# Is Michael Gerson Right About Republicans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 24, 2012, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665 "2012-09-24T09:42:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/41 "2012-09-25T01:39:15Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > Gerson is a RINO. Big on “compassionate conservatism”. He’s one of the guys that helped make Bush unpopular with his own base. > > Anyway, I think he is wrong, the party needs to be more libertarian, not less. Ummm…actually based on the history of the GOP, libertarians are the RINOs. They couldn’t make it on their own and decided it would be easier to co-opt the GOP than the Democratic Party, but they have no understanding of nor sympathy with “traditional” conservatism. (R) is simply a convenient label to use to ensure they get a place on the ballot. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/42 "2012-09-25T01:51:22Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > My guess is that for every person who has actually read Ayn Rand, there are about three that swear allegiance to her philosophy and drop her name just to appear intellectual. The idea that people name-drop Ayn Rand to appear "intellectual’ may be the single most depressing thing I’ve ever read here. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/43 "2012-09-25T02:28:19Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > It is what led to No Child Left Behind, the Medicare prescription-drug benefit, runaway spending, amnesty for illegal aliens and TARP. Why is letting illegal immigrants stay rather than deporting millions of them not a libertarian policy? And your advocacy of a massive nuclear war against China is hardly libertarian either (unless of course you’re one of the followers of Leonard Peikoff whose brand of libertarianism has included pre-emptive nuclear warfare against Iran and other Middle Eastern states, extreme anti-Muslim bigotry, and opposition to illegal immigration). > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Actually, it was the Iraq War, GWOT, etc., that destroyed the GOP in the 2000s. The GWOT was not unpopular, after all Obama got elected promising to go after Al Qaeda in Pakistan and ramp up the war in Afghanistan. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/44 "2012-09-25T02:29:33Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > They’d be better off if they shored up their alliance with the libertarian faction on social issues and threw the Talibornagains under the bus. If you show me a Republican that would be willing to have women publically executed in a sport stadium for killing an abusive husband you might have a point. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/45 "2012-09-25T02:34:34Z")
It’s a relief when Republicans like Gerson recognize and speak out against the insanity of the “give no quarter” righteousness of the tea party. > [@moonshot925](#): > > I think he is wrong, the party needs to be more libertarian, not less. And how is the party’s trend to libertarianism going so far?😉 > [@moonshot925](#): > > The compassionate conservative agenda driven by the social conservative evangelicals such as Huckabee is what destroyed the GOP in the 2000s. Yeah, Dubya is hated today because of his compassion.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/46 "2012-09-25T02:36:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think what we’re seeing is the big business faction - which is organized - co-opting… > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > . . . practically everybody. Exactly. They’ve co-opted so many diverse groups that the Republican Party is now a fractured mishmash of diverse interests that can’t come together on anything, not even its nominee for president. Even Romney’s running mate is an uncomfortable fit with him ideologically. The RNC was dull and uninspired because the Republicans couldn’t put up a united front, compared with the DNC where everyone was pulling in the same direction and made a party out of it. The GOP doesn’t really stand for anything other than bringing enough people into the tent and hoping it gets enough numbers. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/47 "2012-09-25T02:41:12Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > Anyway, I think he is wrong, the party needs to be more libertarian, not less. > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I agree completely. > > And the sooner the better. > [@TriPolar](#): > > I agree with this. The sooner the Republican Party becomes a fringe organization the better. YOU saw what I did, there. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/48 "2012-09-25T07:24:40Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Are you ever going to support one your assertions, or is sloganeering all we should ever expect from you? In **moonie** ’s world (and a lot of other people’s), you don’t impress people by supporting assertions. You impress people by repeating them. If you have to resort to a real argument, keep it to why others are wrong - not why you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![moonshot925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@moonshot925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonshot925)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/49 "2012-09-25T08:09:51Z")
> [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > And how is the party’s trend to libertarianism going so far?😉 It led to the GOP victory in 2010 and soon-to-be victory in 2012. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/50 "2012-09-25T08:15:35Z")
