Are True Conservatives A Minority In America?

Political Realities ^ | 12/13/13 | LD Jackson

[LD Jackson]

In the past few days, much has been written and said about the budget deal worked out between Paul Ryan and Patty Murray. That budget deal passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 332-94. The vote came after a fairly harsh push-back against outside conservative groups like Heritage Action, Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity, and Freedom Works. Speaker John Boehner made his displeasure for these groups plain for all to see and hear, saying they had lost all credibility, that he didn't care what they did.  Clearly, he is tired of the thorn in his flesh and is pushing back against the groups that he perceives have made his life as Speaker more than a little tough.

This brings me to the subject of this post. Conservatives in America seem to be losing the battle they have fought, not only with liberals, but with the more moderate wing of the Republican Party. I know everyone has different priorities concerning what they would like to see accomplished, but it seems that conservatives are being pushed to the side, in favor of more moderate policies. That's how it looks to me, at any rate.

I believe the spine we are seeing John Boehner display is a direct result of what happened with the most recent government shutdown. Clearly, conservatives lost that fight in a landslide and Boehner must feel they damaged the GOP brand in the process. I would contend that brand was smashed long ago, but that's how he must perceive what happened. He is now fighting back against what he sees as a portion of his party that needs to be reined in. Here is portion of what has gone on in Washington, both in public and behind the scenes.

Real Clear Politics - But Boehner won’t be taking any pointers from Heritage or the others. “I don’t care what they do,” he said Thursday.

“You know, they pushed us into this fight to defund Obamacare and shut down the government,” Boehner told reporters. “It wasn’t exactly the strategy I had in mind. But if you recall, the day before the government re-opened, one of the people at one of these groups stood up and said, ‘Well, we never really thought it would work.’ Are you kidding me?”

Also this week, a Gallup poll found just 30 percent of Americans view the Tea Party movement favorably -- a new low -- while 51 percent dislike it.

Last December, Boehner failed to cajole his conference around a “Plan B” proposal to avoid the fiscal cliff, and took heat for bringing up a bill that failed to extend the Bush tax cuts for high earners and needed Democratic help for passage. The speaker felt similar tension when trying to pass legislation for hurricane relief and a Farm Bill that included food stamp funding.

He had pledged to avoid a shutdown this past fall, but allowed his members to follow a strategy heralded by Heritage and its ilk, shutting down the government if the short-term budget included Obamacare funding.

Quickly, GOP approval numbers went from bad to worse.

But interestingly, Boehner’s standing among his members, even some of those who had been most critical of him in the past, rose. Many House Republicans saw their leader as fighting for them until the very end, and talk of taking him down subsided. They then shifted their sights to a timely political opportunity: the troubled rollout of the health care law.

While budget issues have been especially problematic for this Congress, GOP leaders hoped to put it behind them, avoid another shutdown that could damage their approval ratings further, and focus on the Affordable Care Act heading into the midterm year. So when the outside groups spoke out against the Ryan-Murray budget agreement before details were released, Boehner headed to his weekly conference meeting “with a full head of steam,” in the words of one GOP aide. There was a feeling of “we let you guys try it and you drove the car right into a cliff,” the aide said.

This week, some members appear to have gotten an education about the limits of GOP power in Washington, given divided government. Some members who blasted the deal were also mindful of Paul Ryan’s task.

For his part, the Budget Committee chairman also had a stern message for critics on the right. “To really do what we think needs to be done, we are going to have to win some elections,” he said on the House floor before the vote.

Where do conservatives stand from here? Paul Ryan has an obvious point with his warning to the conservatives of his party. If we expect to accomplish anything of substance in Washington, we are going to have to win some elections. I expect to see the House leadership working towards that goal in the mid-term elections next year. Where the real tale will be told is in 2015.

For the moment, let us accept the fact that winning elections is more important. Long-term goals vs. short-term goals. Let us assume the Republicans go into 2015 with a majority of the Senate and the House of Representatives. What comes after that? Will John Boehner still push conservatives into a dark corner and warn them to not come out and play? Or will he use his newly won majority to push for real conservative reforms of our fiscal process? To that point, are there enough true conservatives in America to force that to happen? Or are we a minority who will have to be satisfied with the little tidbits we are thrown from time to time?

I fully understand the point behind this budget deal. I realize we are in a position of limited power and can only accomplish so much. That was never more on display than it was during the fight to defund ObamaCare. I am pragmatic enough to realize how that strategy failed and how we have to look forward to the 2014 elections and beyond. At the same time, I find myself wanting to make sure the Republican Party does not give away their entire soul and body, just for the chance to regain it in 2014.

