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A Republican Challenge
I recognize that many TMV readers are centrist or left-of-center, Independent or middle-leaning Democrats, but I think I’ve demonstrated that I still value your opinions (even those with which I disagree) — and for that reason, I’d greatly appreciate any contribution you’re inclined to offer to this exercise, even if it’s to remind me that I’m mildly insane and perhaps misguided.
23 Responses to “A Republican Challenge”
Off the point but vexing,
Yesterday afternoon, Shaun made the post and I quote, “Commerce Department Inspector General Johnnie Frazier has become the latest Bush administration official to decide to spend more time with his family.â€
I simply pointed out to Shaun, in a comment, that Frazier was appointed on July 20, 1999.
Now, that entire post has been magically erased.
One can follow this link to see that said post existed:
http://news.google.com/news?um=1&tab=wn&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us&q=Johnnie%20Frazier
It is second on the Google news listing on the subject.
I have to wonder why this post was deleted.
cfpete — one of the editors will have to answer that question. I can’t help there. Didn’t see the original post, nor do I have deletion authority. That said, hope you’ll commen on this topic, as well. Thanks.
Pete, I don’t think you are insane at all, but maybe a little too optimistic. But maybe that’s a virtue , I don’t know.
Nice letter, but I actually think you could replace “republican” with “democrat” and send it to different people and STILL have a solid letter. It looks a great deal more like a “moderate manifesto” than a republican one. I see virtually nothing on the letter that a good 80% of people wouldn’t agree with. The problem is the fine print. For instance you say:
(side note: thank you so much for the idiot-buttons, I was lost without them)
I think pretty much everyone agrees that business shouldn’t be state-owned but that it also can’t be totally free to do anything, but the point at which regulation is “appropriate” is where people will disagree. Same goes for every other issue. We all want much the same thing, we just disagree on how to get there.
My comment is similar to Lynx’ in that it is not clear what actions are desired or what the effect of the letter should be. Is it simply to re-affirm to many Republican leaders that there is a large centrist Republican base from which they can draw? If so, how many names do you hope to attach?
(I cannot sign it myself as a registered Democrat. As I have mentioned briefly at your blog once before, I find myself agreeing with moderate Republicans as often as left Democrats, but until people such as yourself win the Republican party back, I had to register in opposition.)
I’d rename it to the
“Why can’t we all just get along, manifesto.”
Nice.
And Idealistic. There are two parties in this country because their are philosophical differences.
You have listened to the Liberals define the argument too much these past few years.
God is bad.
Religion is Bad.
Neoconservatives are bad.
Secrecy in war is bad….. No more Manhattan projects for America.
Republicans are Bad.
Conservatives are Bad.
They have pulled the wool over your eyes.
Hi Pete,
I don’t think you are crazy, in fact, I agree with everything you have written.
I do believe, just based upon my own experience, that people sharing our opinions are the silent majority in the Republican Party. We just lack any kind of organization. Currently, I am registered as a Republican. However, in the past five years I have been a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, and Independent as far as registration is concerned. I switched recently to Republican to vote in the primary for Governor, and my guy won. Before that, I was a Democrat to vote in the City and County primaries, but my choices lost. Election Supervisors hate me, but I get political mailings from everybody.
Pete, I beg you. Bring us together. We are out there and don’t even know it. If you do, I will give you all the financial and physical help I can muster.
Sorry for using your post for complaining, but I would just like to know how a post gets deleted.
Great letter, Pete, and as Lynx noted, your optimism was the first thing that caught my eye, too.
Though it seems that you could not only change Republican to Democrat and still have a powerful letter… You could eliminate party reference altogether (“we are actively seeking and supporting Republican candidates…” becomes “we are actively seeking and supporting candidates…“) doesn’t make it less powerful and you’ll get more people signing on with you.
Things need to change and that change will require optimism, open dialog and thoughtful communication like that shown in your letter. Party neutral and I’m with you all the way.
Thanks… Your attitude and outlook is good OUR (your, mine and Somebody’s, too) country. :]
Lynx and Pacatrue,
Thanks for your comments. I will re-look at the letter with those points in mind. I want to figure out some way to incorporate your input, but I hestitate to recommend too-specific policies because I think that will cut down on the number of potential signatures. Nor is my goal to get policy or action specific, rather to let Republican leaders who are socially tolerant and foreign-policy-prudent know that there is a base of Republicans who support them and this base of voters does not approve of the cowboy approach to war of the current Administration, nor of its trampling on habeus corpus, nor its use of wedge issues to appeal to the “other base,” etc.
Net: I think I could get more specific without crossing the line, I just need to figure out how.
cfpete,
First, I sent a note to the editors and Shaum Mullen asking them to respond to your other question.
Second, former Sen. Danforth and Gov. Whitman are working to bring us together; I’ve joined their group and I know they could use the energies (and dollars) of others who feel the same way. Check out http://www.republican-leadership.com, and if there’s not an RLC chapter in your state, you could either start one or support ours in Missouri. I suggest the latter only because Missouri is often considered a bellwether state and if we can win here with a moderated Republican Party, we could win anywhere (except maybe South Carolina or Texas).
