what I am saying and 40% of us are saying WE are the GOP for goodness sakes that WE are Conservatives first and Republicans SECOND! It is a civil war for the very life of the GOP. WE are DIFFERENT and WE are NOT Dem-lite! Moderates LOSE Conservatives WIN!!!!

Thanks for being on my side of the divide Erick

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

We must expunge the RINOS from the Rep Party, the sooner the better. If not, by 2012 there will be a third, conservative, party ensuring the transformation of America into a de facto Banana Rpublic.

Erick you would spend my money better than anyone I’ve seen in both Primaries and Generals.

They pandered to conservatives and libertarians whenever they needed to because they knew they had to have our votes. But they never really were serious about stopping runaway government.

But Obama has changed all of that. Now you MUST either be for big government or against it. As the Leviathan grows and chokes off all commerce, there is now no place to hide if you are in the wishy washy middle. You are revealed to be either for America or against her.

It is like the passage in the Bible. God is winnowing the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares. The Rino’s searched for a place to hide but none was found.

Your analysis is right on target and your principles are sound. I believe a modified method is needed, however. In sales I learned that a debate has a winner and a loser, and that if you win the debate you lose the sale. We need to be selling the conservative position.

A couple of issues won’t sell to the mainstream. Abortion is a legal fact that can’t be changed unless and until the nations moral compass is changed. It is losing elections for conservatives. Get it off the table until the social/moral message can become much more dominant than it is.

Gay marriage is an issue that can be neutralized by taking a position of granting “committed couples” a civil union that offers inheritance, hospital access, etc., without calling it marriage. That won’t satisfy the hard core, but it will take the steam out of their campaigns. Most gays don’t care for the public fight.

Finally, construct messaging that sells the benefits of the conservative principles to the uncommitted middle. Don’t continually bash the Democrats. Instead, sell the benefits of conservatism, and the Democrats can easily be seen to be bad for the country. Instead of “The Democrats are doing ____ and it’s bad”, offer “The country should be doing ____”. Remember, everyone who is not an activist views issues while tuned to radio station WII-FM (What’s In It For Me). I believe it will change our politics and our position nationally.

Also in favor of a RedStatePAC!

I’m sharing this with my ~ 400 FB peeps who are 95% very conservative and asking that they share it as well. This is a critical juncture for our party and there will never be a more opportune time for us to rebuild this party with conservative principles. At the very least, we have a bunch of Marxists and socialists in the WH and Congress to thank for getting us ALL outraged and off our butts and determined to take our country and our party back. The time for rebuilding the Republican Party is NOW.

I have not written a diary on this, but last Saturday I attended a local meetup with Maurice Hinchey’s conservative challenger in 2010, George Phillips. I ask RedStaters to all support George against the Marxist representative of my NY-22 district, Hinchey, who presents himself as pro-military and is ANYTHING but. Hinchey is pro-Deathcare, pro-Cap&Tax, pro-Fairness Doctrine, anti-business, anti-liberty and just plain anti-American!

I will likely be a Precinct Captain for Phillips (as no one else from my precinct - I believe there are ~103 precincts in NY-22 - showed up) and definitely an active volunteer. Phillips is conservative, and there is no moderate challenger, but this is still a golden opportunity to get a far-left Democrat out of an entrenched seat in a purple district.

We have to get Dems and RINOs out and we have to re-establish conservative principles in our party. The Tea Party movement, Palin and other key factors will help with this. I refuse to cede this party to the likes of Crist, Fiorina, Powell, McCain, and especially the Brooks-Frum-Noonan beltway-think LOSERS in the Drive-Bys who think they know what is best for us. ENOUGH.

Erick, I choose to run as a Republican because it is the political party that, in principle if not in practice, best aligns with my conservative views. I have always tried to teach my moderate and liberal friends that conservatives are not necessarily Republicans and vice versa. They keep trying to equate the two, probably with ill intent. I think a “civil war” is healthy, and I think the party needs to be taken back by its grass-roots members - lead from the bottom up. Thanks for your stance.

