Eric Cantor calls for GOP unity

[mystery-ak]

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=C7919A68-9354-4A25-B4E0-C2F876CD13B1

 Eric Cantor calls for GOP unity
By: James Hohmann
December 7, 2013 03:42 PM EST

HOT SPRINGS, Va.—House Majority Leader Eric Cantor pleaded for Republican unity here Saturday as he prodded his party to offer more solutions that make voters feel like they have their backs on “kitchen table” issues.

The congressman, who represents a district around Richmond, told about 500 party activists during a lunch at The Homestead resort that the GOP does not need to compromise its core principles.

“If we want to win, we must begin to offer solutions to the problems that people face every day,” he said. “We have not done this recently and it has allowed the Democrats to take power, it has allowed them to pursue their politics of partisan division, and even worse … it has allowed them to enact their leftist agenda.”



At the first gathering of GOP leaders since Ken Cuccinelli’s defeat in last month’s governor’s race, Cantor argued that there is no “sugarcoating” the losses and the “very real challenges” facing the party.

“The last time our party failed to hold any of the five statewide offices in Virginia was in 1969,” he said, noting that this is when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. “So these recent defeats have inflamed a lot of tension and as a result, we’ve been seeing a lot of finger pointing and a lot of blame and feelings of resentment. Now we’ve got to commit to ending that. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t win elections.”

His 25-minute speech came during the annual three-day Republican Party of Virginia “Advance.”



Cantor said that showing Republicans care about their plight does not mean sacrificing conservative values.

“If we take our conservative principles and bring them directly to the kitchen table, if we speak directly to the people and explain why our conservative solutions work and why liberal ideas are set up to fail, there is no beating our Republican Party,” he said.

“When our party is not united, and when we fail to offer a plan that connects with people and the problems that they’re having, we lose at the ballot box,” he added. “And, when we lose at the ballot box, we get policies like Obamacare.”


The party lacks a clear figurehead with the impending departure of outgoing Gov. Bob McDonnell from the scene, and Cantor may try to fill some of the leadership vacuum. In his speech, he spoke about the need to talk with voters all over the state: dry cleaners in Arlington, parents in Midlothian and seniors in Abingdon.

“If we show them we’re with them, we can win elections,” he said.

[Bigun]

In other words he wants conservatives to shut up and back the GOPe.

I say to H#ll with that!

[Relic]

In other words he wants conservatives to shut up and back the GOPe.

I say to H#ll with that!

This is a huge problem. I've given it some thought, and I don't have a good answer, but I see a template that may be used.

Back a long time ago, (roughly 30 years), America was a center right country. Today, I believe Americans are center left. Many who are center left think they are center right. That is a product of the remarkable job done by a traitorous media and a broken school system. When liberal was a dirty word, what did the Democrats do? Rebrand themselves as progressives and work to win elections for Democrats. Blue dog, middle of the road, socialist, it didn't matter, just win. Once they won enough, and became more viable, the communists took control, and here we are.

Now, Republicans are a pariah to many Americans. The question is, do we continue to fight within the party and try to make it conservative while losing elections and remaining unpalatable to middle America, or do we follow the Democrat game plan? That is, win first, and try to move the party once we are viable again? Surely it will be a steeper climb, because the media is hostile. But, there is the model before us.

A stray thought here. One of the things costing us is baby boomers. In the past, seniors were reliably conservative. Today we have seniors who are old hippies and are more than happy with a move to communism. Damn them.

[sinkspur]

Republicans aren't going to get anywhere unless they do what's POSSIBLE.  Tilting at windmills by thinking a president is going to kill his signature achievement by defunding it is IMPOSSIBLE and the GOP would be in a much better place were it not for the ill-fated shutdown.

That's one example.  Trashing half the electorate as freeloaders as Mitt Romney did in that video is another.  Maybe all that's needed is a little tact.  Or smarter candidates who are fully vetted on major issues before they're allowed to open their mouths.

[Relic]

Republicans aren't going to get anywhere unless they do what's POSSIBLE.  Tilting at windmills by thinking a president is going to kill his signature achievement by defunding it is IMPOSSIBLE and the GOP would be in a much better place were it not for the ill-fated shutdown.

That's one example.  Trashing half the electorate as freeloaders as Mitt Romney did in that video is another. Maybe all that's needed is a little tact.  Or smarter candidates who are fully vetted on major issues before they're allowed to open their mouths.

