"True" Republicans

[Mr. Right-of-Center]

The right wing of the Republican party, which can loosely be defined as everyone to the right of John McCain, has gotten much too self-absorbed with its own emotionalism and dogmatic view of who belongs in a major American political party.

The reaction to losing major political power in 2 major election cycles has been nothing short of a dramatic attempt to push out anyone who thinks that TV and radio entertainers comprise the singular wisdom of conservative political thought.
(When was the last time you developed a deep understanding of issues effecting your life while listening to AM radio in your car?...and if that has been your experience, please don't try to make the case that you are a profound thinker on anything of great merit...)

If a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican party is what the ultra-conservatives clamor for, I, for one, will tell all of them directly that they can bring all their fanaticism and self-righteousness to bear, but they cannot claim to be the sole heirs to responsible conservative political thought.

This idea of "exclusivity" and "litmus tests" in an American political party is fine for The American Communist Party or the Ku Klux Klan, but for a mainstream, governing American political party it is complete and utter hog wash.

If you are a "true Republican" you want the number of Republican voters to increase.(Note to Stonewall - this is neither a contradiction nor a "litmus test"...)

If you are a "true Republican" you believe that building or rebuilding the party involves adding to the voter roles of Republicans and not throwing anyone "out of the party" for purely ideological reasons.(Note to Stonewall - this is neither a contradiction nor a "litmus test"...)

If you are a "true Republican" you try with all your effort to honor Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment: Speak no ill of other Republicans (or, at the very least, speak of your differences respectfully...if at all possible).(Note to Stonewall - this is neither a contradiction nor a "litmus test"...)

If you are a "true Republican" you do not exagerate the difference between Republicans who are "Eastern" or "Western" or "California style" or "establishment" Republicans, you are willing to work with ALL people who want to vote with and call themselves Republicans.(Note to Stonewall - this is neither a contradiction nor a "litmus test"...in fact it is the complete opposite of a "litmus test"...although I admit that is a pretty advanced distinction at your reading level...)

And finally, if you have the sheer egomania to believe you are a better Republican than any other Republican, then I personally think you may be a "true Republican" by voter preference, but you are a bad Republican when it comes to building or rebuilding a vibrant, inclusive, vote getting and hopefully soon governing Republican party.(Note to Stonewall - this is neither a contradiction nor a "litmus test"...although it is yet one more example of your stunning rapier wit to completely miss the point).

There is no "holier than thou" wing of a "true" Republican party. (Note to Stonewall - this is neither a contradiction nor a "litmus test"...but it is where the idea that religiousity and politics are different things is first introduced...you acted like a clueless "deer caught in the headlights" in your posts wondering where these references came from)...there are only Republicans of whatever degree and level of commitment who want the party to win more elections, reach out to the majority of Americans seeking a better life for themselves, their families and their communities, and who believe that the freedom of speech and the freedom to think independently are not only central features of American government, but also essential cornerstones of the Republican party.(Note to Stonewall - this is neither a contradiction nor a "litmus test"...it is where the ideas of freedom of speech and thought are brought together with Republicanism).

POSTSCRIPT: (That means something that comes after the main body of a writing) and specifically for people reading this post with somewhere near the literacy and intelligence of STONEAGE or Stonehenge or whatever up to date or even moderately informed political thinker he is pretending to be - something written in parentheses (that means these kinds of punctuation marks (") - that the word is not to be taken as literally the dictionary meaning of the word, but usually its opposite. TO BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR FOR THOSE READERS WHO HAVE MISPLACED THEIR BRAINS OR WERE NEVER BORN WITH ONE: the main idea is that there are no "pure" or "true" Republicans, only people who vote Republican. You are not a better conservative nor a better Republican because your sympathies are more right wing than not. You don't get a great big star next to your name, you don't get to waive the flag any more proudly and your opinions are not any more correct because you think John McCain is not sufficiently Republican enough to your liking.

Now after the ultra-right wingers get finished running everyone else out of the party, you will still have to deal with intelligent, articulate moderates who are going to tell you that you do not have a lock on conservative ideas, patriotism, morality or the electoral allegiance of most Americans.

