And they’re doing a great job of it. When? When? When? When? When? Is the GOP going to come up with a media strategy so that the MSM doesn’t define us to the public??????

When?

I was almost one of the guilty ones you talk about in this post. I read the title, but instead of stopping there, I read the article. After reading so, I agree with Bush. Let’s stick to what we believe as conservatives and work hard to push that winning message in upcoming elections.

To those who are rooted to conservatism by Reagan and would like to continue your adulation while living in the present I would suggest you emulate Reagan between 76 to 80. Which if you look at it is a lot like what Jeb Bush is doing, along with the rest of NCNA.

About Jeb Bush, you’re absolutely right. We shouldn’t throw him under the bus because of his name (but if he or anyone else thinks he could EVER get elected POTUS after what his brother has allowed to happen to their family name, they can forget it!) He’s correct in asserting that we need to have a positive agenda on current and future issues, not rehashing the issues of the ’70’s.

However, (big however here!), I believe there is a hushed campaign afoot to effectively exorcise the current GOP from RWR. This has all the marks of a David Axelcrook astroturfing campaign. Nothing terribly overt, but little digs here and there about how the GOP needs to “update its message”. The more of these little references get slipped into media stories, the more inclined Repubs (like Jeb) are inclined to repeat them. The left knows that if they can sever the cord between Republicans and Reagan, as well as between Republicans and any candidate who appears to have the ability to connect with conservatives the way Reagan did (a la Sarah Palin), they can leave the GOP adrift with no anchor to the past, and no propulsion system to go forward to the future. WE CANNOT PLAY INTO THEIR HANDS!!

So we must NEVER be afraid to invoke Reagan’s name, even when proposing solutions to CURRENT issues. As you said, the principles are the same, only the problems and solutions are different. Likewise, whether you are a Palinbot or not (full disclosure, I AM one), you MUST come to her defense when she is under attack by the media or even fellow Repubs who are playing to the Axelcrook playbook.

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Our recent infatuation with Reagan, Goldwater, tea parties and our forefathers is a very solacing trip down memory lane. To determine future direction, one must always know the road already traveled. Otherwise one is without compass.

Nonetheless, some of us seemed trapped in the past, unable to discern the rocky, faulty parts of the road from the stable footing which represented pillars of our journeys success.

So those who have forgotten, or are simply trapped in the abyss of reason search for rescue in an intellectual discussion which brings forth, and yields, structure for a new vision.

We search for the genuine, ever conscious that a lack of our own fealty and a destructive betrayal by those we called brother lead to this emptiness which epitomizes our contemporary existence.

No demographic research, political consultant or political party can bring forth the dawn of a new day. It is by harnessing needy voices, understanding dissenters, admitting our mistakes and promoting the resultant vision that we will find the lucid path ahead. It is in that process we will find a new leader and voice that will lead to victory.

Jeb Bush is not only correct in his honestly represented statements, but has a history of proving his commitment through sapient, tangible action. Those who are trying to distort or otherwise emotionally disagree without basis have revealed themselves either as intemperate, irrational, unreasonable or unprepared for truth and honest dialogue.

Remember and metaphorically relate this quite from Sun Tzu;
“Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive. “

None of the people on the panels is the voice. Sarah Palin may be the voice. I don’t know.

But we need the voice. The conservative message makes the heart sing with patriotism, enthusiasm, optimism and an empowering “can-do spirit” when delivered in the right voice.

We don’t need commitees, we need the voice.

None of the people on the panels is the voice. Sarah Palin may be the voice. I don’t know.

But we need the voice. The conservative message makes the heart sing with patriotism, enthusiasm, optimism and an empowering “can-do spirit” when delivered in the right voice.

We don’t need commitees, we need the voice.

I was privileged to see Jeb as he started out as Governor of Florida in a first hand way. He is smart, capable and worthy of our attention.

Could he have said this a little better? Sure. But let’s stop the rush to judgement about this and save our energy for the real threats to liberty and to this country.

I have my qualms about the NCNA; I think we need to replace ‘new’ with something else; like others I think there was much to be valued in the ‘old’ America…but I understand their motivation to show that Republicans are trying to innovate for the 21st century without becoming Europe.

