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Today's Blog: Time for the Guv to morph into Chris Christie
My husband and I and a couple hundred friends watched in Green Bay as ...(more)

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Time for the Guv to morph into Chris Christie (6/28/2011)

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Today, reality hits home (3/1/2011)

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12/8/2008
Conservatives best be able to swim upstream

If you are a conservative, you had better be able to swim against the political tide for at least the next four years - if not much longer.

We conservatives must confidently articulate our ideas in the face of majority opposition – opposition based largely on sentimental factors held to with a high degree of emotional fervor.

We are going to have to be expert in the way we deal with people, because the human tendency is to strike back at those who deal with us unfairly. The next administration is going to be antagonistic to our world view and the policies that stem from applying that world view. It will be difficult to be gracious under the implications of those circumstances.

Remember, significant movements are not undertaken by a lukewarm majority, but rather, through a committed and idealistic minority. As an example, the War of Independence was initially supported by only about our-third of the colonial citizenry.

As conservatives, we are confident in the proposition that our political platform contains the better ideas and ideological perspectives. We must take on multi-generational, incremental approach to restoring the foundations of America.

Robert E. Meyer, Fox Cities

COMMENTS

I certainly agree that some conservative principles like opposing bailouts and fiscal sanity can resonate with the majority of Americans, but opposition to gay marriage and gay rights in general is not a "winning idea" by any means and is to the long-term detriment of the GOP to associate itself with that losing platform. Sure, some states are enacting gay marriage bans, but young people are wholesale opposed to such efforts and if you alienate young people now you lose that entire generation to the Democrats.

Stephen Flynn (Mon Dec 08 01:32:51 2008)

It's because of comments like the one above that our country needs a Conservative Party, constructed from the remnants of the GOP. Had our..., well your candidate, Sen. McCain, held the political and societal philosophies of Gov. Palin we would not have an unqualified, inexperienced Chicago crook sitting in the "Office of the President-Elect" (what a comic absurdity) right now.

Making yourself more left-centrist so you'll be more like your far-left opposition does not win elections. Being a "moderate" (whatever that means) and "reaching across the isle" only serves to make Republicans and Democrats the same thing.

Sticking to pragmatic, realistic positions and policies; a strong belief in states' rights; patriotism, loyalty, and frugality are the roots of the issues that resonate with Americans, both young and old.

Once the "young people" start paying taxes and caring for a family the lost generation suddenly decides they've found something called "hope," and then they "change."

Duke (Mon Dec 08 08:15:14 2008)

That's exactly why I said that Republicans can sway people on economic issues, because every pays taxes and wishes to pay less of them. But what does paying taxes have to do with gay marriage? When it comes to social issues and social attitudes, young people are usually always more liberal and stick to their general beliefs throughout their life. This was true with young people in the 1960s, and now ask yourself if racial segregation is legitimate debatable issue! The GOP needs to be a more "tolerant" party on social issues if it wants long-term success. Right now, gay marriage bans succeed because old people vote overwhelmingly for it, but what kind of long-term strategy relies on courting old ways of thinking and throws the future generation under the bus?

Stephen Flynn (Mon Dec 08 08:38:37 2008)

Robert's comments are a good assessment of where we are and what we have to do. I've personally felt the ire of moderates unwilling to hear a conservative position. The internet may be the only place outside of talk radio where we can present our ideas without the filter of the press. Some people say that the demise of local newspapers is linked to their political position, but it may be that they are irrelevant. The Wall Street Journal and Investors Business Daily may be the only conservative newspapers out there and generally not read by the public...but should be.

Lee Murray (Mon Dec 08 08:41:13 2008)

Stephen, what do you think of the argument that says if you're going to be a fiscal conservative, you must eventually move to conservative social, moral, family values? - Research that argues that traditional family mores result in more responsibility taken by families, less responsibility taken by government entities, lower costs to government.

Jo (Mon Dec 08 09:04:13 2008)

I believe that the deficits that we have had in the past are 75% caused by the so called conservative republicans. I don't understand why we would elect another fiscally irresponsible president on the republican side when the recent past has shown us nothing but overspending and an inability to understand the importance of relationships worldwide. Our current president has this economic crisis on his plate because of the things he has not accomplished in office and I was in no way shape or form going to vote for another republican president this go-around no matter who the party served up on a platter. Conservatives don't need to be concerned, we voted in the most conservative of the two parties out of the last four administrations.

Mike (Mon Dec 08 09:10:15 2008)

Mike makes a few good points, but I am not sure that he distinguishes between the rhetoric of the Republicans and the reality of how all too many of them vote. Domestic spending went up more during GB II's reign than during ANY other administration. Was this because he and the majority Republicans stuck to their rhetoric of smaller government? NO. The Republicans failed PRECISELY because they deserted their professed beliefs, and acted all too much like Democrats. So where in that is there the least evidence that Democrats deserved to win? And now that Democrats both in WI and in the nation have complete control of the government (except for the holdovers in the Supreme Court) it is obvious that the coming failures can correctly be laid at the feet of Democrats. They have promised to follow policies sure to further weaken the economy. I doubt if they will ever balance the budget with all the promised giveaways, and Obama has already done considerable backtracking on his commitment to peace, if ever he had one.

The only hope is that Democrats realize the folly of their ways, and try to do a turnabout like the Republicans did. Not likely from where I sit.

But in this, there is opportunity for the Republican party to put in, well, not sure I like being affiliated with the word "conservative," but freedom loving, constitution supporting, civil rights protecting candidates who mean what they say. The Reagan Revolution was squandered by the Republicans, and now they have a credibility gap. But for that, you could count on the pendulum swinging back with a vengeance 2 yrs from now. But NOT by electing the McCAins, Thompsons (2 of the 3 who are politically prominent) the Doles, the Guilianis who are no respecters of the constitution and limited government. Given the strong bias AGAINST 3rd parties, maybe independent candidates like Jeff Wood are the way to go.

Tho I am far more a libertarian than "conservative," the blogger is right that we must be gracious under fire, and do our best to re-educate the electorate. I am, here:

www.campaignforliberty.com

Ken Van Dorem (Mon Dec 08 18:50:18 2008)

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