Some of the Republican party’s most notable leaders met today at a pizza restaurant in northern Virginia to kick off the National Council for a New America. The National Council is a new movement begun by the Republican party to help reshape the party’s image in the wake of the 2008 election.
Present at the meeting were House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
As reported by Huffington Post, all three acknowledged that the party has had setbacks in the past few months and that the Republicans needed a strategy to reconnect with the voters.
A few conservative protesters unhappy with the state of the party held signs calling the National Council for a New America a bunch of RINO’s — Republicans in Name Only. Many conservatives believe that the National Council is promoting McCain’s agenda, instead of true conservative principles.
Generally speaking, the National Council has avoided policy statements up to this point, so it is not entirely clear what it stands for. The NCNA seems to be trying to create a set of principles that the party can unite behind. However, as it has not yet presented a set of political views, the NCNA seems to be more of a forum for discussion for now.
Below is the official video unveiling the National Council for a New America:
National Council for a New America
May 2nd, 2009 at 3:24 pm
It is so SIMPLE and OBVIOUS. The Republican Party needs to move toward populism. If you took an HONEST poll about what drives Americans crazy it would be . . .
1. giving all that money to banks — the capitalism system (unshackled) doesn’t work, is no better than leftists unshackled. Republicans should be for capitalism with a moral code. [It was conservative Pat Buchanan who defined multi=national corporations as amoral behemoths--and so they are as evidenced by this debacle.] Quit the g.d. Ayn Rand fixation — her day is gone!!!
2. Immigration, sanctuary cities. The total hypocrisy of BOTH parties prating on about rule of law yet allowing sanctuary cities. How is it any different from allowing the south to totally bar blacks from voting by refusing to enforce Federal law????
3. The g.d. border!!! Get it under control!!
4. Fire somebody! As long as nobody seems to have the grace to resign or commit hari kiri, for god’s sake, fire somebody@
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Here’s a suggestion how to revamp the GOP:
GET A HEART.
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:33 pm
National Council for a New America & Glen Beck Townhall Media Lies Exposed
I saw today’s forum in N VA and also saw G Beck’s “Media Lies Exposed” townhall and agree with so many voices aired at both:
Here’s what I didn’t hear yet:
1) Sometimes extreme, but temporary, measures (like voters rights preclearances, advanced interrogation methods & financial bailouts to prevent panic) are necessary - emphasis on TEMPORARY, otherwise freedom is jeopardized. TARP and the Obama budget have GONE TOO FAR.
2) Our Republic is purposely NOT the most efficient, but for good reason. Without checks and balances (which do bog it down a bit) it might be a runaway power in the wrong hands. So some push/pull (i.e. a little anarchy) is a good thing.
3) Competition is one of the most effective ways to contain greed and high costs. Voting with your dollar and with your “no thanks, I’ll shop elsewhere” has prevented more abuses more effectively than most laws have. i.e. NO BAIL OUTS! w/o conditions and time limits, and LOWER TAXES! to keep government out of competitions’ way.
4) Not all Tea Party Attendees are religious extremist conservatives. I attended and am a Christian, BUT know that:
a) America is NOT a “Christian” Country - it is a country with freedom OF religion - and it just happens to have lots of Christians in it.
b) America was NOT “founded” with Christian Principles – BUT, the principles do parallel many Christian principles (hmmmm? Now, why might that be?)
5) Health care and health insurance, should be available to EVERYONE WITH A BODY. Government can lend a BIG hand to free-market efficiencies by:
a) making health insurance premiums deductible above the line FOR EVERYONE - or better yet, a McCain-type REFUNDABLE credit,
b) passing a law to shut down monopolistic group rates (i.e. BIG BIZ rates) - they discriminate against individuals and small businesses, discouraging them from paying into the insurance pool. Employers have no business deciding what we buy, anyway!
c) eventually phasing out pre-existing condition restrictions for those who have faithfully paid into the system with insurers who meet solvency standards,
d) disallowing deductions for “Cadillac” insurance (you are free to buy whatever you want, but given incentives to buy insurance that can’t be easily abused) - this keeps costs down,
e) allowing preventative healthcare expenses (annual checkups, dental cleanings) to be deductible above the line or exempting them from insurance benefit deductibles to encourage personal health maintenance responsibility.
