MSNBC's Brewer: GOP Should Abandon ‘Morals and Values’

[the_steevo_uk]

Your analysis makes no sense. You act as if the GOP has been down and out for decades. It has not. Again, it was just four years ago that the roles were reversed. The GOP was on top and the Dems were the minority party. The Dems didn't abandon their liberal philosophies, whatsoever. So why on Earth should anyone expect the GOP to do the same.

At the very least, all it takes is one party to screw up royally, in order for the other to capitalize and get back in the game. That's what happened to the GOP in 2006 and 2008.

And, as I've said multiple times, the GOP cannot, I repeat, CANNOT win without that evangelical/conservative base. The plan has to be: How to keep the base AND reach out to moderates. One without the other spells BEATDOWN (for either party).

I never said the GOP has been down and out for decades...and that's beside the point anyway, what I said was, if they want to win again they are going to have to go back to being conservative. Say what you want, but nothing about the GOP has been conservative, esp in the 21st century...yes the roles were reversed four years ago...but Thatcher won by a landslide in 87 and Major won big in 92...then look what happened to the Tory party, politics is sometimes about the simple of fact of people getting bored with those in power and the 'kick the bastards out' mentality, but I think with both the Tories and the Repubs the dynamics of failure have been fairly similar. Huge splits in the party, lack of direction on policy, and following ideologies that take them away from their traditional conservative roots. As for the evangelicals, im sorry but I just dont agree with you, Republicans can win big if they get a more relevant conservative message into their platform, all this focus on ethics and messing around with people's lives and moral choices is not the job of a truly conservative party, the government should have no say in how you run your life with the exception of devising laws so as to ensure the saftey of the individual and the right to liberty...the moment you get into this 'nanny state knows better than you' type of politics you piss people off, big time, and you cannot deny that the Repubs have expanded government and overly involved themselves in social issues which frankly should be of no interest to those in power.

[Dos Equis]

I never said the GOP has been down and out for decades...and that's beside the point anyway, what I said was, if they want to win again they are going to have to go back to being conservative. Say what you want, but nothing about the GOP has been conservative, esp in the 21st century...yes the roles were reversed four years ago...but Thatcher won by a landslide in 87 and Major won big in 92...then look what happened to the Tory party, politics is sometimes about the simple of fact of people getting bored with those in power and the 'kick the bastards out' mentality, but I think with both the Tories and the Repubs the dynamics of failure have been fairly similar. Huge splits in the party, lack of direction on policy, and following ideologies that take them away from their traditional conservative roots. As for the evangelicals, im sorry but I just dont agree with you, Republicans can win big if they get a more relevant conservative message into their platform, all this focus on ethics and messing around with people's lives and moral choices is not the job of a truly conservative party, the government should have no say in how you run your life with the exception of devising laws so as to ensure the saftey of the individual and the right to liberty...the moment you get into this 'nanny state knows better than you' type of politics you piss people off, big time, and you cannot deny that the Repubs have expanded government and overly involved themselves in social issues which frankly should be of no interest to those in power.

A lot of what you say is true, particularly about the lack of focus.  I've made the same point about the Republican party. 

What I disagree with is the supposed need to abandon Christian conservatives.  Conservative presidents have been winning elections for decades without "abandoning" either Christian conservatives or the "morals and values" message.  The "doing the right thing" message should always be a part of public policy.  When that ceases to be the case and we adopt an anything goes mentality, our society will fail. 

[MCWAY]

I never said the GOP has been down and out for decades...and that's beside the point anyway, what I said was, if they want to win again they are going to have to go back to being conservative. Say what you want, but nothing about the GOP has been conservative, esp in the 21st century...yes the roles were reversed four years ago...but Thatcher won by a landslide in 87 and Major won big in 92...then look what happened to the Tory party, politics is sometimes about the simple of fact of people getting bored with those in power and the 'kick the bastards out' mentality, but I think with both the Tories and the Repubs the dynamics of failure have been fairly similar. Huge splits in the party, lack of direction on policy, and following ideologies that take them away from their traditional conservative roots. As for the evangelicals, im sorry but I just dont agree with you, Republicans can win big if they get a more relevant conservative message into their platform, all this focus on ethics and messing around with people's lives and moral choices is not the job of a truly conservative party, the government should have no say in how you run your life with the exception of devising laws so as to ensure the saftey of the individual and the right to liberty...the moment you get into this 'nanny state knows better than you' type of politics you piss people off, big time, and you cannot deny that the Repubs have expanded government and overly involved themselves in social issues which frankly should be of no interest to those in power.

