James, they're in power because they lie, CHEAT, steal, and have an indoctrinated voting pool, and because, some so called Republicans are just as stupid and gullible as all Democrats. and because of what you said and what Bit said.

I can only assume you're missing the point by intent. The republican leadership was in fact listening tot he left. Which, in turn is how for example we ended up with McCain being nominated. And Both Bushes, for that matter. We ended up with, at best, cetrists running the show.

If these kind of sentiments (hideously bitter and divorced from reality) are the standard among conservatives, it is no wonder that they hold little to no political power...

Yeah, republicans spend ever so much time caring about lefty protesters.

I can only assume you're missing the point by intent. The republican leadership was in fact listening tot he left. Which, in turn is how for example we ended up with McCain being nominated. And Both Bushes, for that matter. We ended up with, at best, cetrists running the show.

You know as well as I that elections are largely about image. Are you really telling me that the image of Republicans, and thereby their election chances, were immune to the constant protests?

The protests were a symptom of the disease not the disease itself. Republican incompetence and corruption was the source of the ailment and the fact that said attributes became firmly equated with the republican brand is what killed off the party's electoral chances. And the party has a lot of work to do to recover their brand identity.

Along that line, I would also suggest that he reason Republicans to so large a degree did a lousy job, was because to placate these very vocal protestors, we ended up electing not conservatives but centrists. Absent 40 years of screaming, the Republicans wouldn't be trying to cow tow to the left, and would have been a far more conservative party than they are now.

Yeah, republicans spend ever so much time caring about lefty protesters.

Please.

Conservatives have had a hard time because of changing demographics and social priorities. Once, a good bit of gay or minority bashing was a successful election strategy but not so much anymore. In the 80s the "tax cut uber alles" routine played well, and won. But it's been nearly 30 years, and that is still the sum total of the GOP's economic platform. The decline of mainstream christianity, as well as the growing minority percentage of the populous, the growing acceptance of gays has left, oh and the lack of a serious world threat to replace the soviets has left the conservatives adrift.

They just haven't been able to adapt to the times, which isn't surprising since their philosophy is about trying to force the times to stand still ("standing athwart history" and all that).

So that's why the republicans in general and conservatives in specific are hurting.

They're in power because they got more votes. They got more votes because the Republicans were in power for years and did a lousy job.

How sad is it that you actually have to explain this to people.

Odo-while I am not a participant, what I have read from those who are-the objection isn't to taxes themselves, but wasteful spending. Now what is or isn't wasteful and where the tipping point hits is up for debate, but if you think the point of the protests is to object to taxes, then you haven't been paying attention-or at least you haven't been paying attention to the right people.

I've seen "born free but taxed to death" as a popular sign board.

But taxdayteaparty.com makes a different sort of error in their "about":

The Tea Party protests, in their current form, began in early 2009 when Rick Santelli, the On Air Editor for CNBC, set out on a rant to expose the bankrupt liberal agenda of the White House Administration and Congress. Specifically, the flawed “Stimulus Bill” and pork filled budget.

Do they actually want no "stimulus"? Do they understand where we are?

They're in power because they got more votes. They got more votes because the Republicans were in power for years and did a lousy job.

James, they're in power because they lie, CHEAT, steal, and have an indoctrinated voting pool, and because, some so called Republicans are just as stupid and gullible as all Democrats. and because of what you said and what Bit said.

Along that line, I would also suggest that he reason Republicans to so large a degree did a lousy job, was because to placate these very vocal protestors, we ended up electing not conservatives but centrists. Absent 40 years of screaming, the Republicans wouldn't be trying to cow tow to the left, and would have been a far more conservative party than they are now.

40 years and longer of screaming at the slightest provocation is exactly why they're in power as we speak.

They're in power because they got more votes. They got more votes because the Republicans were in power for years and did a lousy job.

40 years and longer of screaming at the slightest provocation is exactly why they're in power as we speak.