I can’t say that I’d vote for Giuliani, though, because he seems to have some unsavory connections and also has a strong authoritarian streak. We need someone who won’t give Congress the middle finger-unlike now.

Instead of trying to limit the scope of government the social cons tried to actually corner the K-Street lobby which resulted in an unprecedented expansion of government. And with this President completely mismanaging the war any notion of conservative national security expertise has totally dissolved. All we’re left with is the stupid pro-life bullshit which I’m totally against. I’m with Goldwater, the government should stay the eff out of our personal lives.

My only hope is Rudy get’s the GOP nomination. He’ll be the only Republican who will get my vote in 2008. I’ll be damned if I’ll vote for a stereotyped caricature as in Fred Thompson.

Its possible that the way we elect our politicians invites pressure from special interests and big donors. Eisenhower saw it coming and was able to resist it, and also to resist the pressure coming from his own party to end the Korean War.

I believe Carter thought letting Khomeini take over would be good for America, as did Clinton when he chose not to resign over the Lewinsky affair, and just as Bush II thinks having Americans die to keep Iraqis from killing one another is good for America.

I happen to disagree, and think their policies have been very bad for America, and I’m fine with calling them stupid for thinking what they did… but I’m not prepared to call them corrupt.

Now, our Congressmen and Senators…. I’ve got no problem saying their names and the word corrupt in the same sentence.

Maybe its his military background, but Colin Powell has always reminded me somewhat of Eisenhower in his bearing and ideology. (no I don’t remember him personally, I’ve read about him recently, lol) It seems to me that we could use a nonpartisan like Ike.

even if the Republican policies were enacted it would be a disaster for huge sections of the population because few of their business friends are really that interested in the welfare of their employees

This is true in the case of many businesses and their employees. Are cost savings merely pocketed by those on top, etc.

Would President Goldwater leave his vacation home in Arizona to sign a bill that tramples over state rights and small government(Schiavo)?

No. (He’d repeal as much of the New Deal as he could, too.)

Would President Teddy R reward Haliburton with blank checks or call them robber barons?

The latter, if not nowadays raid Halliburton and haul its officers before courts (or courts-martial in the case of war overseas).

The GOP is just as guilty as W, for being his enablers.

I’d say they’re bad in and of themselves and that the reaction to that is what explains a lot of 2006 (in addition to tiring of Iraq).

Thanks, I think but seriously -who’d want to?

I hope they take the hint. I’d tire of losing even more than I do now.

Thanks, I think but seriously -who’d want to?

The question to ask is why the GOP is ‘unpopular’ right now?

Is it because voters have nothing against the GOP per se, but are taking out their anger at Bush on the GOP as a whole? … Or is it because voters dislike what the GOP espouses as a matter of policy, that the public no longer (if it ever did) goes for lower taxes, fewer regulations, strong national defense, etc., etc.? … Or is it because the public likes GOP policy and values, but feels the current batch of GOP leaders have abandoned these values (insert reason here: misguided attempt to curry favor with liberals, inability to resist taking the spoils of power, pushing amnesty for illegal immigrants, etc.) and/or been so incompetent at implementing GOP values (Bush’s pathetic execution of the WOT, or his botching the Iraq conflict, for instance)?

Yes, the last. Note the difference between the elections in 2000-2002-2004 and the elections in 2006. It was mainly about Iraq but not only about Iraq; it was also about corruption and too much big-government behavior by the GOP in Washington.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the conservative movement:

the Right hosts those who are normal, traditional, authentic English-libertarian-heritage Americans

We are the true, classic liberals, but — liberalism abandoned us by the 1930s and began to attack us ferociously by the 1960s. Thank the Left for having us find if not actively seek shelter on the Right and for making the vision of a Democrat next to the US flag so often oxymoronic.

Nonetheless, if we [Republicans, conservatives, anti-liberals, "swing voters," etc.] don’t do it in time for November 2008, then we will at least have the perverse joy of watching the Dems fracture during the Clinton II administration.

1. Hell, it may inject one last shot of life in Rush Limbaugh’s show before that guy retires or drops dead one day. (Can you imagine, given the lousy GOP field this time, what they’ll have to go though to end up in party-hack mode approaching next November? I haven’t listened to them in ages and don’t know if I want to, frankly.)

2. There will probably be another backlash as soon as Hillary lunges left following the taking of office.