TAX INCENTIVES WORK! More people have bought houses, contributed to IRA’s and made charitable donations because of tax law incentives than any mandated arm-twisting.
6) LASTLY, people are flocking to BIG Government because they are miss-informed about BIG Business. Competitive businesses (no matter what the size) take big risks. They are usually worth their pay and deserve the tax deductions and incentives given by law. Executives who take BIG PAY and miss-manage their companies to the brink of failure should be allowed to fail and run the risk of being sued (un-frivolously) by owners/employees for poor management. BIG GOVERNMENT should get out of the way of GOOD BUSINESS with its inherent checks and balances. AND AUDITORS SHOULD BE TRUELY INDEPENDENT and not just another branch of the same firm who advises the same company they audit (SARBANES-OXLEY doesn’t cut the mustard!).
Debbie Meilahn, A Voice for All Americans.
May 3rd, 2009 at 6:29 am
Ayn Rand argued that capitalism is the only moral social system, and any mixture of socialism leads eventually to complete statism, since the morality behind socialism is then implicitly endorsed. The choice is between the morality behind socialism (altruism) or the morality behind capitalism (rational self-interest).
Like Obama, FDR, LBJ, and Bush I and II supported altruism; the founding fathers, Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, and Gerald Ford came closer to encouraging rational self interest.
The Declaration of Independence endorsed the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, which are selfish values. The founding fathers didn’t argue for a “kindler, gentler” social system, in which citizens are forced to “contribute” to other people’s causes; they argued for a government of individual rights:
“The equal rights of man, and the happiness of every individual, are now acknowledged to be the only legitimate objects of government.” –Thomas Jefferson to A. Coray, 1823
In the US today we have nothing approximating “equal rights”. Different citizens, depending on their occupation and effort, pay differing taxes, contrary to the original unamended constitution; and they are controlled coercively by various regulations, which are pointed away from certain politically-connected groups and toward certain less-popular groups.
What this country needs is more freedom, not less, but the only way it will achieve that is by accepting the morality behind capitalism: rational self-interest.
Those who argue our present financial problems were caused by deregulation are obviously not the object of the last 60 years of increased government controls. If they were, they’d know how ridiculous and dishonest that claim sounds to those of us who have been, and presently are, highly-controlled by government bureaucracies.
May 3rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
I think this council sucks. Where is Ron Paul. Just more of the same from the Neo-Cons. Libertarians need to stand up and gain control. I am sick of the religious right telling the gays that they cannot marry. I though we were the party of personal freedom. it makes me sick.
Demand that Ron Paul be heard!
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:31 am
Sounds like more of the same, with the same old dinosaurs trying to push thru their own personal agendas. There’s nothing new Ron Paul could bring to the table; everyone knows he’s a bit of a nut who is too focused on being “different.”
Time for the self-described leaders within the GOP to step aside and let new blood represent the majority of those who consider themselves Republican and conservative. Time for regular Americans to take over and for the name-calling twits to sit down.
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:40 am
Not so fast sauerkraut! There is a generation of young Americans that are very keen to Ron Paul’s message. His being different is exactly what this party needs right now. The Constitution is what made this country great and right now it is being relegated to history. He is a true patriot and defender of the Constitution. During those presidential debates he turned true conservatives upside down on what it means to be conservatives. Everything he brings is new!
Support HR 1207 for a start there sauerkraut!
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:24 am
Isn’t it sad that their commercial is mostly old white guys. Why do they think that showing farmers is going to get them acceptance. It’s the farmers who’ve gotten screwed into the ground by the Republican hand. Now, the GOP is turning into an Ayn Rand cult? That will get them even farther.
GOP = A bunch of angy old white guys trying to get back in favor with the corporate masters who are now throwing all their $$$ to the Dems. THAT is the source of their anger. If they don’t look viable again real quick, who will waste money buying off a party with NO INFLUENCE? Who will waste money on their 2010 elections? The GOP don’t care that they’re a huge joke. They care that the corporate bribes have dried up.