When the liberal so-called grass roots groups (grass roots = receives millions from George Soros) skipped all the more established Washington insider candidates in favor of the person who was farthest out of the mainstream, the press hailed it to the point of leg-tingling.

When the conservative true grass roots groups do something approaching that, the press says it’s proof that the end of the movement and the party are at hand.

I am sick and tired of these Democrat Lite squish candidates who have no spine.

100% behind you and sensing some hope for the future.

That Rasmussen survey that came out this week showing that Unaffiliated (or Independent) voters chose a hypothetical “Tea Party” candidate over either a Dem or a GOP candidate shows that the majority of the country is conservative–and conservatives are not just a minor “extreme” wing of the Republican party that should move quietly to the back of the bus and know our place.

For 2010 and 2012…let’s roll.

The conservative rallying cry to the GOP is quite simple. “We Win, You Lose” (The Great Ronald Reagan)

Conservatism is on the rise and will continue to do so. The NRSC, RNC, NRCC, and the Republican Party of Florida is wasting their mailings on me until they LISTEN! I will maintain these memberships with a once annual contribution until these organizations become “THE PEOPLE”.

We are “THE PEOPLE”, YOU REPRESENT US AND ARE TO SUPPORT WHO WE SUPPORT. If these organizations ignore us as it appears they are doing now “with blinders on”, I will continue to support the conservative causes individually such as Marco Rubio here in Florida.

To Representative Connie MACK-Please quit ignoring my requests for info on your travels and the rest of the Congress. I want to know how much it costs? You proclaim yourself to be a conservative but endorse Charlie Crist? You proclaim yourself to be a conservative but give your staff hefty bonuses? I submit matters to you regularly and all I ever get is a form letter. You are now married to Rep. Mary BONO, R-CA and have residences in SW Florida, she in CA and the both of you in VA. With your salaries, couldn’t you rent? Not to mention Ms. BONO-MACK VOTED FOR CAP AND TRADE.

The message should be quite simple. Every politician out there needs to realize the following, the GOP in particular:

1. You are not royalty-That’s why all this started
2. You work for the people, not the other way around
3. You are the people’s vehicle, not your own
4. You MUST represent your consensus
5. You should return to your districts frequently and “walk the street”
6. Politics should not be your career calling
7. You are not invincible and you can be defeated within your party
8. You are being watched very carefully
9. The “Silent Majority” has awakened
10. You must account for every penny and be responsible to the “public
trust”

I’m sure there are more, but yes, my dear Republican Party, IT IS TIME TO PUT YOUR MOUTH WHERE OUR MONEY IS AND YOUR SUPPORT LIES!

Thanks for being a strong force for a return to principles that work.

We haven’t been just “asleep”. We’ve been in a COMA.

The LEFT has been tweaking politically correctness (nudging us), for decades. We let this happen.

Conservatives have almost COMPROMISED ourselves into EXTINCTION, in the world of politics… but NOT in the world of living in the home of the FREE.

We don’t need to carry notes or consult a totus, to know what we believe.

AND we are silent, no more.

Right now, it is difficult to see a “way out” of this mess.

But we will do it.

I wouldn’t be here if I thought any differently.

Now Let’s go and kick some a$$!!!!!!!!

…is being quoted frequently these days, but her social and economic views were quite different from many of us who call ourselves conservative. She was an atheist. And, true to her objectivism, thought abortion was a woman’s right. And, economically, she must be rolling in her grave at the current restrictions on capitalism in this country.

Ideas can be debated, but let’s face it - the right is better than the left for a whole host of common sense reasons. We have no use for ‘liberal’ Republicans. They cannot win important elections. People who want ‘liberal’ don’t want ‘liberal lite’ (See: John McCain 2008).

The right to lifers and the holy-rollers are welcome. But the litmus tests should regard taxes (fewer) the size of government (smaller) and most of all, The U.S. Constitution (as written).

with
you.
And I appreciate each time I meet and talk at the RS ‘tavern’:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP2p91dvm6M

Way too many primary voters are anti-establishment right up until the minute they have to pull the lever on election, so the establishment guy wins. Then when the establishment guy does what he has always done, voters get mad become anti-establishment again. It is a maddening cycle.

