Posted on 11/10/2006 8:31:44 PM PST by pickrell
There has been much soul searching on this forum about why we lost. This may be normal in such times. But there comes a time to rebuild for the next engagement.
It is true that a number of conservatives may righfully declare, "In this election, the American people have broken our strategy on the war on terror. They have dealt a body blow to the troops- who have served so nobly, bested our enemies in every engagement they fought, and suffered so stoically, in order to offer the world at least a chance to avoid a planet-wide religious war. If you break it,-you buy it...so why should we now care a whit about what will befall the country? The democrats have bought what they sowed...
"They broke it- ... they own it."
At least if many haven't- I confess that I have. It is mighty tempting to reject the emotional investment and seething anger, in watching the enemies of the United States chortle and gloat that their party is now in power... by simply washing your hands of any further caring.
But after a few minutes reflection, perhaps we need to instead start earlier this time, and with the steely resolve, that WE OWE TO THE GI's and MARINES.... and nominate a team that will give us back a chance to avoid at least some of the catastrophe that many of us foresee and fear. But after what many also perceive as unconcerned pokes in conservative eyes, the only way the Republican Party will regain what they lost, is to sift through the candidates available to us, and back a more effective team next time.
This is not a diatribe against George Bush. George Bush represented a man we felt would expunge some of the slime from the White House- our White House-, and that he has done. He also promised to field a team based upon their qualifications and character, and that, I would also argue, he has done, with perhaps a few arguments from some.
But his policies on the border and spending have cut the legs out from under his base, at times.
We defended him, because that's what you do once the team is in place and the fire flies. You buy your ticket, and you back your team.
As any adult knows- no President runs the entire country by himself. Most of his choices in cabinet officers has a critical effect upon the success not only of his administration, but, more importantly, upon the continued success of the country.
And so his elite platoon is equipped with not only the men he selects, and the weapons he provides for them... but also the strategy he sets out and the leadership he provides. And, as any soldier will tell you, plain luck plays a stiff part, also, at times.
Favorite among the world's pundits is gloating about what they have done on November 7. But in a year or so, it will be astonishing how many of them will deny they ever celebrated this moment. And it will be outrageous how many will deny that they cast votes which put the Democrats, and the damage they intend, into a position where they could enact that damage. Much more despicable still, is the weasle-factor which will enable the media architects to try to distance themselves from the responsibility they bear, for having twisted the facts in the war on terror, to suit their own political agenda, and the consequences that distortion will purchase.
The role that Free Republic historians must play, is to track the liberal media, record their comments and machinations, and crush them with the evidence in two years.
It is true that we may, and unfortunately probably will, suffer greatly for the choices many have made. It won't be the first time in history that a nation has lived to rue the day. But it would be the greatest of tragedies, and the worst betrayal of those soldiers of ours, to throw up our hands and dismiss the future merely with a pox on their houses.
People can be led astray by a ruthless press, and no one who watches the coming months, and the shifting portrayal of the world by the self-obsessed media, can regard them as anything less than ruthless.
But that will only change if we change it.
It's like the drill sergeant who hammers into his company that, when they find themselves surrounded, later- it won't work to hunker down, and hope for Mom and Dad to bail them out.
"There's only you, your buddies, and the job in front of you. Momma's gone to bingo, and Dad's out fishin'. You wanna live, and you want your country ta live? Then quit bitchin' and do the job in front of you. You'll know it when you see it. When things look the worst- that's when you'll know what you are... by how you stand... or how you run."
So who's the next Captain? Let's propose a few "musts", just as we would if we were to examine and assemble a successful command structure. And the next one MUST be successful. And enduring. I would argue that we have lost a national treasure when we lost Donald Rumsfeld. This may not be a popular opinion, (he offered in astounding understatement, given today's media), but I believe we cannot lose many more competent adults.
But rather than be sidetracked with arguments about yesterday, let's cast a determined eye towards tomorrow.
The next candidate for President of the United States has to represent the best we have to select from, in over 300 million people.
1... He must be able to enlist the most talented people to the team. This is critical because, once conservatives sign on- they know that he will have to count on them to take his back in knife-fighting, just as they must count on him to do what he advertised in the election. Talented people will not join a team... just to be savaged later; from behind, by the press, while fellow Republicans duck into the convenient restrooms to avoid the shrapnel. The days of seniority are over... if the Republican Party wishes to ever hold a gavel again.
And if the Republicans meekly signal their humble acceptance of permanent minority status- then they'd better brace themselves for some seriously minor minority. Because some party- somewhere- is going to arise to champion conservatism. And that party will be squaring off with the Democrats, when America has been sickened, and is on it's knees, by two years of Pelosi and Reid.