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:28 am
It causes me a BIG belly laugh when I review the people called upon by the GOP to re-brand the party. It’s kinda like putting OLD and STALE wine in new bottles and expecting to sell the same.
And the fact that the meeting was held at a Pizza joint, is going to FORCE me to throw up from EXCESSIVE laughter! OsiSpeaks[dot]com
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:33 am
The key here is that they’re “REBRANDING”… they’re not going to CHANGE the GOP goals. This is a focus group to find out what to SAY to get elected back into control. Then it will be business as usual.
REBRANDING does not change the product, only how its sold. Spread the word and don’t fall for this crap. It’s obvious by who’s on this group that there is no intent to change the way the GOP operates (beyond figuring out a sales pitch that will get them elected).
Feel free to copy/paste my comments EVERYWHERE
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:48 pm
The video doesn’t do anything for me, and the voice is kind of wimpy and phony-sounding. Strikes me as amateur hour in terms of “branding”.
I laud what these people are seemingly trying to do, but the whole tone is wrong.
Might be used as a cure for insomnia.
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Republicans need to get back to the root value of individual rights. This would require a turn-around or at least neutrality on some hot button issues such as gay marriage, illegal drugs, abortion and immigration.
May 4th, 2009 at 5:19 am
With all due respect, you have really read the traditional republicans WRONG! I have been saying this since way before the democrats took the House! Do you think they were successful because they moved toward the MIDDLE??? Toward the RIGHT??? Not at all! They went as far to the left as they could get. And you went along with the “wolves in sheeps’ clothing” in the republican party. THAT is why you lost in 2006 and again in 2008! You MUST get back to the conservative principles that we believe in if you want us to support you and if you want to win!
The democrats are just slobbering at the mouth for you to move “left” and abandon Reaganism! That is the only way they can repeat their victories and you all seem to be falling right into their plot!!!!
Kathy May
May 4th, 2009 at 5:36 am
The GOP is going to be in the woods for a while. They are extremely likely to loose more Senate seats in 2010. Anything can happen, but Obama is poised for a huge 2012 win (though one would think GOP will finally start taking back some seats at that time). So it looks like 2014 before they can contemplate having a big win. I continue to think that the country is not so much for the Democrats, as they are mad with the GOP. So a door remains open.
The GOP needs to start having more honest dialogue (not that Dems are perfect). The Bush years cast a long shadow over the GOP, and more than anything, it stands for being far less than genuine. I still see a ton of it on these forums. Folks are all too willing to say and rally around the thing that makes them feel good, even if it rings hollow. Like calling Obama “The Messiah”… gets lots of chuckles in the GOP, but is a turn off to Dems and Independents. A net loss for you.
I don’t want to list other examples, b/c the regulars here will take exception to them and it will become a distraction. The main point is that if the GOP cannot find a way to make moderates comfortable, your party will continue to shrink. To attract moderates, you are going to need to give some ground, and even *gasp* work with the current administration.
However, as long as their is talk radio, I don’t see the rhetoric being turned down any time soon, and the alienation of moderates will continue. It seems that without indignation, conservatives can’t make a compelling radio show. Hell, Democrats can’t either, that’s why we don’t do talk radio (Rachel Maddow, you’re not helping).
May 4th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Woah. Listening to NPR and they had on David Keating, executive director of the Club for Growth, and Matthew Continetti, associate editor at The Weekly Standard. I was amazed to hear them so readily throwing Bush under the bus. They fully acknowledged the disaster his presidency was. Perhaps with more honest dialogue like this, the GOP’s stay in the woods will be shortened.
Too bad for GOP that NPR only has a fraction of the listeners as Rush and the gang
I will say that these guys were the kind of Republicans I respect. Very thoughtful and respectful, effectively presenting their positions in a way without disparaging the other side.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Restore America;
Not with the same ol’ garbage and Rhino’s like John McCain or another Bush.
