Posted on 12/27/2012 1:20:29 PM PST by IbJensen
Here's a New Year's wish I would love to see come true. However it is defined or however many people are part of it, it is time to send the giant never-ending "GOP Establishment" made up of some professional politicians, some moneyed nouveaux riche who -- by virtue of their contributions and the faux friendships it buys with politicians -- consider themselves political landed gentry and the endless scam artist consultants they support packing.
As previously stated, I thought Mitt Romney to be a better candidate than did many observers. That said, the recent revelations in news articles that claim to chronicle the Romney campaign reinforce the idea that the "silk underwear" branch of the GOP just doesn't get it.
The emerging story of a candidate who really didn't want to run in the first place and consultants who never listened to pleas from his own family to humanize the man so that everyday people could "feel like he understands them" just makes conservatives and the GOP faithful sick. They once again spent their hard-earned money and endless time backing another Republican nominee who had no prayer of connecting with the average voter. Never mind that he was, at closer examination, a young man of privilege who outgrew his silver spoon to create his own hard-earned fortune, his case was never properly made.
And why is that? The answer is the current class of Republican "experts" and "consultants" who constantly blow into somewhere outside of their self-indulgent D.C. bubble and believe that they really do understand the "average American" in the 21st century. They do not.
Same for the well-entrenched elected officials, many of whom have gone from scrappy challengers of the status quo to fat and happy potentates. The so-called "experts" just sell any sort of snake oil a candidate or elected official and his loyal leeches will swallow. Hence, terrible focus-group-driven commercials, poor strategy in message and a "get out the vote" effort about as technologically advanced as the telegraph and with all the planning for contingencies as the Hurricane Katrina emergency efforts.
Until Republicans get rid of the inherent haughtiness of their operations, nothing will change. I've always described the GOP Establishment as a bunch who will hold a fundraiser, say, with an incumbent Republican president (don't hold your breath for that again anytime soon) or a nominee, or a governor's inauguration -- you name it -- with one unmentioned thing in mind: themselves. They inevitably make the event like one of those toys with endless boxes within boxes, each smaller than the one before it. That's how they do their big "fundraisers." There's the massive box, holding the masses -- where from the distance of a football field one might catch a fleeting glimpse or hear a bit of a speech or event.
From there on, the boxes get smaller and smaller -- and more elaborate. One huge amount gets you into a private reception; the next more expensive one warrants a 10 second photograph with the political star; then there's the price-busting one that gets you a 30 person private audience -- in which every dupe there fails to note that the leader of the free world or the top person in their state listens, speaks, leaves and likely forgets the whole thing five minutes later.
Oh, and then there is that last box. It's reserved for the same snooty creatures who have run everything in their subdivision of the GOP forever. They often are there because they helped take everyone else's money! But regardless, they are there, in the most private of rooms with the highest of public leaders, just hanging out. They are a small, cozy group -- the elite of the elite. Sort of like today's Republican Party -- a small, cozy group.
If I have to read one more story about some Republican official's great golf handicap or how much they all enjoy the private company of one another, I think I'll be sick.
Republicans need to retool their image and their mindset. Just shed all the king's trappings and some of the king's men. Keep the hardworking and in-touch ones, bring in fresh faces, understand the mindset of the next generation, but more than anything articulate what they stand for and, damn it, stand for it.
A little fire in the belly and purpose for being elected and holding office in the first place could at least start to get the GOP turned around before it really is too late.
Well, at least I wasn’t shilling for the father of sodomy marriage, homosexualized public schools, socialized medicine complete with $50 co-pay taxpayer-funded abortions, and permanent assault weapons bans, like yourself.
And, no matter how small our party may still be, at least we weren’t shelling out more than a million bucks in support of a radical homosexual activist for Congress in Massachusetts, like your party.
“Young guns” indeed.
Good one!
N00b! 4 am reference bump. ;-)
Truth hurts doesn’t it? People know you are full of bull. Trying to justify your vanity bid because Romney was the nominee won’t fool anyone. Anyone can see you accepted your silly parties nomination long before Mitt was the nominee. You were going to run for President whether Rick Santorum or Ron Paul or anyone else was the nominee. So really, stop trying to hide behind Romney’s skirt. Also, you helped run dopey Alan Keyes 3rd party big in 2008 against McCain and Sarah Palin. Your vanity 3rd party activity is obvious and not all about Mitt Romney.
