I’ll just throw out one liners and
let your responses do the rest.
Posted on 09/10/2012 2:47:28 AM PDT by shibumi
The American public has been treated to the quadrennial celebration of the victory of banality over genius. Both major political parties have massed in a revelry of lipservice to the founding principles of this once great nation, as their very existence (in modern form) stands as a paradigm of exactly those base instincts of human nature that the Founders sought to guard against.
The Constitution was set in place as an affirmation of the Divinely endowed nature of Man. Understood by definition and implication was the responsibility of citizenship that came hand-in-glove with the autonomy of self-governance.
The nation grew and prospered for many years, reliant only on the work ethic, the sanctity of private property and the attendant generosity of a prosperous and ethical people. Of course, there were the mean spirited, the Scrooges and the Robber Barons. But their stories stand out as bad examples, rather than as the norm of American life.
We have been treated (and will continue to be for the following two plus months) to a parade of looters, many of whom have never actually had to produce anything of value, promising the vast underclass (which has supplanted the Great Middle Class) that they are the ones who will confiscate that which they did not make and supply this purloined wealth to those who also have produced nothing except an appetite for empty calories and toys for empty minds. (Insert here a mental image. A mother of several children from a random selection of "baby-daddies" with costly fingernails and hair extensions feeding her brood at McDonald's with an EBT card while texting on her Obamaphone.)
The choice in the national elections has been reduced (for her) to a question of who will procure the most goodies from your income and (for you) who will hurt you the least while doing it.
Neither party will offer candidates who would dare suggest that perhaps personal responsibility should come into play (on her part) or that what you own is somehow intrinsically yours (on your part.) Already one of the candidates, Paul Ryan, has been excoriated in the press for the mere suggestion that he might have found an idea or two with some merit in the works of Ayn Rand.
So until the Tea Party (or some other insurgent group) has had a chance to fundamentally transform the GOP, true Constitutional Conservatives are without a real voice in national politics. That is not to say that we are not a group to be reckoned with. We are however a group whose battle plan for this election must be one of expediency rather than idealism.
Many of us felt used and betrayed time and again as candidates with seemingly conservative credentials fell to the Romney Primary Juggernaut. Some of us have come to think of Willard as an enemy, only slightly less odious than The Enemy residing in the White House. We've been looking for ways to gin up enthusiasm for the upcoming campaign, but a bitter taste remains. How are we going to reconcile our conscience with what must be done to unseat The Usurper?
Let's take a moment to look at a lesson from history. I do not particularly like the often quoted saw "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." That would indicate that a basis for friendship might exist outside of the influence of the common enemy. I prefer to think of the enemy's enemies as just that - enemies. But enemies can also be useful allies.
Think for a moment how the WWII campaign in Europe would have gone had it not been for the Eastern Front. Countless Russians gave their lives and in so doing, strained the German resources to the breaking point. While the most perceptive of the Allied military leaders, like General Patton made good use of the Russian Front they also harbored no illusion that this somehow transformed the Communists into soul mates for the US. We could take a lesson here and remember that while today's tactic may be to use the vehicle of the Romney candidacy to uproot the greater evil, when it is all said and done, we'll drink that victory toast with both eyes open, staring in the face of our ally as "one son-of-a-bitch to another."
So throughout this orgy of Newspeak and Doublethink, keep your eyes on the prize. Give Romney his victory, and give him along with it a Congress filled with uncompromising idealists ...(Oh, wait ... first there would have to be some ...) Well, give him the most right leaning Congress possible.
And keep a close eye and a tight leash on President Marshall "Willard" Zhukhov.
Nope, there isn't, any more than we are all "Americans".
Let me explain.
Simply enough, conservatism has suffered the same fare as being "American". It has been hyphenated.
If we focus on all being conservative, much as all being "American", then that is what comes first.
But we have been fractionated, philosophically balkanized by the addition of hyphenated prefixes.
Thus, the So-cons can be set against the Neo-cons, against the paleo-cons, ad infinitum.
In reality, there is no more deep separation of Conservatism than there is of Americanism: a failure of either takes all down.
There will be no fiscal responsibility without some sort of moral responsibility, and neither function well without the Rule of Law grounded in the Constitution (original intent, please). so, no more than the -Americans will benefit to the exclusion of another group of -Americans, conservatives are all in the same boat: opposed by the liberals, regardless of their party labels.
Successfully sinking one end of the boat will not make the other end float better. The Liberal wing of the Party knows this, but it keeps the Liberals riding high while everyone else is slugging it out in the bilges.
Unfortunately, the boat is sinking deeper every cycle, deeper into the cesspool of liberalism, and in the name of being 'tough on crime/terror/drugs/three toed sock monkeys/whatever excuse will fly', the tools are forged for the totalitarian state, often in blatant violation of Constitutional principles, by those wearing the big 'R" brand.
Those who foment this conflict between ginned-up conservative factions have no moral base (hint: they're Liberals at their core, and in it for themselves. They're politicians, not statesmen).
Yes, the rest, the Conservatives of every stripe and gradation which make up the remainder of the party are ill served by the strife, but could agree on more principles than they can field in a candidate because of the fractionation of their ranks by the faux-conservatives who make up the (well-funded and entrenched) liberal wing.
How can Conservatives quit being suckers for this play?
Either bury the hatchet and displace the Liberals or start a new party with a platform we can all agree on.
Frankly, I don't think that is going to happen, because the Liberal GOP-e will be in the middle of that causing disarray at every turn, scuttling it as sure as any Palin candidacy, including her VP run.
