Tuesday, October 28, 2003
I've known republicans my whole life. most of the ones i know are sane, reasonable people. i disagree with them on many policy issues etc.-that's the root of political discourse after all. but i have a serious question for any sane, feet on the ground, fiscally conservative republicans out there. i don't care to hear from loony's or dittoheads-i want to hear from reasonable GOP party faithful. Do you really support everything the republican party stands for under bush? I was reading this re-election strategy outline and it occurs to me that, while there is definately some olde thyme republican sentiment in there, alot of it sounds crazy. it sounds like the strategy of a group of people in denial. especially with lines like this...
In the draft memo obtained by The Washington Times, Mr. Gillespie urges Republican leaders to point out that the Democratic Party's share of the electorate is shrinking.
Citing Democratic pollster Mark Penn's finding that "only 32 percent of voters now identify themselves as Democrats," the memo said, "And as the Democratic Party becomes more liberal, elitist and angry, it gets smaller."
ok,ok, but even if those numbers of self identifying dems are right, (i'll presume they are) what about the self identifying bush supporters? those are some numbers i'd like to see.
it 's not shocking that there are relatively few who will wear the party label on our side. ideologically people don't generally want to identify themselves with an established group unless they agree with at least most of what they have to say, and sometimes what the dems have too say is alot to swallow. but people will paint themselves with the brush of what they believe in. and the republicans strategy makes me wonder if they know about groups like republicans for dean ,or, republicans against bush . I remember that the one thing that struck me most as i attended my first dean meetup was the number of self identifying republicans there supporting dean. Then there's the independents , libertarians, and even a few greens. the thing the bush camp would do well to remember is that it's not the number of card carrying democrats that count-it's the countless other registered voters who mantra these days is "anyone but bush in 2004".
In the draft memo obtained by The Washington Times, Mr. Gillespie urges Republican leaders to point out that the Democratic Party's share of the electorate is shrinking.
Citing Democratic pollster Mark Penn's finding that "only 32 percent of voters now identify themselves as Democrats," the memo said, "And as the Democratic Party becomes more liberal, elitist and angry, it gets smaller."
ok,ok, but even if those numbers of self identifying dems are right, (i'll presume they are) what about the self identifying bush supporters? those are some numbers i'd like to see.
it 's not shocking that there are relatively few who will wear the party label on our side. ideologically people don't generally want to identify themselves with an established group unless they agree with at least most of what they have to say, and sometimes what the dems have too say is alot to swallow. but people will paint themselves with the brush of what they believe in. and the republicans strategy makes me wonder if they know about groups like republicans for dean ,or, republicans against bush . I remember that the one thing that struck me most as i attended my first dean meetup was the number of self identifying republicans there supporting dean. Then there's the independents , libertarians, and even a few greens. the thing the bush camp would do well to remember is that it's not the number of card carrying democrats that count-it's the countless other registered voters who mantra these days is "anyone but bush in 2004".
