THE REBELLION HAS BEGUN - THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY
I have been a Republican my entire voting life. Yet as a Republican I do not classify myself as anything but conservative and a Reagan conservative at that. Though I believed in conservative values from my teen years when I first started following politics, it was not until the Reagan Revolution that my conservatism was defined to a great extent and especially within the Republican Party. Prior to Reagan the Republican Party under Nixon and Ford was a more moderate influence than during the Reagan years which is why from a political stand point I disagreed with some of the policies adopted by Nixon and Ford, (Watergate not with standing). After Reagan defining conservatism within the Party the conservative base grew bringing about the gaining of the majority in Congress in 1994 with the Contract With America. This conservative base has been responsible for keeping Republicans in the majority since and was also responsible for the election of George W. Bush to Presidency. When you look at the demographics of the, "Red States, " the percentage of those who call themselves conservative within the Republican majorities in those states is high. Yet in a very real sense those that we conservatives have elected into office have strayed away from the conservative ideas and beliefs that caused us to elect them in the first place. The President has to some extent though he is starting to come around a bit with the exception of his stand on illegal aliens, but he is not running for anything. The Congress on the other hand has strayed so far from conservatism that they in many ways do not even resemble what we Reagan conservatives have backed and stood for with our vote. The Congress is not the least bit concerned with enforcing current laws concerning immigration. When President Reagan signed the amnesty bill for 1.5 million in the 80's it included other provisions which demanded enforcement of employment of illegals and securing the borders without those provisions Reagan said he would not sign it. Since Reagan left office the only provision in the bill that has been enforced was the one time amnesty provision. Additionally the Congress has abandoned the conservative idea of smaller government and fiscal responsibility with rampant spending and huge entitlement programs. Bush may have introduced some of the entitlements but the Congress expanded them far more than the original proposal. The immigration issue though has brought the disregarded to the conservative base by the Congress to a breaking point and a rebellion by the electorate has begun!
As we are beginning the primary season a trend is starting that will be a wake up call to the Republican Party and it is coming from the conservative base. It began in Herndon, Virginia. The incumbent Republicans opened up a day labor center for illegal aliens. This move by the incumbents angered the electorate to the extent that when the primary took place every incumbent was defeated and replaced by a conservative who took a strong stand on illegals. It happened again in North Carolina where the Republican controlled legislature voted to allow in state tuition for illegal alien children. In the primaries the incumbents were thrown out in favor of conservatives who again took a strong stand on illegals. The rebellion continued in Pennsylvania where , blue blood country club Rockefeller Republicans have been defeated in primaries in favor of conservatives which is redefining the Republican Party in Pennsylvania. Arlen Spector needs to take notice. Lynn Swann looks to win the Governorship in PA and his policies are Reagan conservative. Ken Blackwell a conservative is leading in every poll in the Governors race in Ohio. In Utah longtime Republican Congressman Chris Cannon is in a runoff with conservative opponents in the primary because Cannon is for open borders. As the political season continues this conservative rebellion will shape the field for the 2006 election with conservative Republican candidates and the wake up call to the Congress is loud and clear.
Democrats have a misconception concerning the recent low polling for the Congress and the President. The low figures result from disappointment in the inaction in enforcement of securing the borders and the rampant spending in Congress. The belief by the left is that because of this disappointment they are the beneficiaries and will gain majority status in November. The rebellion that is taking place in the Republican Party proves this Democratic notion false. The truth is that though we conservatives do not support much of what is taking place in Washington especially concerning illegal aliens we do not abandon our political principles and our core beliefs at the ballot box. We shake up our own and demand through our vote that they listen or they will be fired as is happening throughout the country in primary after primary. The message to the Congressional Republicans - wake up and return to the conservative values that placed you in office or you will be next. There is an entire generation of Reagan Republicans who are now running for office at the state and federal levels. These conservatives believe as I do and as Ronald Reagan did in smaller government, less taxation with fiscal responsibility and a strong military. They believe that the people not the Congress know what is best for this country and that elected officials are responsible to those of us who put them in office. This rebellion within the Republican Party as it continues will return conservatism to Congress and retain the majority status in both Houses and at the state level with Reagan conservatism once again the result!
