FoodHot Chocolate (well, we are having way below average temps this week) for thought: Christine Todd Whitman and Robert M. Bostock - Free the GOP: The Party Won’t Win Back the Middle as Long As It’s Hostage to Social Fundamentalists (Via Little Green Footballs)

Four years ago … our central thesis was simple: The Republican Party had been taken hostage by “social fundamentalists,” the people who base their votes on such social issues as abortion, gay rights and stem cell research. Unless the GOP freed itself from their grip, we argued, it would so alienate itself from the broad center of the American electorate that it would become increasingly marginalized and find itself out of power.

At the time, this idea was roundly attacked by many who were convinced that holding on to the “base” at all costs was the way to go. A former speechwriter for President Bush, Matthew Scully, who went on to work for the McCain campaign this year, called the book “airy blather” and said its argument fell somewhere between “insufferable snobbery” and “complete cluelessness.” Gary Bauer suggested that the book sounded as if it came from a “Michael Moore radical.” National Review said its warnings were, “at best, counterintuitive,” and Ann Coulter said the book was “based on conventional wisdom that is now known to be false.” …

In seven of the nine states that switched this year from Republican to Democratic, Obama’s vote total exceeded the total won by President Bush four years ago. So even if McCain had equaled the president’s numbers from 2004 (and he did not), he still would have lost in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina and Virginia (81 total electoral votes) — and lost the election. McCain didn’t lose those states because he failed to hold the base. He lost them because Obama broadened his base.

This is where I usually get into one of those long posts where I barely know when to stop (and get myself flayed), so I’ll try and be brief.

This is something that I have mentioned a few times over at Pirate’s Cove, as well as here at McCain Blogs and at Stop The ACLU. The two authors of the column call it social fundamentalists, which, quite frankly, is a bit insulting, even though I am not one. Me, I call it the moralists. In my political opinion, most moral issues do not belong as part of the core agenda of the GOP, particularly at the national level. These issue mostly should belong to individuals and to private groups. There is nothing wrong with having high morals, but the GOP as a party seems to be pushing these issues over the ones that were established per the Constitution: keeping the country running.

I guess, for me, it goes back to the fact that the Conservative movement is based on Classical Liberalism. There are 3 cores to the Democratic political model: the economic, the moral, and the political. In Classic Liberalism, the model states that government stays out of those cores as much as possible. The government that governs least governs best, but gets involved when necessary. Social Democracy is when government gets massively involved in economic issues. Classic Conservatism is when government gets involved highly in the moral core, and somewhat in the political core.

Personally, I rarely get involved in the main social focuses of the day. For instance, gay marriage. Personally, it is not a hot button issue for me. If I had to vote, I would probably vote against gay marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman. But, but, I see no reason to stop homosexuals from having civil ceremonies and being considered domestic partners. If 2 people love each other, who the hell am I to stop them? This is America. Freedom. And Prop 8 is the perfect example of how it should work. Private citizens and groups doing it, rather then the national GOP pushing it in Congress.

Now, let’s look at stem cell research. The big issue is embryonic stem cell research. Certainly, the backing of this research by Liberals is because of its implications to abortion on demand, another big moral issue, obviously. This is an issue that is a hot button one for me. I think it is despicable that the Left pushes ESC research simply for abortion issues, and, the GOP has opposed the research, mostly on moral lines. Should the GOP push legislation and block federal funding for ESC research on moral lines? Yes, to some degree. But, it is a loser method. Like with abortion, the Left has won the morality of the issue by using non-offensive language, such as “the march of progress” and “blocking potential cures.” They did this with abortion with terms we all know, such as “choice,” “reproductive rights,” and “a woman’s right to choose.” Funny how under Obama’s health plans, you will be forced to get a health care checkup, loosing your “choice,” but, I digress.

