By BEN EVANS Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh argue the Republican Party needs less moderation and more conservative backbone to win back voters who have been abandoning it in droves.
Leaders of the party's 2010 election efforts don't think ideological purity is the answer.
In the latest example, key Republican senators jumped this week behind the Senate candidacy of centrist GOP Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, picking sides a year before the party primary even though another well-established candidate, former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, has stronger conservative credentials.
In other high-profile Senate races, party leaders have encouraged or recruited centrists such as Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania, Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware and Rep. Mark Kirk of Illinois. Ridge opted not to run, while Castle and Kirk are weighing 2010 races for the seats that Democratic appointees filled when Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama left the Senate.
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I think this represents a good shift. Thus far the majority of Conservatives in Washington have been following to close to the left, I really feel a GOP shift to the center will improve their ability to take back seats from the Democrats.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Crist. I grew up and went to school with Charlie. He's still a consummate politician either which way he is leaning. He's very personable and has climbed the political ladder from City Councilman to where he is today. In other words, he is a career politician in every sense of the word. If I was still a Floridian, would I vote for him? Probably.
ReplyDeleteBeing a moderate myself, I think some of the extreme has damaged the Republican Party but all these death tolls I keep reading aren't going to happen. That party will survive. Some of these kids aren't old enough to remember the political swings this country has been through for the four decades I've been a voter.
Totally agree with that Frog Prince, the pendulum tends to swing back as far as it was taken prior. Since Obama seems to be very left (maybe a nudge less than totalitarianism) I'm thinking the GOP swing back will put them just left of moderate. I'd like to see that. You know sensible regulations, capitalism that works for everyone, limited taxation and FED government size... pretty simple stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe way to cut the federal deficit is to cut spending. The best way to cut spending is to cut the size of the federal government. It produces not a thing.
ReplyDeleteGod spare us with Charles in charge. I understand why you might respect him, but I paint him into the collage where all of the other "I will stay for the sake of the state" opportunists are enshrined forever. People like him think of the government as some giant company that you claw your way to the top of so you will have a satisfying retirement. Bah...what claptrap...how does one make themselves intentionally useless and smile about it? When will we finally put plumbers, mechanics, systems analysts and nurses on the stump? Why on earth would I want somebody in government who is experienced in government?...kinda takes the "of the people" out of the equation. Regular folk would trim the whole show down because regular folk dont stand for having their time wasted by chicanery and idiocy. I'm sorry, but there is no way I could support the closet liberal, Charlie Crist.
ReplyDeleteSo then I take you would support me, a Project Manager who knows how to get the job done even under the most dire circumstances. Someone who knows not the words: can't, won't, didn't, couldn't and never.
ReplyDeleteDamn right! We need an angry mechanic for president. A good mechanic wont keep greasing the squeaky wheel...he'll pull that noisy son of a bitch off and replace it with one that rolls right....pun intended.
ReplyDeletelol ok then I'll start saving the pennies to see if I can't do something about that. One of my favorite lines was when Jack Nicholson said, "My mother never saw the irony of calling me a son of a bitch." I been called a lot worse, just look at the vine. There's a few, aw hell let's be honest there's a majority of those Wa Wa Washington types that I'd have in my office ripping those tires off with my bare hands.
ReplyDeleteThis ad paid for by Outraged Americans for justice... I approve of this ad.
I agree with Groundsquirrel. We need to get some people in there that know what real life is about. And can still get mad.
ReplyDeleteI would vote for you PO. I would even campaign for you.
I read where you voted for Ross Perot? Did I read that right? I voted for him also. I never could understand why more people couldn't see his merits for Presidency.I guess too many people think if you are registered as Rep, you have to vote Rep. Or Dem, you have to vote Dem. Too bad they don't have a Think party, so you have to think before you vote.
I not only voted for him I campaigned for him. I think Ross's issue was simple... he wasn't dashing, handsome, or good-looking. The problem with Americans is that they want a President that looks like Michael Douglas, Martin Sheen or Robert Redford... unfortunately people who look like they do usually don't have the brains to run the country very well... case in point B. Obama. All flash and no substance.
ReplyDeleteNow Ross he had the brains and the ballz to do the job. He made too much sense and like Sarah Palin the country made a laughing stock of him. He still has a really great website I think called PerotsCharts.
I've thought about running for Senate/Congress. I have run in a local race once. (I won a 2 year term) nothing much to mention though.
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I think alot of third parties don't win because most of us viewed them as a wasted vote therefore they have never been taken serious. My views have changed as have many others I believe.I think the country is finally ready for a third party.
ReplyDeleteA lot of it has to do with money, but there have been some that had plenty. This time Maggie I think it's going to be different there's too many people pissed off. Conservatives, Indies, Republicans and Democrats. The mix is huge.
ReplyDeleteRoss blew it by the "on again, off again" stuff. I firmly believe that if he hadn't done that, the election could have been his.
ReplyDelete