What lessons will Republicans draw? You might think that the impending defeats in New York and New Jersey would drive home the need to broaden the Republican coalition. A candidate like Hoffman would have been the better candidate for New York's 23rd CD; a candidate like Daggett the better candidate for suburban New Jersey. Republicans have to find ways to accommodate both types of candidates and both kinds of constituencies.
But the risk is that the party will draw a very different conclusion. From the New York experience, Republicans will be tempted to draw the lesson: Always nominate the more conservative candidate. From New Jersey: We need to drive pro-environmental fiscal moderates out of our party and into the Democratic Party where they belong!
The point that Frum misses as he calls for more moderation is the aftermath of electing these so called moderates. Sure by lowering the standards of conservatism, we can have all kinds of people running around with the letter R after their names. But when the votes are needed to bring about conservative reform or to stop disastrous liberal legislation, these so called moderates have time and time again failed to deliver.
The moderates Colins, Snow and Specter all folded like a house of cards and thus caused America to throw away $800 billion dollars on a failed stimulus package. Perhaps if either of these moderates held a fiscally conservative belief, we would not be looking at a $1.4 trillion deficit for 2009.
Many in the base, myself included, are sick and tired of such fair weather friends. We are tired of so called moderate Republicans running as conservatives and then legislating as full on liberals. It isn’t just a question of ideological purity; it is a question of integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Sadly, many conservatives are hard pressed to find such integrity among the so called moderate Republicans.
If loosing New York and New Jersey to the Democrats mean we get a better class of Republicans, then so be it. What is the point in winning all three races only to find out that you ended up with two liberals anyway?
In the end, the quantity of Republicans should not trump the quality of Republicans.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: The Week Magazine
Posts
8 comments:
Great blog. Feel free to stop on by my blog and post politics. We need your perspective.
Fred & Palin endorsed Hoffman! its a start
I do believe that message is being delivered...... Hoffman in NY and Rubio in Fl. Bachman in Mn (she is there, already), to name a few. I'm a cynic though, we can elect them, but we still need to watch our money. D.C. is a siren call which bashes fine minds against the rocks.
It says a lot that Frum describes DeDe as a "fiscal moderate". Even if she were running as a Democrat she would be considered a solid liberal based on her positions.
If she were running in a liberal district in Massachusetts this wouldn't be that big a deal. But why waste a moderate district? That makes it outrageous that the RNC would pull such a dumb stunt.
Personally that's why I'm a lot more unhappy with Lindsay Graham than Olympia Snowe. It's a waste of the most conservative state in the country.
DaMav
The thing that galls me is that idiots like Frum believe the Republican Party is the only choice conservative leaning NYers have when they enter a voting booth, and those voters must show some kinda blind fealty to that particular party....
Does he even remember what happened in New York in 1962? Does he remember what party's banner William F. Buckley was flying in 1965 when he ran for mayor of NYC?
The NY GOP would be long, long gone if not for the Conservative Party Line.
"If loosing New York and New Jersey to the Democrats mean we get a better class of Republicans, then so be it. What is the point in winning all three races only to find out that you ended up with two liberals anyway?" (Clifton)
<
<
That's a really big IF....as the GOP Moderates would use those losses to hammer home the "inherent weakness of the Conservative message."
Sad to say, but over the past 25 years or so, no group has been a bigger and more consistent enemy of Conservatism than the Moderate wing of the GOP!
Nixon, Bush 41, Dole, Whitman, Chaffee, Frum and yes, the sainted GW were all Keynesians (adhering to the dictate that, "Every solution has a scientific solution best applied by a beneficent government")...and all of them overspent greatly and expanded government incredibly.
Not to insult moderates, but they are fair-weather friends. To alienate the base for them seems short-sighted, and we have seen the results.
The best appeal to moderates is to stand for something, dependably. Like a good credit report, it says something about who you are. Our brand has become vague. People go to Walmart for a bargain, Neimann Marcus for quality, those companies stick to what they do best. The GOP could learn from business, make your brand mean something.
Your ending line.....*****In the end, the quantity of Republicans should not trump the quality of Republicans.*****
Excellent!! I couldn't agree more....I talk with coworkers who say both parties are the same and all politicians are crooks and liars....they see no difference in parties....some of this is simple apathy and ignorance of politics...and some is the blurring of the Democrats and the constantly moderate and appeasing Republicans who act like Democrate Lite.... This strategy of submitting RINO's to win offices is winning the battle...and losing the war (i.e. nation).
I feel if we put up REAL conservatives.....real statesmen and stateswomen.....people will start to see the difference between the counterfeit and the real...they will pickup on the cheapness of the lesser candidates.....This is essential. Window of time to turn this nation around is narrowing.
Post a Comment