We should not forget the morality of the ESC issue, but, the political party should fight it on mostly non-moral grounds. For instance, ESC research has provided no cures, no medicines, and no treatments without massive issues, usually known as “teratomas.” Monster tumors. Adult stem cell research, and now placental stem cell research, have been providing cures, medicines, and treatments. I just posted one earlier. Which is why private industry is spending lots of money on them. If ESC was so great, they wouldn’t be whining to the feds for money. The GOP should block the use of federal money for the ESC research because it is a waste of money.

Abortion is, of course, the big issue. And one I personally rarely get involved in. I hate to say it, but, it is not one of my hot button issues, except in terms of late term abortions, which are, per the doctors that perform them, performed mostly because the mother decided very late that she doesn’t want the baby, and not for medical reasons, and the issue of parental notification. I could go on and on on these issues, but, for brevity, I won’t. Just consider, though: if a minor gets busted for, well, pretty much anything, the parents must be notified! But, here we have a massive life changing medical procedure, and in many states parents do not have to be notified. Just. Plain. Wrong. The GOP could certainly fight on legal grounds on these two issues, rather then moral grounds.

Abortion on demand has been turned into a privacy issue by those who support it. And, it is the Democrats number one all-encompassing issue, make no doubt about that. So, how does the GOP fight that? They mostly don’t, not as a Party. Again, let the individuals and private groups do it. They managed to get abortion on to several State ballots, and, if we stay true to our conservative roots, that is where it belongs. 9th and 10th Amendments. Limited government, particularly at the federal level. Certainly, the national party should fight if Democrats try to expand abortion on demand.

Certainly, many people will disagree with me. Hey, it’s America, that’s your right. My opinion is that the national Party, and even the State Party’s, should ease off the moral issues that have become so prominent, and focus more on our core ideals: limited government, continued low taxes, national security, individual rights and individualism, and a government that empowers and enables, not one that does it for you.

To wrap up (got a bit long winded), I should say I am no big fan of Whitman. Didn’t care for her when I was living in NJ, and still don’t. But, to me, she is making some sense. We shouldn’t expand our base by being a be all say all Party which stands for virtually everything, at least in rhetoric, like the Democrats. We should expand our voting base by being a Party of ideas, and holding our elected officials to those ideals.

Surrendie is highly amused this Friday. While he generally enjoys when Democrats surrender, it is almost as fun for him when those in the GOP lose their minds as well: 3 Successful Republicans Caution Against a Move to the Right

Senator Collins, Senator Alexander and Representative King were among Republicans who defied the odds in a terrible year for their colleagues. Their re-elections provide a possible road map for how the party can succeed in a challenging political environment. The answer, the three veteran politicians agreed, is not to become a more conservative, combative party focused on narrow partisan issues.

Right, because we wouldn’t want to do the same thing that the Democrats did, especially starting in 2001, and we wouldn’t want to actually stand for anything. Let’s just become the same as the Democrat Party.

“What doesn’t work is drawing a harsh ideological line in the sand,” said Ms. Collins, of Maine, who early in the year was a top Democratic target for defeat but ended up winning 61 percent of the vote while Senator Barack Obama received 58 percent in the presidential race in her state.

Worked for Democrats over the past 8 years. Oh, and it worked really, really well for that guy elected president in 1980.

“We make a mistake if we are going to make our entire appeal rural and outside the Northeast and outside the Rust Belt,” said Mr. King, of New York, who easily won re-election in a region shedding Republicans at a precipitous rate.

Well, if you stand for Conservative principles, shouldn’t be an issue.

“We can stand around and talk about our principles, but we have to put them into actions that most people agree with,” said Mr. Alexander, of Tennessee, a self-described conservative who was able to attract African-American voters.

That’s right, and the reason you lost was because you STOPPED BEING EVEN WISHY WASHY REPUBLICANS, much less Conservatives. It is a very simple proposition, spelled out millions of times by those in the base

• limited spending
• reducing the role of government in our personal and private lives
• increasing State’s Rights
• national security, which includes getting off your butts and securing the borders and making domestic energy production increases happen
• wise spending
• Constitutionality

That’s it. Simple. There are other issues out there, such as abortion on demand and gay marriage, that are very important to some Conservatives, but not for others. My personal opinion is that issues such as that should be left in the hands of the State’s and their voters. The Federal government has no place in legislating, except in terms of cross border. The morality push by the GOP is a loser issue.

