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The Paradox of Unified Control–How Conservatives Can Win Without Bush
Vanity | 1/31/2004 | Self

Posted on 01/31/2004 3:07:29 PM PST by Kevin Curry

Can conservatives win in November if Bush loses the White House? The easy answer is "No." The thinking answer is quite different. The easy answer overestimates the power of a Democrat president who must work with a Republican-controlled Congress. The thinking answer is that gridlock is often preferable to a government shifting into high gear regardless of whether a Republican or Democrat is at the wheel. And gridlock is always preferable to progressivism, whatever its form.

Liberal nanny state progressivism is a rouged tart wearing a high tight skirt standing on the street corner, who whispers "$20 for a good time." Compassionate conservative progressivism is the wholesome girl next door in a county fair booth that reads, "$20 for a kiss"–only the bargain is even worse, because the government forces you to pay, and someone else gets the good time or the kiss.

Neither form of progressivism is acceptable to a conservative who has better and more profitable things to do with his time and money.

The key to understanding why the thinking answer attaches such small value to a Bush win this November is to understand the paradox of unified control. Common sense suggests that conservatives are best served when Republicans have unified control over the two branches that write the checks, pay the bills, and write and enforce the laws: the executive and the legislative. That was the delirious hope of conservatives, including myself, who cheered in November 2000 as Bush won the White House by the narrowest of margins and the Republican Party won combined control of the Senate and the House in 2002.

But this delirious optimism has turned steadily to dark dismay as Bush recklessly and heedlessly cranked the conservative agenda hard left and smashed it into reefs of trillion-dollar Medicare entitlements, record deficit spending, incumbent criticism-stifling campaign finance reform, illegal alien amnesty-on-the-installment-plan, NEA budget increases and the like.

Where has the Republican co-captain –Congress–been as Bush has pursed this reckless course? Mostly sleeping or meekly assisting. Would a Republican Congress have tolerated these antics from a Democratic president? Absolutely not! Why has a Republican Congress tolerated and even assisted Bush to do this? Because he is a Republican and for no other reason.

Thus, the paradox of unified control: a president can most easily and effectively destroy or compromise the dominant agenda of his own party when his own party controls Congress. Bush has demonstrated the potency of this paradox more powerfully than any president in recent memory–although Clinton had his moments too, as when he supported welfare reform.

Does this mean conservatives should desire a Democrat president when Congress is controlled by Republicans? No. Conservatives should desire a consistently conservative Republican president who with grace and inspiration will lead a Republican-controlled Congress to enact reforms that will prove the clear superiority of the conservative, small government agenda by its fruits. Bush's tax cuts are a wonderful achievement, and have had a powerful stimulating effect on the economy. But imagine how much better the result if he had not set forces in motion to neutralize this achievement by getting his trillion dollar Medicare boondoggle enacted.

Ten steps forward and ten steps back is may be how Republicans dance the "compassionate conservative" foxtrot, but in the end it merely leads us back to the same sorry place we started. It is not an improvement.

When a Republican president compromises the conservative agenda and is enabled to do so by a Republican Congress too dispirited or disorganized to resist, the next best answer might well be for a Democrat to hold the White House. Nothing would steel the courage of a Republican Congress and enliven its spirit more than to face off against a Democrat bent on implementing a liberal agenda.

Any Democrat unfortunate enough to win the White House this year will face the most depressing and daunting task of any Democrat president ever to hold the office. The Iraq War will become his war, and he will be scorned and repudiated if he does not with grace, power, and dignity bring it to a satisfactory conclusion. That means he will have to conduct the war in much the same way that Bush is conducting it now–he will not have the latitude to do much else. If he conducts the war in the manner that Bush is conducting it, his own base will abandon him.

Any Democrat president will also have to choose between spending cuts or raising taxes. If he chooses the latter, he will see his support plummet as the economic recovery sputters and stalls. If he chooses the former, he will dispirit his base supporters. In either case he will strengthen the hand of the Republican controlled-Congress and see Republican strength enhanced in the Senate and House.

