Republican Cannibalism

[Doc]

I'm languishing with dread, at what damage this infighting may cause, come November.  Major Republican candidates attacking others, after their losing a primary runoff.  Republican-conservative talk show hosts using the poisonous RINO label to ridicule Republican's who weren't their favorite.  So on & so on...

It's poisonous.  It's toxic.  It's often irrational.  It creates a mockery of any conservative cause.  Sigh...

 

[Gratiot]

While there are specifics, that I'm referencing, I think those are irrelevant.  As this is something I think we're seeing over and over across the nation.  From the McCain-Palin campaign down to the local level. 

[NHSparky]

Hate to say it, but it's long overdue.  The big tent got so big we shoved the conservatives aside.  Time to refocus, and as with all changes, it's not without pain and sacrifice.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I'm with Sparky on this one, the GOP is long overdue for a moulting, they just need to get it largely over with and out of the way before about the last 45 days prior to the election.

[thundley4]

Hate to say it, but it's long overdue.  The big tent got so big we shoved the conservatives aside.  Time to refocus, and as with all changes, it's not without pain and sacrifice.

Fortunately, the GOP tent hasn't gotten as big as the DEM tent.  There is much more infighting among dems than there is among republicans, but the conservatives do need to take back the party.

[Gratiot]

Hate to say it, but it's long overdue.  The big tent got so big we shoved the conservatives aside.  Time to refocus, and as with all changes, it's not without pain and sacrifice.

Understandable, but drawing that line in the sand can be quite a double-edged sword.  There are numerous elections, where a non (say-RichT defined) Republicans' Republican could easily win against the Democrats.  Mandating, all Republican candidates score 10 for 10 on the litmus test, would really rule out respectable gains for a lot of conservative causes.

Perhaps I'm horribly wrong, but I don't find it rational to require an absolute agreement with a candidate on all issues.  On key issues of course...

[PatriotGame]

I'm languishing with dread, at what damage this infighting may cause, come November.  Major Republican candidates attacking others, after their losing a primary runoff.  Republican-conservative talk show hosts using the poisonous RINO label to ridicule Republican's who weren't their favorite.  So on & so on...

It's poisonous.  It's toxic.  It's often irrational.  It creates a mockery of any conservative cause.  Sigh...

 

I can't agree here. It is time to clean house and remove opportunistic liberal-leaning politicians that attach the Republican moniker to their platform solely because the majority of voters in their district are (or THINK they are) Republicans. For the true Conservative movement, soft liberals guiseing themselves as Republicans thus implying they are Conservatives is no less like an internal enemy cancer to Conservative causes, destroying us from within.

Personally I want term limits, Congressional pay and benefits cut in half, the same medical and retirement plans I have, and long-term prison sentences for crimes committed while in office.

[Chris_]

It is time to clean house and remove opportunistic liberal-leaning politicians that attach the Republican moniker to their platform.

Personally I want term limits, Congressional pay and benefits cut in half, the same medical and retirement plans I have, and long-term prison sentences for crimes committed while in office.

With the exception of the people that actually DO the heavy lifting (first responders, active and retired military), working for Uncle Sam should not be a rags-to-riches opportunity.

[docstew]

I can't agree here. It is time to clean house and remove opportunistic liberal-leaning politicians that attach the Republican moniker to their platform solely because the majority of voters in their district are (or THINK they are) Republicans. For the true Conservative movement, soft liberals guiseing themselves as Republicans thus implying they are Conservatives is no less like an internal enemy cancer to Conservative causes, destroying us from within.

Personally I want term limits, Congressional pay and benefits cut in half, the same medical and retirement plans I have, and long-term prison sentences for crimes committed while in office.

Place them under the military pay scale, at around O-3 level, pro rated for days that they are actually conducting business, and put them on Tricare (why not, they already use military facilities).  No retirement plan, no more than 20 total years in federal elected capacity (so, 10 terms in the HoR, 2 terms in Senate and 2 as POTUS, etc).  You go to DC and serve the people, maybe get a few privileges while there, but you won't get wealthy, and the clock is ticking from the day you first swear in.

[Chris_]

Place them under the military pay scale, at around O-3 level, pro rated for days that they are actually conducting business, and put them on Tricare (why not, they already use military facilities).  No retirement plan, no more than 20 total years in federal elected capacity (so, 10 terms in the HoR, 2 terms in Senate and 2 as POTUS, etc).  You go to DC and serve the people, maybe get a few privileges while there, but you won't get wealthy, and the clock is ticking from the day you first swear in.

Sounds like a plan.

[docstew]

One thing that would have to be placed in there, they couldn't just make O-3 (or whatever pay scale they were granted) have a 50% pay jump over the one previous, just to make sure they don't write the table to be advantageous to them. 

[Congress mode] What, are you implying we mess with the budget for our own advantage?  I'll have you know, CPT So-and-so deserves to be paid more than his battalion commander, or his brigade commander, or his commanding general... [/Congress mode]