The Republicans are in a pickle. Attempts to rebrand will fail. They need new ideas not a new logo or slogan or something. Every day I see Rove or Gingrich or Cheney on Fox. Not exactly new faces. And they are defending Bush or torture, not proposing new policies. Bush at least has the sense to go away.
I have been giving a lot of thought lately to the future of the Republican Party, and the future of conservatism, two different subjects. I even, quite sincerely, asked for your thoughts once. The Republican Party seems to be getting smaller and crazier, which is clearly not the road to a comeback, it seems to me. And conservatism is fractured and incoherent. The average wingnut of course will go on thinking what Rush or Savage tells him to, but these are the followers not the leaders.
William F. Buckley shaped conservatism for a generation. Who is the new Buckley? The conservative movement led to Ronald Reagan. Who is the new Reagan? And is Barack Obama the liberal Reagan?
By the way, let me recommend a book to you, I think you'll like it. Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and the Making of History by John Patrick Diggins. It's a conservative pro-Reagan book, so you won't be exposed to any ideas that might make you uncomfortable. Still it's very provocative and thoughtful. I hadn't realized just how much criticism Reagan took from the Conservatives of his day.
For fucks sake libs are annoying. We lose a couple elections and you think its your right to tell us how to run our business. Worry about getting a job don't worry bout thw future of conservativism. These things go in cycles. You fucking nominated John Kerry four years ago but now think its a 1 party country. Gimme a break. As far as your prediction that a thriving economy slash market will doom the gop let me ask you this..... How that work out for algore?
I don't read Newsweek. Lately I've been reading conservatives actually. Not Anne Coulter, Sean Hannnity, Rush Limbaugh or Michael Savage. But David Frum, Robert Bork, Andrew Sullivan, John Patrick Diggins. Perhaps you can recommend a few more for me.
I know you equate Left v. Right with Right v. Wrong. Liberals are stupid, Liberals are traitors. Liberals are Godless as Coulter says. But's that's just stupid.
the conservative movement is NOT fractured. it is the same as it's always been. rush and co. are leaders not followers.
contrary to what you may believe and what the libs want to tell everyone, we lost the election because we nominated a liberal republican to follow a populist president.
We haven't had a conservative candidate since Reagan. The dems moved way left and won. the republicans moved to the middle and got their asses kicked.
Conservatives are still a majority but they were uninspired and vote on principles rather than party. Throw the bums out i say. I voted for McCain by default but only voted for a few local republicans because they were pussies and didn't deserve my vote. I'm not alone. Lots of conservatives were with me.
We'll be back when we nominate a true conservative. Hopefully in the next election.
By followers I meant Rush's listeners, not Rush. You are right, Rush Limbaugh is in the leadership role in the conservative movement and the Republican Party, which does not bode well for either. If the Right gets its ideas from Rush then it is intellectually bankrupt. He's no William F. Buckley.
I agree that McCain was not a "true conservatie" although I think someone more conservative might well have lost by even more. I think the Republican Party will likely nominate a "true conservative", perhap Sarah Palin,perhaps someone else, who will then lose. But then I've been wrong in political prognostication before. Athough I won $20 in the last election, against a "true conservative" who then didn't pay up.
Thank you Donkey for the recommendations. Eric Hoffer's "True Believer" has been on my to-do list for a while now. I do not consider myself a True Believer, however. Although I am liberal, I regularly make an effort to expose myself to other views, including yours, while a true believer is only open to material that supports his world view. You know, like you and Rhino.
Perhaps I will read Mark Levin's "Liberty and Tyranny", as it seems to be popular on the right these days. Or then again maybe not, as a general rule I don't read stuff by talk show hosts, either right or left. Also, I've heard his show and he's nuts.
10 comments:
If the economy gets better the Republicans are screwed. It is gets worse we are all screwed. Interesting dilemma.
the second part of your statement is correct, and unfortunately i believe it will get worse.
the republicans are not screwed if things get better just as the dems did not get screwed when the Iraq war turned positive.
then again, the republicans don't have an adoring media to help them along so who knows.
