LETTERS

Re “SOS for the GOP: The party establishment can’t help -- it’s the problem,” Opinion, May 10

Richard A. Viguerie talks about getting back to the time-tested GOP principles of low taxes, a strong national defense and traditional values.

The items that George W. Bush espoused when he ran for president were tax cuts, rebuilding our military and his view of religious social values. When elected, he governed by twice cutting taxes, made wild increases in military spending and created faith-based spending programs.

So now it’s Bush’s fault that the GOP lost the last election?

Is this rebranding conservatives or rewriting history? I keep forgetting, what principles did Ronald Reagan run on, and how did he govern?

Bruce Felkner

Anaheim

::

It is readily apparent that the majority of Americans would agree that slavery, segregation and limitations on voting rights were legitimate targets for governmental actions.

The GOP’s current problem is that it seeks to impose the conservative religious views of its members on the whole of American society -- but the recent election shows those views are not held by the majority of Americans.

Gay marriage, abortion and stem cell research are not deemed to be fit subjects for governmental intervention by that majority.

All the talk of “judicial activism” and similar code words will not change the fact that efforts to impose the religious views of a minority on the majority will not succeed, no matter how strongly those views are held.

John S. Nelson

Los Angeles

::

Viguerie again has written a paean to, well, a fable.

When conservatives have managed to reduce their audience to religious Southern white men, he dredges up, as a program, all the old bromides.

But his best is saved for last. After calling “leftist activists” to task for “judicial activism,” he wonders what the fate would have been of “slavery, segregation, suffrage” had activists “acquiesced to the political establishment.”

Does it not occur to Viguerie that the political establishment of those times was conservative and the activists were considered liberal, if not radical? Would he have us believe that the conservatives were in favor of emancipation, women’s suffrage and an end to segregation?

No, Mr. Viguerie, you can’t have it both ways. The conservatives must do better articulating a program based on comprehensible standards in a modern world. Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater are history.

Alfred M. Sils

Woodland Hills

::

I’m a Republican. The article written by Viguerie seems to blame President Bush for all things wrong with the GOP, problems that he caused and caused alone, and so on. Are any of the past or current problems we face owned by the far-left Democrats? Why would anyone with common sense listen to this?

Sue Sullivan

Culver City

::

Viguerie’s rip-roaring call to “let the rebellion begin” comes across more like “Gee, Dad, let’s have an uprising.” His bombastic blather fizzles into an insipid plea to do something. If this mediocre analysis is the best the Republicans can come up with to energize their constituents, it’s no wonder they’re losing.

Allen Wittenborn

Rancho Bernardo