But the GOP will not win by being Democrat Lite, but by having a coherent, adult, responsible, and simple policy stance. And the have to walk the talk.

One of the things that drove the Dubya supporters, such as myself, nuts was the ways he barely defended himself and his policies. Obviously, one doesn’t want to spend much time when the attacks are personal, giving them credence, or, as the old saying goes “never argue with an idiot. They’ll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.” But, in politics, one has to engage to some degree. And, it looks like Sarah Palin has decided that she will smack the vicious McCain aids in the face with a salmon

Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska fired back Friday at the unnamed McCain campaign aides who have been maligning her in recent days, saying that their criticism was “cruel and it’s mean-spirited, it’s immature, it’s unprofessional, and those guys are jerks.”

“So, no, I think that if there are allegations based on questions or comments that I made in debate prep about Nafta, and about the continent versus the country when we talk about Africa there, then those were taken out of context,” Ms. Palin said. “And that’s cruel and it’s mean-spirited, it’s immature, it’s unprofessional, and those guys are jerks, if they came away with it taking things out of context and then tried to spread something on national news. It is not fair and not right.”

The only person who can truly stop this is John McCain, and, while he has made some public calls for the aids to cut it out, they don’t seem to be listening. Of course, we do not know what is occurring behind the scenes. And, McCain made some inroads with the conservative base. He could certainly continue that stature by coming to Palin’s side, rather then acting as Big Daddy during a siblings dispute.

Anyhow, it is nice to see a Republican fighting back, and, if the McCain aids want to continue their anonymous smears, they will have a tough road, because she will not take it, and the conservative base will not take it.

Palin Derangement Syndrome strikes England

Townsfolk in England have delivered their explosive verdict on Sarah Palin, stuffing a giant effigy of the U.S. Republican vice presidential nominee with fireworks and blowing her up to raucous cheers.

The unusual display was the climax of an annual bonfire celebration Saturday in the southern town of Battle, where political figures are a favorite target of a local tradition that sees a different icon destroyed each year.

This year’s creation was a rather unflattering depiction of the self-declared “hockey mom,” a machine gun brandished in her muscular arms, bright red lipstick surrounding a grimacing smile and a moose at her side.

Imagine if that had been Barack H. Obama (yes, including the H is racist, in Liberal World). Imagine the outrage, the calls of racism, hatred, intolerance, etc. Liberals/progressives/surrender monkeys would be calling for a criminal hate crime investigation.

When Surrendie first heard this story late Thursday, he said “Mine! Mine! Mine!” And, since I usually avoid arguments with poo flingers, I said, “sure.” Raleigh N&O

Kay Hagan has filed a lawsuit against Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

The Democratic Senate candidate announced this afternoon that she will sue her Republican opponent and the Elizabeth Dole Committee over a television ad that criticizes her for attending a fundraiser hosted by the founder of an atheist group.

“In filing this suit, we’ve made clear that these kind of despicable tactics will not be tolerated, and our campaign is moving forward with the most important task at hand: defeating Elizabeth Dole, and giving North Carolina’s families a voice in the U.S. Senate that they’ve been sorely missing,” said Hagan spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan.

Surrendie is thrilled by how cool that is. Hagan has surrendered to the Barry way of doing things. Smear your opponents, lie about your own positions, then, if someone fights back, let your visceral response to be to investigate the lights out of them, and, file a lawsuit.