If SCOTUS vacancies open up, he will see his nominees scrutinized and resisted with a zeal that can only be expected and carried out by a Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee that has suffered through years of kidney-punches and eye-gouging in judicial appointment hearings by a Democrat minority (it would help immensely if the spineless, Kennedy-appeasing Orrin Hatch were replaced as Committee Chair).

As his frustrations grow, his support plummets, and the Republican Party adds to its numbers in Congress, a Democrat president would be viewed as opportunistic roadkill by zealots in his own party, including and especially the ice-blooded and cruelly-scheming Hillary Clinton. In the run-up to the 2008 election Democrats would be faced with the choice of continuing to support a sure loser in the incumbent or a scheming hard-left alternative in Hillary. The blood-letting in the Democratic Party through the primary season and into the convention would be grievous and appalling, committed in plain view of the American public–who could be expected to vomit both of them out.

That would leave the field open for the Republican presidential candidate to achieve a victory of historic proportions in 2008. With greater Republican strength in Congress, the opportunity would again present itself for this nation to finally achieve the dream of implementing a real and substantial conservative agenda, of actually shrinking government in a large and meaningful way.

The key to achieving that dream, of course, is to carefully select an electable conservative for 2008 who will remain true to the conservative vision and not cause conservatism to fall victim again to the paradox of unified control.

It is not too soon to start looking for that candidate.


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KEYWORDS: gop
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To: kitkat
Type <> with the word big in it like this (big) only with these <> Do it more than once and it's bigger still... The more the larger.
961 posted on 02/01/2004 5:51:59 PM PST by hoosiermama (prayers for all)
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To: gatorbait; Miss Marple
When he says Superbowl, you think it is big and white and porcelain?

LOL!!! (Don't bother to ask him. Based on my investigation, you won't get a straight answer.) ;)
962 posted on 02/01/2004 5:52:17 PM PST by Fawnn (With Bush, our RepublicCAN stand for something again!!!)
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To: gatorbait
My husband notified me of the Super Bowl devlopments. I am listening but not watching, except for the commercials.

Still waiting for Joe Hadenuf's answer. HA!

963 posted on 02/01/2004 5:52:18 PM PST by Miss Marple
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To: Howlin
And they called it the STREAK..... only in Houston...
964 posted on 02/01/2004 5:52:29 PM PST by deport (BUSH - CHENEY 2004.........)
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To: hoosiermama
mystery-ak has heard from her husband. He's fine.
965 posted on 02/01/2004 5:53:20 PM PST by Brad’s Gramma (BG (Logan's Personal Mafia Hit Squad))
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To: Miss Marple
Still waiting for Joe Hadenuf's answer. HA!

Got a big thick book to read while waiting for it?

966 posted on 02/01/2004 5:53:29 PM PST by gatorbait (Yesterday, today and tomorrow......The United States Army)
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To: Brad's Gramma
Where did she post?
967 posted on 02/01/2004 5:53:48 PM PST by hoosiermama (prayers for all)
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To: Brad's Gramma
mystery-ak has heard from her husband. He's fine.

Thank you for letting us know! (And, thank you God for answered prayers!)
968 posted on 02/01/2004 5:54:16 PM PST by Fawnn (With Bush, our RepublicCAN stand for something again!!!)
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To: Fawnn
,i>LOL!!! (Don't bother to ask him. Based on my investigation, you won't get a straight answer.) ;)

I doubt there's anything straight about him.

969 posted on 02/01/2004 5:54:21 PM PST by gatorbait (Yesterday, today and tomorrow......The United States Army)
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To: hoosiermama
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1069565/posts?page=293

#293
970 posted on 02/01/2004 5:54:25 PM PST by Brad’s Gramma (BG (Logan's Personal Mafia Hit Squad))
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To: gatorbait
I doubt there's anything straight about him.

