There is a disturbing meme among some bloggers and pundits that the GOP is in some type of crisis because of immigration or the war, but that is simply not true.

I meant to address this on the MacRanger Show yesterday but our GOP fundraising and voter registration drives have never been greater. As a local official I know from where I speak, and there has been no so-called “backlash” as some would call it. We are actually doing just fine.

Quite frankly the only ones really talking about the “divide” are liberals and moderates and fence sitting independents.

But I know from where I speak, and as of today we are well above our goals for the year and there isn’t any slow down that we can detect. That is saying a lot from such a liberal state as Florida.

In short the GOP is alive and kicking and we will - as we did in the Great Divide of 1976 - survive. I know that in other quarters of the country there are those who attemp to create a divide over the immigration debate citing the hispanic vote or lack thereof. Look, I hate to break it to people but the reason 2006 wasn’t like 2002, or 2004 was because of one thing and one thing only.

Conservatives lost their conservatism. We lost our way, mostly because our beliefs and core values were forsaken. We turned “liberal” in our spending, corruption, and especially on our core issues of small Government. As conservatives we have always won based on the fact that our system of governing works. Liberalism doesn’t work and never has. Because of that people vote for us not because we pander to them but because they believe in our principles of government.

Here is something that should be said. When it comes to principles, hard issues such as the war, immigration or whatever call for standing your ground even though others may see things differently. Yet it also means not compromising with those who say that they are one thing yet act as another.

RINOS as I’ve noted can count their days in the GOP, we are going to actively challenge them in upcoming elections with pure conservatives - not liberals in disguise. We don’t have to compromise our values and beliefs simply for the sake of “agreement”. Again, it’s high time to sweep the party, such as we did in 1980 and now is as good a time as any.

With that in mind, our version of MoveOn, which coincides with the Florida movement - “Conservative Renewal 2008″ is well on way to becoming a reality and will help keep the broom moving.

UPDATE: Since a commentor brought the name of my old boss up to claim that he would have never supported the name “RINO” I will guote the Great One himself. Read it carefully.

“A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply swell its numbers…. And if there are those who cannot subscribe to these principles, then let them go their way.” ‚Äî Ronald Reagan.

Exactly what I said in the post above.