Yes…we can?

Well said, Erick; I couldn’t agree w/ you more! Now if we could only translate this sentiment to the our party. First step is to get rid of Steele and elect a conservative to head the party. Then we work on Congress and the White House. We have to stand strong against the progressive ground swell and the RINO’s. No more bending! No more political correctness! Let the liberals and RINO’s put their choice of label on us; we must not allow it to effect our resolve. We know who we are, what we believe, and what we are fighting for.

that I never again have to make a choice between a moron and liberal from Chicago, or a moron and liberal from Arizona.

What I will be energized over is a Presidential candidate that will commit to taking apart the unconstitutional federal government. Now THAT’s hope and change!

The goal is an intentionally orchestrated campaign to defeat conservatives in the GOP primaries and thereby have the establishment take full credit for what we all know is going to be a good year for the GOP in 2010.

Have you been told this by GOP insiders? Do you have your own “Deep Throat?”

Do you have a trove of hacked e-mails? Videotape?

“intentionally-orchestrated” = “conspiracy.”

Before I sign up to go to war against the people I need to partner with, in order to toss Pelosi, Waxman, Rangel, Obey, Markey, Conyers, etc… out of power, I’d like to see the evidence.

Contact these donors and ask them to redirect their contributions to other Republican organizations such as the RGA

Top 11 Donors NRSC
Crow Holdings
Perry Homes
Citigroup Inc
Tax Masters
Intellectual Ventures LLC
Amphastar Pharmaceuticals
FedEx Corp
Hbk Capital Management
Hunt Consolidated
Chartwell Partners
Akamai Technologies

Top 11 Donors NSCC
Friends of John Boehner
Crow Holdings
Mike Pence Cmte
Frank Lucas for Congress
Friends of Doc Hastings
Coble for Congress ‘92
Simpson for Congress
Gingrey for Congress
Mike Conaway for Congress
Kay Granger for Congress
Friends of Jeb Hensarling

By the way, John Boehner and Mike Pence? Do they really believe in what the NRCC is pushing or not? Seems to me they do.

With the way things are looking (for now) it is our opportunity to pull the GOP back to its principles.

.

At my local GOP meeting. As a precinct committeeman. Where I can vote for the leadership. And vote to endorse candidates. And influence some of the moderates to maybe start “thinking conservative.” And help get out the vote and educate the voters in my precinct. Especially right before the all-important primary elections.

Since January, we conservative precinct committeemen in my legislative district have managed to more than double the number or precinct committeemen. Virtually all of them are conservative Republicans. Most of the new conservative precinct committeemen came from Tea Parties and 912 groups. And from one-on-one conversations with conservative friends and neighbors who up until now liked to complain about “the Republican Party” not being “conservative enough,” but never actually having DONE ANYTHING to change it. Well, now as precinct committeemen, they CAN change the Party. And ARE changing it. Because now they’ll get to vote for the Party leaders and help make sure the BEST conservative candidates win the primary elections.

Redstaters, want to take back the Party? If you aren’t yet a prrecinct committeemen, I hope you’ll become one. Join the Party. As a voting member. As a precinct committeeman.

Thank you.
ColdWarrior

I switched to the Libertarian Party in 2004 because of the weak-kneed Republican Congress, but will switch back soon…to vote in any early Republican primaries. Phooey on the GOP Establishment!

Let me know how I can help. Sen. Cornyn is my senator and I call at least once a week and tell him I am dissapointed in his choices of candidates to back. I now have started supporting conservative candidates, such as Marco Rubio and Pat Toomey and have stopped supporting the republican party.

McCain’s nomination hurts conservatives only if you choose to agree with and promote the narrative that McCain was chosen because Republicans didn’t think a conservative could win.

McCain won because HE DID STAND FOR THINGS. He won - if anything - in spite of his independence from his party - not because of it.