You’re not fooling anyone Eternal. You are selfish and vain. You don’t like that the real work of politics in a relatively stable democracy is slow - sometimes glacially so. The sausage making is awful. To govern you have to make deals, build coalitions, make trade offs - but that is how things get done. What you’re doing is taking the easy way out, and the result is complete irrelevance. And you know, I find that sad. I’ve no doubt you’re also a smart person with a lot of political knowledge and good policy instincts, but you waste those talents on your 3rd party vanity cult which will never amount to anything.
Another "Republican" who thinks we're a democracy, posting on Free REPUBLIC.
To govern you have to make deals, build coalitions, make trade offs - but that is how things get done.
Well, there's comes a point when there is little left for folks who think like you do to trade away.
And there are some of us who understand that there are certain things that should never be subject to negotiation.
Is there anything that is non-negotiable to you?
Your entire POV reeks of “circular reasoning”.
John Judas McCain was a bridge too far.
Mitt Romney was a plunge into the political abyss.
Why do you keep hiding behind Romney? You accepted your goofy little parties nomination long before Mitt ended up the GOP nominee. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that you were going to run your vanity bid whether Santorum, Paul, Romney or anyone else was the Republican candidate. Stop pretending otherwise.
Further, good grief man, you helped run an Alan Keyes presidential campaign. Alan Keyes! This guy is one of the greatest political losers in American history. Keyes couldn't win a general election if you spotted him 25 points. I don't doubt you are pretty sharp when it come to general policy knowledge, but your political instincts are just incredibly awful.
You're just too lazy, impatient and vain to build coalitions. Anyone can drop out, create their own little cult or party and convince a handful of people they are standing on principle. The hard work is actually using the system to persuade people, to push (even in tiny increments) for the policies you believe in, to make deals even if you only get 70% of what you want (and return for more later), etc. You are taking the easy way out.
I mean, do I really need to explain this sort of thing to you? I don't support, for example, ANY federal social programs. But you know what? The country isn't with me on that. So the best I can do is work to turn the public against these corrupting programs as best I can and nibble away at the social welfare state at every opportunity. Sure, I could drop out of the system and start my own little party, but that wouldn't accomplish anything. Lets take the left for example. For the most part they want to ban guns. We all know that. But the public isn't with them, so they go at it incrementally and at every opportunity. They don't drop out of the system because they couldn't get their gun bans all at once. And now here they are using this Sandy Hook tragedy to get as much of their agenda passed as possible.
Sorry, but dropping out the system is taking the easy way out. Maybe it makes you feel good, but it doesn't help this nation.
So, in other words, of course, for you there is nothing that is non-negotiable.
Get off this nonsense. I can support anyone I damned well please, without your permission or approval. I’m a free American, not your lackey.
Personally, sure. Politically, you fight for what you can get without blowing up your coalition and letting the opposition party (which stands for even worse) take over. You know, kinda like Ronald Reagan. I know, I know, it requires good political skills and instincts which you clearly do not have.
Sure you can, and I am free to question the wisdom of a failed presidential candidate on a political forum. I could also support and write in my neighbor for President, but if I make that public I expect people to let me know what a dumb idea it is. This is essentially what you did by supporting Alan Keyes in 2008. I mean come on man, Alan Keyes?
And when you stop pretending your run for office was because Romney was the GOP nominee, I will stop calling you out on the dishonesty.
There are lots of folks who know the facts about the considerations involved in my decision to run. You’re not one of them, quite obviously. You’re just blowing smoke.
*cough*
Just stop blaming your failed vanity presidential bid on Romney. You got your America’s Party nomination long before Mitt was the nominee. You were running 3rd party regardless of who the GOP nominee was.
I've known you for twenty years and this behavior is nothing new, it's been going on for years. You desperately want to be someone but nothing works. Your first obligation is to your family. Get a real job and support them. At one time you were gainfully employed and quit to make a stupid run at state rep. Even that didn't work and now you're bitter and angry at all Republicans. You've run for US Senate, that didn't work, then you ran for state rep. and that didn't work and now you really think you can run for president and actually become a viable candidate? Get real, and for anyone who thinks that somehow, EV is more virtuous than Romney, or any other Republican, he isn't, as he is good with reelecting Obama--just give EV his 15 minutes of fame.
The question of how do you support your family is a valid question. You're on what is it, wife no. 3 now? Yet, you sit in judgement of others and their Christianity. Your wives probably get sick and tired of waiting for you to stop your chasing rainbows and want you to support your family.
Of late, the only time Republicans show any fight is against conservatives.
It's you who have "blown your coalition" to smithereens, and let the Democrats take over.
Not that there's any substantial difference between Romney Republicanism and the Democrats anyhow.
Thanks for demonstrating once again why I don’t want anything to do with a party led by such unprincipled character assassins.
So did I misrepresent the truth? Where?
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