May 15 2008
When Will The “True Conservatives” Wake Up To The Damage They Did?
The purity wars inside the GOP are doing what many of us feared and predicted, decimating the GOP as America dumps the “true conservatives” and goes with conservative democrats. Those are the choices we have seen in the last 3 special elections: Far Right verses Left of Center. America chose Left of Center.
Why did America do that? Probably because they are tired of the far right testing their purity and clamoring all the time about who the best, most pure conservatives are, while damning those lesser conservatives – which are at times called ‘moderates’ (best said with the nose up in the air), many times ‘RINOs’ (Republican In Name Only), and on some issues ‘traitors’. America has decided that the ‘true conservatives’ are too difficult to deal with and are going with the conservative democrats or moderate republicans instead.
Rush Limbaugh tried to say the other day that the GOP dumped on the conservatives (of course all the true conservative ranting and name calling over issues like immigration is not dumping, it is politics). Actually conservatives, at least the ‘pure, true’ conservatives of Hannity and Levin and others, are not being dumped on. American voters are simply dumping them – period. Sorry Rush, but that dumping feeling is Americans telling the far right they went too far. That feeling of rejection is not because people are mean to the far right, it was because the far right became too caustic and heated and started on their purity rant, which left voters cold and looking elsewhere.
Note how all the ‘true conservative’ presidential candidates failed in this year’s GOP primary. The ‘true’ conservative’s worst enemy has became the party standard bearer. That was a message to the far right. The fact the conservative movement is growing and succeeding on the Democrat side of the aisle is a message to the far right. The fact that the liberal democrats had to end their own purity wars and allow pro-life candidates into the fold to gain back their political power is a message to the far right. The only question is whether anyone is listening on the far right, or are they all still obsessively comparing how ‘pure’ they are too each other and ignoring everything else going on around them?
Personally, I prefer the Reagan-Bush version of conservatism that came out of the GOP. But that was a broad coalition Reagan built. A diverse movement that respected differences and did not have litmus tests. This is not Reagan’s conservative movement today, clearly since it has decided to reject one of the most successful conservative president’s in modern history: George W Bush. Funny thing is all these purists think it was centrist Bush who chased the centrists to the center? Now that is some pretzel logic! If you are on the right and cannot stand Bush it is a good bet you are a ‘true conservative’, and you probably look in the mirror and think you see Reagan staring back.
But Reagan was extremely tolerant of non-conservative views. Remember, he was an life-long Democrat – like Harriet Miers. And we all know how Mrs. Miers was treated. He signed into law the largest, real amnesty bill for illegal immigrants, and we all know what traitors lurk in the GOP to repeat Reagan’s sin. Conservatism has a bad image right now, and the fact is the ones at fault are those who created the image of ‘true conservatism’ and claimed it was the only allowable brand of conservative thought allowed in the GOP. When they did that they told everyone else to take a hike – and they did! Now Americans support conservative democrats as they take over GOP seats held for a decade or more. We have succeeded in obtaining purity! (of course being an independent who is not allowed to be ‘conservative’ due to his impure positions the ‘we’ is very much tongue in cheek, or as Tonto would have said ‘what’s this ‘we’ stuff Kimosabe?”)
This was always where the purity wars were going to lead. To make something pure means to distill it down to just a few numbers with identical traits. That in politics is called a fringe group, because it is so far outside the impure mainstream. It looks like when Bush completed much of the common ground the right of center coalition agreed on, that coalition was destined to blow apart. There was nothing left to fight for that everyone agreed on. Now comes the next coalition, whatever shape that may be. Hopefully another Reagan-Bush type leader will arise that will quell this ten year itch the far right gets, which lands us with Clintons and Carters and who knows what this year.
Update: With all due respect to Ed Morrissey, who I find is one of the most level headed people on the right, his current thesis on what is wrong with the GOP is just not realistic:
Did the House GOP caucus take a hard line on pork-barrel spending or adopt policies to cut federal spending? No. Republican voters and conservative pundits begged the House and Senate caucuses to make dramatic breaks with the previous six years and adopt real conservative policies of fiscal responsibility and federalism. What did they do? They offered to stop earmarking only if Democrats followed suit, a deal everyone knew would never take place. Instead of appointing one single anti-pork activist to the House Appropriations Committee in Jeff Flake, they appointed Joe Bonner, a good Congressman but a well-known earmarker, and mostly because Flake’s anti-pork crusade irritates his colleagues.
