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On the occasion of the death of Jack Kemp, can you think of some good advice for the GOP?
May 3, 2009
"The idea that all conservatives really should regroup around and identify with is that this is not an exclusive club. Freedom is for everybody."
"That's what Jack Kemp really stood for."
On the occasion of the death of Jack Kemp, can you think of some good advice for the GOP?
On the occasion of the death of Jack Kemp, can you think of some good advice for the GOP?
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R.I.P.
A real big tent Republican.
Advice for the GOP: get somebody who can articulate economics.
Off the top of my head, Thomas Sowell.
Trickle-down is not a theory of the poor as gleaners.
How about allowing Rs to be less orthodox if that's what it takes to win in the areas they represent. Seems like the RINO-fighters have too much influence.
E.g. how about better accepting some R versions of Ben Nelson?
Agree: Time to embiggen the tent again.
Disagree: Not time to embrace ideologues. Pick some people who don't have columns on WND or Newsmax. Invite the Trotskyites back in.
I think the Republican party could benefit itself and the nation by emphasizing personal liberty, smaller government, and states' rights, and de-emphasizing social issues (except for abortion, which should be up to the states).
I believe that the majority of Americans are suspicious of intrusion into our personal choices and habits, such as smoking, drinking, and doing what we want with our own property, bodies, and money, and if they really thought someone was dedicated to reducing government influence they would vote for a party advocating such a reduction.
Government control over industries such as auto manufacturing and banking is frightening. Most career bureaucrats are notoriously incompetent and primarily motivated to cover their own a**es and insure the continuity of their jobs - not to encourage effiency, quality, or profits.
Obama wants to control health care, energy usage, personal wealth, and private industry to an unprecedented degree, all of which lead to increased interference in our autonomy and economic freedom. His promise of no additional taxes on the non-wealthy is false, considering the new taxes on tobacco and the proposed new taxes on energy use.
To quote Mel Gibson in Braveheart, "FREEDOM!"
They cannot win. American voters want a nanny state and the socialists promise that. The tipping point has been reached and from here on out will be less free and more heavily taxed.
Deal with it, we are living in the USSA and American ideals are gone. The left won, and it's all over.
Scrap the social issue bullshit- abortion, homosexual stuff, religion, race, etc.. Propagate the what the libturds have deemed obscene, profane, and vulgar:
Capitalism
Freedom- as in freedom from government
Self determination
Self reliance
Individual enterprise
Individual rights and responsibilities
American Enterprise
Wealth creation and the right thereof
Pursuing wealth is good
Small government
Minimum entitlement programs
Creation of a healthy environment for business
Sane, clear, and non-conflicting regulatory policy
Real tax reform and lower taxation across the board
Elimination of government departments that, well, are useless
That is just a few.
Act like winners. Be optimistic. Be ruthless about pointing out the shortcomings of the opposition. Do not let the other side set the terms of debate. Talk about things that make the other side uncomfortable, and don't let them shut you up with indignation.
And win. Do what it takes to win. Not what makes you feel better. Street protests and internet rage go nowhere. It's about winning elections.
Keep in mind that this isn't just about getting power, but what you're going to do with it. And if it's not good for the country, don't do it! The voters catch on to that, eventually, which is what happened to put you into opposition in the first place. The voters do a good job of choosing leaders over the long term. Do not hold them in contempt.
I think the Republican party could benefit itself and the nation by emphasizing personal liberty, smaller government, and states' rights
So the problem with the GOP is that it is insufficiently Libertarian?
Well, why not. Libertarianism is sweeping the nation, as Ron Paul's run for the Presidency indicated.
John Lynch said "Be ruthless about pointing out the shortcomings of the opposition." The Republicans also need to be ruthless about pointing out the previous shortcomings of their own party, such as Bush's "no child left behind", which ceded local control of education to the feds, and the prescription drug program, which was not means tested and costs young working Americans billions every year.
One-size-fits-all programs like these are expensive, ineffective, and ineffiecient, and reduce the autonomy of individuals, states, and localities.
Well, sure, Republicans should change policies. All this social spending is progressively paralyzing government and gradually taking away our freedom of action. The current government is preventing future governments from reacting to new problems.
I don't remember a winning party running around bashing their own predecessors. Did Obama spend a lot of time denouncing John Kerry or Bill Clinton? Maybe a little in the primary campaign. But mostly it was defining himself against the Republicans.
Remember, that the Democrats' lurch to the left after 2000 was an utter failure. They ran around convincing themselves that they weren't left-wing enough and that Americans wanted more Left.
