Article

2013-09-23 Home Front: Politix

Pubs Should Learn Dems Lessons of 1989

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Bobby 2013-09-23 06:15|| || Front Page|| [9 views ] Top

#1 1976, GOP was dead from Nixon, Reagan was defeated by Ford as "too conservative", party was running as bigger better government, Ford's Whip Inflation Now, getting along by compromising with Congressional Dems, etc. Carter won in a landslide, nature of the voters had changed, become liberal...

Along came Reagan. Set all that on its head, Ran on "Government is not the solution, its the problem". Won big. Twice.

Hasnt been a republican run on that since.

Bush 1, voodoo economics, read my lips "No new taxes" plus the effects of Ross Perot's hillbilly feud with Bush
Dole: GOP establishment picks "Its his turn" (IHT)
Bush 2: Barely won as Social-con, not a small gov con.
Bush 2-2: Won as incumbent wartime CINC over a IHT Dem.
McCain: The prototypical "Maverick" moderate IHT Establishment beltway repub.
Romney: Establishment wanted a more moderate, Romneycare candidate, more of IHT.

Haven't run a real small government conservative since then at the federal level. State level? It works. Cruz TX, Lee UT, Paul KY, all very popular senators Rubio ran as one in FL and won (then veered off).

SO how about we try running another "Government is the problem" person instead of anothe moderate establishment mushy middle ?

Posted by OldSpook 2013-09-23 12:30|| 2013-09-23 12:30|| Front Page Top

#2 The problem for the Republican Party is twofold:

First: Racist Black vote. I define Racist vote by voting for a person because of his color instead of his capabilities. Both at presidential level and at city/state level (think Detroit) we have seen this again and again: while Whites, at leat a majority of gthem, habve no problem voting for a Black most Blacks automatically vote for a Black whatever his non-Balvck opponent and whatever his lack of results/caompetency. Obama's first term has been nefarious for Black byt they blindly voted for him.

Alan West could have been a solution but he underwent the same kind of character asssination of previous opponets of Obama

The second factor is lack of courage for enforcing vopte fairness: in many districts pof Massachusets particiiapation was well over 100% and, of course, Obama got over 90% of the votes in those highly "civical" districts. Now, I am not saying Republicans could havce won Massachusets, but many swing states and perghaps several non-swing states who weenbt for Obama wouldn't have gone were America halfa as serious about vote firanes than Geramny or even France.

Posted by JFM 2013-09-23 12:58|| 2013-09-23 12:58|| Front Page Top

#3 Nice observations, Spook. You'd think the Pubs would be thinking smaller government, and that the Tea Party (but who listens to them?) would be driving that boat. Our French friend also has some good - and obvious - points.

Posted by Bobby 2013-09-23 13:11|| 2013-09-23 13:11|| Front Page Top

#4 Old Spook has the truth of it.

Tea Party points to the enduring popularity of Reagan's approach -- and to how far the Republican party has strayed from it.

Posted by Jaising Creque9323 2013-09-23 13:29|| 2013-09-23 13:29|| Front Page Top

#5 Yep, OS is spot on! Over time they all turn into RINO's. The big perks, pu**y, and pesos gets to em. What is needed is 'turn limits'.

You get a turn or two, then he or she gets a turn. Once you've had your turn, it's over.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-09-23 14:59|| 2013-09-23 14:59|| Front Page Top

#6 Reagan caused a lot of die-hard union democrats to cross the line and vote republican. There is something very powerful in his message but the folks in DC don't want to hear it.

Posted by rjschwarz 2013-09-23 15:09|| 2013-09-23 15:09|| Front Page Top

#7 Wait, the Pubs were on the right side of the demographics in 1989?

Bush Sr. won in California in 1988. He lost in 1992 to Bill Clinton. After Clinton took over there was a HUGE demographic shift in California. I think y'all know what I'm talking about. It is highly unlikely that a Republican will ever win California again. Clinton used demographics to turn California into a blue state and the Republicans let him do it. What a bunch of fools.

My opinion is that it's time for the Tea Party to officially break from the Republican Party. I see no point in continuing to support the Republican party. Some of them may still pretend to be at least fiscally conservative but as long as they collude with Democrats on legislation like the Dream Act, the demography will continue to shift and Republicans will remain irrelevant.

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-09-23 15:23|| 2013-09-23 15:23|| Front Page Top

#8 Keep in mind is that Reagan spent a lot of years "in the weeds" building up a base of support and honing his views. When the time came, he had a message and a coherent set of objectives.

That doesn't happen now, or hasn't happened yet.

Posted by Pappy 2013-09-23 15:28|| 2013-09-23 15:28|| Front Page Top

#9 That is why whenever a small government Republican comes around the Establishment Rino's, DemocRATs and media go total-war to destroy them.

Case in point the above mention Allen West. Now Ted Cruz. And lets not forget Sarah Palin.

Posted by CrazyFool 2013-09-23 15:33|| 2013-09-23 15:33|| Front Page Top

#10 Sarah wants to get together with Ted so they can compare the shiv marks they got in their backs from RINOs.

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-09-23 16:51|| 2013-09-23 16:51|| Front Page Top

#11 The only way -- only way -- the Pubs lose the House in 2014 is to fold like lawn chairs on the sequester and Obamacare debates this month. Which is precisely what they're doing.

Posted by Steve White 2013-09-23 17:04|| 2013-09-23 17:04|| Front Page Top

#12 Well, then, that'd leave this big void for the Tea Party to just slide right in and take over.

No? [shakes head] Prolly not.

Posted by Bobby 2013-09-23 18:01|| 2013-09-23 18:01|| Front Page Top

#13 That is why whenever a small government Republican comes around the Establishment Rino's, DemocRATs and media go total-war to destroy them.

True. That's why when Reagan grabbed the brass ring, the Establishment GOP saw that they either had to get on board (see: Peggy Noonan) or get left in the dust. The Democrats and the media did some damage, but the campaign had been on 'go' for a long time by then.

Posted by Pappy 2013-09-23 18:43|| 2013-09-23 18:43|| Front Page Top

22:50 Richard Aubrey
22:26 Barbara
20:51 Paul D
20:48 Pappy
20:45 Pappy
20:31 3dc
20:19 3dc
20:07 JosephMendiola
20:01 3dc
19:45 swksvolFF
19:41 Frank G
19:39 Airandee
19:24 Barbara
19:17 Barbara
19:15 Barbara
18:53 Zenobia Floger6220
18:43 Pappy
18:40 Anguper Hupomosing9418
18:32 Barbara
18:29 Shipman
18:27 Barbara
18:26 Shipman
18:25 Shipman
18:22 Barbara