The beginning of the end of the GOP?

[ebd10]

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/15/D8M1ILB00.html


Ex-Rep. Barr Quits GOP for Libertarians
Dec 15 6:06 PM US/Eastern

By BEN EVANS
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON






A former Georgia congressman who helped spark President Clinton's impeachment has quit the Republican Party to become a Libertarian, saying he is disillusioned with the GOP on issues such as spending and privacy.
Bob Barr, who served eight years as a Republican congressman before losing his seat in 2002, announced Friday that he is now a "proud, card-carrying Libertarian." And he encouraged others to join him.

"It's something that's been bothering me for quite some time, the direction in which the party has been going more and more toward big government and disregard toward privacy and civil liberties," said Barr, 58, a lawyer and consultant living in Atlanta. "In terms of where the country needs to be going to get back to our constitutional roots ... I've come to the conclusion that the only way to do that is to work with a party that practices what it preaches, and that is the Libertarian Party."

Barr said he has no plans to run for office. In his new role as the Libertarian Party's regional representative for the South, he will help promote the party's message and recruit candidates, he said.

Barr helped manage the House Republicans' impeachment case before the Senate in 1999.

 

[JLStorm]

I dunno the GOP has been dead for a while, maybe people are finally getting tired of it. I dont know that libertarion is the way to go, but something needs to change, maybe it will serve as a step on the right direction or a wake up call for change?

 

[Vitamin G]

I dont think it really means crap until current senators or representatives leave the GOP for the libertarian party. Anyone can backpedal.

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

It is dificult to say whether there will be defections or not. It is also dificult to say whether the Libertarian or the Constitution Parties (the two a Republican would be most likely to join bc of dislike for big government policies within the GOP) would know how to take advantage of the defections.

Right now, there are alot of angry Conservatives, and the Republican Party for the most part decided after they got booted out of majorities in Congress and the Senate that it was because they weren't moderate enough.

What they didn't realize, although it was glaringly obvious, was that Conservative voters stayed home, voted for Dems in protest or voted 3rd Party in protest. Although Conservative voters are split as to support for Iraq or not, they are totally united on the topic of secure borders, and reduced civil liberties and runaway spending and massive government debt.

If the Republicans play stupid in '08, it'll get worse. Alot worse. And if they decide to stay stupid for say 12-15 years, they will break apart and die as a party.

 

[xd9fan]

what is the domestic agenda for the GOP?....cause its not "conservative".
This is a bad sign, when people of talent and ideas...like conservative ideas, see the writing on the wall and leave.

What is the GOP platform?
(if its just "well where not Democrats"....then good luck to you)

I trust Bob Barr....its limited trust, but I trust him

 

[1 old 0311]

Like most elections voting is a matter of the lesser of two evils. As long as the Dems heros are Nancy, Obama, and the Hildabeast, there will be people voting GOP.

 

[Dan from MI]

I'm 99.999% certain that the GOP and Democrats will not end. The dems have been around since Jackson (and arguably Jefferson as the D-R party). The GOP has been around since 1856 as a fusion of the Free Soil, Whigs, Know-nothings, and other anti-slavery parties. The parties have changed much over the years, but they have been around.

A better question is what will the GOP do in the next 2 years. As a conservative (non to be confused with neo conservative) with a strong libertarian streak on several issues (including this one), I know what direction I would like to see my party shift - back to 1994.

 

[tellner]

It will probably take as long for the GOP to successfully reinvent itself as it is taking the Dems. A lot of senior Party types in both will have to die off in order for new ideas take over.

 

[SoCalShooter]

I do not believe that this is the end of the GOP. But I do believe that in the next few years we may see the rise of the Libertarians. I believe overall the country voted for the lesser of two evils or atleast they voted for someone who has a plan other than "stay the course". Personally I believe the country should do well from a healthy dose of Libertarian politics.

 

[JohnBT]

"they voted for someone who has a plan other than "stay the course"."

I haven't seen the Democrat's plan. Do they have one?

Joh

 

[tellner]

Pelosi has some interesting plans for what she calls "the first 100 hours". They include replacing oversight, restoring a few of our constitutional rights, giving the House Ethics people some real teeth and independent oversight and starting investigations into the last six years of corruption. That's not a bad start.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Pelosi has some interesting plans for what she calls "the first 100 hours". They include replacing oversight, restoring a few of our constitutional rights, giving the House Ethics people some real teeth and independent oversight and starting investigations into the last six years of corruption. That's not a bad start.

I have some truly lovely oceanfront property in Kansas to sell anyone who believes a single word of that.

 

[RealGun]

The article cited hardly justifies the title of this thread.

 

[JerryM]

The GOP will continue to be one of two parties that can get a candidate elected president. It may be down somewhat now, but that is the way politics works.

Jerry

 

[Bruce H]

Anything by a former congresscritter to get a headline.

 

[meinbruder]

Re; The beginning of the end of the GOP?

"Pelosi has some interesting plans for what she calls "the first 100 hours". They include replacing oversight, restoring a few of our constitutional rights, giving the House Ethics people some real teeth and independent oversight and starting investigations into the last six years of corruption. That's not a bad start."

