Tea Partiers Need To Come To Terms With Bush

By Kleinheider Posted on April 14, 2009 at 9:05 am

Dan Lehr lets the “tea party” movement know what he thinks of them:

If you are Republican or conservative, there are many reasons for you to oppose Barack Obama. But it will be hard to make an effective argument against him unless and until you figure out what President Bush did to bring you to your current state.

And I’m not talking about anything having to do with Bush’s stances on various issues. It has far more to do with execution. Even though I disagreed with most of his platform, my main gripe against him was that he did not manage the office of the presidency well. He and his followers clung to ideology and largely supported him regardless of whether what he was doing was furthering the conservative cause or not.

Republicans and conservatives need to work on excising a tendency towards blind loyalty, and grow your tolerance for intra-party debate.

You will only emerge stronger if you do so.

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Tags: conservative, intra-party, Republican, Tea Party  

Keeping The Change And The Conservative In The Coalition

By Kleinheider Posted on December 17, 2008 at 11:06 am

Sean Braisted discusses the essential problem anyone seeking to lead the Tennessee Democratic Party will have:

While I agree with Chip that this inclusive nature might be the strength of the Democratic party, it also offers a unique problem in the Tennessee Democratic Party. For many Democrats in rural Tennessee, there is an eyelash width of difference between themselves and the Republicans on social issues. So when one group of people, say gay activists, want equal rights, and another group of people, Conservative rural Democrats, are hell-bent on keeping them from getting those rights, it presents a significant roadblock in message unity.

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Tags: Charles Robert Bone, Chip Forrester, conservative, inclusive, Lincoln Davis  

A Conservative Dissent On Corker

By Kleinheider Posted on December 16, 2008 at 8:03 am

Terry Frank is not joining those Republicans both in Tennessee and nationally hoisting Bob Corker on their shoulders for his work on the auto bailout:

But let’s be realistic. Because Senator Corker was negotiating for unions to make concessions, we’re all supposed to get thrills running up our legs? The reality is, he was still negotiating for a taxpayer surrender. You and I were still going to be on the hook for kabillions. And so are our kids. And grandkids. Bush is wrong. The Democrats are wrong. And though Corker took the opportunity to point out the problem of unions, he’s still wrong.

Senator Corker is emblematic of THE problem with the GOP. There is no consistency. No governing principles. They see government as the answer in some form or fashion, maybe with just a little more flavoring here or there and elephant instead of a donkey. And the American public sees it. Witness the ‘06 and ‘08 ass kicking.

He was for the financial bailout. Then he’s against the auto bailout. Do you know how damaging all of this has been for the Republican Party?

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Tags: bailout, Bob Corker, conservative