Now, to be clear, I do not think much of the Dole ad (below the fold), which, whether it is factual, stretches the truth, is false, is a waste of time and money, in my opinion. The whole atheism thing shouldn’t cause any contretemps for Hagan. People can be atheists, and shouldn’t be denigrated for that. It is their choice in our land of freedom. On the flip side, this has exposed not only this tremulous, friable Democrat candidate for high office, but, is a continuation of the Democrat playbook, and should give a big heads up over what the Obama presidency years will look like. And they will also be listening to the atheists would will force their agenda on others, rather then just live and let live.

Anyhow, Dole and her campaign say the ad is truthful. You decide.

The Surrender Monkey is really ready to get his groove on today. Surrendie loves all things surrender, but, he particularly enjoys when a supposedly conservative pundit goes catty moonbat, especially at a conservative website

My husband called it first. Then, a brilliant, 75-year-old scholar and raconteur confessed to me over wine: “I’m sexually attracted to her. I don’t care that she knows nothing.”

Finally, writer Robert Draper closed the file on the Sarah Palin mystery with a devastating article in this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine: “The Making (and Remaking) of McCain.”

McCain didn’t know her. He didn’t vet her. His campaign team had barely an impression. In a bar one night, Draper asked one of McCain’s senior advisers: “Leaving aside her actual experience, do you know how informed Governor Palin is about the issues of the day?”

The adviser thought a moment and replied: “No, I don’t know.”

Thanks, Kathy. I could swear I was reading something on the Huffington Post, Daily Kos, or Think Progress. Of course, she is certainly entitled to her opinion, but, like several other of the “elite” conservatives, she seems to have a bit of Palin Derangement Syndrome going on, and seems to expect some sort of Messiah like Conservative to spring forth and save the Party, rather then backing our own candidates.

Now, yes, there are some things about Palin and McCain’s policies I do not care for, such as their illegal immigration stances. But, those are policy disagreements. Conservative “elites” are more interestedin making it personal. Jack M at Ace of Spades HQ paraphrase the gist of the article as “John McCain picked Sarah Palin with his dick,” and he is correct.

Does she have to agree with other conservatives? No. But, it would be a nice if she could stop tearing down the conservative movement and becoming the latest Excitable Andy clone. Particularly considering her columns have been blasted by the readers and given poor marks since Sept. 19. She seems to delight more in attacks on Palin and McCain, rather then the guy who would like to silence her, raise her taxes, surrender to Islamic extremists, etc, and so on. You know the deal.

Hmmm, so the liberal meme about someone yelling “kill him” at a Palin rally? Apparently, a complete load: Secret Service says “Kill him” allegation unfounded

The agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in Scranton said allegations that someone yelled “kill him” when presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s name was mentioned during Tuesday’s Sarah Palin rally are unfounded.

The Scranton Times-Tribune first reported the alleged incident on its Web site Tuesday and then again in its print edition Wednesday. The first story, written by reporter David Singleton, appeared with allegations that while congressional candidate Chris Hackett was addressing the crowd and mentioned Oabama’s name a man in the audience shouted “kill him.”

Slavoski said more than 20 non-security agents were interviewed Wednesday, from news media to ordinary citizens in attendance at the rally for the Republican vice presidential candidate held at the Riverfront Sports Complex. He said Singleton was the only one to say he heard someone yell “kill him.”

“We have yet to find someone to back up the story,” Slavoski said. “We had people all over and we have yet to find anyone who said they heard it.”

So, the only person who can co-oberate the reporters story is…..the reporter.

Remember the days when reporters sourced their stories?

From Patterico: Now, the mythology of the lying left would have it, they didn’t just scream “Kill him!” referring to Obama (which itself never happened) — they even screamed “Kill Obama!”

Others: Michelle Malkin, Little Green Footballs, Newsbusters,

But, but, but, they are such a good organization, and the fraud is so little!!!!!

Election officials in Ohio’s most populous county have called on the prosecuting attorney to investigate alleged voter registration fraud by the community organizing group ACORN.

The bipartisan Cuyahoga County Board of Elections voted unanimously Monday to ask prosecutor Bill Mason to investigate four incidents of people signing multiple voter registration forms at the request of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform.

