…

No one is mandating prayer. I am not required church services and abortion isn’t outlawed.

Now, I wish I could claim the same amount of non-interference with my life with left-wing liberals, who seem to think they alone have the best answers for my health and welfare, but that is not the case.

People are aghast that some of us on the right have written Colin Powell off as a Democrat. Much of that comes from how he votes and who he supports. If he is a Republican, why doesn’t he ever speak up for conservative principles? Where is he in the discussion. He has no problems complaining – we know what he’s against – but what is he for?

Don't fall for the Gandelman/Begala/Olberman ruse that the pragmatic swing voter is being turned off by Cheney/Limbaugh and decidely becoming aligned with Democrats as a result.

These people have lives and don't even listen to Sunday morning talk shows or Rush Limbaugh. For the moment, they are awaiting Hopenchange to deliver. That's what they're paying attention to.

If he does deliver a turnaround of the economic conditions, then of course they will remain aligned to Dems…….and I wouldn't blame them. However, the idea that the next election will be primarily driven by the moderateness of the Republican candidate as opposed to primarily what the Dems deliver ignores the reason regular people with lives go to the polls.

So jwest, as a Repub moderate, how do you manage to get along with the folks that Dennis is having such a hard time with? How do manage to get along with the “religious right” since your an atheist? Maybe the two of you are two completely different moderates, because from what I can tell of your past comments, you seem to be in favor of the party purging that's going on.

A third option would be to run a traditional conservative, as opposed to the neocon/cultural con/big governement con coalition that presents itself as the face of conservatism today. This does not mean driving neocons, cultural cons or big government cons out the Party, but rather giving them a non-dominant role in a Party that focuses on principles of fiscal restraint, free enterprise, realistic foreign and military policy and a cultural focus on individual and economic liberty.

Traditional conservatism is a deep rooted and attractive philosophy…not Dem Lite and not perceived as extemist. Of course, as jchem points out, traditional conservatives would first have to wrest control from the faux conservatives who currently control the Party.

If the Dems give them any pain, they will never know about it because they are too busy reading daily stories about how evil Dick Cheney and the Repubs are, or who the next Repub heathen to call Rush Limbaugh a bad name is. The moderate Repubs are doing themselves no favors by whining and crying about not being allowed under the tent. Take it back or give up. On the bright side, I'm sure the Dems will welcome you for awhile; that is, until you become too moderate for them.

As a republican moderate, I am also concerned about the direction the party takes to reconstitute after the last defeat.

However, do you think that maybe you, as probably one of the only gay, black, republican priests, might not have your finger on the pulse of the conservative movement?

With McCain, we tried a liberal republican who spent 8 years criticizing the administration, but that didn’t work.

We could, I suppose, follow the advice of nearly every democrat and run an even more liberal candidate next time, but being a contrarian, I tend to lean the other way.

Although you are part of the religious segment of our party, as an atheist I hope you stay a republican.

Jchem is right. Take control back (they will not cede it) or start the hard work of forming a centrist pragmatic party to replace a marginalized Republican fringe.

“The blogosphere is chatting…” “There is a lot of talk…”

So do something. It has become quite clear that the Repubs are not willing to conform with how you want them. Perhaps its time to organize the moderates and throw the bums out.

“That wing of the party has spent the last few years blaming others for the Republican Party’s problems.”

The moderates seem to be in a finger pointing contest then, as all the talk you mentioned blames the “true believers” for your party's current position. It has become quite entertaining to watch your Party's peeing contest for internal power, but I would really like for them to get their act together so they can serve as some kind of check on unbridled control by the other party. Look what happened the last time one party was in power of everything.

'bout time the shoe was on the other foot.