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it yourself”….we may not fully agree or support this new initiative for a lot of different reasons, but the way to improve it is to engage it, not demean it.

We need to have an open airing of all points of view regarding the future of the party. But I do think Jeb needs to be a bit more mindful of his own public statements. When he tells us “to not be nostalgic about the past because, you know, things do ebb and flow” many Republicans will interpret that as an attack on Reagan. Personally, I have no problem with nostalgia for the Reagan era because I believe that Reagan’s principles are timeless. Furthermore, the Democrats don’t seem to be too concerned over nostalgic sentiments within their own ranks and it doesn’t seem to be hurting them. And some of the stuff they come up with is just plain silly. How many times have we heard about a “New New Deal” or Democrats comparing Obama to Lincoln? Talk about ebb and flow…the economic situation today is much more similar to the 1980 recession than the Great Depression. And frankly, I find it ridiculous and offensive that the Democrats–the founders of the Ku Klux Klan–are now trying to co-opt the legacy of the Great Emancipator.

with their tired old “conversations” when the reality should be quite simple SMALL GOVERNMENT….there doesn’t new to be a “new” America there need only be a return to the founders intent which is that the States control those issue’s which the government NEVER had given to them but have managed to wrest control away from and have burdened the country with ever since.

It is this idea that somehow if they just talk about schools or healthcare or taxes in a less strict sense that we will gather some from the left which is just untenable. The left is quite giddy with where they are it is the RIGHT that is NOT and it is the RIGHT that gets smacked down time again with the old tired canard of WE don’t want a “big tent” which WE know is code for bigot!

Whoever has his enemy at his mercy &
does not destroy him is his own enemy

a conservative allows the anti-conservative media to define the GOP. For example, Erik states: “Most people these days think it was Republicans who caused the current economic crisis and Republicans who dismantled Reagan’s vision of government in favor of out of control government.” Allowing the media to grab the headline is the point. I’m tired of Bushes turning the other cheek all the time.

may not have been very clear so let me be: This country is more in need of another Reagan than it has ever been. If you agree, then any talk of walking away from Reagan is counterproductive.

The whole thing started when a young man asked the panel what the Republicans have to offer young people who want to go to college.

First Jeb spoke about how the State of Fl had a wonderful program of awarding scholarship for tuition, and the additional costs are covered with gov’t Pell grants. Mitt spoke, and did a ‘me too’ for MA, and then Jeb said that the gov’t should socially engineer the direction toward more nurses and engineers instead of psychologist.

A second young man spoke to the panel expressing his disagreement with socially engineering the direction toward nurses and engineers because he thought history is important, and he learns more history from Rush Limbaugh than in college history classes.

In this context Jeb Bush is wrong, IMO, because he should have rejected the premise that anybody should expect the government to give them a college degree. He should have told the first guy that there aint no such thing as a free lunch. You allow the government as your sole provider that you depend on for getting stuff, and you give up some liberty in the process.

I just read most of the comments. Seems most agree that looking backwards is counter productive. I suppose the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Jefferson, Adams et al, capitalism, free markets, smaller government are all “so yesterday.” Going on offense is fine, even necessary, but all offensives should have a rear guard.

Any time he comes up in political discussion people are quickly reminded of the hollow shells that are calling the shots in the GOP.

Better to expunge him from the record so that conservatism can be quickly redefined to left and no one is confused by troublesome comparisons.

(Jeb will remain under my political bus until I see a compelling statement from him to convince me otherwise. Seriously, what possible good did he think would come from “let’s forget about Reagan”. Why even bring it up, there is SOOOOO much that could be discussed, but noooo, he had to valid the MSM meme of Reagan is a drag on the party.)

He just shouldn’t have made the Reagan remark at all and we would be focusing on his call for new forward looking ideas and not questioning his loyalty to conservative principles.Reagan should be the proverbial “third rail” here.You can’t expect conservatives who are already suspect of most GOP leaders nowadays not to react to his rather stupid analogy.It seems the only ones invoking Reagan’s name are those urging us to leave him behind.While I agree Jeb has differentiated himself from the other Bushes with a more conservative record-this remark has left a bad taste and an eagerness to look elsewhere for a principled conservative GOP voice.

