What was repudiated, really?

[Stinky The Clown]

I don't think intellectually honest conservatism was repudiated. I don't think the things that the Republicans used to hold out as their core beliefs have been repudiated.

I think Newt Gingrich was repudiated. I think Tom Delay was repudiated. I think the religious right was repudiated. I think Paul Weyrich was repudiated. I think hate and cultural Neanderthalism was repudiated. I think overt racism was repudiated. I think wedges were repudiated. I think the myth of Ronald Reagan was repudiated. I think trickle down economics was repudiated. I think the Sarah Palin types who are still down there, slithering about on local city councils and school boards were repudiated. I think the Monica Goodlings were repudiated.

I think Goldwater Republicans can maintain a party. Maybe. I think Rockefeller Republicans can maintain a party. Maybe. I think a coalition of the two can make for a viable party. But they truly need to jettison the societal fringes that have become the mainstream of their party.

I hope this takes generations.

I would be pleased to debate them.

When they are willing to do so on the merits of their arguments.

[phantom power]

1. I wonder how much of that excellent list was really repudiated, either.

The economy tanked, badly, right before the election. In my dark heart, I wonder how much of this was nothing more than "when times are bad, I vote the incumbent party out."

In other words, no lessons learned, really.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. I surely think that's a part of it.

Economics matter. Personal economics matter personally.

But along with that simple phenomenon, one is forced to weigh it against the other issues and make a choice. Once that choice is made, it is hard for a person to go back.

[MrScorpio]

2. I wrote about it today

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4382221&mesg_id=4382221

[Stinky The Clown]

5. The first respondent to your thread postulated that Obama will be the greatest ............

.......... president of his/her lifetime.

Were that to come to pass, the repudiations would be cemented in the national psyche for at least two generations.

[DJ13]

4. I don't think intellectually honest conservatism was repudiated

What is "intellectually honest" about conservatism?

We need to recognize how far the GOP bastardized the term "conservative".

I doubt there are any Republicans left in influential positions that think it means anything other than the "return to the carefree pro-wealthy unregulated days of the 1920's" that has been so alluring to them since Reagan was in office.

Mention Eisenhower, and you'll get blank stares from most of them.

Conservatism, as practiced by the GOP for the last 30 years, is a dead concept, and theres nothing intellectual about any of them who have promoted it.

[Juche]

6. I think political conservatism was repudiated

The idealogy of small government, no social safety net, a big military, tax cuts (for the wealthy), opposing labor, etc. was repudiated.

The polls show the public wanting more gov. involvement and investment in healthcare, the economy, energy, education, etc. The public also want more progresive taxes. Something like 60 million workers say they'd join a union if they could. And support for a social safety net has gone up. People want a min. wage, UHC, unemployment benefits, etc because we are an economically insecure nation.

We didn't just repudiate the monsters at the head of the GOP, but the GOPs core philosophy.

[ljm2002]

7. I say "Screw 'Em!"

They made their bed, now they get to lie in it.

They set aside their own principles while they sucked up to racists and religious fanatics.

Then they took their cue from the religious fanatics and told the rest of us we had no morals and no principles.

And now that the results are there for all to see -- endless war, corruption, religious fanaticism and financial collapse -- now all of the sudden they'd like us to look back fondly on the so-called "real" conservatives.

Sorry. I didn't hear the "real" conservatives screaming when their party got taken over. I didn't hear the "real" conservatives deriding Bush's budget-busting policies of war and tax breaks for the rich. I didn't hear any of them asking the fanatics to put a lid on it when they accused the rest of us of being Godless immoral Amurka-hating Lieberals.

Nope, not buying it. The "real" conservatives can go start a new party. May I suggest the Red Party, as that is the opposite color from the Green Party. May they get about the same amount of political traction, too.