Kilmer17's roadmap to fix the GOP

[The Evil Genius]

The sad part, is that the GOP is likely to revert back to the days of nominating a true conservative. Especially since some see Romney and McCain as moderates.

Really? Moderates?

Here's the truth. Neither of them are moderates. And they had to become even more conservative because of the powers that be. And that's suppose to appeal to the middle, how, exactly?

When the GOP realizes that the base will always vote for the base, and that the middle is truly where the elections are won and lost, then perhaps they will nominate a candidate that actually appeals to the middle. Until then, I don't see much hopey change for them.

[Mad Mike]

Although always an independent, I have also always leaned right. And I can tell you from my standpoint, I will vote D until the libertarians crawl back under the rocks they came from.

The answer for republicans is not to move farther from the center but closer. By all means, bring some of those libertarian values but use them in a more rational, moderate way. Cut back on government waste and spending where it makes sense, not by gutting everything in sight. Killing Big Bird isn't going to do the slightest thing to reduce the debt. It's just going to hurt a non commercialized news and edutainment source that has constantly returned more than the governments investment. And unless you truly want to divide this country into the haves and have nots and see it ended in civil war, you embrace those Christian values so many republicans claim and accept that it is in everyones best interest to help the poor rather than demonize them as freeloaders.

But while I'm criticizing the R's let me lay one on the D's..... It's time to start making some deeper spending cuts. Not tea party sized cuts but cuts just the same. The divided nature of this election should send a signal to both parties. If you really want to impress this independent, stop fighting for votes and arguing and start fighting for the nation by cooperating. [/RANT]

[Larry]

I think it's simple. Move to be more socially liberal while maintaining their fiscal conservative agenda.

Continuing down the socially conservative path is what is destroying them.

My problem is that the GOP doesn't have a "fiscal conservative agenda".

There wasn't a single GOP candidate for President who wasn't promising another huge tax cut on the rich.

What the GOP has is a "pass big tax cuts, increase military spending, act surprised when the deficit goes up, and demand that somebody else get rid of SS and Medicare, because of this deficit that somehow got here" agenda.

---------- Post added November-7th-2012 at 11:47 AM ----------

Absolutely. The GOP primary process will not allow any substantial ideological reform.

And I suspect that, after the Paulites tried to hijack the Party, the GOP is going to change the rules to make the primaries even more into wingnut-land.

[SKINS@THEGOALLINE]

Fixing the GOP? . . . I don't think anyone mentioned the "tea party", in your OP you said crazy people scare sane people. The tea party scares me.

[Buford]

after last night I thought of starting a "Relaunch The Bull Moose Party" thread. Why? Because even though Brit Hume says this country is center-right. I think when he says "country", I think he meant his viewers....because what I see is a country that is socially liberal and fiscally moderate. Maybe I should still start the thread.

anyway..... Kilmer, after 2008 the Tea Party appeared (maybe they were rumbling before), and a lot of Taxcut and Spend elected officials became born-again fiscal conservatives. In 2010 during an off year they swept and won a bunch of elections. My question to you is......will they try the same thing again? Will they shift more away from the center even if you take 100% of their supporters, its still not a majority in this country anymore. I see your roadmap. But what do you feel they will do?

[Jumbo]

1- People in real life are stupid. This is not exclusive to Republicans.

How disappointingly Jumbo-like of you.

[SkinsHokieFan]

“The Republican coalition is the same coalition as it’s been for years: culturally conservative, small government, lower taxes, pro-family, pro-life and strong national defense,” said Gary Bauer, president of American Values, an evangelical group. “I don’t know of anything in that agenda that we would want to drop.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...53f_story.html

[AsburySkinsFan]

The sad part, is that the GOP is likely to revert back to the days of nominating a true conservative. Especially since some see Romney and McCain as moderates.

Really? Moderates?

Here's the truth. Neither of them are moderates. And they had to become even more conservative because of the powers that be. And that's suppose to appeal to the middle, how, exactly?

When the GOP realizes that the base will always vote for the base, and that the middle is truly where the elections are won and lost, then perhaps they will nominate a candidate that actually appeals to the middle. Until then, I don't see much hopey change for them.

I think the leadership gets that, heck even Dick Morris said as much, but the leadership can't get those canidates past their primary voters. I can't imagine their frustration.

[Corcaigh]

The sad part, is that the GOP is likely to revert back to the days of nominating a true conservative. Especially since some see Romney and McCain as moderates.

Really? Moderates?

Here's the truth. Neither of them are moderates. And they had to become even more conservative because of the powers that be. And that's suppose to appeal to the middle, how, exactly?

When the GOP realizes that the base will always vote for the base, and that the middle is truly where the elections are won and lost, then perhaps they will nominate a candidate that actually appeals to the middle. Until then, I don't see much hopey change for them.

Charles Krauthammer called Romney a North Eastern liberal last night. If you define your campaign strategy around a 'middle' that far to the right, a significant portion of the actual middle won't be interested in you.

[The Evil Genius]

I think the leadership gets that, heck even Dick Morris said as much, but the leadership can't get those canidates past their primary voters. I can't imagine their frustration.

Perhaps.

But for a party whose famous for getting their members to lockstep on every single position, how they cannot do what's best for them at the state primaries (supposing they actually do know what it is), is baffling.

Until the Huntsmans and Christies of the world are allowed to win (and not have to radically change or move to the far right after winning the nomination), the GOP will continue to epically fail at the national level, imho.

---------- Post added November-7th-2012 at 09:36 AM ----------

Charles Krauthammer called Romney a North Eastern liberal last night. If you define your campaign strategy around a 'middle' that far to the right, a significant portion of the actual middle won't be interested in you.

...and that's why I think the GOP powers that be just don't get it.

[Predicto]

I would agree with Kilmer's points in general.

I also agree that taking a more libertarian stance would serve the Republicans well. But that has to be moderate libertarianism. If they go Ron Paul nutso, they will get crushed even worse than ever before.

[Larry]

Can I propose an addition to Kilmer's four points?

5) Stop running on a platform of "The most important thing America needs, is another tax cut".

Heck, nominate somebody who says "I think taxes are OK, right now. I'd leave them alone".

What could be more conservative than "leave it alone"?

[Predicto]

My problem is that the GOP doesn't have a "fiscal conservative agenda".

There wasn't a single GOP candidate for President who wasn't promising another huge tax cut on the rich.

What the GOP has is a "pass big tax cuts, increase military spending, act surprised when the deficit goes up, and demand that somebody else get rid of SS and Medicare, because of this deficit that somehow got here" agenda.

This always bothers me. For 40 years the GOP has definitively proven that they are not "fiscal conservatives." They are tax cutters, but not government shrinkers, and certainly not budget balancers. They are the opposite of fiscally sound.

How they continue to wear that label election after election is beyond my capacity to understand.

[AsburySkinsFan]

I remember when he GOP used to call the Dems "tax and spend" at least that was fiscally responsible, but the GOP has become "spend and don't pay" and thn they have the nerve to scream that they should be trusted to cut the deficit.

[alexey]

My problem is that the GOP doesn't have a "fiscal conservative agenda".

There wasn't a single GOP candidate for President who wasn't promising another huge tax cut on the rich.

What the GOP has is a "pass big tax cuts, increase military spending, act surprised when the deficit goes up, and demand that somebody else get rid of SS and Medicare, because of this deficit that somehow got here" agenda.

I second this.