What Do Republicans Want?

It's primary day in Florida, and the demoralized GOP faithful trudge to the ballot box to determine which is the lessor of two evils - which still amazes me.  I mean, figuring out what WE want as Democrats is a challenge, but figuring out what conservatives want is about the easiest thing in the world.  In no particular order:

1. Free Markets

2. Lower Taxes

3. Traditional Values

4. No Brown People of Any Kind

Done and done.  We know the what, but what I'm more interested in is the why.  Talk radio spends, literally, hours a day dictating why Democrats believe what they believe.  They're self-proclaimed masters of determining our motive.

Which leads me to the titular quesiton I'm curious to know the answer to.  What is the why?  What is their motive?  What do YOU THINK Republicans want, and why do they want it?

•  Tip Jar?

  I've been getting all Socratic lately.  

  by advisorjim on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:04:25 PM PDT

  •  The reason they follow these beliefs...

    is Greed.  They are the party of me,me,me.

    by kharma on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:09:10 PM PDT

    •  Breakdown...

      1.  I want my free market so I can sell my shit to anyone I want to and use poor brown people to do it.

      2.  I want don't want you using my money I made in #1 above to help out any poor brown people.

      3.  If you can't act exactly like me and my kind then you are evil and corrupt and don't deserve to share my country.

      4.  You don't look like me.

      by kharma on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:17:22 PM PDT

      •  That is brilliant!

        I'm copying that at the first opportunity and falsely claiming it as my own.

        by bherner on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:21:57 PM PDT

    •  absolutely

      there is no other explanation than "I don't give a rat's ass about anyone other than myself and don't want a DIME of my money going to benefit anyone less fortunate".  Simple explanation that I give to my child, Republicans care about money, Democrats care about children and families and People.  This isn't true for all, but since I'm making sweeping generalities...it would break my heart if my kid became a Republican!!!

      by jodygirl on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:28:41 PM PDT

•  OK, slight revisions...

  1. Free markets, until greed or stupidity results in loss of profits, in which case a government bailout is needed.

  2. Lower taxes, for us, or at least more loopholes so we can pay our taxes more "effectively".

  3. Traditional values, as defined by us. NOTE: Nothing within these traditional values should be misconstrued as having any bearing on our own actions.

  4. No Brown People of Any Kind, except Dinesh D'Souza.

  by droogie6655321 on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:06:20 PM PDT

  •  4(a)

    and Michelle Malkin.

    by Frankenoid on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:07:38 PM PDT

    •  Okay, how about this:

      "Only Brown people who renounce their brown-ness?"

      by advisorjim on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:08:40 PM PDT

    •  I considered her

      But didn't think she was "brown," really.

      Besides, I think Asian Americans revoked her racial status after reading her apologia for internment.

      by droogie6655321 on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:09:22 PM PDT

    •  Don't forger Ron Christy!

      Don't make the Uber-Jesus cry.

      Republicans in my neck of the woods want

      1 School vouchers

      2 Every single one of us armed at all times

      3 To give more state money to big business

      4 Alcopops in state liquor stores

      5 To develope the entire state with housing tracts, natural gas wells, coal fired plants, and OHV trails.

      They do not want anything of any value to thier constituents.

      by high uintas on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:14:58 PM PDT

  •  I wish

    I could give you a 10 for the D'Souza line.

    by brownsox on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:15:00 PM PDT

    •  Heh

      Thanks, bud. Good to see you, by the way.

      by droogie6655321 on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:38:22 PM PDT

      •  Likewise.

        by brownsox on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 01:04:53 PM PDT

•  asdf

  Good point about AM talk radio. I listen to a lot of it, and I think the unifying thing that all the hosts tell their audiences they want is -- drumroll -- a return to Reagan Conservatism!

  What they mean when they say this is they want a candidate who can defeat the Democrats in a landslide victory and lead to a Permanent GOP Majority. It was supposed to be Bush, but you know...

  by droogie6655321 on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:08:28 PM PDT

  •  Isn't it funny...

    ...how we've seen a complete role reversal in the last few years.  Used to be we were the party of "Anybody but Bush" and our campaign slogan was "We're not the Republicans."

    Now the GOP's falling all over itself with the message of "You don't want DEMOCRATS in charge, do you?"  

    Turns out the answer is "yes."

    by advisorjim on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:13:54 PM PDT

    •  It's what happens...

      When you're caught off guard by the success of the other side, I suppose.

      As long as we continue to build and promote new ideas, we'll be fine.

      by droogie6655321 on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:15:32 PM PDT

•  I don't think they really want "free" markets

  what they want is a system whereby they always win....and then attribute their "win" to the "free" market.

  by libertyisliberal on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:08:43 PM PDT

  •  Exactly

    That is the myth of the Republican economic plan

    by auntiebembem on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:10:09 PM PDT

  •  And when they loose

    bailout time! Who wants some money?

    by meatwad420 on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:55:34 PM PDT

•  What do Republicans want?

  to each be the center of their own little universe.

  Maybe they should all go Mormon with Mitt: that way when they die each can be the God of their own planet.

  by Frankenoid on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:09:18 PM PDT

  •  I love teasing my Evangelical Dad...

    "So, your preferred candidate is a flip-flopper from Massachusetts?  Good luck with that."

    by advisorjim on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:12:03 PM PDT

•  To be allowed to

  bully others with impunity.

  by latts on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:11:21 PM PDT

•  5) Hookers (n/t)

  by TooFolkGR on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:11:31 PM PDT

  •  Of whatever persuasion, it's the one area in

    which they're inclusive.  Gay, straight, bi, transgendered, whatever ya got as long as they get their rocks off.

    by bherner on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:18:45 PM PDT

•  I suspect that those things may not be linked

  Free markets and lower taxes are reflective of the GOP being pro-business and for the rich. That dates back to McKinley.

