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Establishment Republicans Must Be Careful Not to Go Too Far
Townhall.com ^ | December 18, 2015 | David Limbaugh

Posted on 12/18/2015 5:28:22 AM PST by Kaslin

I've long said that the differences between so-called establishment Republicans and grassroots conservatives are about more than tactics in budgetary battles with President Obama and congressional Democrats. The current Cruz-Rubio flap validates my position.

Establishment Republicans have been enormously frustrated with the grassroots for wanting to call Obama's bluff in these budget battles to the point of allowing the government to shut down. They have maintained this is a fool's errand that will only help Democrats because shutdowns will always be blamed on the GOP, supposedly the party of limited government.

The establishment has been particularly derisive of Ted Cruz -- one of the leading senators fighting to call Obama's bluff -- arguing he has pursued quixotic positions designed not to prevail legislatively but to grandstand and serve his own political ambitions.

I disagree with that assessment of Cruz, who I believe has acted on principle and to honor his campaign promises. The establishment tends to see these legislative battles as a zero-sum game, thinking that unless you can be almost assured of prevailing in your legislative goals, it is counterproductive to fight Obama to the point of a government shutdown because that will inevitably result in voters punishing the GOP in the next election -- no matter when that election is.

I reject that analysis. If establishment Republicans would ever unite with Cruz and the grassroots in opposing Obama publicly and vehemently instead of telegraphing their intention to surrender from the outset, the GOP might have a better chance of stopping Obama. If they didn't concede defeat in advance by saying it is impossible for the GOP to win a public relations battle with Obama over a government shutdown no matter how unreasonable Obama's position is, the GOP might -- just might -- be able to convince the public.

Why do establishment types automatically assume they will lose a PR war with Obama even when he is obviously the extremist in these budget battles, at a time when we are more than $18 trillion in debt, terrorists are at our doorstep and Obama is off globally evangelizing for the earth goddess Gaia? Doesn't it say something about these Republicans' lack of confidence in conservative ideas that they are never willing to entrust the voters to back them? Many of them demonstrate this same lack of confidence in selling conservative ideas when they repeatedly urge the party to tack to the middle in national elections to win moderate voters instead of passionately articulating Reagan conservatism and energizing (and expanding) the base.

I hear the same fecklessness from my establishment friends in the context of the Cruz-Rubio contest when they tell us that Cruz is too extreme and that of the two, only Rubio could defeat Hillary Clinton. Nonsense. Establishment types said the same thing about Ronald Reagan -- and overall, things are worse now than they were even under Jimmy Carter.

So yes, I believe that grassroots conservatives differ with establishment Republicans in their respective budgetary tactics but also in these further particulars, among others: The establishment believes that Reagan conservatives such as Cruz are a bit extreme; indeed, the establishment probably defines Reagan conservatism differently than the grassroots; the establishment doesn't attach the same degree of urgency as the grassroots to the monumental problems this nation faces, from immigration to the national debt; the establishment seems far less confident that conservative ideas will sell; and the establishment is far more risk-averse.

I agree that there is far too much animosity from both sides in these GOP intramural conflicts and that we should all more strongly resist the urge to impugn the other side or its motives. But we must recognize that we have serious, though not insurmountable, differences.

We do need each other in presidential elections, so we'd better be careful not to burn too many bridges. But from my perspective as a grassroots conservative, I must say that I don't believe the establishment has its ear to the ground; it is not hearing the American people, who are neither crazy nor extreme.

This is why establishment Republicans don't really understand Donald Trump's appeal. It's not because Trump supporters are politically unsophisticated. It's that they don't believe that seasoned Beltway politicians -- the ones with all this vaunted experience -- understand or care about the level of fear, angst, disgust, concern and outrage that ordinary Americans are feeling over the ongoing destruction of our nation. The establishment doesn't grasp the frustration of Americans who are sick of being told "no" and given all kinds of reasons -- from many Republicans, no less -- that we can't do anything to stop Obama. Establishment types don't understand why Trump supporters are not turned off by Trump for not being more refined and nuanced in his proposals rather than simply saying, "We need to kill the terrorists, and you guys keep telling us why we can't."

