GOP, Bush to Blame for Splintered Reagan Coalition

The GOP has successfully splintered the Reagan Coalition by embracing candidates who in no way represent Reagan conservatism. Make no mistake, the Coalition is still there; it's just that there is no candidate who embraces ALL of its precepts.

To a great degree the blame for this deplorable turn of events can be laid directly at the feet of George W. Bush, who claimed the principles of Reagan conservatism but who governed as a neo-con who made some terribly awful decisions.

Thus, we blundered through the first few years in Iraq until General Petraeus took the helm. The BAFTE has continued its assault on gun owners and gun retailers unabated. Judges have been appointed to the bench who have run slipshod over the rights of property owners in favor of a highly skewed and lopsided view of 'eminent domain.'

And then, let's not forget Bush's most despicable transgression of all--his absolute, stubborn refusal to do anything at all about illegal aliens, protecting the border, and removing incentives for illegals to come here in the first place.

In many ways he has been worse than Bill Clinton on this issue, and that is saying a mouthful.

The ONLY two vestiges from the Reagan era that Bush has kept intact are the support for the pro-life position and the view that tax cuts are good for the American people and the economy.

This has opened the door for those candidates who are even further to the Left than Bush, such as Guiliani, McCain, Romney, Huckabee.

Even Ron Paul fails the Reagan Coalition test due to his dangerous, and frankly, frightening views on U.S. foreign policy, terrorism, and the War in Iraq.

Thus, here we are stuck with a bunch of charlatans who only give lip service to the Reagan legacy. Only Fred Thompson could truthfully lay claim to the Reagan mantle.

But the GOP and their major contributors apparently have decided they had rather have 'moderate' Republicans who all now claim to be conservative, rather than a true, conservative heavy-weight who had delineated in great detail his views on the issues, including those the others will not dare touch.

The fact that the GOP is now poised to give its approval to a big-government neo-con (this is all that's left of the viable candidates), while rejecting Fred Thompson, is almost unforgivable.

And for this we can point to the failure of President George W. Bush to keep the Reagan Coalition together, moving in the same direction.