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"Don’t give up your ideals, don’t compromise, don’t turn to expediency — and don’t, for heaven’s sake, having seen the inner workings of the watch — don’t get cynical." |
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Posted on 04/03/2009 9:14:18 AM PDT by rabscuttle385
After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they rebelled against God and were made to wander aimlessly in the desert for 40 years on a needlessly roundabout journey to the Promised Land. God kept the coveted prize out of reach until that rebellious generation passed.
Today we find an improvident Republican Party lost in the political wilderness. As the GOP seeks to find its own Promised Land – a return to majority leadership – it has, to its own detriment, rebelled against the core conservative principles solemnized within its own party platform.
In a “big tent” effort to be all things to all people, the GOP – charmed by a gaggle of “moderate” RINOs (Republicans in name only) – has taken a hard left, hustling along in exactly the wrong direction. As a result, that elusive Promised Land shrinks in the rearview mirror with every “centrist” capitulation.
Much of the party leadership has become emotionally addicted to the placebo of political pragmatism, swallowing the media-driven misconception that, to voters, ideological “moderation” is somehow the political gold standard.
So, the Grand Old Party has become the Bland Old Party, suffering a largely self-inflicted electoral thumping at the ballot box two election cycles running.
But alas, a defiant elephant refuses to cry “uncle.”
Despite the party platform explicitly affirming unborn children's “right to life which cannot be infringed,” current RNC Chairman Michael Steele recently chose to parrot the DNC’s pro-abortion talking points.
When asked about “abortion rights” in an interview with GQ magazine, Steele said: “I think that's an individual choice.” A clearly stunned interviewer followed up: “Are you saying you think women have the right to choose abortion?” Steele: “Yeah. I mean, again, I think that’s an individual choice. … Yeah. Absolutely.”
In fairness, Steele later issued a statement insisting that, in fact, he is “pro-life.” This, of course, begs the question: “Huh?”
But the enigmatic Steele didn’t stop there. While addressing the highly polarizing issue of homosexuality, he flippantly cast aside the GOP’s moral values banner, sounding off like a spokesman for the “gay” activist Human Rights Campaign.
Taking a jab at the untold thousands of ex-“gay” Americans who have found freedom from the homosexual lifestyle, he opined, “I don't think I've ever really subscribed to that view that you can turn it on and off like a water tap. You just can't simply say, oh, like, ‘Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being gay.’”
Then, to a liberal’s delight, he wrapped up his pro-“gay” exposé, by falsely equating changeable homosexual behavior to his own immutable skin color, concluding, “It's like saying ‘Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being black.’”
Even in liberal California, most Democrat-leaning African-Americans disagree with Steele’s apples to oranges comparison. Although 96 percent voted for Barack Obama, 70 percent also voted to pass California’s Proposition 8, doing away with court invented “same-sex marriage.”
In fact, 46 states have either passed legislation or a constitutional amendment protecting natural marriage. Yet, according to Steele, a proposed federal amendment to do the same is, “mucking around with the Constitution.”
Although the marriage issue has, time and again, been a verifiable winner for the GOP, the party treats it like a political third rail.
The American people demand much more. They have forsaken the GOP because it first forsook them. Yet the party’s ideologically emaciated leaders remain oblivious to the obvious – blind to the political sustenance aplenty that pelts thick skulls like manna from Heaven. If the GOP ever wishes to reverse its spiral into the abyss of irrelevancy, it must, in word and deed, make a bold, unapologetic return to the fiscally conservative and socially conservative policies that fueled the Reagan revolution.
Still, in what amounts to chronic wishful thinking, the left has – over and again for decades – prematurely penned the conservative movement’s obituary. To borrow from Mark Twain: Reports of our death are, once again, greatly exaggerated.
Liberal Democrats and “moderate” Republicans alike continue to misrepresent voters’ ballot box rejection of today’s “centrist” GOP as an overall aversion to larger conservatism. Frankly, it’s tiresome and a bit embarrassing. In fact, precisely the opposite is true.