Americans didn't want more Left, they wanted to win the war. When they got tired of the war, they wanted an alternative.
Also, when the economy tanked, the Democrats looked like a better alternative. I think it's pretty much that simple. It's not ideology but circumstance that drives a lot electoral success.
If the market hadn't crashed when it did, we might have McCain and Palin. Obama positioned himself to take advantage of the economy, and McCain didn't. If there'd been a terrorist attack instead, I think McCain would have won. Politicians take bets on positions and some of them pay off.
Reagan didn't win so much because he had better policies, but because Carter failed. Americans hate losers and like winners. They don't like being told they have to accept wearing sweaters indoors and being humiliated abroad. Obama would do well to remember that.
My suggestion: be the aspirational party. That is, be the party of people who aspire to do great things and of people whom others would want to look up to. Don't be the party of bitter whiners (i.e.: tea-baggers and the Family Research Council crowd) or of resentful mediocrities (i.e.: Joe the Plumber and the Palin crowd).
There once was a time, not so long ago, when the image of the typical Republican was that of an educated, upper-middle class person whom others in their community wanted to emulate or hang out with. They were the party of the people who populated the Boards of Directors of the local museums and charities, who sent their kids to the best schools and whom others wanted acceptance from. The GOP has lost a lot of that appeal (just look at the partisan voting trends among educated professionals and young people - note, I'm using the term partisan, not ideological) and won't get back to being a majority without getting some of that appeal back. If you come off like an angry rump party, that's where you'll stay. Just ask the Democrats in the 1980s.
somefeller said "be the aspirational party. That is, be the party of people who aspire to do great things and of people whom others would want to look up to."
Why can't the Republicans be the party of people who allow everyone to aspire to great things, instead of the party of people who aspire to have the government do "great" things for them?
John McCain lost to Obama for a number of reasons, including his age, his being indistinguishable from Obama on a number of issues including immigration, health care, and fiscal responsibility, and a general dissatisfaction with the Republicans on spending and their handling of the war. I don't believe that his defeat was an indictment of core conservative principles in general.
RIP.
Note to the GOP: 100 hot speeches on the evils of gay marriage, abortion, or whatever, are no substitute for simple fiscal conservatism and individual freedom.
Peter V. Bella said...
Scrap the social issue bullshit- abortion, homosexual stuff, religion, race, etc.. That is just a few.(sic!)"
Outside of a disdain for grammar, Peter makes and interesting point...religion and race ... scrap them?
Ohhhh let's let the entire GOP gather in Peter's apartment (into which they may soon all fit)..and pray to the plastic dashboard Jesus that the majority (ahhhh Peter...we won..you lost) will up and disappear.
Lots of great suggestions. As a hardcore Dem I hope that the GOP follows none of them. Lets face it the GOP has become a party of Rush Limbaugh loving whiny self-victimhood embracing ideologues who have no desire to make the needed compromises to actually be a governing party. Sort of like the Democrats in the 1970s/1980s. A real old school conservative like Jack Kemp must really have felt dispirited about what happened to his party.
Jack Kemp was a worthy Republican who I always respected. Especially his ideas about enterprise zones and making capitalism work for the poor and minorities.
Who is the new GOP Jack Kemp?
It will be interesting to see if the GOP can let that social stuff go. My local paper notes today that the Rapides Parish Police Jury has as its main agenda item this week to re-affirm its opposition to same-sex marriage.
Not roads, not drainage, not schools or crime - no. Small-town Louisiana is still obsessing over the queers coming to destroy their marriages. Next week they'll take on evolution in the schools, no doubt.
On the occasion of the death of Jack Kemp, can you think of some good advice for the GOP?
Become Democrats, or prepare to be destroyed.
Have younger conservative, republicans do a cross country tour.
I am thinking Patrick McHenry and Kathryn Jean Lopez.
I believe their leadership and charisma could ignite a storm. A gathering storm.
Not roads, not drainage, not schools or crime - no. Small-town Louisiana is still obsessing over the queers coming to destroy their marriages. Next week they'll take on evolution in the schools, no doubt.
Of course, doing something silly like reviewing the previous meeting's minutes would review that as utterly baseless and completely overblown, but really, no surprise there at all. Lies and false impressions are the workhorses of the media and their willing accomplices.
also hating the fags more would be very helpful.
having someone with really big tits as a spokesperson would be good too.
Miss California as our VP pick would be great as well.
More Michelle Bachman, everywhere on tv, articulating our vision.
At the next teabag party performing the act of teabagging would be great as well.
sofa king is SHOCKED to find hyperbole applied in a blog comment.