  The pro-business element of the GOP has made an alliance with the traditional values people and the xenophobes. They work together out of opportunism. I think we're seeing a schism between those elements with the current field of GOP candidates.

  by Wiffle on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:12:04 PM PDT

•  You left out

  electability

  by auntiebembem on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:12:36 PM PDT

  •  I thought you were going to say

    Poland; as in wanting missile defense system there.  heh

    by gatorcog on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:51:18 PM PDT

    •  Hawhaw, don't forget Poland n/t

      by auntiebembem on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 02:52:08 PM PDT

•  They want their cake

  and eat it, too.

  by istari5th on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:12:49 PM PDT

  •  The cake is a lie.

    You either get that one or you don't.

    by advisorjim on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:14:26 PM PDT

    •  Republicans beleiving lies...

      whoulda thunk?

      by istari5th on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:18:13 PM PDT

    •  Mmmmm ... OrangeBox lie cake. My fave. n/t

      by bustacap on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:19:57 PM PDT

      •  This is a triumph! I'm making a note here:

        Huge Success!

        by advisorjim on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:23:55 PM PDT

•  more

  just more.

  by kuvasz on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:14:44 PM PDT

  •  Bonus points for best answer...

    3 Words or Less category.

    by advisorjim on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:15:58 PM PDT

  •  The only time they say "no".....

    ....is when they're asked if they have enough.

    by Hillbilly Dem on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:39:13 PM PDT

•  Just a guess

  But mostly they want to punish liberals. They're willing to go broke, go to war and destroy the environment just so anyone left of center is unhappy or miserable.

  by corwin on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:14:54 PM PDT

•  Republicans want to

  WIN EVERYTHING, AT ALL COSTS, ALL THE TIME - period.

  So, they want a PERMANENT republican majority that "proves" they're "winners."

  They want to revel in - celebrate - their HATE.

  They want ALL THE POWER AND ALL THE MONEY.

  So that they will be able to CHEAT, DEMORALIZE, DEMONIZE, and MARGINALIZE anybody and everybody they decide they hate - with total impunity. With a permanent majority they will no longer have to "justify" their hatred or their cheating or anything else - to the people or to the "librul media." It'll just be the way of the world.

  I don't think they have any real principles - and not even any ideology that holds up to reality - beyond HATE, POWER AND MONEY.

  by everhopeful on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:19:56 PM PDT

•  The Republicans

  want an election between Romney and Obama....

  by fiona2 on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:22:05 PM PDT

  •  Interesting...

    care to elaborate?

    by advisorjim on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:25:00 PM PDT

•  A Place of Privelege

  let's face it, the last few years have demonstrated that these so-called core beliefs of conservatism are nothing of the sort.  What a conservative really believes in is what these support: Social supremacy of a selected few.  As long as colored people (Malkin Keyes, etc.) are willing to support this oligarchical social construct it doesn't really matter if they are themselves colored, or non-christian.

  by Jazgar on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:24:57 PM PDT

  •  Well put.

    by advisorjim on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:25:37 PM PDT

•  I suspect

  they want their own way and to have a say-so in every single circumstance, including circumstances that don't involve them.  And I think they somehow feel they're smarter and more "all knowing" of what's best not only for themselves but for everyone else, especially people who are "less than" them.  I fully realize I could be wrong but since you asked, I truly believe it's class thing.

  by Dreaming of Better Days on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:40:11 PM PDT

•  You left out strong defense

  law and order

  and a gun in every pot.

  Republicans at their best believe in a small government that stays out of the way of the people. It is not a bad theory.

  Live and let live.

  Unfortunately, the playing field is not level. Not everyone has an equal chance at living the good life promised by such a utopian view.

  Unfortunately, the country is full of prejudices and stigmas. "Small government" does not assure that the most needy and disadvantaged among us will get a fair shake... or even bare subsistance.

  At their worst Republicans are owned by plutocrats that misuse the belief in low taxes and small government to fill their own pockets at the peoples expense.

  At their even worsererer Republicans are an authoritarian lot that have extrmely nationalistic views bordering on theocratic fascism.

  by Andrew C White on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:40:25 PM PDT

•  The sex they aren't getting

  and everybody else they think is having.  They're obsessed with everybody else's sex life, whatever color it is.

  by gatorcog on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:52:43 PM PDT

•  Women with Saudi rights

  They want women to have the same level of human rights that one finds in their favorite country, Saudi Arabia.

  by get the red out on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 01:26:36 PM PDT

•  Control

  They want control of whatever is in the moment so they remain the most important thing.
  They don't really want a free market (they're pulling a bait & switch on Libertarians), the want a market they control that always favors them- like being the house in a casino.
  Lower taxes- well who wouldn't? But being so self-centered, they don't comprehend the necessity of taxation. (Not that we should get taxed to death, tho'.)
  Traditional values = "MY" values.
  The racist attitide? No, that one's way off base. Its merely a snob scapegoat to deflect attention from something they've done "wrong". Think of all the groups that get picked on & demonized through conservative history- Jews, Catholics, Asians, gays, single mothers, native american, african americans.. The only group they haven't attacked in some variation is the group they see in the mirror.
  I will add one more thing to your list: They live in fear. They want everyone else to be fearful of them, thier control, because down deep, they know its a false image, an illusion. Thus, when granted power, they hoard it, abuse others with it rather than sharing it & making good use of it.

  by WiseFerret on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 01:33:23 PM PDT

•  Power

  without the responsibility of having to do a fucking thing right.

  by jaf49 on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 10:52:48 PM PDT