Senate GOP leader: Party must explain core values

[dbackjon]

After crushing defeats in back-to-back elections, the top Senate Republican warned Thursday that the GOP risks remaining out of power in the White House and Congress unless it better explains its core principles to woo one-time faithful and new loyalists.

"The results of the two recent elections are real, and so are the obstacles we face as a party," Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the Republican National Committee on Thursday. "My concern is that unless we do something to adapt, our status as a minority party may become too pronounced for an easy recovery."

"The situation is challenging, but it's far from irreversible," McConnell added, a dash of optimism in an otherwise stark assessment of where the Republican Party went wrong as he provided a road map for how it can right itself.

He spoke to Republicans gathered in Washington to choose the next national chairman; five candidates are trying to unseat former President George W. Bush's hand-picked RNC chairman, Mike Duncan of Kentucky. The vote is Friday.

Implicit in McConnell's message was the concern that the Republican Party under Bush strayed from its beliefs, resulting in drubbings in two straight elections.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_ ... epublicans

[bobbythekidd]

My prediction is that we have seen our last Republican President in GWB. The party will not be relevant on the national scale for a decade to come.

My hope is that a good third party that reflects what Americans actually want and believe in steps up. It's pie in the sky but I can still hope.

[Col Hogan]

My prediction is that we have seen our last Republican President in GWB. The party will not be relevant on the national scale for a decade to come.

My hope is that a good third party that reflects what Americans actually want and believe in steps up. It's pie in the sky but I can still hope.

Take me to your leader...

I agree totally on the GOP assessment and hope that a new party that is more centrist than the liberal Democrats...

[Ibanez]

My prediction is that we have seen our last Republican President in GWB. The party will not be relevant on the national scale for a decade to come.

My hope is that a good third party that reflects what Americans actually want and believe in steps up. It's pie in the sky but I can still hope.

Perhaps we won't have another Republican president like Bush, but we will have another Republican president.

[houndawg]

My prediction is that we have seen our last Republican President in GWB. The party will not be relevant on the national scale for a decade to come.

My hope is that a good third party that reflects what Americans actually want and believe in steps up. It's pie in the sky but I can still hope.

Perhaps we won't have another Republican president like Bush, but we will have another Republican president.

I think he means Republicans as we know them: greedy, sleazy, venal, and parasitic. I hear they're considering making Rod Blagojevich an honorary Republican.

[Wedgebuster]

Apparently on the inside track is Sarah Palin, a true intellectual.

[UNI88]

Doesn't the party first need to determine what its core values are? It will remain a conservative party, but will its priority be fiscal conservatism or social conservatism? That is the first question to be answered.

[ASUMountaineer]

Doesn't the party first need to determine what its core values are? It will remain a conservative party, but will its priority be fiscal conservatism or social conservatism? That is the first question to be answered.

I can agree with that, along with less government or more government?

[houndawg]

Doesn't the party first need to determine what its core values are? It will remain a conservative party, but will its priority be fiscal conservatism or social conservatism? That is the first question to be answered.

Fiscal conservatism? You must be joking.

OTOH, the wide-stance wing of the party has pretty much ridden the social conservatism horse into the ground, and the cream of the jest is hearing about "core values" from Sen. McConnel who has carried water for those venal scumsuckers for eight years now..