I will contact you later.

(FWIW – I figured a mere mention of “Progressive Party” would attract you to this comment )

I kid. Good stuff.

BTW – My wife wants a Cathcart sign to put in our yard next to my Walker sign.

FYI – Eisenhower was an active young democrat hell bent on defeating Taft in the Presidential election of 1912 (as an activist, not as a candidate, of course). At that time, the Republicans were in the midst of successes. What bothered Eisenhower, though, wasn’t the prior years of Teddy Roosevelt, but the inner-revolt in the GOP that was pushing the party firmly back into control of Wall St and Trust leaders. The party was quickly becoming fat upon its own successes and excesses. FWIW, this bothered TR, too, which led to the birth of the Progressive Party.

Back on Eisenhower, interestingly enough, it was the cringing thought of Taft’s son, Senator Robert Taft (R-OH), being the Primary-unopposed Republican for the ‘52 ticket that got Eisenhower overly concerned and led him, in addition to overwhelming, unsolicited support, to becoming a late candidate. Although the Republicans were in a considerable presidential drought at the time, Eisenhower was leery of the seemingly unchecked success of the Democrats, which goes back to his theory of unhindered success breeding pigs. Of course, he also harbored the horrible thought of the unhinged far-right, comprised of those who had served far too long (such as Robert Taft). His desire was to interrupt the string of success of the Democrats, but at the same time, prevent the ultimate rising of the far right. Hence, he chose to run as a Republican, successfully forcing the Democratic Party back to the drawing board and in a historically heated convention, wrested control of the Republican Party from the far right.

Bottom line, it’s going to take someone willing to stand tall, while taking many shots from the extremes, to return us to prominence.

Lastly, Eisenhower’s presidency seems to average in the “ho-hum” category, depending on who you talk to, but his theory on politics is a great read.

Our nation needs bold new leaders who will take on the problems that have divided this country since the Nixon regime. One thing about Reagun, he threw all the neo cons out of his administration and tried to end the Cold War. Now we have McInsane trying to start a whole new global threat using NATO to invade soverign nations, who happen to have OUR oil under their feet. Neo cons exist in both parties. I am politically homeless!

Mike Protack: I’d be interested to see a public accounting of what you’re referring to in 1988. If you don’t want your name on it, I’m sure one of the Protack Puppets would volunteer to post it from your driveway.

At any rate, Mike is right — the 2000 primary was an outward manifestation of internal rot that had been going on for some time, and evidenced by the frightening paucity of candidates above the canal willing to run under the GOP banner.

Jason, what you’re pointing to is partly generational. Republicans who had successful careers before the conservative “revolution” never swore fealty to points of conservative orthodoxy, and so were free to pursue solutions to real-world governmental problems wherever they might be found.

Those who came of age after the mid-80s are yoked to a bunch of “solutions” that never vary, no matter what the problem being faced. That’s why trying to reason with them is like arguing with a Marxist — no matter what you say, the handbook explains the solutions to every problem.

Hence the millions of conservative bloggers, all baying at the moon in exactly the same key.

Imagine if all liberals were like Liz Allen, impervious to argument or reason, swearing that impractical liberal “solutions” to problems are all that’s needed to right the world, all real-world evidence to the contrary.

In such an imaginary country, you’d probably be a Republican.

Anon #13 – We don’t want him. If I lived in his district, I’d vote 3rd party… or write-in “Superman”.

Perhaps you should tell me what makes an opponent legitimate. From my definition, Mike Miller is not (just as a benchmark).

By contrast, O’Donnell has done zilch. “Was she at that parade?” “I heard she was, but I never saw her.”