Caught a link to this article at the WSJ on Pat Buchanan's American Conservative Blog. http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121088369408596389.html?mod=fpa_mostpop Some folks might recall I had a John McCain will Destroy the GOP thread. The blue hairs with resumes going back to the 50s like Mr. Reed in this article, are dreamers. It's a different world today, and Bush has almost totally destroyed the Republican and Conservative brand. You see it when idiots like RNC Chairman Duncan rallies the party against a young, energetic, true conservative base like the Paulunteers. The GOP is not only going to get hammered by the Dems now, they are going to get hammered for the next generation or longer. You've got Bob Barr (the man who ran the impeachment against Clinton) running as a Libertarian, you have the Buchananites defected to the Constitution Party and Ron Paul running an insurgent campaign. The party is philosophically bankrupt with no cachet to invest in the future.
Pat his his own site, runs the American Conservative Magazine, and syndicates articles that appear at numerous locations online, including LewRockwell.com. But conservative legend, Ms. Peggy Noonan wrote this article.
It's almost as if Ron Paul's message "The Republican party has lost its way." is finally filtering into the craniums of GOP pundits after months of largely ignored repetition.
Nice provocative reading....BUT.... For the past eight years, Buchanon, like virtually all Republican/conservative/right wing pundits/comentators have primarily supported most of the agenda of the Bush administration, the Republican party, and the Republican majority congress that existed through 2006. Buchanon represents his own perspective that is often in alignment with strands of Libertarian thinking, but he like virtually all writers and practising politicians have accepted virtually everything from the Administration for most of that period. I'd bet Mr. Reed did also over the last eight years. I'm able to follow Tom Davis, who has clearly been a moderate republican, over his term, and he too has let much of what occurs in the Republican party pass without judgement or denunciation. I wish I had 8 years of tapes available on Buchanon's TV commentary. It has primarily supported the President, the GOP party and Republican legislators. If a significant part of the voting population has turned against both the existing administration and the party, the writers and the members of the party should look to themselves, as much as blame the administration. They have been active supporters of most of what has gone on for most of that period. As active and willing mouthpiece supporters and political voices they are part of the problem as perceived by the public, and represented by these votes, and they have been equally blind to the changing perception of the portion of the population that can swing elections. That portion, the great 1/3 of the population that is not strongly aligned to a party or a political philosophy has swung dramatically against both Bush and the GOP. I'd suggest look at yourselves first, and then start blaming.
Congratulations Earl. You managed to post one of your legendary long winded responses without actually reading the article or the thread. Btw, Buchanan is not libertarian. He's conservative. Even though Murray Rothbard was Pat's economics advisor in '92, Pat favors war over diplomacy, nationalism, he's anti-immigration, protectionist trade etc. Now I know why your criticisms of libertarians seem so flat. You have them confused with Conservatives.
Once again, you are wrong. I read Buchanon's article. I've read a fair bit of writings by Buchanon over time. And wrong on suggesting that I said that Buchanon is a libertarian. I specifically did not say that, but said ... While you may not like what I wrote, I stand by it. I suspect that there will be more commentators attacking Republicans and the Bush administration if election results continue like the 2006 Congressional elections and the 3 special elections. The first thing they should do is look at themselves. Pat Buchanon, like most Republican commentators, and most active Republican politicians, and activist members of the party spent most of the last eight years supporting most of what the administration and the congress did. At times they suppressed criticism, even as certain administration or Republican majority congressional actions acted in ways that went against their own intrinsic or oft described perspectives.
Nice post. But as far as Ron Paul goes, he never will get elected and switches parties so often its almost comical. Even with all the truths to this post it is not as chaotic as the Democratic party. No wonder so many people feel disinfranchised by the US government.
I think at the end of the day people will close ranks. I do think the primary campaign has hurt Obama, but in terms of platform, the difference between what either Obama or Clinton offers is far less than what either would offer via-a-vis McCain. Obama has shown not only his appeal, but his structural ability to get the word out - I've said it before, like RP, Obama has created a new paradigm of grass roots fundraising and organization, though unlike, RP, Obama's candidacy has translated into people actually voting. Obama will coalesce around him Democrats and independents sore over the last 8 years, and this will hurt McCain quite badly.
Well, Buchanan must write very well to be confused with Peggy Noonan, who wrote the article. When you get the author right, and then stop framing the piece to another author's past body of work, then I'll respond to the rest of your posts.
I agree, Paul will likely never get elected. However, you're incorrect about switching parties. Paul ran under the Libertarian ticket, but even today he is both a Libertarian (and libertarian) and Republican. Republicanism and libertarianism don't have to be mutually exclusive. Republicanism and Classic Liberalism are minarchist philosophies at heart.
Wow, check out the comments on this blog post. You would think the GOP was on fire. Like, burning to death. http://blog.nrcc.org/comment.cfm?entry_id=400
I really wouldn't call the paulunteers are true group of conservatives since the majority of them turn to Obama after Paul campaigned fizzled out.