Notes From The Right-Side of the Political Bipolarity
While you were celebrating Obama's win, then engaged fretting about Lieberman's affiliation and Reid's leadership, the insurgency has begun. Might be a good idea to keep at least one eye open, looking at what the other-side is doing.
Human Events - 11/05/2008
Congressional
Silver Lining: 17 Reasons to Celebrate
by Mike Bober
| Tom McClintock | Blaine Luetkemeyer |
| Duncan D. Hunter | Gregg Harper |
| Mike Coffman | Steve Austria |
| Bill Posey | Glenn Thompson |
| Tom Rooney | Dr. Phil Roe |
| Aaron Schock | Pete Olson |
| Brett Guthrie | Jason Chaffetz |
| Dr. Bill Cassidy | Cynthia Lummis |
| Erik Paulsen |
No retreat
Election 2008: Conservative reaction to the GOP's defeat
WorldMag.com"Let's remember that if Jimmy Carter hadn't won over Gerald Ford, we would never have had Ronald Reagan. If Bill Clinton hadn't won, we would never have had the Contract with America and the Republican ascendancy in Congress, which led to the balanced budget that Bill Clinton takes credit for. You never know what the consequences are going to be." - Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
"Conservative Christians must focus on ... wealth redistribution. This is fundamentally unscriptural and unbiblical. We are commanded to give on a personal, voluntary basis, not to allow Caesar to take more than what is his. This is where the 'values voters' and the 'fiscal conservatives' can work to rebuild the Reagan coalition. Wealth confiscation is fundamentally sinful, whatever the reason for doing so." - Larry Schweikart, professor of History, University of Dayton, Ohio
"I happen to believe that truth doesn't change because the American public decides to elect a different group of people with a different philosophy. The idea of principled conservatism and Christian conservatism is a standard that has stood the test of time and will stand the test of time. - Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.
CNN - November 7, 2008
Moderates to blame for GOP losses, conservative leader says
Scott J. AndersonTony Perkins of the Family Research Council told CNN that conservatives need to take back control of the GOP if the party is to return to its winning ways.
"Moderates never beat conservatives. We've seen that in past elections," he said.
Rejecting suggestions that the conservative movement was viewed as being out of touch with the electorate, Perkins says the Republican Party needs to go back to basics.
"It's a return to fundamental conservative principles that Ronald Reagan showed work and that people can be attracted to," Perkins said.
"Credibility will be essential for our primary task these next two years-to expose, dismantle and defeat the Democrat agenda." - Mike Pence (R-IN 6th) Letter, Dear Colleague Announcing Run for Conference Chair
Creepy. Especially the descriptions of the 17 representatives just elected.
If my memory weren't so sieve like, I'd be able to recall where it was I read a fairly recent study that demonstrated how public opinion is so influenced by the labels attached to programs and policies that when presented with items from the "liberal" platform—but without the label liberal, just a description of the policy or proposal—both liberals and conservatives agreed with them. And vice versa, in many cases.
What this showed was not the right-leaning population that's being shoved down our throats by Brokaw and the like but a pretty thoughtful population that wants everyone to have rights, health care, and a social safety net and is willing to pay for them with their taxes.
And that they want governance that doesn't give preference to corporations over individuals and for those in control to face the same accountability and consequences as anyone else would.
I think it would make sense for Obama and Congress to present changes and proposals to the American people with as few frames and labels as possible. I think Obama does this fairly naturally, but I worry about a giddy bunch of Democratic senators and representatives indulging a nyah-nyah attitude toward their Republican counterparts. That would only "embolden the enemy."
November 10, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
America is "a center-right country" meme can be directly traced to a recent NYT Op/Ed written by Bill Kristol. If you notice, he only used three labels: liberal, moderate, conservative. A three choice poll question about political perspectives is evidently distorted.
You're right about labeling. After 2 decades plus of a continuous stream of liberal derogations hurled from the right-side of the political bipolarity, many persons are reflexively adverse to embrace it.
November 10, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink