There’s a balance here. Political reality of building a winning coalition has to be part of the mix.

That being said, it seems to me that all the recent whining about the party veering too far to the right is coming from the rat bastard traitors that foisted McCain on the GOP in the name of electability.

Amen. The GOP won when it was perceived as a conservative party. When they followed the moderate template, they lost to the most far left-wing candidate ever to lead a major political party.

Tom Davis would keep me in the party. many of the purists would not.

kelley in virginia on December 2, 2009 at 7:53 AM

Purists don’t run the party…everyone has a stance that offends someone else.
Some are extreme pro-gun, others feel their should be some restrictions…so we debate and argue our side. That is what makes us different from the liberals, follow the talking points are you are out, you can’t even be allowed to interview the president unless you are a tv station that follows their orders…

Nominate conservatives and win: Reagan, Bush I (read my lips), Bush II.

Nominate moderates and lose: Ford, Bush I (tax raiser), Dole, McCain.

Or as Ann says, “Given a choice between a liberal democrat and a liberal democrat, the people will always elect a liberal democrat.”

kelley in virginia on December 2, 2009 at 7:53 AM

I am pro-life, but I for one would never desire a ban of someone like you from the party just because you are pro-choice. Yes, it is part of the party platform, but the issue of abortion is a single issue. I believe about a week ago Rush made a distinctive point in telling us that we must not be single issue voters, and he pointed to abortion. He said he is pro-life, but voting on a single issue such as abortion is destructive. I would love to have Rudy as POTUS right now rather than Obama!

The “purists” in the GOP to me are really three different types of folks. You have the deranged Huckabee purists who foamed at the mouth over Rudy, (or anyone who was not Huckabee), then there are the Ron Paul nuts, and you have those of us who would simply like the party to reflect what Maverick Muse said; it is the Constitution stupid. We can debate the issues of life until the cows come home, or until Christ comes back, but until either happens, could we just abide by the Constitution? It is just that simple to this purist who does not mind pro-choice folks in the party one bit as long as they understand life is part of our platform, and we do not plan on changing this foundation for the GOP.

If we can live in the nation together as pro-lifers and pro-choicers, then why can we not work together in the GOP to take back our nation? Quite frankly, right now the issue of life, while very important, is not as important as preserving the Union. Without an intact and strong United States of America, or the Constitution being adhered to, ALL life is endangered and that would most definitely include those out of the womb. Hello health care which kills off just about everyone! We all have targets painted on us, and we all are in danger of losing our lives unless this nation is taken back by We The People, and that We the People is all of the people who believe in a wide range of things.

By the way Kelley, thanks for your hard work and for being in the party!

The GOP doesn’t need purges or “purity tests” or a third party or throwing anyone under the bus.

It needs to get back to its founding principles–low taxes, lower spending, free-market solutions, strong national defense, and add in a policy of promoting development of ALL of America’s DOMESTIC energy resources, and such a platform can attract a majority of voters, if it is explained clearly enough, as Reagan did.

You’re fooling yourself if you think the current, Global Warmist, Anti-Drilling, Big Government, Bribe-Taking, two-faced liars that hold the reins of the Party will allow the changes required.

I agree that historically the USA is a two party system but big changes usually only occur after a 3rd Party challenges the status quo. The real Hope ‘n Change is a States’ Rights movement that works to DEVOLVE Federal power. Standing pat leaves us under the Federal boot. Our say on almost every issue is ignored by Washington. Sorry, Rush is wrong. IMHO, we can’t get there from here as Republicans.

If the GOP changes to absorb the conservatives fleeing it’s incompetence, that would be fine with me. Bottomline, I’m not going to put my endorsement on their Party until, as Rush says, they all agree with me, or him.

It needs to get back to its founding principles–low taxes, lower spending, free-market solutions, strong national defense, and add in a policy of promoting development of ALL of America’s DOMESTIC energy resources, and such a platform can attract a majority of voters, if it is explained clearly enough, as Reagan did.

Republicans lost the White House and Congress because they wandered away from their principles. They overspent and increased the deficits, and voters saw “K Street Projects” and Abramoff bribes as corrupt schemes to buy votes. The Bush Administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq war was seen as incompetent, and they didn’t communicate with the American people or rebut the relentless attacks from the liberal press, so that voters started to believe the press.

Now the Democrats have wildly overspent, much worse than the Republicans did in 2005-08, are trying to force massive boondoggles such as socialized medicine and energy rationing down the throats of an increasingly reluctant public, and Republicans are looking like a viable alternative, as a way of slamming on the brakes on a runaway train before it crashes.

But we need to stick to the principles that unite the party–low taxes, low deficits, free-market solutions, strong defense, domestic energy development, and EXPLAIN to the voters WHY such a platform will work for THEM, and let the independent voters come to us, without pandering on fringe issues such as gay marriage or discrimination, but a “school-choice” education voucher program could attract some black votes to the GOP.

Then, if the Republicans take over the House in 2010, they have to strictly apply the principles they campaigned on, as well as they can in a divided government (the Democrats will likely hold the Senate, even if Republicans regain filibuster power, and Obama will still be President).

Let’s NOT form a third party, whose only result will be to elect Democrats. Let’s do what Reagan did, explain conservative solutions as common-sense that a majority of voters can endorse, then do what we say when we get the majority. We may not get EVERYTHING we might want, but we should take what we can, whatever a majority can support.

