Posted on 11/29/2005 4:16:55 AM PST by WhiteGuy
Where is the Instant Replay?
"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."
Ronald Reagan
Some of the most famous men in boxing-ring history weren't really "boxers" at all. They had real "knockout" punches that provided their victories as long as they could stay on their feet until they had the chance to use them. Babe Ruth's major league baseball career began as a pitcher, until someone realized how well he could hit. Golfers understandingly play to their strengths. Ben Crenshaw wants to get on the green; John Daly prefers the tee box. In sports, whenever a team or a competitor develops a winning play or a proven strategy for winning, they rerun it at every opportune chance they get as long as it keeps working. Even after it has apparently stopped working, they run it a few more times on different occasions or in different events just to be sure it doesn't really work anymore. In case anyone has any reservation or doubt, how often did Jim Brown run the ball for Cleveland or how many passes did Johnny Unitas throw in his career? How often did the Bulls work the ball to Michael Jordan?
In 1994, a conservative political genius devised a strategy of listing ten issues that were near and dear to the hearts of all conservative Americans. Republicans swept the elections gaining control of both houses of Congress for the first time in the lives of most of the conservatives that voted that year. It was no different for the candidates. Precious few of the incumbents in either house, whether defeated or re-elected had ever held office when Republicans controlled either house let alone both.
Was the election simply a backlash from Hillary's health care plan? Undoubtedly backlash was part of it, but the election could not have turned on the outcome of a pending health care vote because Hillary's plan had already been defeated in September before Congress adjourned to campaign for the November election. Americans are generally optimistic and forgiving; they normally prefer to vote for a candidate or an issue rather than voting for revenge. In choosing between the slate of Republican candidates or the Contract with America, who would be willing to dispute that more people voted for the Contract than were voting for the individual candidates?
Could the Contract with America have been the political equivalent of a knockout punch? The forward pass? Having a Jim Brown on third and one? Most people would be inclined to recognize the possibility except for one small detail. We have been more than ten years, five congressional election cycles, and Republicans have not even mentioned the Contract in conjunction with an election. In each and every one of those elections, Republicans held their collective breaths and Democrats were cautiously optimistic about regaining one or both houses of Congress. As the Chicago coach, in the fourth quarter of a close play-off game, would you keep Michael Jordan on the bench?
Why haven't the Republicans used another Contract with America to extend their margins in Congress or to simply advance our conservative agenda? Out of power for more than ten years, Democrats are now considering formulating their own version of a Contract with America. If repetition of winning plays by professional sports seems logical, I repeat, why haven't the Republicans had another Contract with America in a single election since 1994?
Answering the question of why "professional" politicians have behaved differently from professional athletes will be our first step toward understanding how to elect statesmen, patriots if you will, exactly analogous to the Founding Fathers.
Will You Take The Pledge?
© 2005 Hopeful Patriot
Archived Editorials
Part of the problem with Newt's Contract was that Newt was the one who tried to apply it. Tactically (i.e., as an election tool) it was brilliant, but strategically it was hopeless because it played right into the strengths of the left and the MSM.
While the MSM and Democrats went into spasms of retching, Newt's Contract with America, however, like a true tuning fork, struck a deep chord within the American Public. They knew he was right. Regardless of "strategy", it struck the perfect chord with deep resonance. A chord the Dems are still scrambling to find.
Thanks for thep ping. Many FReepers would do well to learn r9etb's lesson. There are no political "Big Fixes". If there were, America would already become the new Soviet Union with a massive Leftist takeover in the '60s. We are where we are today because the Lweft did it step by step. We'll get back because we do it step by step.
When conservatives come to terms with the fact that their loyalty is to a movement and NOT to a party. The sooner they will stop being disappointed with the RINOs that run the party and replace them with ideologues.
Hoping in vain that the RNC and beltway leadership will change for the better is like expecting a prostitute to turn into a virgin.
bump
I miss Ronald Reagan.
Hoping in vain that the RNC and beltway leadership will change for the better is like expecting a prostitute to turn into a virgin.
And the Halleluhah Chorus sings Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
All right. I'll keep you on the list. That's only because you've been so nice. If you get mean, then it's off to the corner with you, ps.
:)
Starting with the Supreme Court in January.
which ping list is this??
Surely you jest??
I am still waiting for those promised spending cuts and getting rid of bloated bureaucracy?? What will they promise?? "we really really mean it this time"..??
It didn't get smaller, it got bigger and bigger every year.
and the Democrats have tried their own versions of the 'contract' with no success.
BTTT
Any Freeper that would like to see the Constitution restored has a vested interest in seeing that these threads are viewed by as many Freepers as possible. Remember the goal is not necessarily to promote our plan over any other plan. The goal is to restore the Constitution. It is true that we are convinced that the plan we are putting forth is better than any other plan that has ever been put forward, but we know that no plan is perfect until it has already worked and no longer necessary. Until the Constitution is restored, our plan can be improved by anybody and anybody may be able to offer a plan that is superior to the one we are putting forward.
Never lose sight of the goal. The goal is to restore the Constitution. Without the Constitution, there is no republic.
Instant ~ Bump!
Oh I hope so! It's like Harriet Miers, I have great trust in the PRes. and J. Alito, but I'm a perpetual paranoid. I won't be sure until after many, many rulings.
The trick is to never lose sight of the goal. Our goal is to restore the Constitution. Keeping the goal in mind, when starting with a sow's ear, you have to recognize that a pigskin purse can still get the job done if properly handled.
We call ours a "Contract with Congress". And we have put some real teeth in it. As our series unfolds, you will like our ideas on taking a bite out of Congress.
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