Put McCain and his ilk in charge and this time instead of not voting for a Republican President I’ll just stay home.
I cast my first Republican vote in 1968 and can’t believe the garbage we’ve picked up in the name of Republican. Just plain ol’ democrat butt kissers.
McCain will break his nose when Feingold makes a right turn and his neck when Kennedy makes his usual left turn.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Republicans need to learn how to articulate their positions in all talk venues without being afraid that they may offend someone. The Demos don’t give a damn who they offend. Ever since the government shut down under Clinton, the Republicans have acted as if they were castrated. It is sickening how a Rep. just sits there and allows a liberal speak lies without a response or offering a weak one at best. The Dems are fast to get their lying defense in and when the moderator tries to go to the next topic, they force a revist to an accusation made by the Rep. A Rep. NEVER does this!! We need to be PROACTIVE. Example: When a Rep. suggests to reduce or illiminate a tax, they need to say, “the Dems will now say we are giving tax breaks to the rich”. This damn statement by them never gets challenged!! Eg. a Rep. will propose SS reform. We need to say, ” the Dems will now say we are mean spirited and don’t care about the poor”. Dems are so predictable why the hell can’t we use their tired and always wrong predictions againest them. SPEAK UP and show ignorant Americans, and most are, how what the Dems say never comes true.Examples: Global warming and cooling, ozone holes leading to skin cancer, oil spills, ocean dying, wild west gun violence, people starving, whole world hating us, nuclear war, famines, polar bear deaths, environmental destuction, population explosions, civilization ending, mass extinctions, caribou dying, co2 a toxic gas, mass deaths from air pollution, and on and on and on. Nothing comes true. Does a Rep. point this out when he has the chance? NO, they just sit there and smile. The Dems are so easy to defeat if we just concentrate on EDUCATING the public as to what is needed and IMMEDIATELY challenging their stupid statements We have the solutions to just about everything but we are afraid to articulate it and sell it’s virtues!!! WHY? The Demos have emotions that apeal only to the uninformed. Bush could have done so much if he used the bully pulpit as Obama is doing and how all Demos do. The people buy what these con men and women sell because they repeat the lie so many times. If you have tort reform the cost of health care will go down, if you cut or illiminate corporate and capital gain taxes, business, employment and tax funds will sky rocket. War saves lives, abortion takes lives. The constitution cannot work without a moral foundation as a founding father, John Adams, said. Guns save lives in the hands of the law abiding. Outlaw them, then only outlaws will have them. Partial birth abortion is the stabbing of the baby’s skull and brains sucked out while trying to be born. Not drilling for oil will make us more dependent on foreign oil and will eventully lead to war. Coal and oil are not polluting our planet in much the same way that our planet IS NOT warming!! 99.9999 % of all species that have ever lived have gone extinct but since the 60″s this has to stop. Reps are not extreme in anything, the Dems are. Reps are patriotic, the Dems are not and only care about power and re election. Why, why, why are these things and many others, not fully and exhaustivly articulated????????????????? By not articulating these tenents, you are offending and demoralizing your base. IT IS OK TO OFFEND THE LIBERALS AS LONG AS WHAT YOU SAY IS TRUE!! Why do you suppose Gingrich was so alligned? He proposed solutions to our problems that if instituted we would not need liberal Democrats!! This scared the hell out of them much the same way Palin scares them. We have the truth on our side if we just let and help the clueless learn about them. Speak up for God sake and America’s sake. Develop a new “Contract with America” and don’t let the liberal Demos call it “A Contract on America”
May 4th, 2009 at 8:33 am
An interesting discussion. I think the commenters on this board who are on the right think the NCNA is not truly conservative. Liberals who come on this board think the NCNA Is the same old, same old. Either way, no one seems all that inspired.
I think in the near future we will see the party get split ideologically. Some will rally around NCNA, and others will rally around…Sarah Palin. Let’s face it, she’s the one conservative with a big following who is conveniently left off the NCNA agenda. I don’t think she’ll just go away that easily.