2... He must forget any such nonsense as setting a new tone in Washington. It should be amply demonstrated by now, that the way to set a new tone among the Washington Press Corps- who feed their version of truth to their subsidiary mouthpieces...- is to wipe the floor with them. He must choose a talent, tough, hard-nosed press secretary from Day 1. Grab them buy the ball-microphones... and their hearts and minds will follow. The truly compassionate conservative smashes the Dan Rathers among us early, and so saves them from a protracted and painful humiliation later. Compassion allows them to withdraw from politics early enough to get a job at Columbia, and so to brainwash the next squad of "journalists", with their duty to "save the world, as John Kerry knows it."
3... He must decide if the Constitution is a contract, the foundation of a representative Republic... or else "ermmm- kinda more of a guideline, ya know?". If he fields only such candidates for Supreme Court Justices that meet the approval of the New York Times, he will be slaughtered in the first off-year election; so will his party; and rightfully so.
4... He must decide who and what he serves- the Party... or the country. Conservatives will put him there, but they'll be much harder to convince, next go-around. Conservative is not synonymous with Republican. We may like to be- but that will be the choice of the Party... and then us. We are Americans first. At least- on this side of the aisle.
5... He must be convincingly able to act as the articulate spokesman and champion of a resurgent conservative majority. George Bush is a good man, but those who thought, or hoped, that articulation was secondary to policy, have just learned resoundingly that any policy can and will be twisted in the minds of the public... unless firmly, forcefully... and constantly defended effectively over the airwaves by our leader. He MUST be able bring the party back together.
He must be able to reach around the media to communicate effectively with the American public. Ronald Reagan has already done the heavy lifting... and shown us that it is possible.
6... He must unequivocably and firmly reject friendly fire. Over the last few years the Swiftboat Veterans, who arguably saved the country and the world from the catastrophy of a Kerry abomination, suffered mightily for their efforts from the press. This they had steeled themselves for. It is unforgivable that they were also cast adrift, and in a few cases fired upon, by the very convoy that they offered their reputations to protect.
By that same token, many good men have stood watches along an unprotected southern border, and have, and are, suffering much the same fate.
When the country has been served so courageously by that iron few- they cannot be simply offered as convenient pawns to appease to maw of the Left. To do so will discourage the type of men we will so desperately need in the times ahead; and is unforgiveable, when done for political advantage. Trust me that courage will reach far more than $ 90.00 per barrel, as America faces a dwindling supply in the future.
But even more specifically- he must counterbalance, in the psychological war between us and our enemies, the consistent and unrelenting championing by the Media of the leftist agenda. Talk radio and the Internet helps immensely... but the bulk of the dupes still watch the evening news to "remain current" on the world. If they never hear, as Paul Harvey would say, "the REST of the story...", then we can only expect more losses.
7... He must, early on, defeat the idea of defeat. We may sustain damage in the short term. The country may, and probably will suffer humiliation and loss. We can flinch and be beaten down by this... or we can work with grim determination to not let this period be suffered without working bloody hard to field a winning team which will prevail, in 2008.
If John McCain, and the media who adore him, successfully convince the mass of bruised conservatives out there, that there are no better candidates than him- then we are truly lost.
We had better use the intervening years to assembly a hasty shoebox full of explanations to our grandchildren as to exactly why we couldn't manage to safeguard their futures. Why... we failed them.
But if we decide that we will never again settle for less than exactly what we need, then we had better start early.
I personally don't know much about Senator Jeff Sessions, but I have long wondered why no one has formed an exploratory committee to draft him for Presidential Candidate in 2008.
There may be good reason, and I expect that the wealth of talent on this forum will be far better equipped than I, to vet him early, and then to either form up behind him, and encourage him with early, strong support, or else to move on to a better choice.
But it does no good to say the next is better... unless you are prepared to name... and defend... the next choice.
Our cold shower should not be allowed to mellow with age. Sometimes a good smacking gets a recruit's attention far more effectively than an ice cream bar.
We've been smacked. No use denying the obvious.
Now... let's resolve to get some, in 2008. Starting now.
Preparing now.
What about Senator Jeff Sessions?
Ok, so what are You going to do about it?
By the end of that speech, the entire room knew it had made a mistake by going with Ford.
Lucky for us, Reagan didn't give up.
Our primary system needs a lot of work if we want to make sure Reagans don't get beaten by Fords..."
That is a first-class summary. Thank you sir.
Tells me that we need to hammer that home before an election, rather than watch it happen to us afterwards.
A lot of good thoughts have been posted here, and with luck, we will realize the gravity of the situation... which we failed to make a majority of voters understand last week.
At some point in any retreat, you have to regroup, man the ridgeline, and convince yourself that the only way home is forward.
We have two years, if we start early.
Right answer, I've been doing what you suggest for years.
Good rant pickrell... but the stupid a$$es who stayed home on Tuesday most likely never bothered to vote in their state primaries.
Too true. The problem is, as I read and weigh the opinions posted here, that I am still hearing a losing theme.
The idea seems to be, even after we got smacked by accepting it, once again, that we cannot nominate anyone who isn't already popular.
And how do we determine who is popular?
Why... the Mainstream media tells us, of course, that's how.