Still, let us stop and thank God and the GOP that marriage is held sacred by the Police Jurors in central Louisiana.
sofa king is SHOCKED to find hyperbole applied in a blog comment.
Right, of course. "I was just joking, you took that seriously?"
It's a serious topic and deserves serious discussion. If you want to engage and satire and hyperbole, it would be helpful to indicate when you are not being serious.
Kemp was a hell of a good quarterback. His political base was always too small for him to rise far in national politics. Nevertheless he always did represent the best in the Republican Tradition. Too bad he died without seeing the promised land conquered by good people like himself.
Sofa King - by "it" do you mean reshaping the GOP? Or same-sex marriage? I don't know which topic you're saying is "serious."
Hyperbole does not preclude serious commentary. Scorn is a perfectly serious attitude.
1. Ditch the whole RHINO concept. Any Republican is a good Republican except for those who can't distinguish conservatism from bigotry.
2. Target the hispanics. They have an entrepreneurial bent and a pride in hard work ethic that should make them natural Republican allies. This means giving up the immigration demagogic (which is a main reason why the Democrats now dominate California.)
3. Walk the walk on fiscal conservatism.
4. Focus hard on Midwestern states like Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan. Recruit great candidates in these places and give them lots of support.
5. Target women. Recruit first rate women candidates. Drop the abortion litmus test. Legalized abortion is here to stay, especially after Obama gets to reshape the Supreme Court. Deal with it.
6. Fight hard against the Obama-Democrat carbon tax. It may pass but when it does it's going to be a disaster. Make the Democrats own this disaster.
7. Recruit and promote young people. They are the future. Both the Republicans and Democrats have been given up for dead by the media before. It's never as bad as it seems (except when it's worse.)
Bring Katherine Harris back, riding a horse. That was hot.
Recruit Rush to be our Presidential candidate in 2012.
More Maggie Gallagher on the tele speaking against gay marriage.
Find our Jon Stewart to combat the liberal media's bias.
Hell, I think "Freedom is for everybody" is about as good a job as you could do.
More southern republicans on the tele.
Their accent is an excellent recruiting tool.
I said tool.
Ditch Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.
Focus on the base.
More Karl Rove.
Hate fags as much as humanly possible.
6. Fight hard against the Obama-Democrat carbon tax. It may pass but when it does it's going to be a disaster. Make the Democrats own this disaster.I think there's a lot of promise in this one. And I would predict there'll be more and more Democratic opposition to it as well - this is one of the reasons I don't believe Obama will have a rubber-stamp from Congress.
Have Fox news acquire all of the media in the country.
Have Ann Coulter switch from black minis to red minis.
"That's what Jack Kemp really stood for."
Maybe he was nice personally, I don't know. He was tedium personified in public.
I recommend getting a dog, so people don't have to make stuff up when you die.
Find a black that didn't vote for Obama and have him on the tele.
Oh wait, we got Michael Steele.
More Michael Steele.
Have Bruno come out against gay marriage and have him on the tele, next to Miss Calfornia, Virgina Foxx and Maggie Gallagher.
Have republican women stop wearing bras so their nipples show in interviews on the tele.
More David Vitter talking about family values and the sanctity of marriage.
Have David Vitter on the tele in a diaper and baby rattle talking about the sanctity of marriage.
Don't say bad things about fellow Republicans.
Do say bad things about Obama and other Democrats, especially when you are on TV.
When questioned by reporters about the bad things you said, have ten more bad things to say.
Use names of people, don't just say "Democrats" or "Liberals".
Talk to all Americans, not just groups.
Hyperbole does not preclude serious commentary. Scorn is a perfectly serious attitude.
Fine, you're right, no criticism of Republicans, no matter how exaggerated or made-up, is wrong. Fake but accurate.
Have that Oklahoma senator on the tele with the blown up picture of his extended family of non homos.
Let's learn about each of his non homo relatives.
Really learn about them.
That would be gold.
The GOP should listen to people like David, and then be smart enough to realize he's offering a losing position for them. He's wrong about CA, but more importantly the GOP shouldn't try to be the Gramsci/balkanization party since the Dems already have that locked up. No matter how hard the GOP tries to make Antonio proud, the Dems will always be able to undercut them. No matter how hard the GOP panders, the Dems will always be able to pander even more.
In fact, it would be incredibly easy for the GOP to use the imm. issue to eviscerate the Dems, if they did it in the correct way. What they could start by doing is finding a smarter, more aggressive person than this guy to go out and ask Dem leaders about the fact that the Dems want to take college educations away from U.S. citizens in order to give them to foreign citizens who were here illegally.
