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Shays looks ahead after loss

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor November 7, 2008 01:29 PM

Representative Christopher Shays of Connecticut, until he lost on Tuesday, held the distinction as the last congressional Republican in New England.

Today, he said that the path for the GOP to return from the wilderness in the region -- as well as nationally -- is not to become a more socially conservative party.

Shays said on MSNBC that the party, while sticking by its fiscally conservative principles, needs to reach out to moderates and to ethnic minorities.

He also downplayed, in part, the depth of the loss, saying that it was tough for all Republicans given the depth of the financial crisis.

"He was doing fine until the economy started going under," Shays said of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Shays also argued that his district, home to many financial services firms, was hit harder than any district in the country and called that a "big factor" in his loss.

Looking for a job after January after ten terms in Congress, Shays demurred -- but did not deny interest -- when asked about a possible job in the new administration, possibly as director of the Peace Corps, which he served as a volunteer in Fiji during the 1960s.

He said he would be honored to serve his country again.

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The GOP will continue to lose until they get rid of the radical right in their party. They need to get back to true conservitism and leave out the radical religous right. They do not appeal to the youth of this country which are increasingly more interested in global warming, green jobs and pro civil marriage for all.

Posted by James E Stevenson November 7, 08 01:45 PM
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True conservative sound like raving maniacs. They lost big because they sound nuts. They say they are for individual freedom but control womens and mens lives based on their reading of the bible. They say they are fiscally concious but managed to run the country into the biggest dept in history. Republicans are just plain two faced and rip off artists.

Posted by hhkeller November 7, 08 03:50 PM
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I love it! He goes from: We need to maintain our "fiscally conservative principles" to "the economy did us in." Twenty years of Reaganomics ("voodoo economics") resulted in the same collapse as 1929 and this guy doesn't get that Republican fiscal policies are to blame. Bring back FDR's New Deal, make the working class prosperous, they will recirculate their prosperity -- and give us a new infrastructure in the process -- and we'll be back as the leaders of the "Free World" and the "Free Market."

Posted by Adam Smith November 7, 08 03:51 PM
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Shays is an idiot. He's telling Republicans to reach out to moderates and ethnics. That's why you lost you moron. Republicans have been pandering to the middle since Bush got elected and what has that gotten them? A Democratic Legislature and Executive branch. It's time to wake up and stop taking advice from RINOs and the left. Get back to Regan conservatism and the majorities and elections will come. Republicans don't loose when they run as conservatives, they get creamed when they run as moderates. WAKE UP.

Posted by Mountainguy November 7, 08 04:01 PM
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Conservatives are supposed to listen to a man who just lost handily being a moderate? So we can keep losing? No, thanks.

Posted by Ruth Selby November 7, 08 04:07 PM
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Saying that fiscal conservatism caused the economic collapese of 1929 is a HUGE misreading and misunderstanding of history. The Hartley-Smoot Tariff, the aftermath of World War I, the defaults on payments by European powers who owed us money after World War I, the quick and unsupervised demobilization in this nation after World War I, the low prices of crops in the South, and the overinvesting in questionable funds in the market all combined to make the depression of 1929 happen.

Posted by jjprof November 9, 08 11:32 AM
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Why should Republicans take advice on how to win from someone who just lost? Sounds like he thinks Republicans should be more like Democrats in order to win. Then why not just become a Democrat?

Posted by Andy November 9, 08 01:49 PM
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