Posted on 05/03/2006 7:29:57 AM PDT by pickrell
In the primary election in Ohio yesterday, 2-May-2006, the voters took the one unspinnable poll.
Conservatives in the state have complained for years of the policies of incumbent U.S. Senator Mike Dewine. Many have been outraged at the apparent left-leaning votes placed in the Senate by our elected Republican. As Ohioans, we stand responsible for the actions he takes in our name.
And in this primary contest, the Ohio voters were offered, without the distracting red herrings of the liberal establishment and the press, a choice between more of the same... and a good conservative challenger. Even if we didn't win- we could at least gage the progress that we have made so far in the percentage breakdown.
Many have also argued on this forum that the last best chance to recapture the Republican party from those RINO officials has been through the primary system. We have been passionate about using our Constitutional mechanisms to remove those individuals who have barely paid lip-service to conservative principals, rather than deserting the party, and staying home on that upcoming Tuesday in November.
It is such a bitter pill to be handed therefore when, here in Ohio, the Republican incumbent Senator Dewine pulls 71.6% of the Republican vote.
Do we conclude that as conservatives we are somehow out of the mainstream of American thought? Do we capitulate and cast our electoral lot with the Senators who have colluded in eroding what is left of American sovereignty and culture|?
I'll feel a bit of a burke trying to argue from this point on that we can still reverse the damage done to this country by the continuing support of Senators and Congressmen who, once past the distasteful task of re-harvesting conservative votes, will then return again to the same appeasement of the mainstream media.
We don't argue abandonment of the Republican party... in fact- we seem to be left with no arguments at all...
It would seem that the Republicans in the state think it better to enhance our odds of retaining the Senate, at the cost of returning those officials who nullify the differences between our "parties". In such a case, what difference is then made by which party controls the Senate, if wide open borders, catastrophic spending and tolerance of everything... is the new national direction?
Would Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi do it better? Of course not. Was that the real choice, though, that this primary day offered? I didn't think so. What do we say to the rest of the states, when they look our way, after fielding conservative candidates? Can we ever disapprove of Massachusetts again?
Throw the Buckeye state a lifeline. Make it all make sense, some how...
Hey we selected a conservative governor candidate and a conservative state treasurer candidate, she had to knock off an appointed incumbent who was handpicked by the party. So things aren't all bad
Explain DeWine? Incumbent senators are near impossible to knock off and except for us political junkies, few knew of his leftward drift and even less of us knew the opponents.
Don't despair. The fact that 28% voted against DeRINO - myself included - has sent him a message. Without those 28% anti-RINO voters in the November election, he won't be going back to Washington.
One might consider the hopelessness of trying to run an ideology against an incumbant. The incumbant will win pretty much every time.
One might generalize this to: "The easiest way to beat an opponent is to run a better candidate." Note, a better candidate does not guarantee a victory, but it makes it a whole lot easier.
Without knowing the candidates or the locality, various factors in any election include: popular (local) politics, party, party support, funding, charisma, demographics, and platform, to name a few. Simple possession of "conservative" credentials is preferred, IMO, but hardly provides sufficient groundswell to automatically beat out all other factors. Better ideas, persuasiveness, effectiveness are usually useful, too.
"We don't argue abandonment of the Republican party... in fact- we seem to be left with no arguments at all..."
We didn't leave the republican party... it's leaving us, to paraphrase Reagan.
I am so sorry to hear the DeWine came across so strongly. I live in California and donated to Pierce's campaign - I was so angry about DeWine's voting with the Dems on the immigration bill.
"Like Arlen Specter?"
Yes, PA's gift to the nation is 'Snarlin' Arlen'. Trust me, all we need is Dick to take him Quail hunting, he's just trying to show he's independent. He is way better than the alternative.
(disclaimer: I did vote Toomey in the Primary, but then in November I voted for the best choice available.)
That's around what Arlen Specter's opponent pulled in the 1986 primary here in PA. Eventually the voters figured out how liberal Specter was and Pat Toomey lost 49-51 by only 12-thousand votes in 2004.
