Ravenwood - 05/26/04 07:15 AM
Spoons is trying to save the Republican Party for conservatism. He makes a persuasive argument that a Democrat president is not the end of the world, but that re-electing President Bush may be the end of the Republican party as we once knew it.
I recommend reading the whole thing, but here are the money quotes.
8. As conservatives, there's nothing we can do to affect what the Democrats do: the only way for conservatives to affect the political landscape in this country is to influence the kind of candidates that succeed in the Republican Party;He makes a very good argument, but I'm not completely convinced. Then again, while I am dead set against voting for Kerry in November, I am not completely sold that Bush is the right candidate either. Throwing my vote away or "protest" voting may be the way to go.9. If the Republican Party ceased to stand for conservative principles, there would be no rightward pushing force to counteract Democrat liberalism;
10. President Bush does not govern according to conservative principles, as demonstrated by his positions on Campaign Finance Reform, gun control, affirmative action, illegal immigration, surrender to Democrats on federal judges; massive government spending and expansion; steel tarriffs (sic) (nowhere near an exhuastive list);
11. A Bush defeat, in contrast, will have the undesirable effect of having John Kerry in the White House. We would have an opportunity to correct that error in four years.
12. No strategy which posits that "we can't afford to let a Democrat get into the White House" is reasonable or realistic, due to the fact that future Democrat Presidents are inevitable;
13. If President Bush is reelected, he will leave an indellible (sic) mark on the Republican Party, reshaping it for at least a generation;
14. If President Bush is reelected, the U.S. will have gone at least 20 years (from 1989-2009) without a conservative in the White House;
15. A relection (sic) of President Bush will serve to validate Bush's brand of liberal, so-called "compassionate" conservatism as a winning electoral strategy for the Republican Party;
16. A Bush reelection will leave an indellible (sic) effect on the Republican Party, and the cause of conservatism in the GOP will be dramatically, perhaps irrevocably, set back;
Just out of curiosity, how would "protest" voting "be the way to go?"
There's no conservative candidate to vote for.
Either John Kerry or George Bush will reside in the White House for the next four years. Failing to vote or "protest" voting's not going to change that.
We have three choices: poor, worse, & not choosing. If we don't choose, a choice will be made for us.
There's no "none of the above" line on the ballot (though I wish, oh how I wish, there was.)
Spoons believes that a Kerry presidency will result in less damage in the future than a Bush presidency. Unfortunately, I cannot agree. I can't predict the future, but Bush only concerns me. Kerry frightens me.
I know how I will cast my vote come November.
If Spoons wants the Republicans to go Conservative, then he needs to work at lower levels than the Presidency. The PARTY isn't conservative, and hasn't been, as far as I can tell, for quite a while. And the PARTY selects our candidates for high office.
Posted by: Kevin Baker at May 26, 2004 11:44 AMI don't believe that Bush will be as liberal the next 4 years. I might be wrong but I think he has went a long with the Dems to try an get reelected.
Posted by: Ctryboy24 at May 29, 2004 10:20 PMKevin: There are more than 2 candidates.
Posted by: markm at May 31, 2004 8:32 AM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
