A Conservative Revolution?

Several blogs are picking up on the Richard Viguerie piece I already commented on here. Another item caught my attention today when I heard a TV talking head state that with thoughts of Hillary in their head, many Republicans were thinking John McCain might be the answer for 2008. Are they crazy? You don't defeat the enemy, elitist big government and higher taxes, by becoming one of them.

In the end, I suppose I'm a stuck in a Blue State riehl-ist, if one can be that while hoping to see a Republican win in NJ. But what I'll really be looking to see is if there's conservative proof in the '08' Presidential candidate pudding come next year.

We don't really have a Republican Party in NJ, only Democrat and Democrat-lite, so I'm disaffected from the start. But if the GOP takes that strategy nationally in 08, I'll be out. Based on home state experience, I've seen what Conservative Republican weakness and over-compromise can do. And it isn't pretty to watch.

Check in below to see what some others think as regards the GOP today.

Mark Tapscott weighs in:

But the lesson here isn't simply that the GOP has for long taken its conservative base for granted. Let us also remember that the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. We conservatives keep wondering when the GOP Establishment will learn. I ask when we will learn.

Bruce Kesler takes a more pragmatic view:

A winning political party is a broad coalition, and the Republican coalition is not just comprised of hard conservatives, or conservatives aligned on all issues. Conservatives must not only tolerate each other and cooperate across a broad range of issues, but also with others in the coalition. Meanwhile, increasing the conservative weight within the Party is good, but not at the cost of pyrrhic victories or circular firing squads.

While Stephen Bainbridge has already given up on the GOP for now.

It's not that the "Tapscottian Caucus and their even more radical Bainbridgist revos" think the Democrats would be any better. It's that we expect better of the GOP

Comments

[Bryce]

The GOP coalition seems to be big business and pro-lifers with a very big helping of NASCAR dads and security moms. These groups have built in differences that make squabbles inevitible. One thing I noticed is that NASCAR dads are really looking forward to their Social Security pensions, while big business is really looking forward to doing away with the SS tax. Pharmacutical companies are really looking forward to selling the morning after pill over the counter, while pro-lifers are doing everything they can to stop them.

Security moms are just fickle, they were the million mom marchers in the 90's. And seem to be heading towards the stewardship moms of the next decade. Whichever party figures out how to tap this will probably be the dominant party in the next few election cycles.

[jamie]

Uh, Dan, we already HAVE elitist big government and higher taxes, thanks to the so-called "Republicans" in Congress and the White House. Okay, so some at the highest income levels have gotten tax cuts. But with deficts soaring, how long can that continue? We have practically GUARANTEED higher taxes in the future because this "Republican" Congress can't seem to stop spending like drunken sailors. And government has expanded at the fastest rate in history since these "Republicans" have been in power. I don't see McCain making anything worse, quite frankly.

[Mr. K.]

A McCain / Giuliani ticket would destroy anything Hillary could come up with, fracturing Republican party and all. It just depends on if the Republicans want to win in 2008 time, or hand the melting mess Bush has made of this country to a Democrat who would have a seriously difficult time trying to fix.