The Boston Globe

Politics

Conservative thinking

Republicans ponder party’s future course

Representative Charlie Bass drove around removing yard signs from his New Hampshire district Wednesday, the morning after his constituents voted to oust him from his House seat. It gave the moderate Republican time to ruminate on what has gone wrong in Washington and, in particular, with his own political party.

The GOP’s conservatives, said Bass, have grown excessively rigid, making it difficult for someone like him, from a swing state, to strike compromises and solve fiscal problems in the capital.

Comments

The only hope the GOP has to become relevant is if the throw Rove, Norquist, Ryan and the Tea Party under the bus and say good riddance.

In order to win elections republicans have to overthrow the dictator Norquist, but that takes courage which is obviously lacking.

I would simply ask this question - Do you think the Republicans will have a true debate - against very rich and powerful forces within their own party - about the realities within their party OR do you think they'll sit there and realize 2014 is not that far away? Yeah...I thought so...Linbaugh, Norquist, and Adelson are not going anywhere!

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Sadly for America, 4 more years of the current mess is not the answer. Nor is 4 years of conservative republican politics. Neither will help the country move forward and yet, these were our two choices. This election was not about voting what you belive in; it was about voting the perceived less bad option. The republican party needs to listen to the people ... half of the population doesn't want Obama's path forward. How might the GOP better represent the people, and meet their needs? They are going out of business if they do not evolve their thinking - aren't these election results a clear message? And quit blaming Romney - the issue isn't that the candidate doesn't fit - it is the party that doesn't fit.

The Tea Party is only the latest fringe to come to the fore. The current takeover of the GOP by extremist elements had its origins in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the election in 1968. The Republican Party started as a third-party movement frustrated with the status quo; perhaps it is time to let the whackos keep the party they are killing and start over with a new one.

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As a moderate centrist, I find appeal in this suggestion. How about a party which is fiscally conservative and socially moderate? Maybe the Progressive Conservatives?

That would essentially be a resurrected Bull Moose Party. I'm all for it.

Just a thought, a suggestion. For the next National election nominate a Gingrich/Bachman or any combination of the Tea Party favorites and let them have a go at it for the Presidency. Give them what they want and let the Electoral Votes go where they go. And no compromise or posturing on their avowed principles.

The Republican party is now replicating the "circular firing squad" of Democrats during the Reagan era:  fighting a battles it has already won, blaming different factions within the party, plus trying to roll back Roosevelt's New Deal, is not a path forward.  Welfare as we knew it vanished with the Clinton administration.  Overall tax rates are as low as they have been for at least 30 or 40 years.  "Radical health care reform" now is pretty much what Nixon proposed 40 years ago.  It is now, as it was for the Democrats then, time to evolve or die. 

I just read that it went officially for Obama...IMAGINE THAT.  Brings the total to 334!!  What a HUGE victory.  Boehner and McConnell refused to take a call from the president of the United States.  They said they were "sleeping".  Those slugs are sickening.  What an INSULT.  I think that is disgusting!   I am hoping the Republican Party goes the way of the Whigs.  They are irrelevant, the party of ignorance and utterly repulsive!

Vile

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oops my math was off make that 332!!!  Maybe Arizona will flip too as not all the votes are counted.  WHAT A ROUT.  A GREAT GREAT NIGHT and in my lifetime I saw it.  FABULOUS!