The great majority of Americans aren't going to look too kindly on those who turn their back on their fellow citizens. Yet, the GOP is completely unable to do anything like that, instead engaging in very low-wattage Hannity-style stunts and the like. And, at the fringes, the Randroid loons think acting like ACORN and standing on street corners hold loopy signs is an effective strategy.
Focus on the real parts of America.
Columnist and pundit Mark Shields on today's "Inside Washington" show, and I quote from memory.
"Republicans need to realize that politics is a game of addition, not subtraction."
BINGO!
On the occasion of the death of Jack Kemp, can you think of some good advice for the GOP?.
Lose the sanctimonious emptysuitism that a dope like Jack Kemp represented.
Show the sides of us that are fun, cool, hip, and like to get down and party.
That ties in with conducting actual real life teabag parties.
No more "outreach" garbage. If you have a position on homosexuality, or anything else, say what it is and stick with it. No hiding in the closet.
One thing I hate about the entire McCain family is how now that the presidential campaign is over they are trying to do "gay outreach." These people didn't even make rainbow McCain/Palin bumper stickers.
It was more than that. If you wanted to volunteer for the McCain campaign you could join groups and they had groups for everything accept homosexuals. I joked to my friends that McCain must think we should join the "disabled" group because he classified homosexuality as a mental disease.
Have Mitt Romney talk about more east coast elites and have Guilani talk more about cosmoplitan types.
Fred Thompson in 2012!
sofa king, for the second time in two months, the Rapides Parish politicos are obsessing with gay marriage. No lies there. It's fair criticism to point this out as example of one of the problems facing the GOP - and thus it addresses the topic of this thread.
No lies there.
It is a lie and a misrepresentation to suggest as you did that they are doing so to the exclusion of other more mundane business. That it is an "obsession" and not just ordinary political business. If you think they are wrong for even discussing it at all, then go ahead take a stand. Don't dishonestly pretend your objection is practical and somehow apolitical.
It's fair criticism to point this out as example of one of the problems facing the GOP - and thus it addresses the topic of this thread.
I guess I don't understand why opposition to same-sex marriage would be considered a problem for the GOP. Most voters are in fact opposed to it. Why is that a problem?
On the occasion of the death of Jack Kemp, can you think of some good advice for the GOP?
Advice from Kemp himself would be a good start. This from a letter to his grandchildren, after Obama's win.
"The party of Lincoln, (i.e., the GOP), needs to rethink and revisit its historic roots as a party of emancipation, liberation, civil rights and equality of opportunity for all."
The problem that people like Beau can't understand is that to the Dems, phrases like "civil rights" mean something beyond their dictionary definition. To the Dems, it includes giving rights to citizens... of other countries. It includes the "good" kind of racial bias, as does the phrase "equality of opportunity for all."
The GOP needs to read this over and over until their internalize that rather than internalizing as they have the far-left principles that the Dems have adopted.
If they did, they could effectively fight against groups like this rather than pandering to them as they've been doing (and as "concern trolls" want them to do).
Beau, I think John McCain tried to speak to this side of the GOP but he was hamstrung by other voices (i.e. the Limbaugh wing) in the party.
There is a reason that Lonewacko picked the name that he did.
David said: Target the hispanics. They have an entrepreneurial bent and a pride in hard work ethic that should make them natural Republican allies. This means giving up the immigration demagogic (which is a main reason why the Democrats now dominate California.)"
This is the same strategy that the GOP has been persuing for decades, and it doesn't work. Republicans will never be able to out-Hispander the Dems. McCain is Exhibit A in that regard.
The Dems dominate CA because Hispanics are natural Dems, and will continue to be regardless of what position the GOP takes on immigration. The idea that their "work ethic" makes Hispanics natural Republicans is just delusional. The Hispanic illegitimacy rate is 50%. The GOP may be able to do a lot better with Asians, but not Hispanics.
J.J. Hunsecker: The President, let it be said at once, is a man of 40 faces, not one - none too pretty, and all deceptive. You see that grin? That's the, eh, that's the Charming Street Urchin face. It's part of his helpless act: he throws himself upon your mercy. He's got a half-dozen faces for the ladies. But the one I like, the really cute one, is the quick, dependable chap. Nothing he won't do for you in a pinch - so he says.
[Pulls out an unlit cigarette and faces Falco]
J.J. Hunsecker: Match me, Sidney.
Sidney Falco: Not right this minute, J.J.
(Sweet Smell of Success, 1957)
house,
You are addled and senile. That is what comes from interspecies dating.
Start a war between city dwellers and country folk.
