How to get me back
Many years back I voted for Reagan and Bush 1. This year I spent election day making phone calls to get out the vote for Obama. The Republicans have lost me as a voter until they make major changes to the party, so here's my take
1) Can the negativity. As a PA voter, I got tons of mail tell... more
Many years back I voted for Reagan and Bush 1. This year I spent election day making phone calls to get out the vote for Obama. The Republicans have lost me as a voter until they make major changes to the party, so here's my take
1) Can the negativity. As a PA voter, I got tons of mail telling me to vote for Barack Obama- he'll lower my taxes, he'll help uninsured people, he'll bring me a moon full of green cheese. I got tons of mail telling me not to vote for Obama because he was a secret Muslim socialist terrorist. I'm not really sure who the other guy in the election was- I never heard anything about him or his policies.
Folks, the divide and conquer, get out the base and fearmonger your way to 50.1% of the vote method is *dead*. It should have died after the vile attacks on Senator McCain's family in the 2000 SC primary, but for some odd reason McCain decided to pal around with the same guys who slandered his adopted daughter. I have two adopted kids who look a lot like Bridget- why would I *ever* vote for a candidate from a party that would do that?
Obama offered something positive. You might not like what he offered, but at least he put it out there. McCain ran on nothing but “Don’t vote for the scary guy”
2) Run on ideas, not personalities. I hear lots of talk about Palin in 2012, Jindal in 2012, yet nowhere do I hear a discussion of what they believe in. The Republican party used to be a party of ideas. There’s a great heritage of conservative thought from the early days of Buckley and Goldwater. What happened? We’ve let Bush pervert the idea of conservatism to the point where a guy who runs up a huge federal deficit, creates badly designed massive federal programs like the Medicare drug benefit and who follows a highly interventionist foreign policy is considered a conservative. Hunh? If I want an enormous federal government I’ll vote Democratic- at least they have a clue how to run it.
3) Ignore Rush Limbaugh, Hannity and the theocrats when it comes to those ideas. Running on “We hate gays, we hate abortions, we hate sex ed, we hate stem cell research, we hate evolution, we hate educated elitists” ticket sounds great when you look at turning out the ~30% of the electorate that’s firmly in the Dark Ages, but the rest of the world has moved on, including most of the young voters. Yes, I know abortion is the hot button item- but maybe we could spend a bit of that energy coming up with sane policies to reduce teen pregnancy, to encourage adoption and to help young mothers? Hint- the rest of the first world does this, and they have lower abortion rates than we do.
Drop the gay thing entirely. This is a long term massive loser- young voters simply don’t care about this, and in 20-30 years you’re going to look like the folks who argued for Virginia in Loving v. Virginia.
4) Start working slowly and quietly, but *now*. When the democrats put up stuff you don’t like, don’t scream and yell “Socialist!”. Instead, offer a *coherent*, intelligent counterproposal. Work to remove the worst chunks of the legislation, and take credit for killing the ugly pork and overreaches. Do *not* filibuster everything- all this will do is give the Democrats 61 senate seats in 2010.
I’ve got more, but this is too long already, so we can start there.
1) Can the negativity. As a PA voter, I got tons of mail telling me to vote for Barack Obama- he'll lower my taxes, he'll help uninsured people, he'll bring me a moon full of green cheese. I got tons of mail telling me not to vote for Obama because he was a secret Muslim terrorist. I'm not really sure who the other guy in the election was- I never heard anything about him or his policies.
Folks, the divide and conquer, get out the base and fearmonger your way to 50.1% of the vote method is *dead*. It should have died after the vile attacks on Senator McCain's family in the 2000 SC primary, but for some odd reason McCain decided to pal around with the same guys who slandered his adopted daughter. I have two adopted kids
FreedomsTruth
The rabid attacks of this poster are a clear example of what is wrong with the party. "
NO, it is what is wrong with the poster. They admit they voted for Obama, admitting in the process that they fell for Obama's "I will cut your taxes" LIE. Obama will spend $16 TRILLION in the next four year. MY OWN CHILDREN WILL PAY FOR OBAMA'S BANKRUPTING OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
... AND A MORON WHO FELL FOR OBAMA'S LIES HAS THE ANSWER FOR WHAT AILS THE GOP?
I'm sorry, b... more
The rabid attacks of this poster are a clear example of what is wrong with the party. "
NO, it is what is wrong with the poster. They admit they voted for Obama, admitting in the process that they fell for Obama's "I will cut your taxes" LIE. Obama will spend $16 TRILLION in the next four year. MY OWN CHILDREN WILL PAY FOR OBAMA'S BANKRUPTING OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
... AND A MORON WHO FELL FOR OBAMA'S LIES HAS THE ANSWER FOR WHAT AILS THE GOP?
I'm sorry, but if you are an Obama voter you are either (1) a liberal (2) a welfare-case moocher or (3) a moron who fell for Obama's lies. Why would we take advice from the above categories?
"Obama offered something positive. " baloney - the campaign by the Democrats for 4 years running was to blame Bush for everything, now Obama is in office he STILL is doing now, engaging in negativity and bashing of our own country even while overseas! It's ghastly and mindboggling that Obama would in international forums *blame America first*, but that's a thing that liberals love to do.