Pilgrim hit the nail on the head with his assessment,

The problem that has existed in the Republican Party for the last decade is that, like Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, they have desired to use the power of government to push their ideals of social philosophy and have therefor changed the debate from, “Should government be involved in this?” to “What should government be involved in?”.

The problem that many of us have with the NCNA is that it seems like a new spin, by the same old players, on that same line of debate. They are not, and have never been, about sticking to the principles that first made this country great.

The Republican Party was founded on the principle of ensuring personal liberty to every man, regardless of class or race. The Republican Party succeeded in the 20th century when it stood in opposition to encroaching tyranny, in all its forms, and served as a protector of the liberties and freedoms of the American people.

However, the Republican Party failed when it attempted to co-opt the ideals of the Democrats or other statists. They lost power when Hoover attempted to strengthen government to control the economy. They lost power after Nixon’s attempt to centralize power under his administration. They have again lost power as they tried to use the power of a central government to impose their beliefs and social ideals, whether that be by educating children the “right” way or “educating more nurses and engineers”.

If we are to look forward, it is imperative to look back. The roadmap presented by the NCNA seems to be of the kind that has brought disaster upon the Republican Party and upon the nation in general. The establishment stood against Reagan during his rise to prominence, for Reagan’s ideals were a threat to all those who hold power for the sake of power. The NCNA is made up of a current establishment which has already failed us, and stands to lose the power they do have if the Republican Party stands again for liberty and the ideals which made this country great.

We have succeeded, and the nation as a result, when the Republican Party stood not for its own interests, but stood in defense of the liberties and freedoms that were secured by our forefathers.

in speech after speech said that the policies of the last 30 years have failed, and that he has no intention of resorting to them any longer? I have yet to see a spirited defense of Reagan’s policies when Obama does this in any mass media. In a more perfect world, candidate McCain should could have but failed. McCain was never really a Reagan “foot soldier.”

Today, Jeb demonstrates that he has bought into the liberal/moderate meme that Reagan’s policies are not worth defending. His brother GW only understood the term “offense” in a military sense, never in a “domestic” sense. GW never fully understood Reagan either. There is a very disturbing pattern among the Bush clan.

I turned 25 in 1980 and was a young conservative. But my generation grew up with reverence for WW2 heroes. We played with Plastic Army Tanks and Toy Guns. We all knew who Audie Murphy was. We we thrilled to live in a Super Power nation and thrilled to be Americans.

I know have nephews who are in their late 20s and 30s They all voted for Obama. They do not remember Reagan or Carter. They were taught in College that Reagan destroyed the middle class and created massive debt. They remember Bill Clinton and Bush 43. You cannot win these voters by using Reagans name every 3rd sentence. You must win them based on issues and common sense, Even if they are issues that Reagan Embraced.

We don’t need to update the massage because the majority agrees with the message. We need to start living the massage.

I’ll assert with my dying breath that the principles of Reagan are as relevant today if not more so than they were in 1980….the message still resonates…people just don’t believe the GOP means what they say because our leadership has given the people every reason to believe we’re lying when we say our party is for smaller government, less spending, lower taxes across the board not just for the rich, life, liberty, and fiscal responsibility!

There was nothing wrong with Coke when new Coke came out and people hated the new product being sold as a popular brand…The Reagan Conservative brand isn’t the problem…it’s the overly sweetened contents of the bottle that is killing us!

The “Big Tent” analogy isn’t the correct one…the correct one is a MAGNET…we need to be a MAGNET that draws these independents in who are sick and tired of what’s going on in Washington—Fred Thompson

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Marco 2010 Toomey US Senate SarahPAC

It’s that their instincts are to be conciliatory and negotiate away what should be first principles - to bring a tin of cookies to a gun fight. Nice will get you a prime plot six feet under. To many of our nice guys have already been slabbed. We don’t need any more pacifist leaders.

