Comments on: Interview: David Frum Says Conservatives Can Make a Comeback

By: Slamfu

Slamfu — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:14:46 +0000

Well I agree there is much more wrong with the Bush admin than the Iraq war, but I don't think any of those other issues would have brought both him and his party to the situation they are in now by themselves. I also think they pale in comparison, as examples of horrible consequences for bad decisions, to the unwarranted and then mishandled war. People tend to overlook and rationalize domestic issues like overspending until it hits them in the pocketbook, and even then they can be spun to spread the blame around.

By: superdestroyer

superdestroyer — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:02:18 +0000

Slamfu,

Budget busting spending, the heavy hand of the government, and expansion of entitlement programs are not part of any Republican agenda but they are/were on the Bush agenda. Bush thew away every bit of his crediblity so that Congress could pork up the budget. President Bush listened to Karl Rove and thought that government spending could buy conservative constituencies. But Karl Rove is an idiot and was horribly wrong.

In the end, the normal conservative issues only work with middle class and upper middle class whites. In the future, there will not be enough of those to offset the demographic changes and the Republican party will cease to be relevant.

By: Slamfu

Slamfu — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:27:13 +0000

“It’s not just Iraq, and it’s not just George Bush”

Theres his main problem right there. It IS Iraq, and it IS Bush. The GOP stance on the other issues still carries as much water with folks as it used to, people are just sick of a needless war with no end. They all know who started it, and they all know whose been unable to bring it under control, and the laundry list of Bush's screwups and crappy appointments keeps getting longer. The GOP will be back in a few years, but not until the public has washed their mouths of the taste of this administration.

By: PaulSilver

PaulSilver — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:13:48 +0000

For me it wasn't just an issue of message from the GOP. It was commitment to its own values. If the GOP had focused on reducing fiscal abuse, tax simplification, Managing the War more effectively…they wouldn't be in this mess.
The Problem for the GOP is that independents like me simply do not trust them. But if they got serious about reform of campaign finance, redistricting, open primaries and other efforts to return the government to the people I would more open to their arguments.

By: piniella

piniella — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:44:33 +0000

FRUM: We’ve got deeper problems of exhaustion of our message and we must renew that message.
==============

The real problem is that the message has been understood and found wanting.

By: StockBoySF

StockBoySF — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:09:14 +0000

I agree with David Frum's bottom line- for the Republicans to regain power they need to look at and address the issues in today's world. I don't particularly agree with all of his arguments, but they are interesting and thought out.

By: Jim_Satterfield

Jim_Satterfield — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:37:12 +0000

No, it's not the message. It's that real Americans know that the GOP proposals are meaningless to them. They know that eliminating all taxes on corporations and the members of the wealthy class that derive their income from capital gains is not going to transform America into a place where they are going to have jobs that don't have salaries frozen in time. There is absolutely nothing that says that all that money freed up for the corporations isn't going to factories in China, financial services back office operations in India or all of the other ways that companies avoid paying Americans a living wage. Too many Americans have learned the lessons of the real world to buy into that message until the facts on the ground change.

By: HappySurge

HappySurge — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:26:18 +0000

Conservatism can make a comeback. Neoconservative, which is the movement to which David Frum belongs,hopefully won't. What you have to understand about David Frum is he played a game of chicken with plenty of conservatives, and with the outright failure of many of the men he carried water for, conservatives are slowly finding the spine neccessary to overwhelem the need to feel welcomed by Frum's type. We often talk about terrified or weak-backed Democrats. The conservative movement, however, was thrown onto its tiniest possible feet by the same mob mentality and many caved on almost all of the principles they once touted, if not for anything else but political fear of becoming obselete. Consider the source, then, when you read David Frum, and consider the fact that conservatives with an eye toward rebuilding the foundations of their movement do have memories, and now, may re-find the spine that politicking stripped them of some years ago. David Frum is a man begging to be re-evaluated, fearing the final wave of blow-back that may knock him from the waters, but it may be too many bridges burned.

By: Politics » Interview: David Frum Says Conservatives Can Make a Comeback

Politics » Interview: David Frum Says Conservatives Can Make a Comeback — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:18:18 +0000

[...] The Moderate Voice – Domestic and international news analysis, irreverent comments, original reporti… wrote an interesting post today on Interview: David Frum Says Conservatives Can Make a ComebackHere’s a quick excerpt This Guest Interview by Bill Steigerwald, columnist at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, is with former George Bush speechwriter David Frum, who argues that conservatives must change their message and adapt if they want to win elections. David Frum: Conservatives Can Make A Comeback by Bill Steigerwald Conservatism has lost much of its appeal to young and independent voters. The Republican Party is on the ropes. The White House and Congress increasingly look like they’ll be controlled by Democr [...]

By: Taxes

Taxes — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:58:25 +0000

[...] Teaparty wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe National Review Online columnist says conservatism’s red-meat issues — low taxes, gun rights and promises to restore traditional values — don’t cut it anymore. I reached Frum on Wednesday at his hotel room in Toronto. … [...]

By: superdestroyer

superdestroyer — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:44:17 +0000

Just another idiot from the Bush Administration drinking the Karl Rove Kool-Aid. Unless the Republicans decide that credibility on issues is most important, I would suggest that Mr. Frum had better find a Democratic candiate to work for because the Republicans are not going to be around much longer. Look at how he avoid discussing demographics, immigration, or the economy. It was the traditional, non-credible discussion of cutting taxes without spending cuts.