If you bash Rush as "anti-this anti-that" you are just spouting the liberal MSM spin on him and not basing it on actual experience. Rush is anything BUT a theocrat, actually an anti-theocrat standing up to the Church of Liberalism. Like this "the party of theocrats, oligarchs, and fascists." - another lie. Wher does the lie come from? The liberal MSM has fed viewers/consumers a steady diet of bias on a daily basis, turning them into drones of liberal bias.
As for telling people NOT to call things "socialist" - it's very simple ... if the shoe fits, wear it. nationalizing banks, regulating power companies out of existence, the largest increases in spending in our history, higher taxes than ever, more Govt control over our lives than ever. Ending 1st amendment freedoms with Fairness Doctrine, etc. If you are not angry and outraged over Obama's attacks on our liberty and prosperity, then you are not paying attention!!
gaol oriented
oh no, a mistake! I hope I don't lose face with anyone over this!
gaol oriented
Oh cool! Isn't that nice onlyforward, gocatholic has deigned to read and comment on your suggestions and make a little comment! Let's see what she wrote... hmm, nevermind.
gocatholic
Some good ideas here. Some really bad ones, too. Moving on.......
gaol oriented
blah blah blah, a bunch of words about stuff that no one will read. the best ideas are simple: BETTER DEAD THAN RED, ROLLING BACK COMMUNISM, GOVERNMENT OFF OUR BACKS, PROTECT TRADITIONAL MARRIAGES, DRIVE-BY MEDIA. Much better than all this "this is what I think..." namby-pamby nonsense. You sound sort of like a liberal....because you ARE! GET OFF ARE SITE!
evolutionviii
Well, thanks to people like you we now have to endure the worlds largest spender ($18.7 billion per day). I have to work my butt off to pay taxes on BS, as does my son when he is old enough to work, and his children, and their children, and their children, and their children. That is just in the first 68 days. We are losing our financial freedoms one day at a time, all under the guise of hope.
janish64
The rabid attacks of this poster are a clear example of what is wrong with the party. The "my way or the highway" - oh and that includes your religious beliefs....THAT is what is running off the intellectual conservatives.
janish64
In what way has Limbaugh promoted the ideas: “We hate gays, we hate abortions, we hate sex ed, we hate stem cell research, we hate evolution, we hate educated elitists” ??????
Limbaugh is doing a good job highlighting the growing trend of socialism in DC. I disagree somewhat about not crying "socialist": It DOES need to be pointed out, but with qualifying explanations.
Aaron
Run on ideas not personalities? Please tell me you stayed home (or voted 3rd party) last year. Obama has no ideas; if you've ever heard him speak, you know that already. Jindal: just the opposite.
Chess1957
I am picking apart your theory. You got mailings for Obama, in PA that means you are a registered Democrat. Mailings go to registered party voters. So either you are taking someones mail or you are a registered Democrat that wants to whine and start trouble. Never heard anything about "other guy policies,"you were to busy reading other peoples Democrat mailers.
Chess1957
You got ads that were name calling Obama. If you did, you need to check your info and where it is coming from before you blame the party. If it was not approved by the party, it is under freedom of speech act. The RNC does not allow for slander to be used in advertising. And you campaigned for a man who refuses to explain himself on facts and his own words. I just wanted accountability from him
Chess1957
Republican no, RHINO yes. He was not the best candidate. He was back door chosen and then to make it look like a viable race Palin pumped a new energy into the campaign. Negative ads had nothing to do with it. Since it was up to McCain we sat on our hands and handed the election to the Democrats. Hope that this election wakes up the True conservatives again.
Fla.Conservative
You are not, never have been, nor never will be a Republican. You have no understanding of your positions and no sense of direction. Go back where you belong, wherever that is. You are very confused, politically at least.
cotodd
Kerry's dirty campaigning on 04 did not give McCain the reason to sling mud in 08. We see the result both times. McCain had wonderful ideas in the primary, and he stopped advertising his ideas in favor of bashing Obama. Hannity and Rush don't help our cause either. Those fools make me ashamed to admit I'm a republican. WHEN DID WE BECOME THE PARTY OF HATE?
coldcomfortfarm
Let's rebuild the party by taking back the schools. Obviously the liberal tones on this forum are the result of indoctrination - let's not let it happen to our children.
JustinVe
How did you go from Reagan to Obama?
P2K
I think your whole "lets become the Moderate Party" is exactly what we don't need. If it weren't for Sarah Palin, McCain would have been buried alot worse because he is so moderate. If you take the 'ethics" out of the GOP, then we are no better then the Dems. If you ride the fence, prepare to take it from both sides.
LisaLV
Excellent piece. This will be a good start for the party. Those that aren't intimidated by intellect, I'm sure will agree with you.
wombat
See Mr. NewHampshire? This is what we're talking about. I'm an independent who voted for Obama. Why am I here? It's not because I want to sabotage you. I'm not and never will be a democrat. I do want to see the Republican party rebuild itself into a proper force for the future so that we don't have a single party running everything. Your unhelpful screed is what got you to this point.
NewHampshire
Flag this post! Obama voters do not belong here. Obama made promises he could not keep. McCain did talk about ideas, but you had your head so stuck in the media who carried water for Obama, you did not hear them. You were fooled, you are a fool.