And these instincts are too deeply rooted, which means that no matter how sensible a Bush may sound when the immediate pressure is off, when the firefight starts, their self-defeating instincts will kick in.

Which means that we can’ t trust them to lead us into battle, because we can’t afford to lose any more battles when (no if) they go soft under fire.

Is that you have a thousand voices shouting at you with their own pet problem, and things they want government to do or not to do. When you have that many voices in a room the only words you recognize are the ones you already know.

All this listening tour will be is a validation tool for whatever the Jebs, Romneys and Cantors already want to do. It will be a rudderless hodgepodge of policies devoid of any overarching principles.

We do need to update our message to reflect the issues of the day. But the same Truths Reagan spoke in 1980 are true today. Government isn’t the solution to our problems - Government - especially the leviathan Federal Government - is the problem.

And the last 20 years of the GOP is part of that problem.

http://www.redstate.com/gamecock/2009/05/04/bushes-listened-learned-and-led-to-tax-hikes-higher-spe/

With the Bush family the following applies: Fool me once shame on you; fool me twice shame on me.

Sorry to disagree, But Jeb Bush was only half right. He did talk about conservative values (which got buried), but there is no reason to tell people to avoid “nostalgia” looking back at Reagan. Obama supporters constantly talked about how he was like FDR in the campaign, but they still talked about the future. There’s no reason to throw Jeb under the bus, but there’s no reason to throw Reagan under the bus either.

Bush’s words in the Wash Times connected with some hidden reserve of anger I have buried deep under my usually calm exterior… the result was this blog… enjoy…

http://publius772000.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/is-ronald-reagan-destroying-the-republican-party/

Rush made clear today that Jeb Bush didn’t name or target Reagan. He played clips of Bush speaking which hurt the GOP and elevated Obama, the same words that appeared in the press. Like other Beltway elites, he views us the voters as the dumb impediment.. Jeb Bush should be off the stage as he is pro Amnesty for Illegals and is scornful of those who aren’t ‘up to date’ in that regard (I’ve read this). .Second, he characterizes what we have now as ‘nothing.’ This is insulting and very harmful to us–the media will love it. It is also part of a smokescreen the has-beens are using to get what they really want. As Rush said today, these people (generalizing about those who fill the media with comments about modernizing the GOP) are consumed by 3 things: they despise pro-life people, they despise people against illegal immigration, and they despise Sarah Palin.

We need to be at those meetings and see if they can work Liberty into their proposals.

Their first and every response to any question is to compare what the government could do to how government action will impair Liberty.

People of all stripes are interested in Liberty, even liberals. Yes, they are only interested in Liberty for themselves, not for any of us, but we have to point out to them that government policies will impact their Liberty as well.

group of wanna be Republican leaders. Reagan stood up for the principles that he believed in. He didn’t take a poll to see where he should be on an issue. When he wanted to tell the people what needed to be done, he communicated directly with them. He knew the MSM was against him so he went around them.
The leaders of the GOP spend more time trying to gain favor with the MSM than in trying to advance true conservative ideals. In their quest to be liked by the left, all too often they have proven themselves willing to compromise their beliefs.
When we let the MSM and the Left ( the same really) set the agenda we are not able to get the message out. They control what the American people hear. Our message gets twisted and people reject us as being out of touch and extremists.
Our current leadership is like an exclusive club. Anyone who does things differently is pushed to the side. Gov. Palin has shown the willingness to stand up to the MSM and has been targeted for destruction by them. The leadership seems to not be concerned about this since it will help them if she is out of the way. The MSM tries to wound a conservative and the party will eagerly eat them.
Remember, the MSM and the Left are the ones who are constantly saying that conservatism is dead or it needs to be redefined.
IF CONSERVATISM WERE REALLY DEAD OR HOPELESSLY OUT OF TOUCH, WHY ARE THEY TRYING SO HARD TO CHANGE IT?

ARE THEY WORRIED?
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An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, a power to destroy; because there is a limit beyond which no institution and no property can bear taxation.

-John Marshall, McCullough v. Maryland, 1819

Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.

-Winston Churchill