Well, I notice you say "Republican' not 'conservative'. Seems to me that this trend you mention is part and parcel of the left co-opting the Republican party, as I noted the day John McCain was nominated, and several times since.

Call me when they get an actual conservative blogging there... that'll be news.

Call me when they get an actual conservative blogging there... that'll be news.

Tom Coburn isn't a conservative now? If we're going to define the term that narrowly, there are about 15 in the country.

Well of course Tom Coburn isn't a conservative, James. He blogs at the Huffington Post! What more proof do you need?

HuffPo is oldthink doubleplusungood. Goodthink at Powerline. Gooderthink at Pajamas Media. Goodestthink at Michelle Malkin. Upsub Cheney!

Tom Coburn isn't a conservative now? If we're going to define the term that narrowly, there are about 15 in the country.

Tell me, on what issues does Coburn disagree with Ron Paul?

Bit mails it in from the Delta Quadrant:

Well, I notice you say "Republican' not 'conservative'. Seems to me that this trend you mention is part and parcel of the left co-opting the Republican party, as I noted the day John McCain was nominated, and several times since.

Can you give us a list of folks in the Republican party whom you do consider "conservative" so we can know what the hell you're talking about?

Wow...so now Tom Coburn isn't conservative enough? Oh I do so hope that people with that mindset take charge of the GOP...

I'm curious, Eric, what leads you to believe that the left is co-opting the Republican party? Perhaps I'm missing something, but the party that has trouble tolerating moderates in their midst has been "co-opted" by the left? Really?

Where? When? Who?

Also...I can understand how someone can be underwhelmed by McCain, but the senator from Arizona is anything but a leftist...

Can you give us a list of folks in the Republican party whom you do consider "conservative" so we can know what the hell you're talking about?

Well, Fred Thompson would be a start.

I'm curious, Eric, what leads you to believe that the left is co-opting the Republican party? Perhaps I'm missing something, but the party that has trouble tolerating moderates in their midst has been "co-opted" by the left? Really?

If you thikn the Republicans until now, at least have problems tolerating moderates, how does one explain George Bush and John McCain?

Bush, I have been saying since the 80's is at best a moderate... and McCain has become laughable.

...and McCain has become laughable.

Please, as if the same can't be said of the GOP as a whole...

that’s where the money is

And HuffPoop is were more idiot liberals is.

Please, as if the same can't be said of the GOP as a whole...

Only to the exact extent it's leaned left in the last several years.

Well, Fred Thompson would be a start.

Well, he has a trophy wife, so maybe he is the real deal.

and McCain has become laughable.

Kinda takes one to know one skippy...

Kinda takes one to know one skippy...

My first instinct was actually to be quite dismissive... to the effect of... "You had all those millions of bits of information at your disposal, and that's what you come up with?"... but in thinking on it, I must say, you're improving over time, Anjin. Why, eventually, with hard work, you might make it to the level of Shakespeare's monkeys.

Only to the exact extent it's leaned left in the last several years.

Does anyone truly believe that the way out of the wilderness for the GOP is to go hard right? To shove out people like Colin Powell? Would even Ronald Reagan himself be conservative enough for how the true believers want the Republican Party to be? As I wrote, I do so hope people who think this way run the GOP...that will guarantee the party permanent minority status...

I dunno bit, you ran like the wind when I called you out to debate military strategy and tactics, and that is not the first time you have displayed a flash of yellow when I challege you on your BS. (ever figure out who the hero of Atlas Shrugeed is? You have had plenty of time to google around :)

So if I am one of Shakespear's monkey's where does that leave you? Probably aspiring to be one of Darwin's monkeys. Ardipithicus ramidus anyone?

I dunno bit, you ran like the wind when I called you out to debate military strategy and tactics, and that is not the first time you have displayed a flash of yellow when I challege you on your BS. (ever figure out who the hero of Atlas Shrugeed is? You have had plenty of time to google around :)

So if I am one of Shakespear's monkey's where does that leave you? Probably aspiring to be one of Darwin's monkeys. Ardipithicus ramidus anyone?

Does anyone truly believe that the way out of the wilderness for the GOP is to go hard right?

Well, if you'll look, We just had 8 years of a centrist and ran someone who came down to the left of even THAT.... How'd that work out?

Well, if you'll look, We just had 8 years of a centrist and ran someone who came down to the left of even THAT.... How'd that work out?

Umm, not quite...we had 8 years of someone who tried to move to the middle on things like education and Medicare in an attempt to co-opt moderate voters and create that mythical GOP majority that Rove had delusions about...I'm sure most people wouldn't judge ideology to be Bush's greatest sin, but rather, his rank incompetence...as for McCain, although "moderate" by your standards, he probably got as many votes as he did because of that...someone to the right of him would have gotten trounced far more than he did...do tell, what hard-right candidate could possibly defeat the president in 2012...

mm, not quite...we had 8 years of someone who tried to move to the middle on things like education and Medicare in an attempt to co-opt moderate voters and create that mythical GOP majority that Rove had delusions about..

