Not everybody comes to the same destination at the same speed. We need to find a way to accommodate that. We need to welcome people who cross that line with a slap on the back, a grin, and a handshake while we say “Glad to see you finally made it!” instead of derision and ridicule.
I use this example that I relate below because it relates to me personally, but I don’t think that I’m alone in responding this way.
It took me long time to come around to the realization of what John McCain was as a politician and a person. I had personal reasons for doing so, reasons like growing up in a military family, being completely engrossed in the POW issue is a military dependent living overseas, and finally, actually having John McCain is my commanding officer for a period of time.
I made some comments in defense of John McCain in a couple of threads, and nobody jumped on me too hard, which probably illustrates how inconsequential that defense must’ve been. There was a Freeper who sent me an email, and it was a very calm, and reasoned email. It said something to the effect of “I understand how you feel, and why you say the things you do, but you have to come around and look at the issue logically and understand that John McCain is not your friend. I have read some of your posts, and your ideology is very far removed from that of John McCain, and he does not have your best interests, or the best interests of the country at heart. You need to find a way to see the truth and accept it.”
Now, I don’t recall who that Freeper was, but I often wish that I could remember so I could thank him appropriately. He understood immediately upon reading one of my posts how difficult it would be to separate John McCain the liberal, Republican, maverick from the Naval pilot, POW, commanding officer John McCain. And he helped me.
I’m grateful for that. It was a “sacred cow” that I had to slay in my mind, and I had to do it myself. Nobody else could do it for me, it had to be me. I have a tendency to be very stubborn when I’m being attacked, and I sometimes think that if that guy had attacked me vigorously, I might still be stuck where I shouldn’t be.
We need to figure out how to do the same for people who need to slay the sacred cow of “The Grand Old Party”. We need those folks.
A very thoughtful and heartfelt post. Thanks. We need that kind of spirit: strong but kind.
Very wise words and a great example of the civility that is needed and long overdue.
On an emotional level, I like the idea of a genuinely conservative third party.
But on a practical level, I say no. It has been tried before, and did not suceed. I worked for a time with one of these "third" parties.
There is a more practical alternative. That alternative is to take actual control of the Republican party away from the Gloalists who now run the party.
For many decades, the Repulican party has been in the hands of what I call Rockefeller republicans. These are globalists who are only marginally better than the socialists who now control the Democratic party.
The current Conservative tactic seems to be to nominate conservatives to office, and then vote for them. This has been successful in a few cases, but as long as the Rockefeller wing controls the party aparatus, coseratives will get only lukewarm lip service support. The last presidential candidate was a supporter of socialized medicine (at the state level) who speaks conservatism as a second language.
The strategy must be from the bottum up to succeed. Attend party conventions en masse and elect county officials, including chairmen, boards, and delegates to the district convention, who are actual conservatives. Follow this tactic up the chain, until conservatives control the RNC and can choose a conservative national chairman.
Not possible? If conservatives are not strong enouth to take on the Republican apparatus and win, then we are not strong enough to take on both the Republican and Democrat machines and win.
It is possible. If it is not done, then I see a bleak future for this country in general and for my grandchildren in particular.
Thank you for your post.
So many folks out there including myself have placed great faith in “sacred cows”. I was able to and others were able to in their own time and their own way to put that false faith to rest.
I listen to all the talk show hosts and I still respect and admire Rush Limbaugh greatly. His family tradition is the Republican Party and that shows in everything he says including his opposition to the third party notion.
I can’t speak for what Rush will do in the future, but I am ready and willing to support a third party option because of where the situation stands right now.
Maybe one day El Rushbo will see things the way I do.???? Maybe he won’t, but I am not going to make him into a sacred cow like I have in the past. I’ll keep my tagline for now.
Good deal.