Who are American politicians beholden to? The People? The Constitution?

[giblets]

Barak's idea. Such a hypocrite.

It's not hypocrisy for gun control proponents to think the Secret Service should have guns.

[Straybow]

"That doesn't mean that every word that came out of his mouth was instant GOP orthodoxy." Then neither was Reagan's. However, a whole host of folks would make it so.

No, Reagan is not held up as the model Republican, but as the model conservative, and then we point out that the conservative position is the one on which the Republicans will win.

Besides, from 1950s to 1980, Progressive Republicanism was the majority Republican view. Only Goldwater in that time was a 'conservative' nominee for President from the Republican side. And, of course, in 1980, the early favorite was George H.W. Bush, a major figure in the progressive Republican side, until Reagan surprised the field. Interestingly enough, another progressive Republican in Bob Dole (Gerald Ford's 1976 running mate) was the nominee for the Republicans in 1996.

The whitewashing of the more moderate and progressive sides of the Republican Party from after WW2 has been ghastly.

First, the only "progressive" Republican to win was Ike, and that was because he was America's beloved WW2 commander. It's said he didn't really want to be Pres and left the actual governance to aides. He's second behind Taft for the amount of time spent on the golf course, although I bet Obama can nudge him out of second place.

GHWB only won in 1988 because he ran as a third term for Reagan's policies. In 1992 GHWB thought he could "be himself" and ran to the center and lost. In 1996 Dole ran to the center and lost. In 2008 McCain ran to the center and lost. And now Romney ran to the center and lost.

The Republican electorate is conservative. The Republican old guard is still a bunch of limousine liberals and progressives, out of touch with the voters. They're more interested in what the DC media say than what their constituents say. Nobody's been "whitewashed," they've just been dying off. We'd win if the rest of them would retire.

[DinoDoc]

It's not hypocrisy for gun control proponents to think the Secret Service should have guns.

He'd get more support for the proposal if he went without armed security.

[giblets]

He'd get more support for the proposal if he went without armed security.

It wouldn't have any effect on the level of support for gun control. It would just force Republicans and Obama-hating racists to find something else to complain about.

[kentonio]

And now Romney ran to the center and lost.

This is really funny. Just before the election we predicted that when Romney lost, the fanatics would insist that it was because he was too moderate, despite all the polling showing this to be utterly wrong. Thanks for being predictable.

The Republican electorate is conservative. The Republican old guard is still a bunch of limousine liberals and progressives, out of touch with the voters. They're more interested in what the DC media say than what their constituents say. Nobody's been "whitewashed," they've just been dying off. We'd win if the rest of them would retire.

No, that's the thing you see, you wouldn't. The hands of time are swinging even more against the hardcore conservatives, and every year your demographics get smaller and smaller. What you didn't understand last election was that the people who lost it for you weren't the waster and slackers wanting a free ride, and it certainly wasn't disaffected conservatives deciding not to vote. You lost because you spat in the face of women and minorities and then couldn't undertand why they rejected you en masse. It's not complicated, fiscal conservatism has a future, hardcore social conservatism does not. At least not the kind the religious right have wet dreams over.

[DinoDoc]

It wouldn't have any effect on the level of support for gun control.

On the contrary, it would demonstrate in a concrete fashion that Obama is willing to stand by his conviction that guns aren't a useful or valid form of personal or home defense.

[kentonio]

On the contrary, it would demonstrate in a concrete fashion that Obama is willing to stand by his conviction that guns aren't a useful or valid form of personal or home defense.

How about all home gun owners are required to go through the same training, oversight and regulation as the secret service. Surely that seems fair?

[MichaeltheGreat]

Dude, Richard Nixon was economically a ****ing moron. No, it's not a Republican idea, it's Richard Nixon's idea. You are continuing to make the same dumb argument, which is "a republican said x, therefore it's republican".

Considering that Nixon was the Republic nominee for VP twice and for President three times, it's probably pretty safe to say he represented the mainsteam of Republican thought in his day.

Then again, whether you knew that or not would depend on what link was spoon fed to you. Your mommy and daddy might not have even hit puberty back when Nixon was President.

[DinoDoc]

How about all home gun owners are required to go through the same training, oversight and regulation as the secret service. Surely that seems fair?

If he were proposing that rather than gun bans, yes.

[DinoDoc]

Considering that Nixon was the Republic nominee for VP twice and for President three times, it's probably pretty safe to say he represented the mainstream of Republican thought in his day.

Well in his defense, Nixon’s 1974 national-health-care proposal was a far more liberal concept than Bill Clinton’s or Barack Obama’s and among other things imposed wage and price controls in a stupid attempt to curb inflation.

[MichaeltheGreat]

In 2008 McCain ran to the center and lost. And now Romney ran to the center and lost.

The McCain of 2000 would have won. McCain didn't lose because of running to the center - he lost because he'd got old and tired and allowed himself to get painted into a Bush's third term corner from both sides. Then he picked motor mouth trailer park queen as a running mate and sealed the deal. Romney ran nowhere and lost. Too many gaffes, too much arrogance, and things like the "etch a sketch" comment were gifts that just kept on giviing.

The Republican electorate is conservative. The Republican old guard is still a bunch of limousine liberals and progressives, out of touch with the voters. They're more interested in what the DC media say than what their constituents say. Nobody's been "whitewashed," they've just been dying off. We'd win if the rest of them would retire.

Only the modern Republican party could call its "old guard" members limousine liberals. But yes, by all means, the Republican party should run candidates further to the right for national office.

[DinoDoc]

Only the modern Republican party could call its "old guard" members limousine liberals. But yes, by all means, the Republican party should run candidates further to the right for national office.

If they ran anyone to the left of Romney this time, they might as well have cloned Obama.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Well in his defense, Nixon’s 1974 national-health-care proposal was a far more liberal concept than Bill Clinton’s or Barack Obama’s and among other things imposed wage and price controls in a stupid attempt to curb inflation.

Well, he didn't really "impose" wage and price controls. I was around during the so-called 90 day wage-price freeze, and it was pretty widely ignored. There was no real enforceability (even disregarding the constitutional issue) - no agency was tasked with enforcement, and people just went on about their business. It was a psychological measure, nothing more.

[MichaeltheGreat]

If they ran anyone to the left of Romney this time, they might as well have cloned Obama.

If the Republican party tries keeps to the right in general elections, the only way they'll ever win again on the national stage is to clone a Democrat.

[DinoDoc]

If the Republican party tries keeps to the right in general elections, the only way they'll ever win again on the national stage is to clone a Democrat.

Romney won the primary precisely because of 2 reasons 1) he wasn't a right wing ideologue and 2) the feeling among the leadership and a large portion of the GOP partisans that only a moderate could win against Obama.