# What are Conservative Republicans Thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 24, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883 "2012-02-24T22:13:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/21 "2012-02-26T15:05:57Z")
I realize that this is purely anecdotal and probably not really indicative of the Conservative position nationwide. Many of the hard right conservatives that I encounter seem to think that their political views are held by the majority of the American people. They are convinced that the Republican party needs to move farther to the right to win the next election. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/22 "2012-02-26T17:21:52Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Of course not. Monoliths make people _smarter_. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/23 "2012-02-26T17:43:12Z")
> [@degan](#): > > They’re thinking about presenting a clear contrast to the fascist policies of the Obama Administration. If the Obama policies are so evidently fascist what is the need to present a contrast? A solid middle-of-the road campaign should easily beat a fascist. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/24 "2012-02-26T17:46:47Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Is the first word strictly necessary? It’s a punctuation error. Should have been “What! Are…?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/25 "2012-02-27T20:50:53Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Not true; each could promise to cut taxes more than the others. Romney has set the bar at 20%. Meh. Cutting taxes is a standard shibboleth of all presidential candidates, and any real tax policy will originate in the legislative branch. By contrast, there are plenty of things the executive can do unilaterally on social issues: De-fund particular organizations, point enforcement groups at the “right” targets, appoint judges/administrators with the “right” philosophy, etc. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/26 "2012-02-27T23:03:33Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > Many of the hard right conservatives that I encounter seem to think that their political views are held by the majority of the American people. Everyone is prone to that illusion, but the hard-right more than any, I think. In fact, [only 9% of the public are “Staunch Conservatives.”](http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/04/beyond-red-vs-blue-the-political-typology/) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/27 "2012-02-27T23:05:14Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So the business crowd is mostly happy. They received their bounty during the Bush years and Obama hasn’t made any serious attempts to take things back. Any hope that’ll change in his second term? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/28 "2012-02-28T01:43:42Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Any hope that’ll change in his second term? Sure, there’s hope, lots of it. Faith? Not so much. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/29 "2012-02-28T15:30:22Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Everyone is prone to that illusion, but the hard-right more than any, I think. In fact, [only 9% of the public are “Staunch Conservatives.”](http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/04/beyond-red-vs-blue-the-political-typology/) The GOP is long overdue for a “McGovern moment”; here’s hoping Santorum is the nominee so that the GOP can lose in a true landslide. It’s 50-50 that they would re-assess their party’s direction (as opposed to, say, doubling down and nominating Rush Limbaugh next time), but it’s better than nothing. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/30 "2012-02-28T18:22:12Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > It seems to me that in order to win the Republican nomination the candidates have to out-Right Wing the next guy or gal. Is this because the Republicans actually think this kind of candidate can defeat Obama, or is it because they feel that they are the last bastion of ideological purity and won’t compromise. Now granted there is still plenty of time from now until the election, but unless these guys moderate their rhetoric and improve their campaign this is not even going to be close, whcih won’t bother me at all. Throughout my life, I’ve heard Democrats express similar reasoning, namely that the Republicans have become so extremely right-wing that the Democrats are guaranteed to win a landslide victory in the next election. Rarely does it turn out be correct. The Democrats have won a few major victories in my lifetime, but the Republicans have won a lot more. I don’t know which party will win in November, but history suggests that it’s foolish to expect a Democratic landslide. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/31 "2012-02-28T18:30:42Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Throughout my life, I’ve heard Democrats express similar reasoning, namely that the Republicans have become so extremely right-wing that the Democrats are guaranteed to win a landslide victory in the next election. Rarely does it turn out be correct. The Democrats have won a few major victories in my lifetime, but the Republicans have won a lot more. I don’t know which party will win in November, but history suggests that it’s foolish to expect a Democratic landslide. Let me be clear, I only think this is the case in Presidential election. I expect Obama to get more than 300 EVs and 52% of the vote, which is a reasonably sized win, if not a blowout for a recent Presidential election. However, I do not think it will be an across the board Democratic landslide. ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/32 "2012-02-28T18:46:35Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Throughout my life, I’ve heard Democrats express similar reasoning, namely that the Republicans have become so extremely right-wing that the Democrats are guaranteed to win a landslide victory in the next election. Rarely does it turn out be correct. The Democrats have won a few major victories in my lifetime, but the Republicans have won a lot more. I don’t know which party will win in November, but history suggests that it’s foolish to expect a Democratic landslide. When exactly did you hear that? The Republicans haven’t been so far-right since 1964, and Goldwater supported the separation of church and state so they’re arguably to the right of him now (plus, the rest of the party was more moderate than Goldwater, with figures like Rockefeller). Hell, we’re on the centennial of the creation of the Progressive Party, which split from the Republicans. That sure couldn’t happen today; there are (virtually) no progressives in the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9d8465/32.png) [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Deal_Democrat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/33 "2012-02-28T22:12:42Z")
> [@degan](#): > > They’re thinking about presenting a clear contrast to the fascist policies of the Obama Administration. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So conservative Republicans are offering a communist alternative? > > Boy, this is a confusing election. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883/34 "2012-02-28T23:07:52Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > I realize that this is purely anecdotal and probably not really indicative of the Conservative position nationwide. Many of the hard right conservatives that I encounter seem to think that their political views are held by the majority of the American people. > > They are convinced that the Republican party needs to move farther to the right to win the next election. I think they hate Obama so much, and talk within the bubble so much, they can’t imagine Obama winning reelection against _ **anyone** _. They think this is their chance to get a “true conservative” in the White House. It’s the “I don’t know anyone who would vote for Obama so he’s going to lose” thinking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-conservative-republicans-thinking/613883.md?page=1)