The Republicans are in a pickle. Attempts to rebrand will fail. They need new ideas not a new logo or slogan or something. Every day I see Rove or Gingrich or Cheney on Fox. Not exactly new faces. And they are defending Bush or torture, not proposing new policies. Bush at least has the sense to go away.
I have been giving a lot of thought lately to the future of the Republican Party, and the future of conservatism, two different subjects. I even, quite sincerely, asked for your thoughts once. The Republican Party seems to be getting smaller and crazier, which is clearly not the road to a comeback, it seems to me. And conservatism is fractured and incoherent. The average wingnut of course will go on thinking what Rush or Savage tells him to, but these are the followers not the leaders.
William F. Buckley shaped conservatism for a generation. Who is the new Buckley? The conservative movement led to Ronald Reagan. Who is the new Reagan? And is Barack Obama the liberal Reagan?
By the way, let me recommend a book to you, I think you'll like it. Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and the Making of History by John Patrick Diggins. It's a conservative pro-Reagan book, so you won't be exposed to any ideas that might make you uncomfortable. Still it's very provocative and thoughtful. I hadn't realized just how much criticism Reagan took from the Conservatives of his day.
For fucks sake libs are annoying. We lose a couple elections and you think its your right to tell us how to run our business. Worry about getting a job don't worry bout thw future of conservativism. These things go in cycles. You fucking nominated John Kerry four years ago but now think its a 1 party country. Gimme a break. As far as your prediction that a thriving economy slash market will doom the gop let me ask you this..... How that work out for algore?
stop getting your opinions from newsweek.
I don't read Newsweek. Lately I've been reading conservatives actually. Not Anne Coulter, Sean Hannnity, Rush Limbaugh or Michael Savage. But David Frum, Robert Bork, Andrew Sullivan, John Patrick Diggins. Perhaps you can recommend a few more for me.
I know you equate Left v. Right with Right v. Wrong. Liberals are stupid, Liberals are traitors. Liberals are Godless as Coulter says. But's that's just stupid.
breaking my own rule here.
the conservative movement is NOT fractured. it is the same as it's always been. rush and co. are leaders not followers.
contrary to what you may believe and what the libs want to tell everyone, we lost the election because we nominated a liberal republican to follow a populist president.
We haven't had a conservative candidate since Reagan. The dems moved way left and won. the republicans moved to the middle and got their asses kicked.
Conservatives are still a majority but they were uninspired and vote on principles rather than party. Throw the bums out i say. I voted for McCain by default but only voted for a few local republicans because they were pussies and didn't deserve my vote. I'm not alone. Lots of conservatives were with me.
We'll be back when we nominate a true conservative. Hopefully in the next election.
I'd reco you read Eric Hoffer's True Believer to better understand how you became brainwashed and admitting you have a problem is the first step.
Second step is to read Mark Levin's Liberty and Tyranny.
By followers I meant Rush's listeners, not Rush. You are right, Rush Limbaugh is in the leadership role in the conservative movement and the Republican Party, which does not bode well for either. If the Right gets its ideas from Rush then it is intellectually bankrupt. He's no William F. Buckley.
I agree that McCain was not a "true conservatie" although I think someone more conservative might well have lost by even more. I think the Republican Party will likely nominate a "true conservative", perhap Sarah Palin,perhaps someone else, who will then lose. But then I've been wrong in political prognostication before. Athough I won $20 in the last election, against a "true conservative" who then didn't pay up.
if he didn't pay then he is no true conservative.
Thank you Donkey for the recommendations. Eric Hoffer's "True Believer" has been on my to-do list for a while now. I do not consider myself a True Believer, however. Although I am liberal, I regularly make an effort to expose myself to other views, including yours, while a true believer is only open to material that supports his world view. You know, like you and Rhino.
Perhaps I will read Mark Levin's "Liberty and Tyranny", as it seems to be popular on the right these days. Or then again maybe not, as a general rule I don't read stuff by talk show hosts, either right or left. Also, I've heard his show and he's nuts.
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