Establishment Republicans had better start listening because the more obtuse they are on Trump and demeaning to his supporters the more they are going to empower him. The more they conspire to take out Cruz based on his alleged lack of purity -- focusing on the specks in Cruz's eye while ignoring the logs in some of their candidates' eyes -- the more they are going to empower Cruz.

Grassroots Americans have had it, and they are fighting back. Nevertheless, I will support any establishment candidate if he ultimately wins the GOP nomination. Will the establishment support Cruz if he wins the nomination?

Let's vigorously fight for our respective candidates, but let's not destroy each other in the process, because we will need each other to defeat Clinton and save this nation.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: marcorubio; shiphassailed; toolate
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1 posted on 12/18/2015 5:28:22 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
"I've long said that the differences between so-called establishment Republicans and grassroots conservatives are about more than tactics in budgetary battles with President Obama and congressional Democrats. "

Well that explains the stupidity of this article.

2 posted on 12/18/2015 5:31:18 AM PST by Mr. K (If it is HilLIARy -vs- Jeb! then I am writing-in Palin/Cruz)
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To: Kaslin

Must disagree—Establishment Republicans and grassroots conservatives are miles apart.

Exhibit A: Establishment Republicans gave the Democrats everything they wanted in the budget bill and included absolutely nothing for conservatives.


3 posted on 12/18/2015 5:31:46 AM PST by Arm_Bears (Biology is biology. Everything else is imagination.)
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To: Kaslin
Some of us had been threatening our friend Colby for a long time, because of the way he had been behaving. And now he'd gone too far, so we decided to hang him. Colby argued that just because he had gone too far (he did not deny that he had gone too far) did not mean that he should be subjected to hanging. Going too far, he said, was something everybody did sometimes. We didn't pay much attention to this argument. We asked him what sort of music he would like played at the hanging. He said he'd think about it but it would take him a while to decide. I pointed out that we'd have to know soon, because Howard, who is a conductor, would have to hire and rehearse the musicians and he couldn't begin until he knew what the music was going to be. Colby said he'd always been fond of Ives's Fourth Symphony. Howard said that this was a "delaying tactic" and that everybody knew that the Ives was almost impossible to perform and would involve weeks of rehearsal, and that the size of the orchestra and chorus would put us way over the music budget. "Be reasonable," he said to Colby. Colby said he'd try to think of something a little less exacting.

Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby by Donald Barthelme
4 posted on 12/18/2015 5:32:46 AM PST by o_1_2_3__ (Obama lied, people died - Holiday Edition)
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To: Mr. K
Well that explains the stupidity of this article.

Well that is your opinion to which you are entitled to. Nothing else matters

5 posted on 12/18/2015 5:34:57 AM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: o_1_2_3__

Sorry, but what does this have to do with the article?


6 posted on 12/18/2015 5:37:41 AM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

IF you live an opulent life style it is very hared to keep in touch or understand the average American, let alone a “grassroot” Conservative. This is a case in point....


7 posted on 12/18/2015 5:42:12 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Kaslin

An interesting comparison to the GOP-e and its relation with both conservatives and the public as a whole, is made by comparing the GOP-e to a drunken, frat-boy athlete bully and rapist.

As he usually does, he has led a girl, representing conservatives and the public as a whole to *his* “safe space” where he can rape her to his heart’s (or whatever’s) content after overpowering his victim.

However, this time, the girl refuses to submit, and kicks him squarely in the crotch. He lashes out at her, but she dodges him, and he screams at her that he “is her only chance at “love”, and if she doesn’t submit, then the psychotic radical lesbian Democrat will win.”

So the girl kicks him again, in the knee, hard. At that point, he starts screaming for his wealthy billionaire frat brothers to help him. And though they scream all sorts of encouragement to him, they don’t dare try to grab the girl because they know they will get more of the same.

Then things get much worse for the drunken frat boy rapist, as her two younger brothers, Donald and Ted, enter the room and start beating on him. Half blind with rage and liquor, he can’t hit them, and can barely stand upright, and he knows that if he falls, when he falls, he is done for. And likely his whole fraternity of scoundrels as well.

And the girl laughs derisively at him, and encourages her little brothers to hit him some more.


