Who's 'us' to the GOP?

[Crabtownboy]

Who is welcome in the GOP? Can any political party succeed if they only welcome the right and exclude the middle, or welcome only the left and exlude the middle?

Is there room in the Republican Party for genuine moderates? Truth to tell, the GOP can't decide. More precisely, it's deeply divided over whether it should allow any divisions in the party at all.

This Story
Who's 'us' to the GOP?
Snowe's party of one
Time to reawaken young voters
Raising the debt ceiling
View All Items in This Story
View Only Top Items in This Story
That's why the brawl in a single congressional district in far Upstate New York is drawing the eyes of the nation. Conservatives are determined to use the race to prove that there is no place in the party for heretics, dissidents or independents.

President Obama set up the fight by nominating the district's former representative, John McHugh, as his Army secretary. Maybe Obama is as fiendishly clever as his more paranoid opponents believe him to be.

When local Republicans picked a moderate, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, as their candidate for the Nov. 3 contest, many on the right rebelled. They are backing a third-party conservative, Doug Hoffman, and he may well drive Scozzafava into third place. For the moment, at least, polls show that Bill Owens, the Democratic candidate, has jumped into first place on the split.

It demonstrates just how right-wing some Republicans have become that former House speaker Newt Gingrich is on the moderate side of this civil war against his old nemesis Dick Armey, who served under Gingrich as majority leader.


Gingrich, who backs Scozzafava, always understood that he would never have become speaker without help from Republican moderates. Armey prefers ideological purity and, like fellow members of the Tea Party movement, is supporting Hoffman.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy.../10/21/AR2009102102849.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

 

[Bro. Curtis]

The G.O.P. will be wise to distance it'self from Gingrich, a really bad guy. He's more like John Edwards. Google up how ole' Newt left his cancer-stricken wife for a new, younger model. Scozzafava is a liberal. The repubs have gotten creamed everytime they back a candidate like her. It's time to forget about the moderates, and listen to the majority of the country. I hope Hoffman wins, and Gingrich shuts up.

 

[Revmitchell]

An extremist left wing liberal posts an article about the GOP taking up moderates. You have to wonder why?

 

[just-want-peace]

An extremist left wing liberal posts an article about the GOP taking up moderates. You have to wonder why?

Well, the left essentially picked the candidate for last Nov.; wonder why?????

What's far, far worse, is that the GOP allowed the left to pick the candidate, and seemed very grateful for the choice.

Just one more instance that tells me that the same goal exists for either party, and the two parties are nothing more than a very successful attempt to make the public think that they are making the choice.

If the citizens of this country don't really get an acute case of "discernment" real soon, it's gonna be too late for any positive results.

 

[Johnv]

The failure of the Republican party is its past efforts to cater to moderates. This is because its view of moderates is flawed. Moderate voters don't flock to centrist parties. They flock to whichever party holds closest to its core values. The Republican Party attracted the most moderates during times such as the Reagan era.

If the Republican party wants to regain its past glory, it needs to return to its core values: A hands-off government, minimal regulation, minimal spending, minimal interference in state affairs, personal responsibility over social entitlement, etc. This will attract, not repel, moderate voters.

 

[Revmitchell]

The failure of the Republican party is its past efforts to cater to moderates. This is because its view of moderates is flawed. Moderate voters don't flock to centrist parties. They flock to whichever party holds closest to its core values. The Republican Party attracted the most moderates during times such as the Reagan era.

If the Republican party wants to regain its past glory, it needs to return to its core values: A hands-off government, minimal regulation, minimal spending, minimal interference in state affairs, personal responsibility over social entitlement, etc. This will attract, not repel, moderate voters.

And on this we agree. Also more than ever before it appears that average joe conservatives will be running in 2010 all across the country. These people appear to not be concerned with power or position only the country. It seems Obama is a two edged sword.

 

[Johnv]

And on this we agree.

and it pleases Him when the brethren are in one accord.

Also more than ever before it appears that average joe conservatives will be running in 2010 all across the country. These people appear to not be concerned with power or position only the country.

Yes, very much so lately, and that's a good thing. The populus is growing weary of the career power politician. I predict that the next election will see an increase in Republican seats, due mostly to new faces, but also to the fact that these new faces hold to core Republican values.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

The failure of the Republican party is its past efforts to cater to moderates. This is because its view of moderates is flawed. Moderate voters don't flock to centrist parties. They flock to whichever party holds closest to its core values. The Republican Party attracted the most moderates during times such as the Reagan era.

If the Republican party wants to regain its past glory, it needs to return to its core values: A hands-off government, minimal regulation, minimal spending, minimal interference in state affairs, personal responsibility over social entitlement, etc. This will attract, not repel, moderate voters.

This is not how "moderates" are portrayed by the likes of MessNBC, or the left, in general. C.T.Boy's view of "moderates" are those who really aren't so dogmatic about stuff, wishy-washy on spending, OK with certain nation-building excercizes, and not really convicted. By your definition, Scozzafava is no moderate. (And I agree with your post, BTW)

The last thing C.T.Boy and his ilk are interested in is a GOP that stands for anything. They are saying a GOP who act like democrats are the ones who will win. I say it's the dems who run as conservatives that win, lately.

