Looking WAY down the road...

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

The party is hemorrhaging membership. I'd post the graph, but I haven't been able to find lately. It's not pretty.

Okay, here's the graph. Party affiliation according to respondents (self-identification, not registration).

The responses to the questions are interesting in light of our discussion of a possible limited-government resurgence. Doesn't look like that'd be very popular. I find the results to the question about debt particularly disconcerting.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by BlueHair

What do you think the solution is? Maybe a move to the center would help.

I have no idea. The problem now is that the compassionate conservatives think they ARE the party. So trying to get them to give it back is going to be an uphill battle. And even if we did, the party wouldn't have enough support to be viable. And based on that graph, fiscal conservatism isn't going to be an easy sell to the public.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by BlueHair

What do you think the solution is? Maybe a move to the center would help.

We just had one of those just one day ago.

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Okay, here's the graph. Party affiliation according to respondents (self-identification, not registration).

Interesting, is it not, that Republicans controlled all of Congress for most of those years and the White House for roughly half of them. Doesn't seem like party affiliation matters much when it comes down to it.

A true conservative candidate who can articulate the ideology will win in most cases. I don't know why Republicans can't stick to that.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Tex

A true conservative candidate who can articulate the ideology will win in most cases. I don't know why Republicans can't stick to that.

Because they're not conservatives. Conservatives would have to cut programs. Everybody likes less government in theory, but nobody wants to see their favorite program get cut.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Because they're not conservatives. Conservatives would have to cut programs. Everybody likes less government in theory, but nobody wants to see their favorite program get cut.

King.