ROFL!!! You think? ;)
971 posted on 02/01/2004 5:55:12 PM PST by Fawnn (With Bush, our RepublicCAN stand for something again!!!)
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To: Howlin
I thought I saw the nipple but the streaker??
972 posted on 02/01/2004 5:55:34 PM PST by olliemb
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To: gatorbait
He is presently occupied in contacting his boss for an acceptable answer.

He will be back in a while with yet another obfuscating explanation.

You will notice he didn't answer my question about whether or not George Soros is paying his salary.

Again I say, HA!

973 posted on 02/01/2004 5:55:54 PM PST by Miss Marple
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To: Howlin
At least the streaker wasn't Riding a big white horse
974 posted on 02/01/2004 5:56:07 PM PST by deport (BUSH - CHENEY 2004.........)
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To: rdb3
About the question you were supposed to answer, I know nothing. You said you were an investigator. For whom? And this is not "personal information." Me telling you that I'm an Analyst says nothing personal, for there are thousands of them.

Let me educate you junior. When someone conducts criminal and civil investigations, one would be wise not to broadcast who he is employed by or any other details. I'm sure you understand. Well, maybe you don't.

Trust me, if I drove a cement truck, or I was an analyst for some auditing firm, I would give you the information you so desire. But hey, you can continue to prey if you desire. I am kind of amused by it.

975 posted on 02/01/2004 5:57:22 PM PST by Joe Hadenuf (I failed anger management class, they decided to give me a passing grade anyway)
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To: Mulder
2/3rds of the al Queda leadership is either dead or captured. Their money is drying up. We aren't allowing "alleged" charitable orgnizations to collect money in the US and then funneling it into terrorist orgnizations. We called the Saudi's on their actions and alleged charitible contributions (we exposed the *royals* who were doing it). It has caused tangible declines in contributions to the terrorist coffers. They are hurting "big time" in case you haven't been following these things.

We have captured or killed all but what "5" now of the deck of cards in Iraq?

Now that "Saddam & Son's" is gone the PLO and Arafat have had to BORROW money to pay their staff. No one is paying $25,000 per suicide bomber to the remaining family members.

How's that for beginners.. need more or would you like to do some of your own research? ~Or~ do you require some more spoon feedings?

When you act mamby pamby with terrorist they think we run.. per OBL! I've noticed he isn't out in public much these days.

976 posted on 02/01/2004 5:58:20 PM PST by Vets_Husband_and_Wife
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To: hoosiermama
Quite frankly, it surprises me that 'seniors' have become that politically astute. The period in which they grew up and grew older generated naivete. I'm so glad to learn of their political savvy!

Last minute calls saying President Bush is going to end Social Security forever won't work on them! I do worry about those in assisted living facilities who are still vulnerable to ...ahem...voting influence by their caregivers.
977 posted on 02/01/2004 5:58:33 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: Joe Hadenuf
one would be wise not to broadcast who he is employed by or any other details. I'm sure you understand. Well, maybe you don't.

Coming in rather late to the game as far as this whole conversation goes, but if the above is true, why would you then ask for someone else's SSN?

978 posted on 02/01/2004 5:58:42 PM PST by Brad’s Gramma (BG (Logan's Personal Mafia Hit Squad))
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To: TruthNtegrity
To you only

CARRIE,
Did you just get a FRmail from Howlin?

She says Hoosiermama said we had a list and wants to know if she can see it.

Whaddda we do?
Kate


979 posted on 02/01/2004 5:58:48 PM PST by kitkat (Purr, purr SNOOZE)
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To: Miss Marple; nopardons; onyx; rdb3; FairOpinion
You will notice he didn't answer my question about whether or not George Soros is paying his salary.

Much earlier, I commented o na few things and he threatened me. Lovely little fellow, a true garden gnome.

980 posted on 02/01/2004 5:58:51 PM PST by gatorbait (Yesterday, today and tomorrow......The United States Army)
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