 

[Revmitchell]

This is not how "moderates" are portrayed by the likes of MessNBC, or the left, in general. C.T.Boy's view of "moderates" are those who really aren't so dogmatic about stuff, wishy-washy on spending, OK with certain nation-building excercizes, and not really convicted. By your definition, Scozzafava is no moderate. (And I agree with your post, BTW)

The last thing C.T.Boy and his ilk are interested in is a GOP that stands for anything. They are saying a GOP who act like democrats are the ones who will win. I say it's the dems who run as conservatives that win, lately.

Or if the GOP continues to put up moderates then they will most likely agree with fascist in chief most often.

 

[Johnv]

The worst thing the GOP can do is to put up moderates as candidates. That won't attract moderate voters (sounds odd, but it's true).

 

[rbell]

Never been much of a Gingrich fan. He doesn't live the values that he wants the party to champion.

However, unlike CTB, I am able to recognize that there are values that are worth having...even when hypocrites cause credibility damage.

Hey...the Democrats will take anyone...as long as they are in favor of one or both of these things:

1. Looting...taking stuff that doesn't belong to you.
2. Mooching...living off of the work of others.

Neither are Biblical...but that doesn't seem to bother CTB, or the Socialist Democratic Party.

 

[Salty]

I had my picture taken with Newt back in 1976 at his annual Christmas party near Atlanta.

Now, the picture means nothing (except I had an 8 month beard) due to his bad decisions.


However, when it comes to the Republicans choosing moderates; you do have to look at State or Commonwealth laws. First, some States or Commonwealths, such as NY has closed primaries. In many States or Commonwealths an individual is allowed to vote in any primary he so chooses, even if he is not a member. Second, it is very hard to be on the ballot in some primaries. So a serious candidate may have a slight disadvantage. Third, some States or Commonwealths have winner-take-all and others have proportional delegates ( ie received 25% of the vote receive 25% of the delegates)
So a candidates will work extra hard in a winner-take-all contest.

And finally, too much emphasis is put on New Hampshire and Iowa. Many candidates will drop out if they do not do well in those States.

New Hampshire has 1.3 million residents
Iowa has 3 million residents

So 4.3 million* Americans ( about 1.5%) have a major voice in the Presidential election.

* The numbers listed are total population - not just registered voters

 

[Twizzler]

And finally, too much emphasis is put on New Hampshire and Iowa. Many candidates will drop out if they do not do well in those States.

New Hampshire has 1.3 million residents
Iowa has 3 million residents

So 4.3 million* Americans ( about 1.5%) have a major voice in the Presidential election.

I'm from Iowa and I agree completely with SCB on this point. It's absolutely crazy. We've turned into a liberal bastion and we have a lot of liberals attending our primaries and voting. I'm not sure it's swaying things in a huge way, but it's still being done.

 

[Revmitchell]

I'm from Iowa and I agree completely with SCB on this point. It's absolutely crazy. We've turned into a liberal bastion and we have a lot of liberals attending our primaries and voting. I'm not sure it's swaying things in a huge way, but it's still being done.

Don't agree with him it just goes to his head.

 

[Twizzler]

One thing I have to laugh at re this thread is the fact that Crabtownboy has an uncanny ability to create new threads that stir things up and then he never responds back.

 

[just-want-peace]

This is an old piece, but still relevant!!!

Go the whole nine yards on the issues, i.e. be an unapologetic and proud Conservative, whether it be on school choice, abortion, gun control, tort reform, compulsory unionism, bilingual education, property rights, welfare, taxation, etc. The media would scream foul and waste no time in "advising" you to lurch as far to the Left as possible i.e. become more "moderate". ---
----
So if you're going to be labelled as an out and out Conservative, i.e. Bret Schundler / Bill Simon, you might as well let it all out and go to the mat to make your case to the voters ... and let the chips fall where they may. As a candidate, this means that you have to be completely unafraid of losing. Witness how successful the Press has been in making many Conservative Republicans seem almost ashamed or afraid of their principles / beliefs. How can you possibly win votes when its obvious you want to sweep your beliefs under the carpet, out of sight as if they were some dirty secret to be ashamed of? Stand up for them, defend them as loudly and as effectively as possible ... don't run from them.

MORE:
http://www.geocities.com/kanaell/opinions/campaignplan.html

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

Who is welcome in the GOP? Can any political party succeed if they only welcome the right and exclude the middle, or welcome only the left and exlude the middle?

When local Republicans picked a moderate, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, as their candidate for the Nov. 3 contest, many on the right rebelled.

MODERATE!! There is nothing moderate about Scozzafava. I wish we did have some moderate republicans out there. All we seem to get is a steady stream of liberals.

George Bush, John McCain - Liberals!

And all it looks like we have for the next election is more of the same. The reason Obama is our president is not because anyone rallied around him but because Republicans continue to offer no option and there is no conservatives on the ballot.

If the GOP continues to run the liberal likes of Huckabee and Romney we can expect more of der Furer Obama and his world.

 

[HankD]

One thing I have to laugh at re this thread is the fact that Crabtownboy has an uncanny ability to create new threads that stir things up and then he never responds back.

It's called a hit and run post.

If an ad hominem is issued it's a drive by shooting.

HankD

 

[Salty]

It's called a hit and run post.

If an ad hominem is issued it's a drive by shooting.

HankD

So if you hit a home run, then there is no need to have to come back - right?

 

[HankD]

So if you hit a home run, then there is no need to have to come back - right?

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way here at the BB.


HankD