Results from Tuesday's elections confirm a recent poll by ConservativeHQ.com that demonstrates that President George W. Bush's move to the left has hurt Republican electoral chances.

Republican candidates in the 2005 election paid the price for President Bush's expansion of government programs, power and spending at the expense of personal, religious and economic freedom. He has not been in sync with conservatives, who are the mainstream of American voters, on immigration and too many other policies.

Voters rejected the politics of compromise by President Bush and the Republican leadership, and want a more principled, populist direction within the GOP.

How do I know? The poll just before the election showed:

• 69 percent said Bush is not governing as a conservative.
• 62 percent said they were "disappointed" or "angry" over President Bush and the Republican-led Congress.
• 70 percent said they would support "a principled conservative candidate running against an establishment Republican incumbent in a 2006 Republican primary."
• 25 percent said they would reduce their financial support for the GOP in 2006, and 27.4 percent said they would end it completely.
• Regarding the 2006 election, 13.36 percent agreed with the statement: "I'm so disappointed that I may sit this election out."
• Respondents gave Bush a grade of D for "controlling government spending" and a D- for "reducing illegal immigration."

There is only one way for President Bush to save his presidency and prevent devastating Republican losses in '06. President Bush needs to take drastic action by replacing most of his White House policy personnel with effective, principled conservatives.

President Bush's ratings are not low for acting like a conservative. They're low for not.

Richard Viguerie, who pioneered ideological and political direct mail and helped elect Ronald Reagan in 1980, is president of ConservativeHQ.com

Email the Editor