Sorry, this is too much inside baseball to sway the electorate outside the beltway. And the idea anyone would gravitate to the tax-and-spend Dems to limit spending is laughable (but I still respect you Ed!). Whatever committee some guy named Flake is on did not cause this. Everyone sees the evidence – a conservative coalition is building in the democrat party. Conservatism is now winning when it comes attached to the democrats, which would have been considered ridiculous back in 2004 – before the purity wars erupted.
The reason far right conservatives are losing is they have lost the American voter. And it is not because they are not conservative enough, it is because they have been demeaning people who disagree with them marginally for years. When McCain and Bush and others put forth a reasonable compromise on immigration, people on the far right compared them to the far left which wants instant citizenship for all! This comparison was ludicrous and only demeaned those making it. America saw a radicalized, out of control, overly emotional far right and has backed away. America is backing away from conservatism under the GOP and going with conservatism under the democrats. Get a clue folks. If you love America and its people then listen to what they are saying in the voting booth. This not about pork spending and committee assignments. This the GOP losing the conservative preference to the Dems. Without broad conservatism, what does the GOP have to offer to oppose liberalism?
Update: I meant to post how Rush Limbaugh actually does the same thing has Hannity and Levin and Savage, by disparaging those ‘impure’ conservatives:
Gee, they’re just now getting it. What took ’em so long? Did you see what happened in 2006? Folks, I am mad today. Did you see what happened in 2006? Did you see all the conservative Democrats Pelosi ran in the South then and skunked your incumbents? With what? Not McCainism. These Democrats were not running as McCain. They were running as Reagan conservatives, and that’s how they won, in Reagan conservative districts.
…
Because the Republican Party, which has sold out to the pseudoconservatives of the New York Times and the DC-New York media establishment who think that Rockefeller Republicanism and country club Republicanism is the future of the party, Ms. Pelosi, “Okay, they’re going to give that up, they’re going to give up Reagan, fine, we’ll go take over.” If she wanted to, she could take over the whole Republican Party this way. But she’s too far left and her party is too far left. But if they really wanted a huge supermajority, it’s waiting for them. Meanwhile, the Republican Party is doing everything in the world that it can to try be 25%, 30%, 40% liberal or independent for some God-knows-who-can-explain-it reason.
Well, no time out from RINO bashing it seems. I think it is delusional to claim a democrat conservative is more conservative than the GOP conservative. Greg Davis in MI (the GOP candidate) was on the far right, especially when it came to immigration. He beat out those nasty pseudoconservatives (aka, RINOs, like Rudy Giuliani). No, it was not because the democrat was more conservative – that is emotional denial.
Want to know what pisses off America? Insult their favorite hero Mayor from 9-11, Rudy Giuliani, as the ‘true’ conservatives did when he ran for President. Insult Vietnam War Hero Senator McCain. Backstab our President and demean him and his views. That is the GOP brand of conservatism in the eyes of many Americans, and they have had their fill of it. They are now voting for lower key, less volatile conservatives, ones not beholding to the conservative chattering class. Yes, the Blue Dogs have to co-exist with Pelosi’s liberals and fight the battle for conservatism inside the Dem party, but they are not beholding to conservative talk radio and others who try to push more conservatism than some are ready to accept. Did it ever occur to the far right that Americans are really smart and know how to get around obstacles? Want to get the far right talking heads out of the picture? Put in Blue Dogs who can run free of the far right.
Something to think about while this disaster unfolds.
Update: This article at the Politico is especially brutal, but it also notes the other fallout of the GOP conservative movement losing ground to a Democrat conservative movement – you lose campaign dollars. I fail to see how Rush Limbaugh expects to garner support for GOP conservatism by bashing pseudoconservatives and conservative independents like he did the other day? When these impure voters vote for Blue Dogs, the tend to take their campaign contributions with them. Not sure how belittling them is a winning strategy???? Call me naive.
