What Next for the GOP?

[JAG]

If they return to their ultra Conservative 'roots', they will keep getting battered in elections. They need to move forward and create new blocks of support and challenge their thinking.

[Crazed Rabbit]

If they return to their ultra Conservative 'roots', they will keep getting battered in elections. They need to move forward and create new blocks of support and challenge their thinking.

Ha! It's their abandonment of that, the ideals espoused by Reagan, that's led to their big defeats.

Anyway, I posted this in the final election thread:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122541628923186751.html

But the risk is that Tuesday's results will cause panic, and exacerbate the reactionary, backward-looking behavior that has already done so much damage to the party.

Republicans love to recollect Ronald Reagan, though they forget why. Reagan's strength was looking to the future -- and framing the issues of the day for Americans. When the focus had been balanced budgets, he made the issue the need for economic growth. When the debate had been détente, Reagan turned it into the need for a strong America. That tradition continued with the Contract with America, welfare reform, government reform, tort reform. George W. Bush tackled education.

Reagan's other great strength was not distinguishing between red and blue America. He offered a set of principles, and invited anyone who broadly subscribed to those principles into his political house. The result was that unlikely coalition of fiscal conservatives, defense hawks and social conservatives. These were the days of Reagan Democrats, of victories in states that now seem unwinnable to the GOP.

The further Republicans have moved away from this playbook, the further its fortunes have declined. The GOP was thrown out in 2006 because it had failed to evolve on the new issues facing Americans -- spiraling health-care costs, dwindling energy supplies, out-of-control entitlements. It spent its last years divvying up pork. As it has hit the electoral rocks, the party has also turned inward, harping on immigrants and gay marriage.

CR

[LittleGrizzly]

There is nothing wrong with the basic premises of conservativism. The problem is that the entire Republican establishment is not conservative, they're Big Church Gov't on social issues and Big Wal Mart/ Wall Street Nanny Gov't on economic issues.

I wouldn't have a tenth of the revulsion I have for Republican leadership in our government if it weren't constantly intervene in the bedroom, constantly intervene in the economy FOR big business and AGAINST lower income and middle class working Americans guising itself as "conservativism."

The Republican Party has not stood for less government, it's just stood for less government for the people who most need government protection to remain free and able to access opportunity.

A mix of what this guy said, and a ron paul type candidate, i probably wouldn't mind the republicans so much then, infact if the republican party did manage to change that much then i would probably vote for them other democrats (ill have to wait and see with obama but going on thier past) the McCain of 2000 has an appeal for me, as does ron paul, even as a lefty i would vote one of these than a lefty who is jut thier for powers sake...