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Conservatives

  • menichols74 said...

    No, the GOP can win the next election, but it will take one of two things:

    * A Libertarian Style nominee - it will be hard for someone like a Ron Paul (not him, but Rand or Gary Johnson or ...) to get the nomination, but they would do extremely well in the general. All GOP voters plus the vast majority of independents. When polled on topics alone, the average citizen is Libertarian (fiscally conservative and socially liberal).

    * A female/minority nominee - it will have to be a quality individual with an impeccable background b/c the liberal media will do everything in their power to tear down a female/minority GOP candidate. This would threaten the DEM's major advantage.

    A GOP candidate that is for: * flat or fair tax - a revision that eliminates loopholes and broadens the tax base (everyone pay something) * Immigration Reform tied to Secure Borders - put illegals to the back of the line, but allow them a legal path that will require them to put into the system (pay taxes). At the same time, secure the boarder and eliminate citizenship opportunity to those that do not comply with the "path to citizenship". * has one of the 2 aforementioned qualities

    = Pretty darn good chance of winning

    In its current incarnation, the GOP will never allow a Ron Paul-like candidate near the nomination. While I agree that the GOP is moving more towards the minimal government ideal advocated by libertarians, you saw how Paul's contingent was treated this year. There is an incredible amount of acrimony between Libertarians and establishment Republicans, and the two sides will never be able to reconcile enough to unite behind one candidate by 2016.

    In addition, the type of libertarian you describe is not the type of libertarian that could win a Republican nomination. "Socially liberal" will not come close to winning the support of the extreme-right Republican base. Mitt Romney completely abandoned every socially progressive policy or idea he had as governor of Massachusetts because he would have lost his base had he campaigned on that platform.

    I think you've got a point with the minority candidate issue, as Rubio is considered one of the front-runners for the 2016 nomination, but the problem is that the only female candidate with an impeccable background is a Democrat, and if Hillary Clinton runs in 2016, she'll be a formidable opponent. The best female candidates the GOP can put forward are Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin, and the mere presence of a female candidate won't win over female voters unless numerous Republican social policies change as well.

    As for the platform: if any GOP candidate proposes a flat tax, they'll lose even more support. A flat tax is the exact opposite of what the vast majority of the country wants. The populace wants the tax burden equalized, and a flat tax will be so regressive that it'll actually place an even greater percentage of the tax burden on lower-income families than they already shoulder.

    Immigration: basically, what you're proposing is a simplified version of the DREAM Act - a measure most recently introduced by Democrats and rejected by Republicans.

    In summary, the candidate you propose a) won't even win the Republican party's nomination, and b) doesn't stand a chance in a national election.

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    CMXI ●

  • justinboze said...

    I agree. It doesn't matter who runs for President in the next few elections. There are so many minorities and immigrants voting that the Democratic Party will win and its only going to get worse for Republican candidates. The only chance that Republicans have at winning the election in 2016 is if Hillary Clinton runs. If there is one thing that Americans hate more than rich white racists, it's old ugly fat women.

    Being racist and being portrayed as such are two different things.

    TroyTide ●

  • The Republicans won't win until they can distance themselves from the far-right social conservatives in their party.

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    "Madness is rare in individuals - but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule." - Friedrich Nietzsche

    joetheogre ●

  • joetheogre said...

    The Republicans won't win until they can distance themselves from the far-right social conservatives in their party.

    A.K.A. the base that every Republican candidate has been pandering to for the last 2 years.

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    CMXI ●

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