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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: Benny B on February 25, 2010, 05:41:35 AM
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Conservative infighting heats up as focus shifts to important policy debates
Wed Feb 24
When Republican Scott Brown won the Massachusetts special election to fill liberal icon Ted Kennedy's vacant Senate seat, he was hailed as a conservative hero and a symbol of the start of a revolution in American politics. But Brown's recent vote in favor of a Democrat-sponsored spending bill inspired thousands of conservatives to direct a firehose of anger at the newly-minted Senator via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The sudden turn against Brown is just one of a few current internal squabbles on the right that could distract the conservative movement's focus away from what's been its main focus over the past year: opposing the efforts by President Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress to expand the role of government.
Here's a rundown of the three most significant current conflicts:
-Conservatives vs. Scott Brown: You'd be hard-pressed to find a single instance in U.S. political history when a single vote by a politician has affected his or her popularity more dramatically than Brown's vote in favor of the Democrats' jobs bill. Explaining his actions in a Facebook wall post, Brown wrote:
“I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families, this Senate jobs bill is not perfect. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I am voting for it because it contains measures that will help put people back t...o work. ... I hope for improvements in that process going forward."
The post generated thousands of comments and photoshopped images in response. Branded "Benedict Brown" by some in an ode to the famous turncoat of the Revolutionary War, the outpouring of anti-Scott Brown sentiment on the Internet was so far and wide, even spilling over to his daughter Ayla's Facebook page, that Gawker.com held a tongue-in-cheek contest encouraging readers to vote for their favorite "enraged Scott Brown Facebook fan comment." Many of the aforementioned comments and photos posted to Brown's Facebook page, as well as his daughter's, have since been removed, presumably by a Brown aide or Facebook administrators.
-Glenn Beck vs. Republicans/conservative commentators vs. Glenn Beck: On Saturday night, widely popular and always controversial Fox News host Glenn Beck delivered the keynote address at the annual gathering of conservatives known as CPAC. In his speech, Beck took some shots at the Republican party, comparing its inability to control its spending impulses to Tiger Woods' inability to control his sexual urges, and hinted that the creation of a third party might be in order since he thinks there are few differences between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.
Beck's words to the 2010 CPAC attendees, who supported Ron Paul overwhelmingly in a straw poll, didn't sit well with many of his cohorts in the conservative punditry. On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh warned that such talk threatened to divide the movement at a particularly crucial time.
"The best way to insure that Obama succeeds is to think that we need a third party," he said. "All the momentum that we've got going right now is just going to hit a brick wall if a third party starts, particularly on the basis that there's 'no difference between the two parties.'"
Conservative talker Mark Levin went a step further, mincing no words in firing a rhetorical warning shot aimed directly at Beck, saying flatly, "Stop dividing us."
-Michael Steele vs. the party faithful: One seemingly constant source of controversy within the Republican party for the last year has been the words and actions of RNC Chairman Michael Steele. The former Maryland lietenant governor has come under fire numerous times for comments deemed by some as embracing moderate to liberal policy stances. Additionally, Steele's handling of party finances has angered many within the ranks, a scab that was peeled off again this week when a Politico story revealed that not only is Steele lagging behind his predecessors in raising money for the party, but that he's also spent nearly twice as much as any past chairman on things such as charter flights, pricey meals, and chauffered cars.
In response to the story, a Steele aide fired back, noting that the RNC has raised over $90 million in the last year for Republican candidates across the country.
"We are focused on two things, raising money and winning elections," said advisor Doug Heye. "We have sent money directly to state parties and have won three statewide elections."
Whether or not these controversies will wind up hampering the conservative movement's ability to put up a united front in fighting for their ideological causes obviously remains to be seen. That said, they do not come at a good time. Unless, of course, you're a Democrat.
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A total lie!Rush said Browns vote here was predictable and that he isnt a true conservative but a HELL OF A LOT BETTER THEN Dead Kennedy.Rush also said NOT ONE THING negative about Beck other then saying a third party means democrats stay in power and conservatives need to take over the republican party.
The real infighting is with democrats who cant get anything done with super majorities and fillabuster proof majorities.
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Conservative infighting heats up as focus shifts to important policy debates
Wed Feb 24
When Republican Scott Brown won the Massachusetts special election to fill liberal icon Ted Kennedy's vacant Senate seat, he was hailed as a conservative hero and a symbol of the start of a revolution in American politics. But Brown's recent vote in favor of a Democrat-sponsored spending bill inspired thousands of conservatives to direct a firehose of anger at the newly-minted Senator via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The sudden turn against Brown is just one of a few current internal squabbles on the right that could distract the conservative movement's focus away from what's been its main focus over the past year: opposing the efforts by President Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress to expand the role of government.
Here's a rundown of the three most significant current conflicts:
-Conservatives vs. Scott Brown: You'd be hard-pressed to find a single instance in U.S. political history when a single vote by a politician has affected his or her popularity more dramatically than Brown's vote in favor of the Democrats' jobs bill. Explaining his actions in a Facebook wall post, Brown wrote:
“I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families, this Senate jobs bill is not perfect. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I am voting for it because it contains measures that will help put people back t...o work. ... I hope for improvements in that process going forward."