In the next two years we need to kick this habit- this acquiescence to the "authority" and control of our politics by the New York Times.
We say we need to nominate a true conservative. But then we immediately surrender, and meekly accept that we aren't "allowed" to sift through all of our politicos, and realize just which one consistently votes conservatively.
Take Obama. The Left decided to elevate him, and puts him in a position to address the Democratic party. The media then gushes as to how his was the greatest speech since the Gettysburg Address. It was just that easy to dictate that he is now to be popular, according to Sulzberger and his media acolytes.
What We Need To Do... is to throw off all of those constraints that say the only free choice we can make as conservatives is to accept exactly what the New York Times bloody well tells us to accept.
Don't accept that we can't nominate a true conservative like Senator Sessions.
If we evaluate him and decide that there is a better, stronger conservative candidate, that's one thing. And such may be the case.
But let's list what strengths and weaknesses he has from his record, (which is difficult to hide from), and contrast them to the strengths and weaknesses of several other possibles, and their records.
Demonstrate to us that he isn't the best choice, and we'll accept that. (With supporting proof, of course.)
But please don't tell me that we aren't "allowed" to nominate and then build up a real conservative. We have two years to do our homework. The Obama coronation took them no more than an afternoon's machinations.
Here in Ohio, in the primaries, it was gravely explained that we couldn't nominate a stauncher conservative to replace Mike DeWine, because... "Only DeWine can win easily..." And two-thirds of Ohio Republicans accepted that. Now the same sages will offer us the same wisdom, over the next two years, in regards to 2008.
How many times do we need to get our heads beaten into the concrete before we decide what kind of a candidate we want...
...and who we will let prohibit him, on the basis that he isn't loved as much as McCain by Helen Thomas?
What... will it take? How many more losses can we afford? How much more damage do we subject the country to... before we say that:
"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to sever our ties to a political system which rigs the game against us before we even start..."
The "mainstream" media tells me nothing! I consider them no more than background noise. And the candidates now being rammed down our throats leave me cold. Were Rudy Giuliani a Republican with conservative values on abortion and strict constructionist judges, etc., I might see him differently.
We need to do exactly what you suggested...find someone independently...someone other than those hand picked by the alledged "know-it-alls".
I just think you're right on this, period.
Nancee
P.S. Wasn't Mike DeWine one of the "gang of 14"?
Good points.
Don't focus too narrowly on just the candidate for POTUS.
We need to look at new leadership for:
*RNC Chairman
Melhman is stepping down. How much of a say we can have in this I have no clue but names being put out on this board that I can recall are:
{Steele}
He has Chairman experience in Maryland
{Gingrich}
There is no question he knows how to focus on a message to the People and then get a gang together to push that across.
*Congressional Leaders
The Majority leaders are Nov 7th. Now is the time for putting leaders in place who can prime the pumps for the conservative message to the People in 2008.
They must combat Bush's bipartisan tendancies to push through liberal agendas like the Immigration bill. We can all argue how to handle illegal aliens but we must have true Border Security first. IMHO any bill that solely focuses on the southern border without addressing the terrorist friendly government north of us is a joke!
60% + Americans want something done about the borders. The glaring contradiction of Open Borders during a time of war is inanity and the voters aren't going to listen to a pro-WOT party who neglects Homeland Security.
|||HILLARY IS ALREADY PLAYING THE ABOVE CARD IN HER DECK|||
We must NOT allow her to position herself to the right of us. That is what happened with many candidates this time around and it worked. <_<
Some names being thrown around are:
{Pence}
{Shadegg}
These are people who are known to be going for the position. I've only heard good things thus far but we most definitly need to keep our ears open on other names and our minds open as to which ones would be best.
*Candidates for POTUS
I don't disagree that we need to start drafting conservatives right now but the two above cannot be forgotten or we'll end up with a captian facing mutiny.
Not all of these people have put their feelers out for a run. These are names I've heard thrown out here and I have of course been one of the ones doing the name tossing. XD
__________________________________________________________
YOU WILL NOT HEAR THE MSM TOUTING THESE NAMES ON A REGULAR BASIS like Guilliani & McCain.
__________________________________________________________
Executives
{Sanford} =P
http://www.petitiononline.com/msan2008/petition.html
{Romney}
People here have been debating him. Let's continue the debate.
{Barbour}
Sorry folks you all are gonna have to build up something about him cause I know nothing. Just a name I've been hearing.
Legislatures
{Sessions}
I don't know anything. XD
{Hunter}
I don't know anything again. XD
{Santorum} ^_^
Well at least he was top 3rd in the Senate. T^T He's my homestate guy and I'd like to see him make a run just cause he's that good! He will keep the debates lively there is no question about that. Maybe we could haul up Boxer for him to yell at just for fun. I like to think of him as our future VP.
Err sorry I repeated myself somewhat. I've been all over these threads and sometimes I forget what I've already said. >_<
Everyone check out the Conservative Choice for 2008, Congressman Mike Pence. Visit the website at www.pence08.com
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