There is a Republican/conservative majority out there. And being able to idetntify it is the one failing I'll pin on Rove.

As for Bush, let's recall, please, that his father was no different... he too was a moderate. Remember for example he was picked to be Reagan's VP because he came down tot he left of Reagan.

And as for...

although "moderate" by your standards, he probably got as many votes as he did because of that.

Yeah. My point exactly. He'd have done far better was he an actual conservative.

There is a Republican/conservative majority out there.

Ah yes, that mythical Silent Majority that we've heard about before...when will these people rise up and finally vote for their interests, rather than staying quiet and allowing those evil socialists to run everything...once again, who is the hard-right candidate who can defeat our president in 2012...

Ah yes, that mythical Silent Majority that we've heard about before...when will these people rise up and finally vote for their interests, rather than staying quiet and allowing those evil socialists to run everything...once again, who is the hard-right candidate who can defeat our president in 2012...

Hardly silent. They simply sat on their hands, to the degree that the Republicans have turned left. You may recall that wasn't the case when Reagan ran.

Hardly silent. They simply sat on their hands, to the degree that the Republicans have turned left. You may recall that wasn't the case when Reagan ran.

That may be the way you see it but it doesn't seem to mesh with the numbers.
YEAR.....population.....R votes.....D votes.....Winner % of ToT
1984.....~225 mill......~44 mil.....~35.5 mil.....19.6%
1988.....~236 mill......~54.5 mil...~37.5 mil.....23%
2008.....~305 mill......~60 mil.....~69.5 mil.......22.8%

1984 ~147 mill eligible voters ~30% to winner
1988 ~166 mill eligible voters ~33%
2008 ~208 mill eligible voters ~33.5% to winner

Both the 1980 and 1984 had ~55% turn-out as opposed to ~63% turnout in 2008. Meaning that more people sat on their hands for both of Reagan's victories than in our most recent election.

You are quite simply wrong by every available measure. You have no evidence aside from your gut feeling that there is a conservative/republican majority in this country. That assertion is even less true if one is to use your exceedingly narrow definition of conservative.

Hardly silent.

Silent? No. Its a few hundred people sitting in a darkened room muttering to each other.

bithead is once again claiming there is a conservative (by bithead's standards) majority when history consistently disagrees. If bithead's idea of conservatives actually were ever in the majority, then one would expect both parties would nominate bitheadian conservatives for President on a regular basis. Instead only one party has nominated any, and it nominated a grand total of 3 of them (Goldwater and Reagan twice), in the last 18 elections.

That may be the way you see it but it doesn't seem to mesh with the numbers

I think we may be talking past each other here based on charm analogy. I think this can be explained by importing a concept; there is a major difference between republican and conservative.

I think this can be explained by importing a concept; there is a major difference between republican and conservative.

Yet you have in no way shown that there is either a conservative or republican majority in the US.
Honestly I think what data there is shows that there is not a consistent majority in support of either party or either ideology (in the liberal conservative dichotomy). I have never seen a poll that showed self ID with either party at even 40%. As far as ideology I don't know that it is possible to pin down. The closest estimate I see as possible to gather would be polling on various issues. What issues do you see as defining conservatism?

Back to the silent majority.
If there were this conservative majority sitting on there hands waiting for a real conservative, wouldn't one expect polling without likely voter screens to skew to the right? Polling sans screen actually skews to the left. How can you explain this seeming contradiction?

As others have stated, this mythical conservative majority exists only in the minds of people like Bithead...there is absolutely no proof to back up his silly claims...and still no one can come up with the answer...who is the "true conservative" that can defeat President Obama in 2012...since Goldwater and Reagan are dead, I guess we can forget about them running...

AIP we have already seen the embodiment of the modern "conservative" in Sarah Palin. The woman could not respond coherently when asked what newspaper she read. (but she really could accessorize, at least when someone else was footing the bill)

Silent? No. Its a few hundred people sitting in a darkened room muttering to each other.

About you, lol.

AIP we have already seen the embodiment of the modern "conservative" in Sarah Palin. The woman could not respond coherently when asked what newspaper she read.

her teleprompter was on the fritz.

Yet you have in no way shown that there is either a conservative or republican majority in the US

Let's just say you have substantial capacity for denial.

How can you explain this seeming contradiction?

Who runs the polls?

As others have stated, this mythical conservative majority exists only in the minds of people like Bithead...

Explain the election of Reagan, then.

Let's just say you have substantial capacity for denial.

Provide the evidence. Reagan was elected is not evidence of a conservative majority. It is not even evidence of a conservative majority in the 80s. It is evidence that Reagan was very charismatic.

Who runs the polls?

The secret liberal cabal that has frozen out all other pollsters?

Explain the election of Reagan, then.

He was a charismatic politician who came on the heals of an ineffectual leader.

Come on Bit. What issues do you think define conservatism?
Make a list and let's check the polling. Don't run and hide behind the skirts of some liberal polling conspiracy nonsense.