Somebody,
You claim that I have …
To the contrary. I believe there is a powerful and loving God and that religion can play a remarkably valuable role in our lives. In war, I know there must be secrets kept in order to win, and of course, I know there are great Republicans and conservatives. No, I’m not overly fond of neocon philosophy, but that doesn’t mean I reject everything attached to it.
Steve,
Saw your comment after pushing publish on my last one. I will give the party-neutral approach some thought, though I do think the Republicans are in more dire need of a change!
Also, Steve, thanks for your very kind words about the nature of the effort.
cfpete:
The brief post that you mentioned in your initial comment became infected with a technical glitch that no one could fix and was deleted, including your comment and my response.
Hey Pete,
Could I even give you a possible 2012 candidate, Charlie Crist. That is the Governor I switched parties to vote for. Recently, I almost gave up on him because of talk about gas station price gouging and similar things. However, then he comes back and vetoes all kinds of pork out of the Florida budget.
So far, I realize he is just playing politics and making all the right decisions at the same time. I can’t say that will last forever, but at this point, I have never seen a politician able to please so many different people at one time. Even if they get screwed, they still think he is doing them a favor.
Many of us already think he is setting up a Presidential campaign, and doing better than I have seen in my lifetime.
cfpete
Pete Abel- I think you are quite correct to push for moderate candidates who can attract the middle and even some on the left again- at least there would be a choice. I like Republicans like David Gergen or Chuck Hagel, but Crist is proving himself as well.
Cfpete- OK we get your point. But the guy served a year under Clinton and 6 1/2 under Bush. Even if he wasn’t appointed by Bush, doesn’t that make him part of his administration?
Something that might help in your letter then, Pete, is to not just state the sort of moderate Republican stance, but also focus on your organizing activity. The number of signatures is of course a critical part of that, but you can mention any other organizing activities that you are involved in – from fund-raising to active volunteering for centrist candidates, etc. These don’t have to be things you’ve already done, but things you plan to do. In other words, spell out what you mean by “looking for candidates” and make it clear that the support will not be the silent type. Good luck!
Thanks all for the continued comments and suggestions. You’ve given me much to think about, and now I have to work on draft #2.
And yes, cfpete, I’ll look more closely at Crist. Thanks for the suggestion.
Nice start, Pete, but I think the letter is a little too general. I don’t think there’s a member of the House or Senate who wouldn’t readily sign it as written.
Write a letter that requites them to reject the copout that “The constitution is not a suicide pact”, or “you have no civil rights if you’re dead” and you’ll have found candidates who’ll actually fight for the rule of law and the constitution.
Many good comments. I will add this.
I think what you want is a return to the Republican Party of the Eisenhower era. That’s a tall order because big-money interests who want and are getting the best government their money can buy see their greatest return on investment coming from the kind of Republicans who’ve dominated the party over the past 30 years. Those big-money interests and the entrenched pols they’ve invested so much money in aren’t going to politely step aside because other Republicans want them to, or because they’ve screwed up the government, our country and another country, getting a whole lot of people killed in the process and wasting money on a scale never before seen in U.S. history.
Similarly, a segment of America’s evangelical Christians has developed an appetite for political power. These people have formed ties with radical right-wing Republicans. The payoffs have been relatively few and mostly paltry so far, but they can raiselots of money and deliver lots of votes, so they’re in the game to stay. Which is where right-wing Republicans want them.
Wresting control of the party from these people is a daunting challenge. You won’t do it with well-intended letters. Large numbers of voters and large sums of political contributions are required.
Thanks for the answer Shaun,
just wanted to know.
It’s a wonderful letter.
I’m wondering, though, if it’s not too wonderful There is hardly anyone of any party afftilitation who wouldn’t be tempted to sign on. What comes after the warm and fuzzy feeling of signing is what counts, however. Perhaps it’s my pessimism, but I fear everyone would return to business as usual before the ink of the signature was dry.
I have the gut feeling you would have more success with addressomg just one party and not being shy about calling out your specific objections:in recent trends. As an example, if I were voicing an objection to negative campaign ads, I wouldn’t refer to them as a lack or compassion for the target; I would call them smear tactics. Unless highlighted to grab the readers’s attention, important ideas can blur together and become forgotten bakground .
Note: This advice comes from someone with zero experience in phrasing party policy or kicking off a movement.
Note 2: Your blogging entries are among the most representative of ‘sanity’ to be found anywhere. And I say that as one who often disagrees with you.
[...] Last Saturday, I asked for inputs on a draft letter to Republican leaders. While the feedback was certainly diverse, it generally sorted out into a handful of common themes: Why bother? [...]
[...] Last Saturday, I asked for inputs on a draft letter to Republican leaders. While the feedback was certainly diverse, it generally sorted out into a handful of common themes: Why bother? [...]
[...] Last Saturday, I asked for inputs on a draft letter to Republican leaders. While the feedback was certainly diverse, it generally sorted out into a handful of common themes: Why bother? [...]
[...] Last Saturday, I asked for inputs on a draft letter to Republican leaders. While the feedback was certainly diverse, it generally sorted out into a handful of common themes: Why bother? [...]