As an independent: I’m starting to think that in the Demos give up on the gun issues, relax on the environmental issues, and don’t push too hard on the gay rights issues. They should have the presidential races sewn up for the next 16 years. I can only think the repub base is about to fracture. And neither one should bring up Ayn Rand because it always fails to support any argument. ---
**Author:** ![moonshot925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@moonshot925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonshot925)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/51 "2012-09-25T08:19:43Z")
What I meant is that the GOP needs to be more economic libertarian. It needs to be the party of less government, less spending, lower taxes, no socialist healthcare. If the Republicans embrace conservatism they will never lose. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/52 "2012-09-25T08:34:15Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Ryan is a perfect example. He’s an ideal blend actually: he even voted for the Iraq war. He somehow manages to be anti-immigration with an interventionist foreign policy and Christian morality with no concern for the poor. All of the most popular elements of the GOP platform all rolled into one guy! I just don’t know why he didn’t run for president. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/53 "2012-09-25T08:41:29Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > What I meant is that the GOP needs to be more economic libertarian. > > It needs to be the party of less government, less spending, lower taxes, no socialist healthcare. If the Republicans embrace conservatism they will never lose. If “less government” means pro-choice, pro gay-marriage, and complete separation of church and state, you may have something for independent voters. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/54 "2012-09-25T12:24:19Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Ummm…actually based on the history of the GOP, libertarians are the RINOs. They couldn’t make it on their own and decided it would be easier to co-opt the GOP than the Democratic Party, but they have no understanding of nor sympathy with “traditional” conservatism. (R) is simply a convenient label to use to ensure they get a place on the ballot. Or with traditional libertarianism, or they all would be the first to line up demanding that gays have full same-sex marriage rights. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/55 "2012-09-25T14:20:25Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > What I meant is that the GOP needs to be more economic libertarian. > > It needs to be the party of less government, less spending, lower taxes, no socialist healthcare. If the Republicans embrace conservatism they will never lose. Untrue. While what you layout is useful if they reject the 20% of votes who identify as ‘values voters’ their prospects for election tumble. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/56 "2012-09-25T14:22:27Z")
Gerson strikes again, by the way. [Republicans are Missing an Opening with Hispanic Voters](http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-republicans-are-missing-an-opening-with-hispanic-voters/2012/09/24/edf5f1da-066a-11e2-afff-d6c7f20a83bf_story.html). Again, Gerson is hitting an obvious point. But it’s interesting that someone connected with the party is actually saying these things. It’ll continue the ‘he’s a RINO’ narrative but I’ll take any rebellion against the hardline tea party types in the Republican Party. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/57 "2012-09-25T14:32:13Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > It needs to be the party of less government, less spending, lower taxes, no socialist healthcare. If the Republicans embrace conservatism they will never lose. I believe Herman Cain ran on those principles, and _Republicans_ didn’t even want him. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/58 "2012-09-25T14:50:27Z")
[QUOTE=moonshot925] It needs to be the party of less government, less spending, lower taxes, no socialist healthcare. If the Republicans embrace conservatism they will never lose. [/QUOTE] > [@Ravenman](#): > > I believe Herman Cain ran on those principles, and _Republicans_ didn’t even want him. To be fair, lots of Republicans have run on those principles and won. Of course, once in office they ditched the first three of them PDQ. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/59 "2012-09-25T15:03:45Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > What I meant is that the GOP needs to be more economic libertarian. > > It needs to be the party of less government, less spending, lower taxes, no socialist healthcare. If the Republicans embrace conservatism they will never lose. It really does seem to be working out great in Haiti! ---
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665/60 "2012-09-25T15:23:10Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > The compassionate conservative agenda driven by the social conservative evangelicals such as Huckabee is what destroyed the GOP in the 2000s. > > It is what led to No Child Left Behind, the Medicare prescription-drug benefit, runaway spending, amnesty for illegal aliens and TARP. > > It resulted GOP defeats of 2006 and 2008. I have to agree with **moonshot** for once. That is, if he includes the Bible-Beaters in this group. I didn’t hate the GOP until the SoCons like Bush took it over. Remember, Bush was compassionate to Africa with his AIDS donations but it was cover to evangelize for Christianity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-michael-gerson-right-about-republicans/635665.md?page=4)