Ken Taylor
As we are beginning the primary season a trend is starting that will be a wake up call to the Republican Party and it is coming from the conservative base. It began in Herndon, Virginia. The incumbent Republicans opened up a day labor center for illegal aliens. This move by the incumbents angered the electorate to the extent that when the primary took place every incumbent was defeated and replaced by a conservative who took a strong stand on illegals. It happened again in North Carolina where the Republican controlled legislature voted to allow in state tuition for illegal alien children. In the primaries the incumbents were thrown out in favor of conservatives who again took a strong stand on illegals. The rebellion continued in Pennsylvania where , blue blood country club Rockefeller Republicans have been defeated in primaries in favor of conservatives which is redefining the Republican Party in Pennsylvania. Arlen Spector needs to take notice. Lynn Swann looks to win the Governorship in PA and his policies are Reagan conservative. Ken Blackwell a conservative is leading in every poll in the Governors race in Ohio. In Utah longtime Republican Congressman Chris Cannon is in a runoff with conservative opponents in the primary because Cannon is for open borders. As the political season continues this conservative rebellion will shape the field for the 2006 election with conservative Republican candidates and the wake up call to the Congress is loud and clear.
Democrats have a misconception concerning the recent low polling for the Congress and the President. The low figures result from disappointment in the inaction in enforcement of securing the borders and the rampant spending in Congress. The belief by the left is that because of this disappointment they are the beneficiaries and will gain majority status in November. The rebellion that is taking place in the Republican Party proves this Democratic notion false. The truth is that though we conservatives do not support much of what is taking place in Washington especially concerning illegal aliens we do not abandon our political principles and our core beliefs at the ballot box. We shake up our own and demand through our vote that they listen or they will be fired as is happening throughout the country in primary after primary. The message to the Congressional Republicans - wake up and return to the conservative values that placed you in office or you will be next. There is an entire generation of Reagan Republicans who are now running for office at the state and federal levels. These conservatives believe as I do and as Ronald Reagan did in smaller government, less taxation with fiscal responsibility and a strong military. They believe that the people not the Congress know what is best for this country and that elected officials are responsible to those of us who put them in office. This rebellion within the Republican Party as it continues will return conservatism to Congress and retain the majority status in both Houses and at the state level with Reagan conservatism once again the result!
Ken Taylor
posted by The Liberal Lie The Conservative Truth | 9:29 AM
4 Comments:
No credible Democrats believe that die-hard conservatives are going to vote Democratic. However, that is not necessary to win elections. This country is split with 30 percent die hard Republicans, 30 percent die hard Democrats and then another 15 percent Republican and 15 percent Democrat. The remaining 10 percent is really up for grabs. Turnout and convincing the independents is critical.
When either party's core supporters are ambivalent to their candidates they do not turn out and that impacts elections. In this election cycle independents are leaning Democratic and Republicans are less likely to turn out.
Ken, I don't know what polls are you are looking at but Swann is running 22 points behind Rendell in the latest Quinnipiac University poll and Blackwell is 16 points behind Strickland in Ohio. It is still early, but unless things change dramatically they are going to lose badly.
I agree with your premise that today's Republican Party is no longer conservative and is in need of soul searching. Richard Viguerie (helped Reagan and Bush get elected) wrote an interesting piece in the Washington Post today calling for conservatives to develop a third party movement and to stop supporting the Republican Party.
The only problem I see with a third party solution is the Ross Perot factor. Perot split the party and caused two elections going to Clinton with below a 50% margin. Another example was the split that Teddy Roosevelt caused when he started a third party because he reteurned from his post Presidential African Safari to find that Taft, his chosen replacement was not following the programs that Roosevelt had left behind. He started a third party and caused and split came in second behind Woodrow Wilson. Third party attempts end in failure unless the voters can be convinced that that party is absolutly viable. With the disgust in both parties right now there is a possibility that a third party could take from both the GOP and the Dems and create a majority in an election. The ground work would take more time than is available for November but could by 2008. This third party could pull conservative voters from both parties to create a majority. The possibility is there but the likelyhood is slim.
Ken
The system is clearly rigged against the quick development of a viable third party. However, I do think that the serious fractures within both parties are creating the opportunity for one or even two additional parties to take hold.
We'll have to see.
Hey what a great site keep up the work its excellent.
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