It is the guerrillas in our midst, those who pretend to be Conservatives/Republicans (the two are not synonymous)--the ones we can agree are RINOs, who should get the lion's share of the blame.
They'd be at home in that other Party if they were just a tad more accomplished grifters.
But again, blaming Conservatives for this rape is like blaming someone who has a nice car for the thief who stole it. In the end, it is the turncoats and traitors who do Conservatives ill, and if that has sparked some critical vetting of candidates, so be it, although one in particular was trounced by the media allegations and the factions of the Party who were all too willing to support that.
I see conservatism as a set of ideals--social, fiscal, and legal (Constitutional)--and fundamentally, I do not believe any who believe deeply in any one aspect of that would so vehemently reject the rest that they would vote for a Liberal, unless, of course, they just aren't a Conservative in the first place.
So, instead of the Party dictating to Conservatives what bitter pills to swallow, Conservatives need to turn that around. In the meantime, though there are stunts like the delegate slate at the ND convention and the shutting off power to the microphones when the composition of the slate was protested, which indicate to me the GOP needs some serious housecleaning, or Conservatives need to move.
Unfortunately, once again, there is little choice but to play their game (the GOP-e), or sit this dance out, with predictably disastrous results.
In the end, if there is a Republican victory, I predict little will be reversed, only "fixed", and the damnable aspects of the current regime will become entrenched facets of an already unwieldy and overblown bureaucracy, to the detriment of us all.
I’m going to quit writing essays.
I’ll just throw out one liners and let your responses do the rest.
Not all states are like California
Only these states will count writes with preconditions.
Alabama
California
Delaware
Iowa
New Hampshire
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Vermont
Wisconsin
Not all write in will be counted and many times they end up listed as other with no real political statement being made.
These states don’t count write in candidates.
Arkansas
Hawaii
Louisiana
Mississippi
Nevada
New Mexico
Oklahoma
South Dakota
These states will not allow candidates that failed to win there party primary to switch parties for the general election.
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
North Carolina
South Carolina
Missouri
Oregon
Washington
Most states require the person to be registered as a candidate before they will be counted.
Seriously, keep it up, you have sparked some good conversation! (and I enjoyed your essay, too!)
I’m not condemning anyone who follows their conscience and votes in a manner different from my own.
In my first comment, I tried to make it clear that if I were in a “locked” state, my reaction might be different.
Here in Indiana, however, every vote is going to matter. Not a few of us were shocked in the last election to see our state fall into the “blue” column. If that were to happen again, I want to be able to say I did everything in my power to prevent it.
I don’t know why I responded like that.
I have always enjoyed your views. in particular, your humor.
I hope I didn’t offend you.
I woke up and my shoulder was killing me @2am. Might have made post a little quick on the trigger . Took 4 hours on the ice machine before was relaxed enough to sleep again.
Again, apologies.
"We at the FBI have no sense of humor.
That we are aware of."
That’s great info.
Of course my vote is mere concsoius and of no value. Were I in a state and vote would make a difference I would be forced to vote for Mitt.
As it is, he will have to earn his stripes with me for 2016. But that is looking doubtful as everyday he demonstrates he is a statist. ie he like certain part of ObamaCare® and work to implement this he likes. Which sounds more he is equivocating out one side of his mouth while saying “Day One” he will destroy ObamaCare®.
LOL
Too much!
I gotta get out of this doctors office. they have absolutely no respect for my time. I show up on time and it takes an hour to get in and now I’ve been sitting in BS exam room.
That’s twice he’s done this and after today he fired.
I’m never late and have tolerance for people who have this habit.
“Late” is a 4 letter word and I’m the king of some four letter words right now. Rude, prik, *.*, *.*, *.*.
What a punk. its now 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Unacceptable ....
And what will that do exactly?
Once again, your ideas stir me. Once again I, like you, shall hold my nose as I enter the polls and vote for the lesser of two evils. And I, like you, shall toast that SOB known as Romney if he wins.
Must stop the tide of HusseinProgressive.
Another *half-a-loaf-is-better-than-none*; how can he be *worse* than Hussein?
My prayer: God, you blessed America. God, please save America.
Nothing. the same as if I cast my vote for Romney.
Actually, it will be my silent protest to GOPe and the RNC. Eff them again and I hope they choke on their cheap liquor.
Don’t hurt me. I’m still your wingman .....
I’se just axin’.
Peace baby...
“Paul Ryan, has been excoriated in the press for the mere suggestion that he might have found an idea or two with some merit in the works of Ayn Rand.”
And yet, the scumbags in the arrogant and lazy media have no problem with a “president” who has found a heck of a lot more than an idea or two from the likes of Frances Fox Piven, Frantz Fanon, Richard Cloward, Saul Alinsky, and Karl Marx.
I’m not going to pretend that I like voting for yet another GOP-E candidate, but I have no intention whatsoever of repeating my voting mistakes of the past. In 2000, I seem to be the only person in South Florida to have willfully voted for Pat Buchanan. (I guess it was some sort of phase I was going through.) My lack of mental clarity could very well have handed Al Snore the election, but thankfully justice prevailed.
I resent being put in this situation, but the primary is over and We the Conservatives didn’t win. It sucks, but it is what it is. As a movement, we have to drag Romney over the finish line. There is no other choice. It does us no good to pretend that there is. We don’t have the luxury of writing in Sarah Palin or Jew hater Ron Paul. We can’t vote for that Virgil Goode guy (a former backbencher lib Dim), either. The stakes are way too high this time around.
Great post as always, FRiend!
Alan
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