Comments on: The Myth Of Conservative Strength In The GOP http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2009/10/02/the-myth-of-conservative-strength-in-the-gop/ n. the principle of good order<br /><br /> "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:07:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: jetan http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2009/10/02/the-myth-of-conservative-strength-in-the-gop/comment-page-1/#comment-33885 jetan Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:30:55 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=10170#comment-33885 Don't you suspect that all fof this "play to the base" stuff is just a matter of the Republicans being frozen in "fight the last war" position? After George H. W. Bush lost his grip on the right-wing of the GOP, Rove apparently made the decision that that wing would be placated at all costs during W's term. _At least symbolically_. For some reason, in the face of all the considerable evidence to the contrary, this political prescription has remained campaign dogma. Maybe it works in local elections, I think it does. But it seems a dead loser on the National level. Part of this seems due to the amazing reluctance or inability of the GOP to get creative in formulating new policy or even in returning to basics. On a perhaps related note, did you happen to catch Joe Carter's note over at First Things? It's at http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2009/10/02/has-modern-conservatism-become-a-cult/ Don’t you suspect that all fof this “play to the base” stuff is just a matter of the Republicans being frozen in “fight the last war” position? After George H. W. Bush lost his grip on the right-wing of the GOP, Rove apparently made the decision that that wing would be placated at all costs during W’s term. _At least symbolically_.

For some reason, in the face of all the considerable evidence to the contrary, this political prescription has remained campaign dogma. Maybe it works in local elections, I think it does. But it seems a dead loser on the National level. Part of this seems due to the amazing reluctance or inability of the GOP to get creative in formulating new policy or even in returning to basics.

On a perhaps related note, did you happen to catch Joe Carter’s note over at First Things? It’s at
http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2009/10/02/has-modern-conservatism-become-a-cult/

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