Richard Viguerie, in Conservatives Betrayed, foresaw collapse of GOP and describes the road back for conservatives

Written by Richard Viguerie on 2008-11-12T06:36:08+00:00

     Richard A. Viguerie’s 2006 book Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books) offers a roadmap for a conservative comeback following the disastrous elections of 2006 and 2008.

     The book calls on conservatives to organize themselves as a “Third Force” that can influence both major political parties. 

     Viguerie points to environmentalist, labor union, and race-based groups as models for “Third Force”-type organizations.  These groups are major political players, he says, but they are independent.  They have their own members, money, and issues.  “They are free to punish or reward politicians based on their behavior.”

     Conservatives, according to Viguerie, will respond to the 2008 election by creating their own Third Force organizations.  These groups will deal with social issues, the culture, immigration, taxes, health care, government spending, judicial appointments, the environment, excessive government regulation, schools, and the concerns of working class and small business class Americans – “literally thousands of grassroots organizations reaching every community in this country.”

     Conservatives Betrayed was one of the earliest assaults on Big Government Republicanism, the governing philosophy that wrecked the economy, ruined the GOP “brand,” and brought the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Democrats to power. 

     Since the book was published, its central argument – that Big Government Republicanism would be a disaster for the GOP and for the country – has been proven correct.

     In the book, Viguerie calls on conservatives to “Cut off your support of the Republican National Committee and other party fundraising committees;” to instead “Give 100% of your political donations to principled conservative causes and candidates;” and to “Demand sweeping changes in the Republican congressional leadership.” 

     In recent weeks, Viguerie has renewed his call for conservatives to cut off support for the GOP until the party changes its leadership, top to bottom.