Is It Time For The Right To Attack?

The GOP?

The topic brought out some divergent opinions from the panelists, especially when Caldara said that limited-government conservatives should quit accommodating the GOP and start attacking them. He said that the Harriet Miers appointment proved how out of touch the Republicans have become after twelve years of majority and five years in the White House, and how going on offense can succeed in making necessary changes.

One tragedy of American politics on the Left is the way blacks have been and continue to be pandered to by the Dems, so much so that they vote for them almost in lockstep.

When does it become fair to say that Conservatives are experiencing the very same thing with the Republicans?

So, is it time for the Right to attack the GOP? It's an interesting thought.

Comments

[DennisAOK]

I was never wild about Bush because he hs no philosophical mooring and never claimed to want to reduce the size of government. So I cannot say I am disappointed. I cannot say the same for the Republicans in Congress, who have marched in lock step with the White House. How do you go from wanting to eliminate the Department of Education to federalizing education with No Child Left Behind? From promising a humbler foreign policy and no nation-building to attacking another country on dubious grounds? From promising a simplified tax code to adding to its complexity?

I stopped giving to the party. I won't vote for Democrats, but unless a Republican is of a libertarian bent, I won't vote for him or her either.

[bryce]

The GOP cannot win without the religous right and the religous right is not into small government, Terri Schiavo sort showed what kind of government intrusion is OK with the religous right. The drug war seems to be another sore spot with libertarians. I don't know whether the GOP can win without the libertarian leaning conservative. I have a feeling we will see in 2006/2008

[DennisAOK]

bryce,

Good points. I do think you could put together a coalition of small government federalists - let's agree to disagree and decide these issues at the state level, which is waht I think the tenth amendment calls for, anyway. You could probably pull in a fair number of Democrats with that. Let the Blue states run their own affairs and the red states can do the same.

[Libertarian Scientist]

The two parties have the same problem. They represent broad constituencies with disparate interests. When they are out of power they find it easy to ignore/gloss over differences, but when they are in they have the luxury of self-criticism (and it's not too hard to find things to criticize about both parties) and forget how much worse it is to be out of power instead of in. Both parties drift to the center in a shameless effort to pander to mediocrity, and as a consequence we get bad government.

I'm a member of the Republican party because I recognize I can't make a difference otherwise and because I like many of the values it purports to espouse, such as fiscal conservatism and common sense. But I don't identify myself as a Republican, either. I like good ideas, and I like acknowledging reality when it's clear that my ideals are untenable.

Too many Americans, however, get caught up in this rah-rah sport mentality Hate-the-Conservatives/Liberals/Democrats/Republicans. What stupidity! If you think that way, regardless of your political persuasion, you deserve the bad government that you have. The "conservatives" deserve Bush, and the "liberals" deserved Clinton. Shame on both of you for being stupid.

[Sgt. York]

Theo-con
and Neo-con
Where has the party gone?

[bryce]

All good points.

[Phoenix]

LS,

I agree about the 'rah rah' mentality. I have no use for anyone who claims to be a 'dyed-in-the-wool' democrat or republican. It is as if they have given up their right to think. The problem is, for those of us who do think hard on the issues, we find ourselves in both parties - or, in three parties with libertarians. Then, yippee.... what are we given to choose? Whoever is better than the other. I go with republican, but what if a John Kerry was all that was offered up for republicans?? You know politics is self-defeating for anyone who thinks about it when you end up voting for the man who will do the least damage.