Me thinks thou doth protesteth too much!
Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but the Dems are running the two most Marxists candidates they have in history! The pubs are running the most left wing candidate that they ever have. And then you say, “The Dems have ended their purity wars and have fielded conservative dems – and it is working. The GOP is not fielding liberals!†I would say you’re statement is 180 degrees out of whack!
I wasn’t trying to read your mind AJ, you’re pretty much an open book. I was just pointing out that what you seem to consider left, right and center pretty much explains why all regular conservatives are “far” right.
BTW Bikerken,
Only an idiot would look into the sun …
A soon to be blind idiot.
I guess the entire country looks left wing from the fringe, yeah?
Thanks for proving my point. Did you read the post????
You come blundering in here and do EXACTLY what I posted the far right does when confronted with their own failures – they dump on everyone else! Good gawd man, someone is going to think you are my sock puppet I use to illustrate what’s wrong with the far right.
Now THAT would be insulting. I could do a much better job I would think.
Satrist, sorry for the delay but some of my responses are getting eaten by the server (or maybe it’s my own pilot error, who knows).
Rush’s main concern right now is dragging the Dem primary out as long as possible, Operation Chaos. When a caller asked him last week why he wasn’t more supportive of McCain he replied, “because it’s not time yet.” I would submit what you consider “bashing” is in fact, constructive criticism.
AJ, you sure have been salty lately. What gives?
It is my opinion that we lost the house in 2006 because of low turnout. In elections between presidential elections the turn out is historically low. The dems went all out and the republicans didn’t. The republicans won in 2002 because of 9/11 and we knew we had better vote. But it is hard for the electorate to keep their eye on the ball. They got lazy and we lost the house. I don’t know what will happen in November. If the party is as fractured as AJ says then we are screwed. I find it very hard to believe the American people (even democrats) would elect a muslim and/or black separatist America hating marxist named Barack Hussein Obama to be president of this country. Have the democrats lost their minds?
As for the far right all a candidate has to do is mention his deep religionist beliefs and they will vote for him i.e. Huckabee. I see far too many Obama signs in my town. Perhaps the word hasn’t gotten out that his religion is a sham. As P.T. said “there’s a sucker born every minute”. And anyone who believes ANTHING a politician says he will do is nuts. They will say anything, be anything and do anything to win. Winning is the game and losing is not an option.
75,
Bad mood I guess. Nothing to complain about – really.
AJ,
“The reason far right conservatives are losing is they have lost the American voter. And it is not because they are not conservative enough, it is because they have been demeaning people who disagree with them marginally for years. When McCain and Bush and others put forth a reasonable compromise on immigration, people on the far right compared them to the far left which wants instant citizenship for all! This comparison was ludicrous and only demeaned those making it.”
…
“Want to know what pisses off America? Insult their favorite hero Mayor from 9-11, Rudy Giuliani, as the ‘true’ conservatives did when he ran for President. Insult Vietnam War Hero Senator McCain. Backstab our President and demean him and his views. That is the GOP brand of conservatism in the eyes of many Americans, and they have had their fill of it.”
Wow, just wow. I can see that you are of the same mind as the Obama campaign in that if we question him or disagree with him we must be “racist” only in your case if a “true” conservative questions McCain, Guiliani or anyone who doesn’t have the same ideology then they must be “demeaning, insulting, backstabbing and ludicrous.”
You’re so willing to demand that conservatives compromise …I just wonder if you’re willing to compromise on say stem cell research or the War on Terror…I didn’t think so.
Oh, and about that immigration reform…about a month ago I asked where in the proposed legislation it protected the laws that were to be enforced from judges and attorneys finding loopholes and getting around those laws. I really would like to know as I could not find it and it would matter to me…still nothing. Is it really there?
Barbara, milque-toast, wishy-washy, middle of the road, bi-partisan candidates will always produce low turnout. I can only hope that the Dems are just that hated that we can steal one. The minute McCain became the leading candidate…the republican party was in trouble. And it will continue to be even if he wins. Americans want bold action to do what’s right, not compromise with what’s wrong. This is 1992 all over again.