How about “global warming”? Far too many Republicans are discussing changes to the Cap ‘n Tax bill or changes to the Health Care bill and what they should be discussing is how to KILL THOSE BILLS. The top of the party has truly lost their way. I do believe someone can have a different view but being able to claim “I’m not a Maoist” does not make someone a Republican.

CC

Nothin’ in the Constitution about Republicans and Democrats. I’ll stick with that.

somewhatconcerned on December 2, 2009 at 9:30 AM

In a perfect constitutional country, you and Beck are, as Rush would say, “right on”. But look at the mess we are in.

The parties have become blankets and disguises to cover over a multitude of corruption, BS, and knee-jerk ideologies. We are ensconced into “base-attraction” politics, i.e. “What will so-and-so do to attract ____ into the party?”

Straightening this mess out is going to take skill and fortitude. The message has to be clear and the listener has to get it. All true conservatives believe in adherence to the U.S. constitution. Others will, if the explanation of why it’s so important, is delivered by the right messenger in the right way.

We are so far off the tracks now, that the message Of true constitutional government is going to sound like a foreign concept to many citizens. The real thorn here is that the press has been complicit in getting us to this place we are.

I could keep going but the crux is, we need a Reagan, we need an honest press, we need so much to get back to the constitution because we’ve strayed so far.

God help us!

Thanks, and regards.

We’re becoming a church that would rather chase away heretics than welcome converts and that’s no way to become a majority party,

Look at the Episcopal Church. The only heresy they recognize is what used to be considered the catholic faith. They are in process of drumming conservative traditionalists out of the church while they ordain and commune heretics — and they are shrinking.

Akzed on December 2, 2009 at 9:07 AM

Well noted. Every major Christian sect has digressed completely from its original basis. Evolution of sophistry preempting simplicity as the “ideal” via man’s WILL need not continue against man’s WILL.

I don’t want the Constitution going the way permitting a special interest dogma to annihilate existence of thought.

Beck has said that the GOP won’t eliminate the problems in their own ranks if everyone blindly supports the “party”- he talks about making the electorate’s expectations clear.

Rush says that conservatives can’t win with a third party and that they need to fight it out in the primaries.

Why aren’t they both right?

JiyuLife on December 2, 2009 at 7:53 AM

BINGO!
They are BOTH right. Now as a conservative get out their and take back your party!

The problem with true conservatives is that they decide who gets nominated in GOP.

rightistliberal on December 1, 2009 at 10:58 PM

Ever heard of McCain?

Yes, that’s right. I said that Rush tunes into the frequency of popular opinion, and manages assumptions based upon logic and experience. I did not say to vote for a Republican, no matter what. I endorse the Fred Thompson “Common Sense” conservatism that Sarah Palin endorses as her own, that also represents the silent majority moving INDEPENDENT/conservative in protest to the progressive agenda that permeates both major party leadership right now.

Last month we all discussed the Conservative Party that supports conservative candidates regardless of party affiliation; and runs a conservative candidate when the major parties fail to do so.

Given that the GOP is permeated by progressives, firmly entrenched via Bush compassionate “reform” that handed our national treasury over to Goldman Sachs, conservatism is ironically the mutual factor shared by all Republicans, being the ROOT of the party platform. Pruning is in order, and the natural season for that is during this “dormant” fall/winter season that actually is meant to enable the party to PREPARE before our next growth come spring/summer.

Model with Hoffman. Whenever a progressive remains a GOP candidate, actively campaign against that candidate WITH a conservative. That means we must know our own local politicians well enough, and help our local districts to BE conservative. We certainly have our work cut out for us. I’ll do my part with letters to the editor in our local rags, praising or shredding decisions made by my local authorities.

I agree with Rush that a third party entry into a major election RIGHT NOW means a vote for the Democrats, but the ideal world abolishes the party system altogether and allows room for what politicians REALLY stand for.

Nothin’ in the Constitution about Republicans and Democrats. I’ll stick with that.

THE agenda is integrity: the preservation of the US Constitution and our Constitutional Republic.

The Republican Party has a heritage to which I ascribe. If someone is stuck on a tangent that weakens that platform, or recasts it to dissolve the US Constitution, then I refrain from funding and voting to preserve such corruption that would claim someone else has more rights than I under the law.

Regardless of whoever pirated the GOP away from its Republican heritage (to preserve the national unity by holding firm to the US Constitution, and defeat slavery and the injustices that polygamy enables), purge subsequent inhibitions that prohibit the Constitution to function as the supreme law of the land that it IS.

Go figure.

Frum’s analysis of branding technique “how to win” validates conservatism via Palin.

We’re becoming a church that would rather chase away heretics than welcome converts and that’s no way to become a majority party,

Look at the Episcopal Church. The only heresy they recognize is what used to be considered the catholic faith. They are in process of drumming conservative traditionalists out of the church while they ordain and commune heretics — and they are shrinking.

There is a purging needed within the Republican Party to refine our agenda.

And then say this:

Refrain from sectarian divisive campaign rhetoric in the unification process. “Keep the faith” in America!

maverick muse on December 2, 2009 at 8:54 AM

What am I missing?

Hey… Jetboy is not one of the bad guys, a little misguided, but he is one of the good guys.

doriangrey on December 2, 2009 at 8:47 AM

Thanks dg…I think… ;)

btw I’d love for highhopes to explain to me exactly what political or social issue I’m not conservative on…aside from my pro-gay marriage stance…