General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, former National Security Advisor and former man of logic and rationality, etc. has become something of a condescending blowhard.
In an interview with CNN, Powell – speaking about the Republican Party – said:
I think the party has to take a hard look at itself. There is nothing wrong with being conservative. There is nothing wrong with having socially conservative views — I don’t object to that. But if the party wants to have a future in this country, it has to face some realities. In another 20 years, the majority in this country will be the minority.
Clearly, this great man thinks the Republican Party needs to become – what? – Democrat Lite – in order to survive. He seems to believe that one needs to appease in order to be valid. Change your thoughts, your values to match those of the people you are trying to reach.
Filed under: Politics, Republicans | Tagged: Barack Obama, Colin Powell, conservatives, GOP
“Clearly, this great man thinks the Republican Party needs to become – what? – Democrat Lite – in order to survive”
I didn’t get that, at least not from that snippet. Of course, that notion doesn’t align with my pre-existing prejudices. Actually, “Democrat(ic) Lite” might be an improvement for the Republicans, who have been working the “Military-Industrial Strength Democrat” angle since everyone’s favorite faux-conservative, Saint Ronnie.
So you’re saying that self-examination and a possible change in course would be a bad thing for the Republican party? Sure, things are going great right now, why change? (Could I get a hit of whatever you’re smoking?)
Here’s a thought – maybe the Republican party should think about adopting what they tossed in the trashcan back in the 50′s, non-interventionist, republican (note lower-case “r”) principles.
Politics ain’t retail (Chicago excepted). You don’t change your product (values) to meet the fickle tastes of the consumer (public). Rather, the GOP needs to get back to it’s core values and market them better.
Re Chicago… retail politics is rampant everywhere, but it’s fun to pick on Chicago pols.
“You don’t change your product (values) to meet the fickle tastes of the consumer (public).”
If you want to bring in new customers, you do.
This is kind of the problem that Detroit is having just now. Polishing a turd doesn’t make it all that much more desirable.
Sorry, but i’ll (like usual) have to disagree with Jack. As a unchanging conservative, I’ve seen the public swing back and forth between the beliefs I’ve always held repeatedly. They will again, when the drunken-sailor spending of the Democrats an the RINOs that have run the GOP for the last decade crushes the economy.
Jack’s response is pretty much what I heard in the late 60s, early 70s. Meanwhile, I was starting to work for a longshot actor named Reagan.
Well said Garnet Spy!!!
Conservatives win on conservative priciples all the while the left says that can’t win. Conservative have consistently lost trying to play -how’d you put it” ‘political fashionistas’ with their principles. If Powell et al don’t get that after the last 30yrs, then to hell with them.
I would probably be somewhere between Mike and Jack (a dangerous place to be because the crossfire can get you!) and suggest that the product doesn’t need to change, but the contents certainly do. Imagine opening up a box of Cheerios to find 50% of them are actually rat terds and the discovery makes prime time news. I might consider closing down a plant(at least temporarily), firing quality control, and coming up with a commercial to highlight how our new practices are the cleanest in the industry because we care about you the consumer more than about cutting costs.
The GOP should do the same. Get rid of the looney tune NeoCon’s, and start focusing on what Republican values instead of crying wolf about the opposition.
My idea is that all of the politicians in the GOP who are not just RINO’s, but are true Liberty loving republicans, should bail out and start a new party.
The establishment in the GOP are not going to just quit.
“RINO” is out – too nebulous. I’ve heard it used to castigate just about everyone except Nancy Pelosi. Or maybe you just need to clarify. Do you mean Wingnut RINOs or “moderate” RINOs?
Is there anyone left in the Republican party who believes in liberty? (Believing in liberty for yourself and others of your ilk while you wish to deny it to those you consider wrong-headed doesn’t count.)