The search for authentic GOP voices

I'm officially on the hunt for some truly original GOP or conservative voices. The party seems to be at a true breaking point, and will need to develop a drastically different message if it is to survive in a time when minorities are becoming the majority and the newer generation has a higher tolerance for individual differences in lifestyle and belief.

That isn't to suggest that I think conservatives or the GOP need to abandon their core values. Fiscal conservatism always has a place in a society that values responsibility and sacrifice. However, fiscal conservatism in the form of obstructionism is not a governing philosophy.

Who is going to embody the "New Republicansim"?

One voice making headlines is Meghan McCain. The Senator's daughter has been raising eyebrows with her every woman blogversation, straight talk (eh-hem), and inclusive personal outlook in her blog on the Daily Beast.

Another VERY intersesting voice is that of Frank Schaeffer, an original Religious Right-er cum Obama supporter and voice of reason. Schaeffer is clearly not a voice of conservatism, but he does provide interesting insight into the shrinking relevance of the Republican power structure in our current circumstance. Frankly, Schaeffer simply says what no Republican leader is able to say right now. Its truly refreshing.

One thing all of my favorite voices have in common is a willingness to stand up to the haters in the GOP, the Rush Limbaughs and Ann Coulters who peddle in ugliness. Certainly the left has not had the luxury of allowing our most vocal extremists speak for all of us. Its time the right lived up to the same standards of responsibility.

Here's Schaeffer's recent appearance on D.L. Hughley's show:

McCain the Socialist/Communist

So who said the following: Barack Obama or John McCain?  

I believe that when you really look at the tax code today, the very wealthy, because they can afford tax lawyers and all kinds of loopholes, really don't pay nearly as much as you think they do when you just look at the percentages. And I think middle-income Americans, working Americans, when the account and payroll taxes, sales taxes, mortgage pay -- all of the taxes that working Americans pay, I think they -- you would think that they also deserve significant relief, in my view...

If you said John McCain you would be CORRECT.  That's the John McCain of 2000 - remember him? - answering a citizen's question on Hardball.

I know.  I know.  Isn't that that pesky "spreading the wealth" that McCain and Palin are up in arms over?  Well, sure!  But this is an election year, and apparently that means McCain's job is to demonize others for things he actually believes in.  

Think that's taken out of context?  To hear McCain say specifically that this is NOT socialism, read the full transcript here.

Thoughts on the Powell endorsement

No doubt - NO doubt - you've heard plenty by now about Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama, but let me point out one thing about that endorsement that you may not have heard about if you didn't see it live.

Mr. Powell made a very lovely point that I think its important for all of us to consider.  It was about the whisper campaign that Barack Obama is "really a Muslim" or a "secret Muslim" or just outright "Muslim" as an email I received stated.  Powell said this:

I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian.  He's always been a Christian.  But the really right answer is, what if he is?  Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America.  Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?  [my emphasis]

Just give that some thought and remember what is good about America.  You can watch Powell's endorsement in its entirety here.