Is the failure to follow Newt's "Contract on America" the reason why the GOP is in such a poor position now?

Question

Some of the elements of the Contract were implemented, like welfare reform, some were vetoed by Clinton.

However, a November 13, 2000 article by the libertarian Cato Institute, stated, "... the combined budgets of the 95 major programs that the Contract with America promised to eliminate have increased by 13%."

Add in the excesses of the earmarks and gross federal overspending under the Republican controlled House and Senate from 2002-2006 and the failure of the GOP to regulate itself internally with a prime example being the Mark Foley scandal and butting into the private Terri Schiavo issue.

Does this all equate to a failure of the GOP to live up to what they promised Americans? If so, is it any surprise why they lost the House in 2006 and may lose the Senate and Presidency this year?

Answer 1

Methinks hubris combined with arrogance and delusions of grandure , ( plus greed and crimninality), did them in.

the Rove/Cheney/Bush administration did not help.

I am thinking the conservative movement has  been set back 30 years.

What the Republicans lacked was integrity and maybe this is a good thing.

Newt's " Contract on America " was just PR.

Like Reagans's shining " city on a hill"  this was all smoke and mirrors.   No substance to any of it.

Answer 2

Yes.  The current version of Republican is Borrow-and-Spend, dishonest and willing to trample states rights when convenient and very restrictive on social rights.  The Newt Republicans had a strong political message.  Voters could decide whether they liked the ideas:  smaller government, less taxes.  There was little hypocrisy, and a much stronger focus on small government then on social issues.  In California, conservatives would not even rally behind the Governator's attempts to shrink the state government because they oppose his looser social stances.  It is because of what the party became that I will likely never again in my life vote Republican though I don't change my registration because I am not a Democrat.  The Republican party has become the anti-science, anti-education, pro-war, borrow-from-the-Communist weird little fringe party.  It is the tool of the very rich to convince the very poor to lower their taxes.  It would take another honest, secular movement like Newt's to bring it back as a political force in a modern country.

Answer 3

Yeah those were the "good ol days".

I'm tired of voting for RINO republicans, Bush 43, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and now McCain. I won't do it. I will switch my party to independent and write in Mitt Romney.

Answer 4

Lets face facts here. The repubs and the demos are a joke. They are both running this country in to the ground.

It time for the people of this country to look to a third party.

I for one am not going to throw away my vote any more. I'll be voting for the third party nominee. That is the Constitution Party.

Answer 5

Yes. Republicans won massive victories in '94 and gained control of Congress for the first time in 40 years. And they did it on a platform of SMALL GOVERNMENT. Unfortunately, they got into power and became corrupt ("ultimate power corrupts ultimately"). Now the voters that voted them in are disillusioned and angry.

Unless the GOP returns to a platform of small government, they will continue to lose. Small government conservatism wins in EVERY election, it is mind-boggling why the GOP has abandoned that winning platform and embraced liberalism.

Answer 6

Yes failure..No surprise they seem to be out of touch with reality.