8 posted on 12/18/2015 5:47:53 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative." -Obama, 09-24-11)
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To: Kaslin

I, for one, do not give a damn about the ‘Republican’ party. It stands for nothing I admire anymore. We need this current rebellion and movement to reduce the money grubbing, corrupt Washington establishment to ashes. No accommodation; they need to be defeated. We need to resurrect a new party, one we can take pride in instead of the shameful one we now have that is made up of self-centered liars, betrayers and losers.


9 posted on 12/18/2015 5:50:56 AM PST by iontheball
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To: Mr. K
Well that explains the stupidity of this article.

And that's why we keep losing - someone "on our side" reads the first sentence of an article, forms an opinion, and ignores the rest of the article.

10 posted on 12/18/2015 5:53:13 AM PST by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: Kaslin

A shutdown where the government employees (majority Democrats) know they are going to get paid for the time out of work means they will put no pressure on their party. The Republicans need to say except for defense and essential services the government will be shut down and no employee will be paid for time while the shutdown occurs. Watch the yelling for Dems to cave.


11 posted on 12/18/2015 6:02:59 AM PST by georgiarat (Obama, providing incompetence since Day One!)
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To: Arm_Bears

It’s almost like an in-your-face! The establishment is getting creamed by Trump and Cruz and it’s as if they’ve sided with the Democrats on everything. I hope Trump and Cruz clean all of the RINOs out in backing primary tea party candidates. Imagine President Trump stumping for all conservatives running against GOPe. The one good point of this article is that the RINOs will have to fight Trump, and they will lose just because of their liberal spines.


12 posted on 12/18/2015 6:05:20 AM PST by gr8eman (Don't waste your energy trying to understand commies. Use it to defeat them!)
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To: iontheball
At the present time, and for a long time in the past, say about 25 years, is just another wing of the Socialist. a/k/a Democrat Party. In the beginning, the similarities were subtle. As time passes, the similarities became more blatant , obvious , and open. Now, the Republican Party hierarchy no longer bothers to hide them. They just instruct their Cadre here to parrot, shout, bray, and trumpet : “Vote for the Republican candidate or the Democrats win"; "A Third Party vote is a vote for the Democrat"; "Hillary thanks you"; "Obama thanks you".
13 posted on 12/18/2015 6:06:02 AM PST by sport
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To: Kaslin
Establishment Republicans Must Be Careful Not to Go Too Far

LOL! What a mook. That ship sailed a decade (or more) ago.

14 posted on 12/18/2015 6:06:45 AM PST by Lazamataz (It has gotten to the point where any report from standard news outlets must be fact-checked.)
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To: trebb

Hmmm... OK - the remainder of the article is not as bad as I thought. I read it with a prejudiced eye the first time because of that comment.

I strongly disagree it is merely ‘tactics’ that are different between the grassroots conservative people and the elite GOP. We DO NOT think the same at all, and it is not just except for how to implement it.

The eGOP is Democrat-Lite. And when he starts with that assumption you have to wonder about his mindset for the rest of it.


15 posted on 12/18/2015 6:07:38 AM PST by Mr. K (If it is HilLIARy -vs- Jeb! then I am writing-in Palin/Cruz)
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To: Kaslin

Are you DEFENDING this article?


16 posted on 12/18/2015 6:08:27 AM PST by Lazamataz (It has gotten to the point where any report from standard news outlets must be fact-checked.)
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To: georgiarat

The employees of the government LOVE a shut down!!!!!!!

It is an extra paid vacation.


17 posted on 12/18/2015 6:08:50 AM PST by Mr. K (If it is HilLIARy -vs- Jeb! then I am writing-in Palin/Cruz)
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To: Lazamataz

Go get ‘em Laz!!! he hurt my feelings


18 posted on 12/18/2015 6:10:07 AM PST by Mr. K (If it is HilLIARy -vs- Jeb! then I am writing-in Palin/Cruz)
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To: Kaslin

“Establishment republicans” have already gone “too far”, being traitors to their electorate. May they become the Whigs. While they deserve prison time, I’d settle for obscurity.


19 posted on 12/18/2015 6:10:42 AM PST by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: Mr. K

You ain’t GOT feelings.


20 posted on 12/18/2015 6:12:21 AM PST by Lazamataz (It has gotten to the point where any report from standard news outlets must be fact-checked.)
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