Unlike Mitt Romney who wouldn’t have an opinion on the Surge because he was Governor, McCain staunchly committed himself - putting himself on the line - to see that our troops got the support and the strategy that they needed. Democrats derisively called it the “McCain Surge’ because he was so invested.

There was nothing pandering or poll tested about his words on Iraq. “I’ll follow Osama Bin Laden to the gates of Hell” is not a phrase designed to appease the anti-war crowd and it made him easy to caricature as a war monger - but strangely enough a lot of independents who had opposed the war DID vote for McCain. Which goes to show that standing on conviction will sometimes convince those who disagree. Some columnist theorized that it was because people who hadn’t supported the war and were very unhappy with Bush would not trust anyone with less than McCain’s national security experience.

But it wasn’t just experience. I voted for McCain largely because - after pouring over his statements about Iraq since the beginning, I was convinced he knew what he was talking about. His statements showed a deep understanding of the situation, expressed clear and consistent principles regarding warfare and reflected good judgement about what was working and what was neccessary. He seemed to know who to listen to and he had an absolute CONVICTION about winning.

He’d been to Iraq 8 times - including one trip which interrupted his campaign just when it was starting to gain a little momentum and supporters were nervous about him going away. No other candidate was remotely as qualified which is why in exit polls Republicans - even those who voted for other candidates - overwhelmingly picked McCain as the best Commander in Chief and we are at war. That was probably a big consideration for a lot of people.

McCain has also shown great commitment to principle in opposing pork barrel spending. This may not be a big issue for most Americans but it does show that he was willing to live out his principles on an issue he cares about.

And of course, there was his heroic personal narrative. I think a lot of people felt that -during his captivity in Hanoi - McCain showed the kind of character they want in a President.

And let’s look at the other candidates:

Mitt Romney: palpably slick, not at all conservative until he decided to run for President, made buying health insurance mandatory in Massachusetts.

Huckabee; A big social conservative, but not economically conservative at all, disturbingly soft on criminal justice matters.

Fred Thompson: Conservative, but got into the race late and hadn’t been in politics for some time.

Ron Paul: Not even a serious candidate

Guiliani: Less conservative than McCain. Semi pro choice, 3 marriages. Kids not speaking to him.

(I still like him though and hope he runs for Senator)

Not counting Fred Thompson, McCain was arguably the most conservative candidate in the race.

Erick,
I agree with you that Republicans shouldn’t ever pander- but I’m not sure about your assessment of the GOP establishment. Do you really think they are going out of their way to pick moderates? Or do you think that just in a few races where the moderate happens to have a lot more name recognition or the state is especially blue - they are willing to compromise? either way they should be opposed but the establishment GOP may not be AS far from the grassroots as you think.

Devore may be a better choice than Fiorina but neither is likely to win.

Whereas money spent in Florida or Arkansas has a much more likely chance of counting for something.

I got a survey from the NRSC. I filled it out with a very small contribution ($25/just to keep on their mailing list). I put in the survey comment section the other conservative causes that to which I have contributed more generously. Many of those causes are from things I read on this very site. I want them to know where the money is going.

http://mikehuckabeepresident2012.blogspot.com/2009/12/public-policy-polling-huckabee-still.html

during the Hoffman/Scozzafava debacle.

Sent letters to each telling them why. Switched my support to Sen. Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservative Fund:

http://senateconservatives.com/index.php?p=home&c=UFWC8

As well as support to Rep. Patrick McHenry’s (don’t you love that name?) group:

http://houseconservatives.com/index.php?c=

I will start e-mailing the RNC, et al again (esp. Rob Jesmer), starting today, reiterating my stance. If they continue to ignore us/push us aside, no bucks for them. And I would be willing to bet that if conservatives do not donate, that’s a might big chunk of missing change.

As Ace said, they expect us to do the heavy lifting (and donating). Well, no more for me, thankyouverymuch.

I’m NOT a Democrat (fascists in the sense that they want their “ruling class” to do the thinking of the brainless minions). They’re too liberal. I’m NOT a Republican. They’re too much for big corporations stealing money off the top of the economy by having laws passed to enable them to do that (fascism).