An August 2008 Battleground Poll reported that 60 percent of all Americans deem themselves conservative. Evangelical Christians – an estimated 70 million – and other social conservatives make up the base of that 60 percent. Almost universally, social conservatives are also conservative on economic and national security related issues, representing what I call: “The complete conservative.”
Yet, as we plunge headlong into the dark age of social and economic Obamunism, the GOP inexplicably continues to treat complete conservatives like that crazy uncle you only have over for Thanksgiving. When election season rolls around, it’s all hugs and kisses. After the returns – not even a phone call.
Well, complete conservatives have finally taken their ball and gone home. And, until the GOP finds the moral compass it so long ago tossed in the unforgiving wilderness sand, it’ll just have to keep pitching to Independents, liberal Republicans and moderate Democrats.
You know, like John McCain did.
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"Don’t give up your ideals, don’t compromise, don’t turn to expediency — and don’t, for heaven’s sake, having seen the inner workings of the watch — don’t get cynical." |
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well said
I shall have no more of the contemptible RINOs and their treasonous machinations.
I no longer claim to be a Republican and I won’t give a dime to these phonies who have hijacked our once relevant party. If they ever have national representation for a genuine “conservative” party, I will put my support behind it but, until then, kiss off GOP.
Excellent article...sums up what all is wrong with the GOP.
The scary thing is....the Dems will be politically vulnerable in 2010....but the GOP (under Steele) will find some way to screw it up and the Dems end up with more seats and governorships
Steele is a total disaster....and its hard to find someone as worse as Mel Martinez for GOP head
I’ve tried my best to like and support Mr. Steele, but he keeps stepping in it so badly...can we redo from start?
The most likely candidates for 2012 are:
Petraeus
Palin
Romney
An excellant field if ever I saw one. Evnagelicals, however, have to come to terms with some individual’s dislike for Mormons. Which, being an Evangelical, is a real mystery to me.
2012 is looking good.
Why doesn’t Newt take it over again?
Didn’t Petraeus recent say that we are not less safe under Obama? Sounds like the kind of statement you would expect from a RINO to me.
soon as the find their stones, they’ll find their way out
The article misses the point.
Arguments about specific policy do not make great political parties, or political movements. The article concentrates its initial paragraphs on abortion and gay rights, which does nothing but allow people to express their settled opinions. It’s a no-win situation.
The Republicans are dying because they have no vision of a better life for Americans. They have no philosophy which guides them - something that Reagan developed over many years of reading and listening and lecturing to small audiences. Even Sarah Palin - someone I know, and someone I respect - doesn’t have that kind of philosophical underpining that is needed to propel a great movement.
The William Buckleys of the world could look to Hume and Burke and Hayek and others for their ideals, and then take those ideals to uplift others.
Sadly, the left still has their philosophical ideals - from the writings of Marx, Hegel, the Frankfurt School, Gramscii, Lenin, Mao, Franz Falon - and that animates them in a manner which overwhelms conservatives.
We need to talk about our values and ideals and philosophy. We need to have someone explain the virtues of liberty and individual freedom and inalienable rights. We are in a war of ideas, and we aren’t talking about ideas - we’re arguing policy.
And therefore we lose.
I don’t think a fine man like Petreus would soil himself by going into politics
Well, with some of the current behavior, like Newt’s “Third Party” BS, its going to go from the Republican Party to the Donner Party.
He was once again subbing for Bill Bennett this morning, praising obama as the most brilliant President to ever serve... he is an ass kissing pos liberal!
LLS
I got a fundraising call from the RNC the other night. My wife and I have always tried to give $50 or so to the party. But for some reason I lost it on the telemarketer. I said I was no longer a republican and I was sick and tired of their compromising grovelling positions towards spending and Bama. I’m tired of their RINO candidates and the fact that they don’t stand for anything. Ronald Reagan is the last Republican I respected.
Looks like the Republican is going to win the special congressional election in NY, so Steele is 1 for 1 since taking office.
Can’t get rid of him when he’s winning.
newt is just a fatter and whiter version of steele.
LLS
I doubt that.
His wife has injected herself in leftist causes also.
LLS
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