Mark McKinnon and Jon Henke get at the essence of our party’s problem:
Sure, there are plenty of Republicans mumbling the standard talking points, but few, if any, are capturing the public imagination.
That’s a problem. It’s not enough to argue that Democrats are wrong. If Republicans cannot express a compelling vision for America that actually persuades Americans that Republicans are right, then it’s hard to see how Republicans can recover.
As Glenn Reynolds who linked this might say, read the whole thing*; they put forward the names of several Republican who have, in the past, done a good job articulating the conservative message. Some of them may well be capable of capturing the public imagination.
While Obama’s message may have been little more than pablum, he did capture the imagination of a large segment of the population. As did Sarah Palin soon after John McCain tapped her as his running mate. It’s why, I believe, Democrats and the MSM were so eager to destroy her. They wanted to prevent a Republican, especially a Republican woman, who could connect with voters, from succeeding.
While poll after poll suggests that Americans are opposed the bulk of Obama’s ideas, Republican ideas resonate. But, people don’t vote for ideas (well, except on initiatives and referenda), they vote for candidates, hence the need to get some candidates out there who can make a compelling ccase for conservatism.
Once we do, not only will we recapture Congress, but we’ll win back the White House as well–and sooner than most people think. Just so long as articulate and charismastic conservatives step up to the plate and put their hats in the ring. (How’s that for mixing metaphors?)
*While you’re at it, make sure to check out Jon’s blog, The Next Right, a good source for ideas on rebuilding the GOP and recapturing the majority.
I think there’s a chance that we’ll see a nationalist movement in this country as we’re seeing in Europe.
The professional political class (especially Democrats) have abandoned even the pretext of working for the “common man”. Indeed, liberals have disdain and loathing for the hayseeds and hicks that used to build our cars, make our steel, and who still die in our wars.
Politicians from both parties (especially liberals) work full time to tear down what’s left of the country and to divide the population into warring factions.
Can anyone name a single thing the Obama and his rubber stamps in Congress have done to help the working classes? No.
At some point, we will wake up and figure out that the politicians aren’t sticking it to “the rich” – they’re sticking it to us.
Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. If we had a BNP, I’d probably vote for its candidates.
The daily dose of pedantry.
“Pablum is a processed cereal for infants originally marketed by the Mead Johnson Company in 1931. The trademarked name is a contracted form of the Latin word pabulum, meaning “foodstuff”. The name is also used metaphorically, especially in literary criticism, to refer to something bland, unappetizing, or with little content value.”
The GOP HOLDS the public imagination, and they get confused with bad gop “leaders” and the tainted (actually wholly owned) media to think they must believe as a block.
You know why the GOP IS America? because we don’t have leaders, we are able to think for ourselves, we don’t need a messiah to lead us into our great conservative future, we will hate them too, rather than adore and bow and kiss their feet.
Conservatives are PEOPLE! Individuals who think and do and act, we want someone in charge who is smart enough to not restrict our ability to think and do and act.
Insty talks about the whole “going john galt” trend.
I went John Galt 4 years ago, under a soft republican, who was no conservative.
I haven’t stopped learning or knowing, but I stopped acting, because this effing government doesn’t deserve my full effort.
Ask california? What has Cuffy Meigs given you?
Am I reading about the GOP or Soylent Green?
Has anyone heard “The Youngs Cons”, they are a Republican Rap Duo. They are terrific
http://www.scottspiegel.com/?p=449 (“Red Franco Sarto High Heels Trounce Hawaiian Print Rubber Slippas “)
Everything Palin said was not only delivered in a spirited manner but also true. Much of what Obama said, despite how many people were impressed by his tone, was wrongheaded. Offering an upbeat vision is important, but it’s equally important to offer a critical, fact-based assessment of Obama’s rewriting of history and his harmful moral relativism. Why rely only on closing and opening arguments and not on cross-examining the witness?
http://www.scottspiegel.com/?p=449 (“Red Franco Sarto High Heels Trounce Hawaiian Print Rubber Slippas”)