reason why the Republican Party bottomed out at one in five respondents willing to identify themselves as Republicans.

BD of WA 6:52AM June 11, 2009

I'd love to see the same poll taken but with the Democrat party.
It's not just the Republican party that's got problems - I'd say the Dems are sweating bullets about right now. Pelosi's in trouble, Dodd's in trouble, Reid's in trouble, Biden's always in trouble. Obama's a popular fad right now...what happens when it fades? It will be very, very interesting to watch which Dems scramble to get out from under his shadow. Too soon to tell if it will be the republicans or independents that will be first to pick up the pieces.

Donna of TX 10:14PM June 10, 2009

Joanna: Just because a person steps up and comes clean does not mean he can escape the consequences of his action. Yes, it does take courage to admit your mistakes but that does not get rid of the damage his self-righteousness and hypocrisy brought to America (and no that does not mean I am excusing Pres. Clinto for his behavior) nor does it mean we should forget what he did.

Paul of MD 9:05PM June 10, 2009

-"Gingrich, here is a man who stood up in Congress and denigrated and criticized Clinton for having an affair, all while he is having an affair with a staff member!"
That was the old Gingrich...before he became a born again Christian. He is a Christain today. He converted six years ago and upon that conversion his heart became convicted. He went public and apologized to the American public for being hyprocritical. His wife knew of the affair in 1998. The only other person who knew was his mistress who was sworn to secrecy (by her own doing because she was fearful of how the scandal would affect her image). She still refuses to discuss details of their affair. He had no motivation for coming out with news of the affair. He says he did it because he wanted to make things right with God. He talked about becoming a Christain and how his conversion changed his heart and the way he percieved the world and his own actions. He knew he had a responsibility to tell the truth and he decided to be a man and do it. The media still does not know what to make of this story as they were shocked to hell when he first addressed the nation. They've tried to investigate all the potential factors that could have influenced his decision to come out and by far, they've come up empty handed. Gingrich could have gone to his grave with his secret affair, but he chose not to. Instead he humbly went before the American public and apologized for lying and misleading them. He publically apologized to President Clinton saying that his actions were hyprocritical and that he was sorry.
I admire his courage and his honesty. I don't hold his past actions against him. He is a different man and the fact that nobody knew about this, that he came out on his own and decided to make it right with the public, with President Clinton, and with God is truly an inspiration and it does speak volumes about his character. You should be appaulding him for his courage and honesty, but instead you are judging him.. Why?

Joanna of KS 5:34PM June 10, 2009

The comparison to another famous trio is too obvious to ignore. I'm just not sure which one is Moe, which one is Larry, and which one is Curly.

grundy of IL 4:09PM June 10, 2009

I almost fell off my chair! How anyone can say that the Looserbaugh, Cheney and Gingrich are principled men is unbelieveable even for the RNC! The Looserbaugh is a bigot, hypocrit, misogynist, who talks fast, loud--but says very little. Gingrich, here is a man who stood up in Congress and denigrated and criticized Clinton for having an affair, all while he is having an affair with a staff member! The Republican Party could not get rid of him fast enough in 1998, they dumped him like he was a rotten apple or hot potato. They did not want anything to do with him!!! Cheney, here is a man who lied to his country, badly advised his president, gave out billions of dollars in non-bid contracts to Halliburton, KBR, and Blackwater---billions of dollars lost that were and are still hidden. Chenry is the last person to criticize since he had eight years in which he could have done great things for this nation since he had the president's ear---and all he did was help bring our nation to the brink of disaster.
If that is what you call principled men---I hate to see what you would call unscrupulous. Sorry, no one can back you on that statement. None of them know what principles mean.

Ann G. of IA 3:43PM June 10, 2009

Schlesinger's brand of interpreting the Gallup poll is what is best faced by Democrat's in the years to come... Rush Limbaugh is an "out-of the mainstream bombthrower"? Harldy, he may not be the 'mainstream' Republican view on politics, but he's got a bad-boy style of presenting topics that educated listeners enjoy.. Good luck Robert on getting there.

Jess of OR 2:44PM June 10, 2009