After all this explanation, I should let you know that I am tired of getting personal e-mails from Republicans on this site who are leaving this site and the party because of the ridicule and scorn ultra-conservatives are heaping on anyone who does not agree with them. You guys can sure dish out the criticism and the slurs, but you can't take them. But no matter how butt ignorant you may be, you will not diminish the power of intelligent conservative ideals...you just can't quite make them out if they are written by anyone with greater integrity and education than a TV or radio "personality"...or perhaps their skillful speechwriters of even "ghost writers"...

[Whitehorse (Robin Ray)]

Jobs is as much or more a conservative position as it is a centrist one. Getting government out of the way of businesses creating jobs is a conservative principle. It goes to show that "centrism" & "conservatism" aren't far apart. We can see this if we will look with open eyes, minds & hearts.

[Evelio Perez]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2009/11/09/yellin.mitt.romney.cnn

[Whitehorse (Robin Ray)]

Good posts. I believe that what I put forth as the conservative Republican values & principles are mainstream & will attract "middle" & swing voters - they want someone who appears to know what he or she believes & has a plan. Our candidates will need to lead with solutions & plans for the major issues - economy & national security.

[Jim Rock]

above ROC ::But engaging them politely and suggesting that if they don't like the current administration or the direction the country is heading (I don't know too many people who like 10.2% unemployment), the best way to change the situation is voting the Obama administration out of office in 2012 and putting more opposition members into Congress in 2010.

definitly yes, but we are again facing the 3rd party attack from the Left which gave us clinton , obama,dem Majority in this congress. cant say to leave them be because only take two or three percent to make the difference. We came close to losing a gov seat because of it and if this mindset continues into mid term we facing a chance of losing it all.

this Mr crimpmystyle isnt conservative enough cause he voted for green apples in 1967 has got to stop being encouraged. today I read headhunting where "folks that support the TARP" are a target. My God, thats everyone. Or the Stimulous, this is one vote mindset but if the Left keeps pushing hard enough that 3% may come to be

[Mr. Right-of-Center]

Evelio Perez writes -

"yelling and insulting is never going to gain voters"

We agree completely once again.

The really sad part to me is that there really are excellent conservative arguments and positions that can be made, and even made so that a wide range of Americans will understand them.

The problem is that there are people who are making money from ratings on TV and radio, or triangulating how to whip up emotions so they can have more influence or power and not advancing what I believe are common sense conservative ideas that, if promoted with some charisma and clarity, will resonate with many, many voters.

That's one reason I am so pleased to have had you direct my attention to someone like Marco Rubio...

[Evelio Perez]

It's common sense Mr.R.O.C. that a united republican party is the only way to defeat Obama and the Socialists and that is why we need to " respectfully " show the middle dwellers that the conservative message is the right one, yelling and insulting is never going to gain voters.

[Mr. Right-of-Center]

Jim Rock -

I don't know how we can stop something like that, if they are not soliciting registrations under false pretense.

But engaging them politely and suggesting that if they don't like the current administration or the direction the country is heading (I don't know too many people who like 10.2% unemployment), the best way to change the situation is voting the Obama administration out of office in 2012 and putting more opposition members into Congress in 2010.

If they are not sensible enough to see that the Republican party is the only organization with any real chance of doing that, I would leave those people alone...

[Jim Rock]

saw a tad on registration, I know of a group using the tea Party as cover doing a registration drive, encouraging folks to register no party (any group that does not have a caucus or electorals I call no party, theres probably a top 50-communist, constitutionalist, socialist, libertarian ect)--------------these are the same groups that are Anti GOP a are vote 3rd party democrats. We need to stop them

[Jim Rock]

this is cool, there is no box that a conservative has to fit in, say we split the seats and we have 50 reps in Senate. Now we takes these tunnel vision ideas of conservatism and apply them to all 50. guess what, no one would qualify! We have just eliminated each and every one of those 50 because the rules are beyond reason.

[Tomb]

Uuuuh....you might wanna vice versa Iran and North Korea.