Where Republicans went wrong

[nate.45]

For six years the Republicans controlled the White House and both houses of congress. In that time was the size of government reduced? Was even just the rate of growth cut back? No in fact the opposite was true, the government grew at an unprecedented rate, new spending programs were instituted, No Child Left Behind, Prescription drugs for Seniors, and on and on. The Iraq war will cost over 1 Trillion. Bush presided over the biggest government spending spree since LBJ.

What happened to fiscal and personal responsibility, to the commitment to the reduction of the size and scope of the Federal government? If there were ever any issues that bound conservatives, libertarians and a lot of independents together it was those. Yet those principals were completely abandoned and the complaints and pleas of the base were ignored.

The mantra of the Republican party for 30+ years was give us control of congress and we will role back the New Deal. Well, in 1994 they got their chance and for a couple of years they passed some decent legislation, but they returned to big spending after the impeachment debacle. Clinton was blamed and they said we need control of the White House then you will see results.  2000 Hosanna! The time for fiscal sanity was upon us our hopes and dreams had come true.

Here we are eight years later defeated, out of power with party support at a low. What will be the tactic to get back in? Put us back in for a return to fiscal responsibility? lol- We had our chance and blew it, the Democrats are going to really have to screw up bad for the Republicans to get back in power any time soon. That is actually the only ray of hope, because the Dems are fully capable of screwing up.

[ProficientRifleman]

With due respect:

Nothing went wrong. The Republican Party, since the days of FDR has been the relief valve, or if you will, the controlled opposition to the Socialists. In the early Soviet Union, they were called the Mensheviks. You could vote...sure, you betcha, as long as you cast your vote for either the Bolsheviks or the Mensheviks.

There are many, as I once was, in the Republican party who think that we can eventually "regain majority status and turn things around!". 

I propose this to you and I hope you will chew on it;

Ronald Reagan was an anomaly. He wasn't supposed to happen. He was almost assassinated by a "lone madman", (jeepers creepers, where did he come from?). George H.W. Bush would then have been President. The program would continue. George H. W. Bush was NOT and is not a "conservative". If you doubt that, go back and listen to his 1980 presidential campaign rhetoric. George W. Bush isn't and never was a "conservative". He, like his father is a New World Order, Globalist, Socialist.

The advance of Socialism is the program! That is why "liberals" call them selves "progressives".

"Progress", to them, is defined as the advance of Socialism.

There is no Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan on the horizon.

Do you remember what happened to Patrick J. Buchanan in the 1996 election cycle? He started winning primaries. He looked for all the world to be another Ronald Reagan. He could have handily defeated Slick Willie in the general election. The Socialist press caught a whiff of him and did the quickest character assassination I have ever witnessed. The Republican Party then nominated a milk-toast republican, named Bob Dole, who didn't really believe his own campaign speeches, but looked harmless enough. Everyone was terribly excited to rally around Bob...right?!?

Slick Willie got elected again. The program continued.

The Program continues now. There will soon be a palpable acceleration to to it.

Keep your powder dry, and may God help us.

[nate.45]

ProficientRifleman

I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with you. Everyone is busy thinking about how to get back in power, all the while overlooking the fact that the same people who told G.W. what to do, will be telling Obama what to do. If the period of Republican control and complete inaction on controlling they size and scope of government wasn't enough to convince them nothing will. The election of FDR and the institution of the New Deal were the end of true freedom in this country and the brainwashing of the media combined with our marxist run school system has insured that it is here to stay.

[HankB]

Do you remember what happened to Patrick J. Buchanan in the 1996 election cycle? He started winning primaries. He looked for all the world to be another Ronald Reagan. He could have handily defeated Slick Willie in the general election. The Socialist press caught a whiff of him and did the quickest character assassination I have ever witnessed.

Case in point - during a televised interview with Chris Wallace (now employed by Fox News), Buchanan was asked "Would there be any place in a Buchanan administration for David Duke? (David Duke was in the news then quite a bit.)

Now, this would NEVER have been asked of ANY other candidate, but simply asking the question in the tone of voice used clearly implied that Buchanan was a racist.

Buchanan gave a blunt one word answer: "NO!"

Chris Wallace clearly was expecting more, something he could twist, but after giving is one-word answer, Buchanan simply sat there, as if daring him for a follow-up.

