The election of 2000 was a dead heat. The electorate was split evenly on which path to take. The war has, if anything, strengthened the hand of those who want a greater federal involvement in all areas of life.
The lack of action in Congress on any issue outside the war shows just how gridlocked we are as a nation. Further, there is still no consensus on which direction we should take -- unless it is to ask the federal government to do more, which is the traditional liberal argument. The conundrum is that while people want more government services and governmental guarantees of security, people just don't want to pay for it all.
In the absence of a financial crash or some really bad turn in the war, this fall's election will be a rehash of 2000. No side will be able to land a knockout blow, and nothing will be resolved. The Democrats will control one or both houses of Congress, but no one will have a mandate for a major change in direction.
It's going to be more of the same.
Why not? They have created a system in which they can use unlimited tax money to fund their schemes. Ending that should be the FIRST priority of conservatives.
We need more optimism among conservatives. I know that it's hard to be optimistic when you look at the high taxes, failing schools, increase in government size and growth. But if we sit back and do nothing, sit back and complain without helping to change the face of our country, we deserve what we get.
Compassionate conservative DOES work. Most Americans are God-loving, God-fearing people. They want to help others. Republicans have allowed the Democrats to co-opt the "compassion" issue, as if we all want people to be sick and dying on the streets.
We CAN take back the issue, and inject God into the equation. We CAN and should love our neighbors as ourselves, help those who are in need, and protect our children. If we cover those bases, offering compassionate and wherever possible PRIVATE solutions, we show that we, too, care and we have the more effective ideas.
Sitting around and griping isn't going to get conservatives elected. We need to work for conservatives, sit on our hands for RINOs, and fight against Democrats. And we CAN win. Look at 1994 ... that was only 8 years ago and we swept the nation with our ideas. Eight years is not that long! And we have a great President and leader to help us!
GO conservatives! Get up and fight! Kill pessimism!
Compassionate Conservatism is for wimps.
Democrats look out for the little guy, Republicans look out for Big Business - ergo, Democrats are from common stock, Republicans are from that richest 2%.
Fact: The wealthiest senators and representatives by far are Democrats, by a country mile.
Democrats are for the little guy, Republicans look out for "special interests"
Fact: More special interest groups, particularly those that polarize our society, are represented by Democrats than Republicans, in the legislature and the executive.
Democrats are for the little guy so of course, they are more humble, honest, forthcoming and responsible; Republicans only care about big business and the people who put them there, so they are deceptive, dishonest, scheming to rob us of our rights and our money.
Fact: Oh, come on! I don't need to point out the obvious to you guys!
Drilling in the ANWR will destroy our pristine wilderness, will produce only six months of oil, and will take ten years to get out
Fact: 2000 acres of the 1.5mil acre ANWR represents a tenth of a percent of the whole area; the amount to be pumped represents the equivalent of what's purchased from Iraq for 55 years at the current rate (6% of what we use in a year), and it's pristine wilderness up there only because it's prohibitively unhospitable to all life except for those species which have evolved to live in the Arctic region!
I'm sure I could come up with more to illustrate the folly of the unenlightened liberal if I were on my own time, but I'm actually trying to make a living here..