While I agree with your content on occasion, perhaps you need to take your own advice?

The left is very good at some things. Controlling language and marketing are high on their list of skills. Right now, in America, being a conservative is just as problematic as being a liberal in the 1980s. Perhaps we should call ourselves something like constructionists. Marketing isn't my forte, but you get the idea.

[truth_seeker]

Republicans aren't going to get anywhere unless they do what's POSSIBLE.  Tilting at windmills by thinking a president is going to kill his signature achievement by defunding it is IMPOSSIBLE and the GOP would be in a much better place were it not for the ill-fated shutdown.

That's one example.  Trashing half the electorate as freeloaders as Mitt Romney did in that video is another.  Maybe all that's needed is a little tact.  Or smarter candidates who are fully vetted on major issues before they're allowed to open their mouths.

But true conservatives WANT the primary candidate that mouths off, irreverently. They want to oust the tested establishment incumbent.

Never mind they set it up, for general election defeat.

They had their rebellion, got their thrillingly entertaining moments. Gone are the days of playing it safe.

Damn it, we demand entertainment!!

[mountaineer]

Trashing half the electorate as freeloaders as Mitt Romney did in that video is another.

Telling the truth now is "trashing."

Got it.

[Relic]

Telling the truth now is "trashing."

Got it.

It's a valid point, and it's been true for a long time.

I believe it was Nixon who said he lost his first election because he treated the public like adults. Telling a woman her baby is ugly may be factual, but it provides nothing positive.

[sinkspur]

Telling the truth now is "trashing."

Got it.

You really think insulting people you want to vote for you is a good thing?

You make my point for me.

[mountaineer]

You really think insulting people you want to vote for you is a good thing?

You make my point for me.

Well, my day is a success.

Please don't twist my words. I said nothing of the sort.

[sinkspur]

Well, my day is a success.

Please don't twist my words. I said nothing of the sort.

You certainly did.  You think it's "the truth" to ridicule half the population as freeloaders and it's OK to say it publicly.

If you're recanting, good.  You should.

[jmyrlefuller]

You really think insulting people you want to vote for you is a good thing?

You make my point for me.

They need to be insulted. It's the only way they will change.

Today, politicians do nothing but  coddle people like babies and wonder why we have an unassailable welfare state.

If you win votes by condoning wealth redistribution, you are still condoning it and have gone nowhere. The easy way out doesn't help the problem. You have to get the ignorant masses to grow up, as difficult of a task as it may be.

[mountaineer]

You certainly did.  You think it's "the truth" to ridicule half the population as freeloaders and it's OK to say it publicly.

If you're recanting, good.  You should.

My gosh, you are dense.

[Cincinnatus]

Has anyone else ever noticed a peculiarity about this guy Sinkspur? He only posts in threads devoted to politics and then only to trash Conservative Republicans. Others on here will post in "pets" or "sports" or "economy", etc., plus "politics",  but not him. For him one and only one topic and solely to present his one, constant negative view.

[Relic]

They need to be insulted. It's the only way they will change.

Today, politicians do nothing but  coddle people like babies and wonder why we have an unassailable welfare state.

If you win votes by condoning wealth redistribution, you are still condoning it and have gone nowhere. The easy way out doesn't help the problem. You have to get the ignorant masses to grow up, as difficult of a task as it may be.

I'm going to go for pragmatism. Realize that those 47%, most of them were raised to believe they are entitled, and special.

I believe that we're far enough gone that the only route back in a slow insurrection, just like the one the Democrats have just succeeded in their takeover.

[Oceander]

“If we take our conservative principles and bring them directly to the kitchen table, if we speak directly to the people and explain why our conservative solutions work and why liberal ideas are set up to fail, there is no beating our Republican Party,” he said.

With all due respect:

DUH

That is certainly a central page from the Reagan playbook and is something that the GOP - both conservatives and moderates - has been utterly unable to do.  This point goes much further than the disagreements between conservatives and moderates in the GOP because it is a singular failing of all of the leadership in the GOP, a failure of Ted Cruz no less than Lindsey Graham.