They moved on to the next topic - IIRC, Wallace asked about a situation where Buchanan reputedly said words to the effect of "These people have made the city bad" . . . exactly which people was Buchanan talking about? (Again, accusatory tone and raised eyebrows.)

The one-word answer was "Liberals."

Wallace obviously didn't like answers he couldn't twist.

[RealGun]

Some have too pure a view of political philosophies. The real polarity is simply big money versus the liberal press. You can talk about socialist movements, but sitting on the top of it is a press and academia (never had a real job, works for the government) that propose and promote all those ideas. In defense of big money, you have to make money before you can give it away. It is really easy to propose ways to spend it or why one should have more of someone else's.

[Werewolf]

When you wrestle with a pig you will get dirty.

McCain lost because he wasn't willing to get dirty. HELL! He wasn't even willing to wrestle.

There are those that will say when you fight a bad guy on his level you are no better than the bad guy.

Those that say that are WRONG! When the good guy wins he goes back to being the good guy and every body but the bad guy wins. If the bad guy wins there ain't no more good guy. Some choice huh?

[roo_ster]

When you wrestle with a pig you will get dirty.

McCain lost because he wasn't willing to get dirty. HELL! He wasn't even willing to wrestle.

There are those that will say when you fight a bad guy on his level you are no better than the bad guy.

Those that say that are WRONG! When the good guy wins he goes back to being the good guy and every body but the bad guy wins. If the bad guy wins there ain't no more good guy. Some choice huh?

Fighting is like firearms, it has no moral content.

What matters is what you are fighting for.  I can think of few things more worthy of fighting than liberty and the COTUS.  When the time comes, give it your all, to include every ruse, feint, and dirty trick.

[MicroBalrog]

What matters is what you are fighting for.  I can think of few things more worthy of fighting than liberty and the COTUS.  When the time comes, give it your all, to include every ruse, feint, and dirty trick.

The problem is, I don't think McCain agrees with you. He was never a big friend of liberty and the COTUS.

He was, essentially, a Democrat, but he was an old, white, bland, boring Democrat.

Obama was a young, black, hip Democrat.

[De Selby]

Fighting is like firearms, it has no moral content.

What matters is what you are fighting for.  I can think of few things more worthy of fighting than liberty and the COTUS.  When the time comes, give it your all, to include every ruse, feint, and dirty trick.

Have to be careful though-politicians are masters of using dedication to liberty to destroy it.  For example, think of how many times "I need absolute police powers to safeguard your liberty comrade!" has been passed off on a people who were genuinely fighting for freedom...

[buzz_knox]

Things went wrong when McCain kept his pledge to only take public funding after Obama broke his. 

[ronnyreagan]

Things went wrong when McCain kept his pledge to only take public funding after Obama broke his. 

My understand was that McCain had no choice by that point. He was bound by law, whereas Obama was not.

[ilbob]

There are many things about McCain's campaign that are just baffling. Bringing in Palin gave him the chance he needed to win. His stunt in suspending his campaign to go back to the Senate for the bail out bill might well have worked IF he had actually done something there other than meekly vote for the bailout. He could have spent his energies rallying the troops agianst the bail out. It would have resonated with most Americans. Instead by making an issue of it, then just dropping it, he let Obama off the hook on the bail out.

Telling the American people what a great guy Obama is, when McCain just has to know what Obama really is, is not the way to win. It almost reminds me of Perot.

[longeyes]

Work outside the mainstream media.  Discredit them; deride them; mock them.  Go to The People.  That's the way to win, and Palin showed the way.  McCain is part of the Rockefeller arm of America that wants to build the plantation.  Obama is just a subset of that.

[El Tejon]

They went wrong by not acting like Republicans.

[kino74]

They went wrong by not acting like Republicans.

Bingo.

During the 90s Newt Gingrich and gang passed more Republican issues than Bush.  Balanced budget and welfare reform were their babies.  These last Republicans couldn't deliver on illegal immigrants and border security.

[Waitone]

I find it ironic that McCain suffers because of the very legislation he championed.  I suppose the response will not be to do away with the legislation but to make it more intrusive.  McCain was suckered by Soros.  Campaign finance control limited the influence of national parties and enhanced the pull of 527's.  Play right into Soros' plan.  McCain and his handlers screwed up and now we all pay the price.

[longeyes]

Amazing what a dedicated billionaire can accomplish.  All hail our de facto President, George Soros!