The numbers just don’t add up. Even if every single moderate/independent voted GOP, that wouldn’t be enough to replace the numbers of the conservative base.

I said it earlier: Winning elections requires BOTH keeping your base AND attracting moderates. The GOP may not win with the conservative/evangelical base; but they WILL NOT WIN without them.

As we say in the southern states here, "You dance with one that brung ya!"

A lot of what you say is true, particularly about the lack of focus.  I've made the same point about the Republican party. 

What I disagree with is the supposed need to abandon Christian conservatives.  Conservative presidents have been winning elections for decades without "abandoning" either Christian conservatives or the "morals and values" message.  The "doing the right thing" message should always be a part of public policy.  When that ceases to be the case and we adopt an anything goes mentality, our society will fail. 

EXACTLY!!! In fact, many conservatives are angry with the GOP, because they've dropped the ball on BOTH fiscal and social issues. When they get back to basics, business will pick up. The former will attract the moderates; the latter will keep and re-energize the conservative/evangelical base.

Ironically enough, when the Dems lost in 2004, DNC Chairman Howard Dean actually started a campaign on (get this) HOW TO REACH OUT TO EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS. The consensus was this block was the home-run hitter that got Bush re-elected, especially given the immediate post-election Christian bashing by the far left.

[Dos Equis]

The numbers just don’t add up. Even if every single moderate/independent voted GOP, that wouldn’t be enough to replace the numbers of the conservative base.

I said it earlier: Winning elections requires BOTH keeping your base AND attracting moderates. The GOP may not win with the conservative/evangelical base; but they WILL NOT WIN without them.

As we say in the southern states here, "You dance with one that brung ya!"

EXACTLY!!! In fact, many conservatives are angry with the GOP, because they've dropped the ball on BOTH fiscal and social issues. When they get back to basics, business will pick up. The former will attract the moderates; the latter will keep and re-energize the conservative/evangelical base.

Ironically enough, when the Dems lost in 2004, DNC Chairman Howard Dean actually started a campaign on (get this) HOW TO REACH OUT TO EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS. The consensus was this block was the home-run hitter that got Bush re-elected, especially given the immediate post-election Christian bashing by the far left.

Yep.  Candidates from both parties often talk about "morals and values," so I'm not even sure this is an entirely partisan issue.   

[MCWAY]

Yep.  Candidates from both parties often talk about "morals and values," so I'm not even sure this is an entirely partisan issue.   

As well they should. That's why they get taken to task, when they get caught (or admit to) creeping.

What's really silly here is certain liberals claiming that it's not so bad when THEIR politicians get popped for doing that, because they aren't/weren't running on the 'morals and values' thing.

Of course, that doesn't quite work, when the perpetrator of the most well-known case of adultery in the Democratic party signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law.

[Benny B]

Yes.  That's the ticket.  Stop talking about "morals and values."   

MSNBC's Brewer: GOP Should Abandon ‘Morals and Values’
By Kyle Drennen | June 15, 2009 - 16:38

On Monday, MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer offered some advice to Republicans: "Until they change policies – I mean, that's what it took for conservatives in Great Britain to win – is a real change in focus away from morals and values into things that affect people's daily lives.’

Brewer made the comment during the 2PM ET hour while discussing the future of the GOP with New York Times reporter John Harwood, who completely agreed: "Well, bingo, Contessa, that's exactly right." Harwood added: "The question is what is the right mix? To what extent are they going to focus on economic issues...Or do they focus more on national security...Or those social issues which have repelled some voters. But still motivate a lot of people in the Republican base." Brewer replied: "The one’s who probably vote Republican anyway."

The segment began by Brewer asking Harwood about his latest article in the New York Times, entitled "Rethinking the Reagan Mystique," in which he argued that some Republicans are calling for the party to move beyond Ronald Reagan. Brewer observed: "While there may be disagreement in the Republican about the best way forward, you know, it's been in this sort of Republican mantra to invoke Ronald Reagan's name often and loudly. That could be changing though."

http://newsbusters.org/