Buck up and keep the faith, AJ.
😉
Whippet1,
Because I can see how the far right loses to the conservative democrats in three races means Americans are voting for conservative dems and not the far right makes me like Obama???
Funny. You think comparing me to Obama is going to raise my respect for you folks on the far right or dump it in the gutter??
And you folks wonder why no one wants to vote you into office anymore?
Let me ask you something, AJ, if I may. What do you hope to gain by this continued assault on conservatives? Just how do you expect them to rally to McCain for you come election day?
AJ,
You know I didn’t compare you to Obama, I compared your tactic of describing conservatives as demeaning, backstabbing, ludicrous, insulting, etc when they criticize issues or people that you agree with exactly what the Obama campaign does when they are criticized. My comments had nothing to do with why the far right loses or not and you know it.
And me far right? LOL! If you only knew…see…I have criticized you and now I’m one of the far right!!! You make my case!!!!
Oh, and that immigration information?
75,
He expects conservatives to do what he refuses to do.
75,
And I have no problem if AJ doesn’t want to compromise on his own beliefs, as a matter of fact I would hope he wouldn’t. But he wants others to conform to his…Yet he complains when the far right does the same.
I just don’t understand how he expects his daily assaults to attract conservatives? I mean, we know he thinks they are marginalized but does he honestly think McCain doesn’t need them? or want them?
75,
He has said as much…what I don’t get is why a guy who is pretty conservative on most issues holds so much contempt for conservatives in general.
His moderate posters can disagree til their hearts content, but let a conservative further to the right disagree and you may as well be Truthy! As a matter of fact he had more tolerance for Truthy. He just doesn’t see it.
Whip, it isn’t going to matter anyway. If AJ’s right, McCain wipes out the Dems in the election and we have a “centrist” president willing to work with the left. If he’s wrong, McCain wins by a small margin and works with the left or he loses and Obama leads the left. Either way, our party and country are both screwed until the mods get their heads out of their asses.
This is no big deal. America goes through this time and time again regardless of whether it’s an election, a war, or some sort of social program. We are a nation cursed to live in the moment and forget the past, regardless of what the lesson is. No biggie…it just means we have another conservative revolution down the road a little further than now.
I have seen a lot of conservatives trying to talk themselves into letting Obama win. After all, since McCain is not really one of them there is no difference.
And whippet I don’t think AJ is attacking anyone. I don’t. Yesterday Mark Levin said that conservatives should abandon the GOP and McCain. That means Democrats win. And that is okay with Levin Iguess. And yet AJ is the attacker?
These guys do nothing but bitch about everything all the time and when they can’t win elections, they blame everyone but themselves.
no, it is not AJ who is attacking people.
Anyone who can look at McCain and Obama and not which is one is more likely to be fiscally conservative, appoint conservative judges, be prolife and wage the war on Terror, does not need to be lecturing other people about what is right and wrong and liberal and conservative and blah blah blah.
I think the truth is that a lot of well known right wing pundits and activists are afraid of losing more influence with someone like McCain in office. They prefer someone like Bush, who they can stab in the back when it suits them. There is your problem. I voted for Bush and I rarely even listen to these people anymore. They want to analyze everyone else when they need to be analyzing themselves.
What is all this bunk about engineers and scientists having some special ability to accurately read situations better than others? Or more objectively? Pleeeeaassseee! I call that elitism at its finest.
Anyone who cares about politics is passionate and that passion is difficult to overcome whether you have a science degree or any other degree for that matter or none at all.
I believe the bulk of the global warming fanatics are scientists, correct? Or how about the global cooling fanatics of the 70’s? I guess those embryonic stem cell researchers have been promoting proven, objective statistics over the years, right? And conservatives are the ones with the egos?
75:
There are two choices this fall: The Democrat or the Republican. The Democrat will probably be Obama and McCain will be the Republican. There is not going to be another viable alternative. And since there will probably be a Democratic majority no matter who wins the White House, the president will have to work with the Democrats.
I think some far right folks have convinced themselves that this is not going to happen. They are living in a fantasy world.