I've heard some of the same plans, if the Democrats stick to the stated agenda it might be an improvement. OH! What a minute. They're still Democrats, and Billary is just a couple of years away.
}>

 

[Soybomb]

Like most elections voting is a matter of the lesser of two evils. As long as the Dems heros are Nancy, Obama, and the Hildabeast, there will be people voting GOP.

Well I don't know if you live in Illinois or know who Obama ran against here but I voted for him based on the terrible terrible trerible candidate the republicans ran against him.

I have no idea if its the end for the gop. I think they'll honestly bring themselves back to a somewhat more moderate position before they let the libertarians take their voters. I imagine there are alot of elected officials who might just be closet libertarians but can't voice their beliefs as such for fear of losing their office. Instead they keep quiet and keep their job, just like atheist senators

 

[jnojr]

Pelosi has some interesting plans for what she calls "the first 100 hours". They include replacing oversight, restoring a few of our constitutional rights, giving the House Ethics people some real teeth and independent oversight and starting investigations into the last six years of corruption. That's not a bad start.

The "new guys" always say stuff like that. "We're gonna clean up the corruption and return Congress to the will of the people!" But it never happens. Washington D.C. is a vast, unimaginably complex machine. When a cog breaks or starts running backwards, the machine keeps going along as it always has until someone gets around to repairing the bad part.

The only way to get anything done is to play the game. You vote for a $2 billion bridge to nowhere because if you don't, nobody else will vote for your pet project. Everyone claims to hate fraud, waste, mismanagement, inefficiency, and pork... but they're all playing the game and rooting for the pork for their own districts.

The House under Nancy Pelosi isn't going to be any better or any worse than it is today. And in two years, if the Republicans gain leadership back, it'll stay just the same then, too.

 

[johnster999]

Barr left the GOP a couple of years ago. Not sure they were sad to see him go after his numerous scandals.

So now that he's a Libertarian, does that mean he no longer cares about prohibiting gay marriage? Abortion? Will he renounce his support for the War on Drugs?

 

[Sharps-shooter]

the name "republican party" as well as all associated trademarks, are worth too much; someone will keep using them.

The core values the party promotes, and their strategies for whose buttons to push, will change completely. and this will not be the first time, nor even the tenth. The strategy that got Newt Gingrich and co. into power year ago, has played out. people no longer see the republicans as bastions of "family values", or whatever. so they'll change tack a little.

If you compared the positions of either major political party to that same party's positions in the 1950's, for instance, you would find relatively few similarities. Social Mores change, and the parties' lines on various subjects change with them. This is helped along when ancient people like Strom Thurmond die, and new blood comes in, equipped with the views of a new generation.

No big news there.

 

[GTSteve03]

The article cited hardly justifies the title of this thread.

Unfortunately so.

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

No, it is justified. There is definitely a Conservative backlash to the tragedy the Republicans made of the Bush regime, and "Well, it's not as bad as if we had Billary here" just ain't gonna cut it for Conservative voters. Conservatives have to keep their party in line as do the Social- I mean Liberals.

When it comes down to it, both parties count on coalitions to keep themselves around. They break those coalitions, and the party collapses. Bush's unending support of Iraq without reason, or exit strategy, or well stated reason for being there that people actually believe hurt him in some corners of the party (moderates, and Traditionalists). His going after civil liberties hurt him with the libertarian and traditionalist portions, and finally, his out of control spending has been so extreme (both for what it is for, as well as the fact the Chinese are holding these debts) that many Far Left Democrats have issues with it.

As I said, the GOP gets smart, and we'll be okay. If they play stupid for over a decade, a new party will rise from the ashes.

 

[longeyes]

The GOP has had many "little deaths." I trace its current mouldering to the betrayal of Dornan in '98: taking a stand against voter fraud was deemed impolitic by the vote-grubbers who control the Party's master plan. It's a well-deserved dying.

 

[ken grant]

Rights

Pelosi has some interesting plans for what she calls "the first 100 hours". They include replacing oversight, restoring a few of our constitutional rights, giving the House Ethics people some real teeth and independent oversight and starting investigations into the last six years of corruption. That's not a bad start.

What about our 2 nd. Ammend. rights? Doing away with all the past Gun Control Acts.

 

[OpFlash]

Pelosi has some interesting plans for what she calls "the first 100 hours". They include replacing oversight, restoring a few of our constitutional rights, giving the House Ethics people some real teeth and independent oversight and starting investigations into the last six years of corruption. That's not a bad start.

"replacing oversight" - what does this mean?

"restoring a few of our constitutional rights" - I'm guessing this is a swipe at the patriot act. I've never seen a socialist want to give rights back to the people so I don't believe her, but I have to agree with that sentiment, feigned or not.

"starting investigations into the last six years of corruption" - oh please... what a great way to bring the country forward :banghead: That's one thing I gave a lot of credit to the incomming Bush administration for in 2000. He didn't waste time making accusations or seeking justice from his predecessor (in fact specifically forbiding his staff to do so) and got down to work.