Monday, April 1, 2013

The Rockefeller Republicans

Rockefeller Republican (often termed "moderate Republican") refers to a faction of the United States Republican Party who hold moderate to liberal views on some issues similar to those of Nelson Rockefeller. The term largely fell out of use by the end of the twentieth century, and has been replaced by the terms "moderate Republican"[citation needed] and, pejoratively, "RINO" (Republican In Name Only). 

Modern Rockefeller Republicans are typically center-right, reject far-right policies, and are often, but not necessarily, culturally liberal. Many espouse government and private investments in environmentalism, healthcare and higher education as necessities for the nation's growth, in the tradition of Nelson Rockefeller, Alexander Hamilton and Theodore Roosevelt.

Romney is the son of George Romney, a liberal, Rockefeller-style Republican and Michigan governor who in 1968 posed a serious threat to Richard Nixon's quest for the Republican presidential nomination until Romney famously said that the reason he'd initially supported the war in Vietnam (by then he opposed it) was that he'd allowed American generals to "brainwash" him.  The rueful "brainwash" crack finished George Romney off.  



Mitt Romney, while appearing to be conservative, was really a classic Rockefeller Republican.  It was assumed that most of the demographics he lost --- female, young, Hispanic, Asian, Black, low income etc. was because he was too conservative.  The reality is that he lost the traditional conservatives as well.  A lot of them stayed home.  Romney actually got fewer votes than McCain(!) 
 http://www.newrepublic.com/blog/timothy-noah/98542/rockys-ghost#

It is said that Rockefeller Republicans despise conservative Republicans. They never wanted either Goldwater or Reagan to win the nomination. They backed Bush(41) and forced Reagan to make him his VP in a compromise before they’d support him. 

Rockefeller Republicans would like nothing better than to oust evangelicals, tea party, conservatives, etc from the GOP. But they can’t. Because without those groups they would not  have enough votes to get their politicians elected.

Support for the Republican Party is down, but the number of people who call themselves conservative is holding steady. They face the same old choice-not-an-echo battle: grassroots conservative Republicans versus the liberal, globalist establishment RINOs (Republicans in Name Only).  

Chairman Reince Priebus's 97-page political opus an "autopsy," was written primarily by party establishment with little or no input from conservatives or the Tea Party.  The truth is, they thought they won the last election by a "land-slide" as Dick Morris was fond of saying.  

The outreach now, according to the autopsy is for Hispanics.  Unfortunately, we lost every sector of the Hispanic vote last time around and in a BIG way.  Yep, you got it --- the goal will be to attract Hispanic voters who might break for the Democrats.  

So, why not look closer to home and harvest the conservative vote?  
Might not be "Rockefeller" but a vote is a vote and this one might be easier to get!

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