One of those voters, 19-year-old Freddie Johnson, told FOX News that he signed 73 voter registration forms over a five-month period.

The Cleveland resident said he was offered cigarettes and cash while trying to help paid ACORN solicitors collect signed registrations, but said he did not understand the proper voter-registration procedures.

The group was “trying to get signatures so they can make their money, and I was trying to help them,” Johnson said.

But, really, is it a big deal? I mean, could a few hunderd votes really make a difference in an election? Come on, be real.

ACORN’s state director, Katy Gall, said the organization would fire anyone seeking to acquire duplicate registrations and is cooperating with the investigation

Yeah, because they got caught.

A different ACORN tool

Appearing on Fox News’s “On The Record With Greta Van Susteren” for an exclusive interview, ACORN’S national spokesman, Scott Levenson, called the timing of the investigations “curious.”

“What ACORN did, along with Project Vote, is as American as apple pie,” Levenson said. “What we’re doing is out there encouraging people to participate in the process. That work should be applauded.”

Except that is not the point of the process of elections. One should learn the candidates positions, look at their past votes, statements, and policy positions, and make an informed choice. If I thought Barack Obama was the better candidate, I would vote for him, because of facts, not because he is Black, or a Democrat. I voted for Clinton in 1996 and Gore in 2000, because I thought they were the slightly better candidates. I despise the whole “get people registered and get out the vote” stuff. We end up with people who are uninformed voting, and it turns elections into a beauty pageant.

And is nice enough to position the people in Flyover state West Virginia as complete racists. Perhaps they should turn to the senior Senator from West Virginia for his opinion (NY Times)

Senator Barack Obama lost the Ohio Democratic primary by 10 percentage points and the West Virginia primary by a whopping 40 points last spring — a sign, to some Democrats and political analysts, that many whites in the Rust Belt would not vote for a black man for president.

I’m still waiting for the article that states that the 90% of Blacks who are going to vote for Obama are racist, because they won’t consider voting for a White man. But, this is the Democrat playbook when a minority or woman is running, bring up racism or sexism. Democrats will do anything to cover up and avoid a conversation on the real agenda and political background of their candidates. They’ve painted Obama as some sort of centrist, and people are buying the kool aid. If you try and bring his real background and agenda up, you are a racist, as has been documented time and time again.

Yet here was Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, on Sunday, taking a bus tour along the Ohio-West Virginia border — a white, economically depressed region where the Republican ticket, it turns out, is now struggling to prevail. And on a weekend when racial issues flared once more in the presidential campaign, race was also on the minds of many voters here, who said they were wary of a black president even if he might be better for them economically.

“What you hear around here is, would you rather have a black friend in the White House, or a white enemy?” said John Schuster, a Republican from Wheeling, W.Va., who joined several thousand people here for a twilight rally led by Ms. Palin.

Do you like how they linked SarahCuda in with supposed racism, and a quote?

Anyhow, the story continues on and on and on, racism racism racism, those evil Republicans, blah blah blah. Can’t criticise That One, you know.

It’s just so terrible!

As the crowd cheered at a Sarah Palin rally this morning in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a man in the audience grinned as he held up a stuffed monkey doll with a Barack Obama bumper sticker wrapped across its forehead.

The incident came at a time when McCain and Palin’s events have increasingly been fueled by angry crowds, since Palin began drawing a connection between Barack Obama and 1960s radical William Ayers, claiming that the Democratic nominee has a history of “palling around” with a terrorist.

Yawn. Nothing from CBS about the assassination chic of the Left.

Or how they call President Bush a terrorist. You would think that one of them might notice this 24/7 since Reagan became president display outside the White House

I guess it is OK to call Bush a monkey, though

CBS and the other lefty media, and lefties, pitch hissy fits (shocka!) about a few folks. Meanwhile, I look over and see Michelle M. has re-documented the massive hypocrisy and unhingedness of the Left.