The post generated thousands of comments and photoshopped images in response. Branded "Benedict Brown" by some in an ode to the famous turncoat of the Revolutionary War, the outpouring of anti-Scott Brown sentiment on the Internet was so far and wide, even spilling over to his daughter Ayla's Facebook page, that Gawker.com held a tongue-in-cheek contest encouraging readers to vote for their favorite "enraged Scott Brown Facebook fan comment." Many of the aforementioned comments and photos posted to Brown's Facebook page, as well as his daughter's, have since been removed, presumably by a Brown aide or Facebook administrators.
-Glenn Beck vs. Republicans/conservative commentators vs. Glenn Beck: On Saturday night, widely popular and always controversial Fox News host Glenn Beck delivered the keynote address at the annual gathering of conservatives known as CPAC. In his speech, Beck took some shots at the Republican party, comparing its inability to control its spending impulses to Tiger Woods' inability to control his sexual urges, and hinted that the creation of a third party might be in order since he thinks there are few differences between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.
Beck's words to the 2010 CPAC attendees, who supported Ron Paul overwhelmingly in a straw poll, didn't sit well with many of his cohorts in the conservative punditry. On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh warned that such talk threatened to divide the movement at a particularly crucial time.
"The best way to insure that Obama succeeds is to think that we need a third party," he said. "All the momentum that we've got going right now is just going to hit a brick wall if a third party starts, particularly on the basis that there's 'no difference between the two parties.'"
Conservative talker Mark Levin went a step further, mincing no words in firing a rhetorical warning shot aimed directly at Beck, saying flatly, "Stop dividing us."
-Michael Steele vs. the party faithful: One seemingly constant source of controversy within the Republican party for the last year has been the words and actions of RNC Chairman Michael Steele. The former Maryland lietenant governor has come under fire numerous times for comments deemed by some as embracing moderate to liberal policy stances. Additionally, Steele's handling of party finances has angered many within the ranks, a scab that was peeled off again this week when a Politico story revealed that not only is Steele lagging behind his predecessors in raising money for the party, but that he's also spent nearly twice as much as any past chairman on things such as charter flights, pricey meals, and chauffered cars.
In response to the story, a Steele aide fired back, noting that the RNC has raised over $90 million in the last year for Republican candidates across the country.
"We are focused on two things, raising money and winning elections," said advisor Doug Heye. "We have sent money directly to state parties and have won three statewide elections."
Whether or not these controversies will wind up hampering the conservative movement's ability to put up a united front in fighting for their ideological causes obviously remains to be seen. That said, they do not come at a good time. Unless, of course, you're a Democrat.
benny, benny, benny, benny.... why are you sooo predicable? Why do you consistently fall in line with the ol' liberal playbook of divide and assassinate the enemy instead of debate them on ideas? I guess I should not expect anything different, you still defend Obama to this day.
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politics isn't abuot right/wrong. It's about doing what you can to stay in power to serve your interests.
and yes, the repub party SHOULD be more united right now against obama. And yes, Brown did shit on a lot of repubs by voting for the Dem jobs bill. it was the RIGHT move - but at the same time it did defy repub leadership.
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benny, benny, benny, benny.... why are you sooo predicable? Why do you consistently fall in line with the ol' liberal playbook of divide and assassinate the enemy instead of debate them on ideas? I guess I should not expect anything different, you still defend Obama to this day.
Benny needs to worry about the beating the Dems are en route to taking, not so-called infighting among the GOP folk. That's hardly going to take the American people's focus off the foolishness the left keeps trying.
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politics isn't abuot right/wrong. It's about doing what you can to stay in power to serve your interests.
and yes, the repub party SHOULD be more united right now against obama. And yes, Brown did shit on a lot of repubs by voting for the Dem jobs bill. it was the RIGHT move - but at the same time it did defy repub leadership.
I truly agree. I am a conservative and I am not NOT happy with the republican party right now. I haven't been for three years. I think that they are not, or there has not been someone ready to stand up and take the reins of true conservatism and become the voice. I am not talking about social issues, because I feel these should be left to the individual. What I mean is conservative fiscally, and in foriegn policy. The problem I see is the republicans are looking like obstructionists. Yes, the dems were obstructionists when Bush was president. Actually, many were down right divisive and incindiary to the likes of something we have not seen. But the Republicans need to do a much better job at why they have risen back to some power and not waste it. They need to come back to conservative principled leadership. Once that happens the modern democratic party will all be dead.
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LOL @ stupid ass Michael Steele.
Truly a crowning accomplishment putting him in that role.
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Headrush and his pal, the Neocon lawyer with a dead dog, both need to shut the hell up and stop acting like they're anything more than GOP talking heads. A third party is exactly what Conservatives could use right now.
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without this tea party vs RINO shit... the repubs would be in awesome shape.
They're in *good* shape right now... but really, they still have the 41-seat "superminority" and they're damn happy about it.
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I truly agree. I am a conservative and I am not NOT happy with the republican party right now. I haven't been for three years.
That's all? ???
Should be more like 9 years...