Pierce did virtually no campaigning. I didn't see a single TV ad. Probably a lack of funds was the problem.
DeRINO has turned his back on those who put him in office. He's wrong on immigration, wrong on ANWR and wrong on his compromise on judicial nominations. He's done nothing to control spending. He voted for the Senior Prescription Drug welfare program - the largest increase in welfare spending since Lyndon Johnson - at an estimated $1 trillion over the next 10 years. He's done nothing to prevent another 10 million middle class taxpayers from being hit by the AMT next year. He's done nothing on the abortion issue and nothing on the school choice issue. As a conservative I'd give him a grade of D+, maybe C-.
That's around what Arlen Specter's opponent pulled in the 1986 primary here in PA. Eventually the voters figured out how liberal Specter was and Pat Toomey lost 49-51 by only 12-thousand votes in 2004.
Continuing the theme of "Where to begin..."
The beginning. How do you get the best candidate into the race? Support him from the beginning of his career. Sitting out an election is dumb in the extreme when you consider that the guy running for dogcatcher or the gal that wants a school board seat is going to be a congressional candidate ten or twenty years from now. Put the best people into government at ALL levels and the cream will be able to rise to the top.
If you feel you must punish a candidate, just don't vote that race. Why would you throw away good choices in the future just to let everyone know todays choices $uck?
As has been pointed out, Ohio shoved aside the "annointed one" of the State Republican party, Jim Petro, and nominated Blackwell instead. Ergo sum, there were undoubtably conservatives out in force.
What mechanism am I not understanding, then, whereby the electorate can assess the critical need for a Governor who has strong conservative views... and yet can't see the same need... in our Senators?
Surely if we can survive a conservative governor, (assuming he is elected), we can "struggle by" with a conservative Senator, also.
Are we really trapped into the New York model, and destined to forever bow to the wealthiest candidates? If so, we need not, as the saying goes, look to the stars for the source of our misfortune...
Whats wrong with u Ohio people. 78% vote for Dewine is digusting.
"It is such a bitter pill to be handed therefore when, here in Ohio, the Republican incumbent Senator Dewine pulls 71.6% of the Republican vote."
Amen!
I was at the polls yesterday, in Westerville. I voted for Pierce against DeWine even though I really didn't know anything about Pierce and had not even heard of the third name on the ballot. I voted for Blackwell for governor. Thankgoodness for at least one good result. And I voted against more money for Westerville schools, which of course went through with at least 60% of the vote. Our property taxes have gone up more than $800/year already since we bought this house 6 years ago and I don't even know how much yet as a result of yesterday's vote. I can't help feeling really depressed with the mess that is Ohio.
I don't know how I would've coped if we didn't at least do well with Blackwell winning-Hooray! Over the last few years I've been trying and trying to get more knowlegable about local politics in order to do a better job at the polls etc., but it increasingly looks like there are no good choices on the local level around here. I am surrounded by people who seem very conservative on a few issues but are surprisingly liberal in a ton of other ways. My husband and several of the folks I know from church are really the type of people I can truly respect, but in my neighborhood there are no true conservatives and apparently no one who can think deeply enough and honestly enough to even see that throwing more money at our schools has been a proven "failing strategy" around here for years. The worst aspect of looking for sensible people is other moms, which is who I meet the most of on a daily basis. I'm dying to meet a few women who are raising children and not falling hook line and sinker for all of the modern "its for the children" style campaign lines/so-called political philosophies. So many many people seem to be completely brainwashed by the liberal academics that have been working at reshaping our society since me and the other moms were all coming up through the schools, even when they still have some pseudo-conservative ideals and will vote for Bush and agree that we need to support our troops. They still buy into most of the liberal arguments on most other issues.
I really liked what 383rr posted:"We didn't leave the republican party... it's leaving us, to paraphrase Reagan." From my viewpoint feeling negative about the Republican party makes perfect sense, even extremely negative.
Sort of proves why it is a waist to go vote. Why give them any legitimacy.
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