The Republicans have been following Kemp's policies for the last 15 years and the results are disastrous. 30 years of supporting Affirmative action and votes for DC and 95 percent of AA vote for Obama. Also, like Phil Gramm, Kemp was fountain of bad economic advice, including support for:
-Open Borders and massive illegal and legal immigration
-outsourcing of jobs and H-1V
-"free trade" at all costs
-deregulation of the financial sector
- TARP and the bank bailout
- Cutting taxes on the rich
- Privatizing social security.
A dangerous boob.
On balance, I think Jack Kemp’s strengths outweighed his weaknesses. I don’t know exactly how the GOP can find another, but a few thoughts from Peggy Noonan are worth quoting. I’m sure a lot of commenters think she is a RINO, but hear her out.
From “What I Saw at the Revolution”: “These are not people who mourn when somebody disappoints them, they like it. More proof of human perfidy! More proof of the ugliness at the core of the human heart.” (page112)
“That’s one of the great sins of the right, isn’t, that they make converts feel unwelcome. The magic part of the New Deal was that everyone was invited.” (page 274)
“Jack Kemp is there, in the projects. Watch him. What he is doing is the future of the Republican party.” (page 275)
Well, I guess maybe he wasn’t the future of the Republican Party. Or maybe the jury is still out. Being inclusive doesn’t mean compromising your most deeply held values. It does mean you are a lady or a gentleman about presenting those values.
Beau said...On the occasion of the death of Jack Kemp, can you think of some good advice for the GOP?
Advice from Kemp himself would be a good start. This from a letter to his grandchildren, after Obama's win.
"The party of Lincoln, (i.e., the GOP), needs to rethink and revisit its historic roots as a party of emancipation, liberation, civil rights and equality of opportunity for all.".
^ That's an example of the sanctimonious emptysuitism I was talking about.
Good riddance to this gym teacher/hack politician/all time QB fumble record holder.
SWPL Republicanism.
The GOP should realize that it has primarily been successful when it is a genuine reform party (Lincoln, TR, Nixon on foreign policy, Reagan) and not a status quo party (McKinley, Harding, Eisenhower, both Bushes.) As a status quo party, they end up embodying corruption.
What important areas of national policy will NOT be reformed by Obama and the Dems? Focus on that.
-- Overturning the teachers' unions' stranglehold on education. This is an especially good issue to hit blue states and blue constituencies with. But they've got to kick ass and name names.
-- End the futile drug war. Focus on the cost/benefit of continuing it, and it becomes obvious what should be done. They don't have to remove social approbation of drugs, but as with abortion, prohibition isn't really an effective way to achieve the desired end.
-- Overturning the teachers' unions' stranglehold on education. This is an especially good issue to hit blue states and blue constituencies with. But they've got to kick ass and name names.Don't count this one out for Dems, not yet.
The teacher's union in New Orleans is not entirely irrelevant, but it's been forced to compete with charter schools, before and after Katrina. The storm pretty much cleared the way for reform by simply washing away the schools administered by the school board, and staffed by union teachers. The state had already taken control of underperforming schools. When parents returned to the city after the storm, they started creating new charter schools. Some of those are succeeding, and some aren't, but the landscape is very different now, and the union has little influence.
I need to add that while Louisiana is a red state, New Orleans is a blue town. Local Democrats are not fighting for the teacher's union, not in significant numbers.
John Stodder - yes and yes. As has been said before, the children (students) have no union. It is not fair for a child of any race or background to be "taught" by someone who is only in their position because of tenure, and not because of merit or achievement (or even mere competence).
I also agree with you on the drug war, it is ridiculous to arrest and/or jail anyone for marijuana in this day & age. I don't think I know anyone besides my parents who has not smoked weed, and it only encourages contempt for the law to continue the pretense that it is a crime to possess or use it. It also encourages selective enforcement on groups such as blacks and Hispanics which is a very undesirable situation.
I was involved in a conversation today with two very liberal DEMS (early 50's each) who were vehemently complaining about the sheer incompetence and price gouging by a city-owned gas utility and the same city's upcoming increase in real estate taxes (19% rise).
I brought up another egregious & obvious example of the city's enormous waste and questionable spending. My two liberal friends sort of got it but would not admit it.
The moral of my story is people like them will never ever vote Republican.
The future is with the young and fighting to win back a majority in the 9-10 "swing" states. That is where conservatives should spend their time, energy and money. Republican
AJ....9-10 swing states.....
ha ha...please name them.
And by all means count on the youth of this country to go GOP..ha ha....
Hey, get Cheney out there to stump...kids love him.
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