I am a Conservative. I am for conservation. I am for doing things the way that our Founders thought it ought to be done. After reading the Libertarian stance, I’ve become a Libertarian.

No, the Libertarian platform is NOT perfect, but it’s probably a lot closer to what true conservatives believe than what the GOP stands for!

I know it is a nice romantic image to charge shoulder against the massed establishment muskets and take back the shining city on the hill, but like a lot of famous charges, the massed muskets behind the established wall will win.

There is a reason the establishment is the establishment; it is ESTABLISHED. All the blog rants and Tea Party rallies in the World aren’t going to change a thing unless and until the people who are shouting “Aux Barricade” show up at precint meetings and caucuses, become known to their district and state Party leadership, run for and win district and state Party offices, and raise money and back or become candidates. Until they do that, they are no threat to the established leadership of the Republican Party.

As Erick points out, even losing two straight elections and losing control of two branches of government in the span of four short years has not cost any of these people their jobs. And the reason they still have their jobs is that all the opposition is acting like a bunch of lefties blogging and out in the streets singing songs and and carrying signs. “Wadda we want - freedom; When do we want it - NOW” sounds just as dumb and dated coming from the right as from the left. I’m not saying we shouldn’t do that, but I’m saying it doesn’t effect any fundamental change in the Party.

I watched as the Left in this Country went from a bunch of hippies out singing songs and carrying signs to control of the Democrat Party to control of the Country. The singing songs and carrying signs got them precisely NO political power, in fact lessened their power, see, e.g., McGovern v. Nixon. But as the draft wound down and youthful enthusiam waned, the hard core, the thoughtful, mostly communist, activists started going to Democrat Party caucuses for reasons other than just raising Hell. Going to raise Hell got them McGovern, but McGovern got them ignominious defea because they had no meaningful political organizationt. They learned from that and went to work at the grunt work of Party organization and became the “establishment” of the Democrat Party and, especially, of its front groups and paramilitary wing, the non-profits and the unions.

If you want to defeat the establishment, then you need to begin to work seriously to BECOME the establishment. As long as you’re on the outside, you’re nothing more than an outsider.

and someone else has probably said it far better than me, but…

I don’t want to *fight* the establishment, I want to *be* the establishment.

No matter how hard we fight, the fact of the matter is they control the power structure. They will always win. We have to take control of the money and organization.

I’m on my county committee now and intend to use the next few years figuring out exactly how I can influence who it is the R party of MO supports and opposes. And then make it my guy.

We fight for CONSERVATISM….AND WE WILL WIN.
Keep going brother…I’m with you.

Showing the establishment VA, NJ and NY-23 should have been notice to them that they are outmoded and out of touch and that we will work to bring about more Lexington and Concords in order to re-establish our party as conservative. The establishment probably has nothing to fear from a civil war where conservatives are the underdogs, fighting against the powers that be. We must become the powers that be.

zero in on and read achance’s comment, followed by coldwarrior’s comment. Yes, Eric, I’m with you and will officially become my precinct’s Committeeman on February 2, Illinois primary day!

he AGREES!!! Rock on Erick!

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

I hope its not Peter Schiff

n/t

n/t

Here’s hoping to having enough conservatives win their primary to help change the balance of the Republican leadership in the House and Senate back to a more conservative, principles first mission.

I am with you Erick and I will continue to work within my local GOP committee to encourage the principled conservative course of action. This work must be done in both the election years and the time in between to ensure a strong thriving GOP ready to not only win elections but govern effectively and withing the guidelines of the Constitution and the principles that made this country the envy of the world

While it is true that we have a long road ahead and our problems will not be solved overnight, it is important to remember that we can win this fight. We must win this fight. This war for our party and for our nation will have many battles, we may not win them all, but we must continue to fight.

2010 is not the end, it is only the beginning.

Is this a spending and taxing thing, or a social thing or what? What makes someone a “true” conservative?