While spending the weekend in Ottawa getting up to speed on the Canadian conservative movement, I was heartened to read this article today about the evolution of the conservative movement south of the border.
Apparently Tea Partiers have decided to focus on economic issues and eschew social conservatism as the basis of their movement. They are crafting a “Contract from America”, modeled on the Republican Contract With America, which successfully advanced a number of conservative reforms, including welfare reform, when the GOP controlled Congress in the 1990’s.
“We should be creating the biggest tent possible around the economic conservative issue,” said Ryan Hecker, the organizer behind the Contract From America. “I think social issues may matter to particular individuals, but at the end of the day, the movement should be agnostic about it. This is a movement that rose largely because of the Republican Party failing to deliver on being representative of the economic conservative ideology. To include social issues would be beside the point.”
Don’t know what this will mean for Sarah Palin, but it is heartening to those who feel that fiscal prudence, not hot button moral issues, should be at the core of rebuilding the American right.
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Tasha has already shown her true colors to me in her snotty treatment of former governor Sarah Palin. She would have no credibility with the Tea Party people, many of them have the same attitude and beliefs as do the Palin family, many Americans and some Canadians. Tasha should keep to her knitting in Torana where she will glean better ‘understanding’ for her condescending attitude to those she deems ‘less sophisticated’ or/and ‘less popular”.
I find this report interesting and Sarah Palin has nothing to with it. It is simple common sense and the author (mentioning Palin) is trying to rebut the concept.
Good luck with that one.
“Jema and I are a team.”
Not planned. Just happens.
It is not the concept but the writer that I have a problem with , Jack!
I know. Funny how things happen. I posted my entry and then read yours and I came back again.
Not planned. Just happens as great minds think alike.
Heh…
It was mentioned on one of the american news channels tonite at 6.00 pm that theres now a ‘coffee party’ brewing.
What is it with Americans and their soft drink parties? Are they all that dissatisfied with both the present left and right extremists that they have to go drinking?
Perhaps we Canadians should take note and start a truely Canadian party. Whats more Canadian than a ‘beer party’ where all are wecomed and after hoisting a few, wont remember or care about political views, eh?.Geez, maybe we can even go on ‘youtube.’
More on the coffee vs tea political movement — will that be one lump or two?
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/13/coffee.party/index.html
That Coffee party must be pretty big since it encompasses both the Democrats and the Republicans.
The politics of polarization… It’s not enough to disagree; only hatred will suffice…
Re: #1-#5 … wow. Sarah Palin’s cult is fierce – you’ll dump anyone who questions the credibility of your squeaky messiah. Of course you know you’re relegating yourself to the fringe right? A right-leaning candidate can’t win an election if they can’t win the center or the fiscal conservatives. You’re not voting for the PigFest Fair Queen.
Cynapse – I consider it a honor to be on Jack’s team #1-5 – you may not agree with us and that is, of course, your choice.
Re #10:
Kind of sad that snotty, sneering condescension replaces reasoned arguements.
Obviously you missed the reasoning therein – banish enough people from the empire and after awhile you won’t have an empire. So the acolytes are dumping on fiscal conservatives, liberals and centrists. Who does that leave for the Sarah Palin coalition? Is this coalition big enough to survive on its own?
Or are you comfortably merely characterizing the voluminous reservations about your messiah as “snotty, sneering condescension”? Sounds like an easy way to avoid facing some problems.
Cynapse, I would ask that you take a step back and look in an impartial way (to the extent thats possible) at your #10 post. Look at the words.
-Sarah Palin’s cult
-squeaky messiah
-pigfest fair queen
Are you going to tell me that is what passes for reason?
Truthfully, I have no brief about Sarah Palin. I admire her courage, honesty, and her record of achievements.
What initially got me interested was the flood of attacks on this person, the media malpractice, the outpouring of filth from people who could not be bothered to find out the facts.
The media malpractice issue has long been something i pay attention to. We see it in Canada every day.
I am 72 years old. I have had a productive life, and in my declining years, I worry about the direction our country is going. I worry that ideas and concepts (to the extent there are any) are reduced to 30 second sound-bites. I worry most of all about the dishonesty of those who are shaping the discussion. Dishonesty takes many forms. Wordsmiths are very adept at forging a concept without coming right out and clearly stating what the point is. The point nevertheless is made.
That is why i take issue with many of your comments. I have no problem with you stating what you believe. I have a problem with the choice of words you use to foster a concept or an image. It’s almost like the concept of the hidden messages in commercials ( I forget what you call it, getting old you know, lol).
Over time, I have developed an admiration for your obvious intelligence. I accept that we see the world from different viewpoints. I welcome any discussion.
But I feel that you diminish yourself by the use of “cutsey” phrases and descriptives.
But then, thats just me.
Re: #14 — “It’s almost like the concept of the hidden messages in commercials ( I forget what you call it, getting old you know, lol).”
It’s called subliminal seduction, Lee and somebody wrote a book about it long ago. A very good one. I highly recommend it.
Are you going to tell me that is what passes for reason?
No, it passes for inflammatory hyperbole. But it was sitting atop a valid point about purifying one’s movement out of contention.
Granted, the attacks on Sarah’s kids and family affairs have gotten out of hand – by virtue of the fact that any exist at all. Such attacks are also unnecessary when it’s so easy to discount her input due to her own lack of experience, political decisions, abuses of power and the religious fundamentalism she’s trying to hide.
But I feel that you diminish yourself by the use of “cutsey” phrases and descriptives.
But then, thats just me.
That might be true, but one thing I’ve learned after 15 years of internet discussion is that shock sells. Stating one’s points plainly and factually, no matter how well researched, will mostly result in being passed over. Hitting the hot buttons -whether there is good content behind it or not- will almost always spark a discussion.
Jack is not a lazy blogger and tends to create full posts with good content. However, how many bloggers likely to be on your rotation create posts with little more than 3 lines of commentary and a link, yet continue to be supremely popular (often surpassing this site in visitor traffic)? People login to have their fears/biases validated or in some cases just to get angry at the author. Controversy sells, my friend.
BTW, is that your real age? Jack seems to have tapped into an elusive market with this site.
Yep, that is my real age. I am tempted to say when i will be 73, but i am not quite reduced to counting months yet.
Many people who know me well say i never grew up, and i am OK with that, lol.