Posted on 01/07/2004 1:16:49 PM PST by OneTwoThree
The Death of the Republican Party
“In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for. As for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.” H.L. Menken.
I am not a member of the Republican Party. I am a conservative, but not a Republican. I have always supported the Republican Party; I backed Bush Sr., Bob Dole, and George Bush Jr. in their campaigns for the Presidency. But I am no longer a Republican. When shills for the aforementioned Party tell me that an uncast vote for President Bush is a vote for Howard Dean I reply that I cannot vote for Bush because of my conscience.
The number of my ancestor’s years has always been large. My relatives and forbearers have through the ages expired at the age of no less than four score years. My genetics therefore would indicate that I too, God willing, may well live to be quite elderly. In the eventuality that I might live longer than average, I shall undoubtedly witness another generation of Americans mature to adulthood. A diminutive percentage of this generation will contain the last authentic Americans—true individualists, keepers of the flame of conservative-libertarianism, who characterize the values of their ancestors who established this country, the last free nation on earth. I cannot, in good conscience, look this young generation in the eye and tell them that I, with my vote sold their country to Democratic-Socialism. There is nothing I can do to stop to stop it. As President Bush has frequently declared, we live in a democratic world. In a democracy, as even the most idiotic common citizen in America knows, the majority rules—and there has never been a preponderance of the populace in any nation in the world that was in opposition to modern socialism.
I cannot tell the future generation that I voted third-party, (Libertarian or Constitution) to curtail the tide of socialism that has swept the United States for seventy years. I am exceedingly frugal in all things, most predominantly my vote. I cannot and will not waste my vote on candidates who have not a chance of political success. Political Parties that stress individualism have not a chance in this country, at this time. Voters are interested only in which candidate will be more financially remunerative to them in the matter of government aid.
By this time the shills have vanished, awed, or more precisely disgusted by my logic.
But I have not touched on the subject of this article suggested by the title. The Death of the Republican Party. Current wisdom from conservative pundits says that the Democratic Party is dying, I would beg to differ, the Republican Party is dying. It will fade into obscurity and become principally impotent just as the Tory Party in England and the Canadian Alliance has in recent years. Many would scoff at this observation, the Republicans, it would seem, at this time might well have a banner year in 2004 gaining a greater majority in the Senate as well as holding the House. Whether they will retain the Whitehouse is most uncertain. The Republican’s, as in 1992, are once again underestimating the opposition. Howard Dean, they believe, is another George McGovern who will destroy the Democratic Party while losing to President Bush in the 2004 elections. Howard Dean may well be a socialist representing himself as a moderate populist but he is also more charismatic and articulate than Bush. Bush’s campaign will no doubt accentuate his handling of foreign policy while Dean’s will emphasize domestic policy. Dean, I believe, is possibly capable of defeating Bush. Karl Rove, Bush’s principal strategist, has stated that he believes that the 2004 Presidential Election will be close. If Usama Bin Laden is captured or killed, and Iraq sufficiently pacified by early summer Rove will make the most of it and Bush may have an excellent opportunity of defeating Dean.
Incidentally, the main chink in Rove’s armor, in my opinion, is his intense interest in history and his desire to form parallels between the present state of affairs in which he is involved, and the past in which he is so concerned. Rove envisages himself as contemporary Mark Hanna, the influential businessman who controlled the Republican Party at the turn of the previous century. Hanna was essentially accountable for the elections of three Republican presidents in consecutive order. He was also responsible for the perpetual notion of the masses that the Republican Party is the Party of big business and the rich, while the Democrats stand for the little guy and the underdog. If Rove seeks to formulate strategy based, to some extent, on the policy of past political tacticians in previous Presidential campaigns he may well lose the election for Bush. Men in powerful positions infrequently appreciate the fact that they are making history and will be censured or honored for what they accomplished.
Whether or not President Bush is re-elected the Republican Party will be finished in eight to twenty years. Why? Because they have moved to far to the left. Any earnest and loyal Republican (not the above shills) will tell you that their fondest aspiration is to elect conservative Republicans. This however, they continue, is impossible in America today. Moderates are the only electable Republicans. What they apparently cannot recognize and understand is that in the future, they will not win elections regardless of what their policy is now.
The Republican Party became officially a party of moderates in 1988 when George H.W. Bush, then vice president ran for president. Since then it has not fielded a conservative candidate. Conservatives such as Alan Keyes, Pat Buchanan, and Phil Graham were largely been discounted as likely losers. The last two Republican’s to run for President, Bob Dole and George W. Bush were both moderates, Dole lost to Bill Clinton and Bush was nearly defeated by Al Gore.
In its move to the left the Republican Party has alienated many conservatives and libertarians who might usually vote the Republican ticket, but who are now switching to third parties. To make up for the loss of conservative votes they seek to appeal to minorities, homosexuals, and independents. The Republicans clearly demonstrated that they were no longer to be considered a party of conservatives when they passed the multi-billion dollar Medicare Prescription Drug Program. (This bill, parenthetically, had the magical effect of conjuring many elderly conservative Republicans into socialists). Of the bills proposed by both Republicans and Democrats, the alternatives were partial socialism and entire socialism. Not one Republican legislator ever thought utilizing the conservative method.
The conservative process might have been to make Prescription Drugs affordable to seniors without placing an added burden on the taxpayers. This might been effectively accomplished, argues Dr. Henry I. Miller, by disbanding the Federal Food and Drug Administration. According to Dr. Miller the reason that Prescription Drugs are so expensive is that, “Costs are spiraling out of control because the FDA meddles endlessly in clinical trials and keeps raising the bar for approval.” As long as the FDA remains unchecked, drug prices will never be lowered. The only difference now is that now elderly American citizens, (and it would soon seem illegal aliens) are assured that their drugs will be paid for courtesy of the American taxpayer.
Though Dr. Miller, a former FDA official, advocates only reorganization and renovation of the FDA, in the author’s opinion, the FDA should either be privatized or replaced altogether with a competent non-profit organization. However this is negligible quibbling. The point is that not a single Republican lawmaker offered this option. If that does not prove that the Republicans are no longer conservative nothing does.
We can see that the Republicans have indeed moved to the center of the political spectrum and are moving steadily to the left. Their policy now can be compared to an auction. The item that is being bid for by both parties is the votes of the masses. What the Republicans do not appear to comprehend is that they can never offer the masses more than the Democrats. The currency is, of course, socialism and the Democrats have superior supplies of it—far more than the Republicans. The War on Terrorism has sustained the Republican Party so far. But it, like the Cold War will eventually end. When it does, the Republican’s principles, Free Trade and a strong National Defense will become of little importance to the populace. That will be their downfall. Lacking an enemy and the support of naïve, traditional conservatives who will have either died off or left the Party in disgust they will fall before the Democratic socialists, never to rise again.
Thanks!
fok jou zotnik
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. After all, we have nothing to lose but our chains.
Well I hope there is some discussion on your thoughts before any ZOT burning. If your intention is to improve the chance of Republicans against moderates, then maybe someone with insights will present ideas.
Right now the politics is showing that Republicans are moving more toward Democrat positions [left] - not Democrats moving toward Republican positions [right]. For both parties it's more government in our lives, not less, and no end in sight. It's Leftwards Ho.
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