And, quite frankly, the first wing of the GOP to grasp this concept and actually start putting it into practice will win control of the GOP.  So, if conservatives wish to redirect the GOP, then they had damned well better start learning how to put their principles and ideas into "kitchen table" form.  And if moderates want to be something other than milquetoast democrats-lite, or the political version of muzak, then they, too, had damned well start articulating their principles in "kitchen table" form.

[MBB1984]

You certainly did.  You think it's "the truth" to ridicule half the population as freeloaders and it's OK to say it publicly.

If you're recanting, good.  You should.

Romney, for all of his faults, did not say it publicly.  He made that remark at a private fundraiser.  Jimmy Carter's son or grandson or other liberal spawn working for Mother (Marxist) Jones secretly taped it.  Romney was right, only about half the population pays income taxes, however some of those are retirees who don't pay taxes because their income is only Social Security. 

[alicewonders]

To those who think that if the GOP panders to the low information voter and tells them what they want to hear - that it will cause a big reversal of fortune for them....it's not going to happen. 

The media has portrayed Republicans as haters of the poor and they will continue to do so no matter what they say.  Don't you understand that the media controls the message?  Their whole goal is to keep the Democrats in power, no matter what. 

Any politician that falls for this has no core of integrity.  They will say anything to get elected whether they believe it or not.  Every move they make will be calculated to keep themselves in office.  This is what is wrong with the GOP right now.  They're licking their fingers and sticking them up in the wind.  They're hiring pollsters and consultants to tell them what to say. 

I'm through with that, this is what is destroying our country and it is unbelievable that there are people even here on this board that want our leaders to be this way. 

[Bigun]

With all due respect:

DUH

That is certainly a central page from the Reagan playbook and is something that the GOP - both conservatives and moderates - has been utterly unable to do.  This point goes much further than the disagreements between conservatives and moderates in the GOP because it is a singular failing of all of the leadership in the GOP, a failure of Ted Cruz no less than Lindsey Graham.

And, quite frankly, the first wing of the GOP to grasp this concept and actually start putting it into practice will win control of the GOP.  So, if conservatives wish to redirect the GOP, then they had damned well better start learning how to put their principles and ideas into "kitchen table" form.  And if moderates want to be something other than milquetoast democrats-lite, or the political version of muzak, then they, too, had damned well start articulating their principles in "kitchen table" form.

I think that the first group to espouse, and religiously put into practice, fidelity to our Constitution will do VERY well in the future and particularly so if they can show how doing that translate to all of those "kitchen table" issues!!

[alicewonders]

You certainly did.  You think it's "the truth" to ridicule half the population as freeloaders and it's OK to say it publicly.

If you're recanting, good.  You should.

Romney did not say that publicly, it was said privately and was taped by a spy.  He did not "ridicule", he stated a fact. 

[Chieftain]

To those who think that if the GOP panders to the low information voter and tells them what they want to hear - that it will cause a big reversal of fortune for them....it's not going to happen. 

The media has portrayed Republicans as haters of the poor and they will continue to do so no matter what they say.  Don't you understand that the media controls the message?  Their whole goal is to keep the Democrats in power, no matter what. 

Any politician that falls for this has no core of integrity.  They will say anything to get elected whether they believe it or not.  Every move they make will be calculated to keep themselves in office.  This is what is wrong with the GOP right now.  They're licking their fingers and sticking them up in the wind.  They're hiring pollsters and consultants to tell them what to say. 

I'm through with that, this is what is destroying our country and it is unbelievable that there are people even here on this board that want our leaders to be this way.

To inject a little hope....check out some of the recent commentary about the insanity at MSNBS, and how they are increasingly all by themselves in the outrageous nonsense they try and pass off as current wisdom.  The Kim and Kanye crowd may buy some of it, but there is an increasing amount of buyer's remorse out there from people who did vote for Obama, and are currently in the midst of the biggest reality crisis of their lives.

The pendulum is swinging back...

[alicewonders]

To inject a little hope....check out some of the recent commentary about the insanity at MSNBS, and how they are increasingly all by themselves in the outrageous nonsense they try and pass off as current wisdom.  The Kim and Kanye crowd may buy some of it, but there is an increasing amount of buyer's remorse out there from people who did vote for Obama, and are currently in the midst of the biggest reality crisis of their lives.

The pendulum is swinging back...

Well, it is true that if you give Progressives/Authoritarians enough rope, they will hang themselves.  They always go too far, but the damage they leave behind can take a long time to fix.