As for 2010, I can’t speculate too much. In early to mid 2007, we all thought Hillary would be President in 2008, so it’s just too early. The economy will be everything, however. Big rebound, and the democrats will be in power for years. If the economy is stuck in a rut, and we may see the Republicans surge like they did in 1994. Of course, Republicans need a coherent agenda like they had in 1994.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Good points Ignatius.
Dennis, without paragraphs, your text is way too hard to read. I skimmed then stopped when I saw the bit about baby’s skulls. Good luck with that.
May 4th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
The GOP must move more to the center to attract centrist votes, to get the number of votes needed to win elections.
A really charismatic candidate would lessen the distance of that move somewhat, as would Dems going too far left or otherwise screwing things up, but the election math is still the same.
I do think it is possible to change independent voters’ minds, in general and as to particular issues, but not nearly in the numbers needed to win.
So it seems unlikely to me that the party’s purporting to return to its conservative roots, on the theory that enough voters will see the light, is the way to go.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:46 am
[...] Tom at 12:04 pm (20) Read [...]
May 5th, 2009 at 7:36 am
“National Council for a New America”
Here we go again . . . “Same Pointless Circus!” – “Same Clueless Clowns!” This newly formed “National Council for a New America” just by the name and conception proves without doubt that the national Republican Party is absolutely out of touch with the American people.
Fact is, last November John McCain “LOST” the election by being rejected at the polls with the same irrelevant melody. What part of the word “LOST” don’t these arrogant idiots understand? Fact is, with McCain on the ticket, far too many tentative voters, rather than cast a ballot for that guy, simply stayed home.
Moving to the “moderate” or “leftist light” side of nothingness, yields nothing. Pushing another meaningless agenda packed with impotent, politically correct liberal swill will lead the Republicans further into their own putrid political swamp.
I was also quite disheartened to learn that Mitt Romney and now Sarah Palin have thrown in with this cast of feckless hacks. Perhaps one day soon, McCain can help Romney and Palin find adjoining plots with him in the graveyard of unremembered politicians.
Replacement political movements are already on the rise within the United States. New organizations will shove the irrelevant Republican dinosaurs straight into the tar pits. The increasingly muddled national Republicans are without doubt headed for 19th Century Wig party oblivion.
Watch for UCUAC
May 5th, 2009 at 8:24 am
If the republicans are serious about what to do then they should put up a website and let the people join for free, sign in and express their opinions by voting the issues.
It’s not brain surgery. The federal government’s job is to provide infrastructure and protect us from enemies foreign and domestic, that’s it. The rest is simple; cut taxes so businesses will return to this country.
Provide room for a free market.
The government cannot run anything as we are well aware, so why do they keep trying to run healthcare, banks, social security and auto manufacturers?
The problem with Wall Street was the government. When all this went down, all those connected to it including Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Franklin Raines and the rest should have gone directly to jail.
This would have put a kabash on other “financial wizards” who had illusions of Grandeur from stealing our money again
May 5th, 2009 at 9:43 am
I want my Republican Party back. We need to stand up against Socialism. NO SOCIALIZED MEDECINE. HOW MANY OF OUR CITIZENS WILL DIE UNDER SOCIALIZED MEDECINE? NO NATIONALIZED HEATLH CARE. STOP the growing Federal Control of our Country. My husband and I are Registered Republicans. We’re extremely worried about our Country. DO SOMETHING, you are people in power and we voted for you.
We attended a Tea Party April 15th. We plan to attend one July 4th. We’re are quiet, conservative people who are upset and frightened by this Administrations direction for our Country. Come to Turlock, California and you will have a great turn out.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:38 am
I’m in TOTAL AGREEMENT with Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham on their characterization of this as a bunch of RINOS who want to sell out social conservatives. They’re LOSERS. Cantor???? Really??? He voted for the bailout as did McCain. Jeb Bush says to forget Reagan. HA! We need to forget the Bushes! If you think you can do without social issues, think again. It was Palin’s conservativism that energized the base and McCain’s “moderation” and bailout vote that lost it for him. What a bunch of losers. Count me out. Palin 2012!