[demshateGod]

“But I don’t view the government shutdown as a failure.”

The vets dragging the Barrycades to the White Hut was proof that it wasn’t a failure. A few more weeks of 0’s unmasked hatred for Americans would brought all the patriots to a boil.

[Biggirl]

Your opinion and your opinion ALONE.

We are NOT a small minority and I REJECT this thinking outside of the box nonsense.

[angcat]

I don't know about that we have a young generation of pigs getting pregnant without any consequences it is spreading like wildfire. It is very hard to raise girls today. Seems my generation did not do a good job.

[demshateGod]

They had no one to vote for.

[Biggirl]

I STAND by my postions.

What has been going on in regards to Obamacare is WAKING people up BIGTIME to the TRUTH about Obama, PERIOD.

[OldPossum]

Oh, so I should shut up because I have less time in service than you (a whopping three and a half years); please elucidate how that makes my comment on you less valid.

No, your critics (that “small group of sad kids”) don’t hate your guts. We just think that you are not very intelligent. For example, anyone who would proclaim that he became a dad at age 65 could not have much on the ball.

And lastly, this comment, which reinforces the last one: “there is no way that I could live there on my small social security (sic).” Couldn’t make a lot of money or do much in the way of planning, I see.

[AlexW]

“I STAND by my postions.”
___________________________________________
Dear, I salute you and wish you best of luck.
I do understand your suffering, but please do not criticize me for not sharing the pain. I am a simple old man in retirement.

[don-o]

[JRandomFreeper]

Amash/Conyers bill. Conservatives can't be expected to vote for a bill introduced by Conyers.

You keep leaving Conyers off when you mention that bill. Amash doesn't on his official website.

/johnny

[amnestynone]

That is a good question but a slong as the country club surrender monkeys are going to pasa amnesty then we sure will be if we are not already.

[cripplecreek]

Depends on the box. We do need to grow and sell our brand but that doesn’t have to mean pandering or selling out. Its what inspired me to start making trips to Detroit and talk about real conservatism and the freedom that is the natural result. Its also a chance to show people that conservatives aren’t what democrats claim we are.

[AlexW]

“We just think that you are not very intelligent. For example, anyone who would proclaim that he became a dad at age 65 could not have much on the ball.
_________________________________________________
We? who is we? Anyway, tell that to my very happy family.
Oh, I made enough money to retire and start visiting the world, living for some years in central Europe before moving to the Philippines. I am sorry if you have to still slave away in the Obamination and endure the pain, but if you work hard, you may also have the happy life that I have :)
I am off to bed. Go wallow in your OWN misery.

[kobald]

I expect and require conservatives to vote for pro-Constitution bills no matter who introduces them.

[JRandomFreeper]

Failing to mention that it's also Conyers bill is dishonest.

/johnny

[circlecity]

"The question is moot since conservatives don’t bother to vote. 4 million stayed home in Nov. 2012."

Why should they? Last night made it clear that it just doesn't matter. When the choice is between a liberal Dem and a liberal Republican why bother?

[kobald]

I try to avoid clouding the issue with irrelevancies.

[Resettozero]

The system corrupts them faster than we can vote them out.

The crux of the problem for conservatives.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

When the choice is between a liberal Dem and a liberal Republican why bother?

Because the numbers matter, and control of the committees and floor give those conservatives, that are in place, a fighting chance to win policy battles.

Otherwise those non-voting "conservatives" are just more LIVs.

[CitizenUSA]

We already know what Republicans in power do. Consider the Bush administration. It was better than the joke that now passes for the executive branch, but the Bush administration was hardly conservative by any measure. Republicans had their chance, and they increased government...a lot.

BTW, I thought Speaker Boehner didn’t have a spine. I was wrong. It’s now clear he isn’t afraid to stand up...against conservatives. It’s also clear that there’s only one party in D.C., and it’s made up of many Republicans and all Democrats. Only a (small) minority of Republicans actually seems to want to reign in the federal beast.

[JRandomFreeper]

It's not irrelevent. It strikes to the heart of the issue. A bill introduced by a socialist, to help achieve his socialist goals, and you damn conservatives for not voting for the bill introduced by the socialist.

Conyers and his ilk have a phrase for people like you: "Useful idiots". You play into his socialist hands and lie and obfuscate to try to sell your position.

Libertarian is one thing, stupid socialist puppet is another.

/johnny