Posted by
Mike Silverman on Thursday, November 06, 2008 9:16:29 AM
Why are Republicans losing? The Republicans as a party have been working it backwards. They start out with trying to figure out what will get them the most votes, they do focus groups and polling, and then adjust the party message to try to appease the widest margin of voters that they can perceive of. They do not begin with a clear unwavering Conservative message and then try to convince people of the greatness of Conservative principles. Strength comes from the core values of principles that work. People admire and respect principles that work. What people don't admire is weakness and malleability in a leader. We don't want shape shifting leaders who will cross-dress in the name of compromise and weaken the image and power of the Presidency. His personal story of courage in combat aside ( we all admire his bravery in the armed forces).., How many times did McCain "the politician" talk about reaching across the aisle as if that were the golden key to a magical world of harmony and light and he was it's angelic keeper? I felt like RETCHING across the aisle every time he said it. How many times did he BOAST... ( good grief ) about spitting in the face of his own party?! That is sick stuff, to swing a hammer down on the people who are backing you..."not" because he's fighting corruption or unethical behavior ( as Sarah Palin was ) in his own party, but because he doesn't believe in the Republican party platform of Conservatism and he doesn't care to stand on the principles and goals of his own party and it's leader but to do whatever he damned well pleases regardless of how it hurts Republican coalitions formed to stand against the Democrats on certain issues. That reeks of back stabbing disloyalty and fosters mistrust. There's no mystery as to why McCain was, and is one of the most reviled and loathed politicians among Movement Conservatives and was soundly rejected by a great number of them until he picked Sarah Palin to be his VP. He is not a leader of anything, he's a monkey wrench who tosses himself into the gears of Republican political machines built to defy the Democrats. In Obama's acceptance speech the other night, Obama was talking about "remaking" the nation. What country is Obama talking about, Kosovo..., Cuba? Who the hell is he to tell us that the United States needs to be remade? Is that his idea of compassion? We know what compassion is. Conservatism is the definition of compassion because it has faith in the principles of self determination and individual greatness. You know, at one time not too long ago, the people got it. The Contract With America was a conservative agenda and "the people" swept Republicans into Power because of it as the contract was well articulated by people like Newt Gingrich..., who sadly now has gone squishy on Conservatism himself. Part of the problem lingers from the failure of follow up on that surge of Republican power during the Clinton administration. There has been a lingering degradation of trust in the notion of follow-through in those who articulate Conservatism, mainly because when it has been attempted in congress it's been blocked by Democrats and compromise bills have been formed by the squishy centrist Republicans who want to be seen as the "Great Compromisers" who win the day for everyone. We need not only to articulate the principles of Conservatism, but SHOW how it has been applied successfully in every day life, and get Conservative agendas back into the MAINSTREAM consciousness of the Republican congress. To show that we can get legislation passed that supports Conservative principles. Lowering taxes, removing bans on gun ownership, opening up school choice vouchers..., etc.., We also need a Conservative manual. A cleanly expressed statement listing Conservative principles that everyone can easily read and understand. And it MUST be unwavering. Maybe call it the Ten Commandments of Conservatism. Make it a widely known and seen document. Part of the problem with attaining more commonplace understanding is the effort to muddle what Conservatism means. That effort has been made by the left wing media who declare Conservatives as thick headed relics of the past who hate minorities and only support thier rich friends and PACs. The battle to overcome the lies about Conservatism has been waged for years from the edges of the broadcast media systems, web logs, and elite publications. And while headway is slowly being made, it's very slow. What has happened within the political system is that Republicans have been gradually buying the left wing media press. When liberals and Conservatives clash in congress and legislation gets stalled, the press always makes out the Republicans to be villains over it, saying that "the public" wants "something" to be passed or they will be up in arms... and Republicans go squishy and compromise, bend the knee and accept defeat in the form of a fractional victory in order to appease the press so that they will not have nasty stories printed or reported about them. We've got to make it understood by our representatives that we want them to fight not only the Democrats but the press as well, that it is an example of strength and leadership to stand on Conservative principle, even if it means a so-called popular piece of legislation gets shot down over it. Genuine Conservatives are courageous people..., if they are the real article. We've got to make it so that GRIDLOCK means the same as fighting for the people of the country over compromising to the power of the Democrat dictatorship. A whole dynamic needs to be changed in the way elected officials approach thier jobs. I keep thinking of that golden opportunity we missed, when our Republican congress was standing against the Democrats on the bailout bill. Imagine if they had never given in. Imagine the power of that principled Conservative moment winning the day. Imagine if they hadn't squished and agreed to that abomination. It is THAT sort of moment missed time after time after time that is a DIRECT result of the mangled wobbly leadership of people like John McCain who believe that bad legislation is better than none. This is why strength of leadership matters. This is why being a moderate-centrist is predestined failure.
- Mike Silverman