Posted on 11/07/2006 10:43:24 PM PST by jmaroneps37
It is a simple axium that "If you think you are a whe inner, you might be right, but if you think you are a loser you will probably be right."
This said, no matter how bad things looked over the past many months, I never allowed my doubts to overcome my essays. I was not a candidate. I did not see any value in saying defeatist things. Being "realistic" was not a chioce for me. My doubts were real to be sure. The poll of Freepers that showed just a 79% support rate for the GOP gave me plenty of reason to believe the breast beating crowd would stab America in the back. Yes I justr said that. When you thumb suckers finally stop kicking the floor and look up you will see that your "Oh so self satisfying tantrum" has now put every one of our ground troops in genuine and immediate danger from the Iraqis who will now turn on them and do so to suck up to the terrorists that they now beleve will win. I deeply fear that as soon as this weekend the difference will be felt and seen on the ground in Iraq. You who stayed home and you who voted Democrat will have to face this reality when you stop kicking the floor. We've heard you. You've done the damage you so dearly wanted to do so you could be noticed, now the ball is in your court. When the impeachment investigations start and stop America's president from working to keep us safe it will be your mess. When Charlie Rangel stops funding the war, it will be our pain caused by your thumb sucking tantrum. When our secrets are leaked at an alarming rate, it will be our pain caused by your thumb sucking. I'll listen to any reasonable argument, but please keep your righteous brest beating indignation to yourself. We've heard you. Now we all have to feel the pains you have brought on all of us.
Therefore, I can't get too terribly upset about the results tonight. Yeah, I hate the fact leftists are in charge. But it was high time the Republican party realized conservatives were actually serious about the need for them to stay true to principle. This housecleaning isn't as bad as some of the more emotional tantrums tonight may lead one to believe. It's fairly common, in fact, for just what happened Tuesday to happen in a sixth-year midterm election. Nothing out of the ordinary. No "paradigm shift in American politics", no "death of the Republican party", etc.
That said, I didn't even get a chance to vote for a nationwide elected office. There were none in my state. The gubernatorial candidate for whom I voted was the conservative Republican, and he promptly lost. Big.
"
Any freeper who did not vote today or voted dem is ridiculous. "
I stood out in the rain (WITHOUT an umbrella) third in line waiting for the polls to open this morning to do my part.
I can now say that I'm thoroughly disgusted with those who have chosen to gamble with all our security and have fallen for and believe the lies of the left and there partners in crime, the MSM.
Add to that those who felt the current crop of politico's needed to be sent some kind of message, and those who just flat out didn't vote.
UNBELIEVABLE, that ultra San Fran wackjob liberal Nancy Pelosi is going to take charge of the house. God help us!
I doubt if, in the key states, the "base" walked away. I know I threatened it in my passionate feelings of how badly the Republicans squandered so many opportunities by abandoning their conservative principles. But I did vote, and in a district my Independent (these days) vote for the R's was meaningless (Cameron County in South Texas). And I believe most "old school" conservatives found themselves back in the booths once again voting "against" rather than voting "for" as I did. For most of us "old school" conservatives deeply believe that voting is more a resposibility in our Republic than a right.
I think you are seriously underestimating the effects of the relentless and insidious anti-Bush/Conservative/Christian/'Straight'/gunowner/war/military/Iraq/'call a terrorist a friggin' terrorist for Pete's sake' agitprop bombardment of the general population by the alphabet media over the past years.
Maybe there are a few Republicans who have grown seriously disgusted with the border and immigration issues, maybe even enough to not vote. I am not one, although I admit I am disgusted.
It has been a full-court press since President Bush was elected. NOW, the Democrats have to put up or shut up.
SO hold your breath until you turn blue. Please. If we were blue in the face it was from stating our position, trying to get action based upon those views, not from holding our breath in a tantrum.
The larger question is can a true conservative win the day?
The cartoon above really says a bunch about America and Americans at large.
Conservatism is dead, huh?
Glad to see the stalwarts are out in force tonight.
I have no problem with Duncan Hunter's positions, but he'll be a blip among Republican prospects. He's no Ronald Reagan. And frankly, I don't think we'll see another "Reagan" in our lifetime. The Republican Party will revert back to being more like it was during the Eisenhower years.
I agree ... and I also throw in the 3rd party voters too. They are just as much to blame for giving Congress to the socialists.
jrooney wrote: "You can thank Michelle Malkin, Rich Lowery, Bill Kristol and idiots like that for constantly harping on the GOP, thus some voters felt the donks would be better. It is going to be a nightmare now."
You can't seriously blame Michelle and others for the Republican loss. They did it to themselves by #1 acting like big government socialists and #2 not selling the Iraq war to Americans. Bush himself as much as admitted he was having a hard time proving the war was going well. Well, what is the president if not the cheerleader who rallies the nation behind him (much like Reagan). Hey, I don't think Iraq is nearly as bad as the MSM states, but the typical citizen thinks we are LOSING. Who do we blame? Our leadership who failed to win the fight for public opinion on the war. Still, they might have had a chance if they had rallied the base to vote. Too bad it's hard voting for leadership that does NOT share your own values. Yes, many FReepers sucked it up and placed their votes for the party, even though they knew it didn't really EARN their votes. But FReepers are not your typical citizens, and we know who got the most votes.
Not dead, but ineffective as a political movement. And it isn't just tonight...I've been talking about the death of "Reagan-style" conservativism for about two years now. Conservatives today remind me of the conservatives of the 1940s and 1950s -- no positive message, and a decided minority within the electorate. The Reagan Revolution is dead. Time for new leadership, but I see none on the horizon.
"Truth be told, I think conservatism in the US is pretty much dead..."
I disagree. Conservatism as a political philosophy is still alive and well. But from the point of view of electoral politics, I'd argue that it hasn't actually been winning since the time of Ronald Reagan.
I think that political conservatives make a big mistake by tying their star too closely to the political fortunes of the GOP. When it crashes, it seems that conservatism crashes. I actually see a very bright future for conservatism, but for reasons that have to do more with economics and technology than politics.
bingo
No.
There was no BIG GOVERNMENT.
There was 911-- maybe you missed that-- a war in Afghanistan-- a war in Iraq and a total war on terror globally.
That costs money. Its not hard to understand.
The MEDIA ran 94% negative stories on Iraq in 2006 compared to 53% in 2003. There is no way Bush or any other small set of people were going to break through that. I had Iraq debates on my campus. The Pro Iraq side always won last year and this fall. BUT the media does not allow debate on Iraq.
Could well be. The Republicans, back in the days of our stay in the "wilderness" for 50 years, when it came to the House and Senate, sure were truer to their conservative convictions.
Jokelahoma wrote: "That said, I didn't even get a chance to vote for a nationwide elected office. There were none in my state. The gubernatorial candidate for whom I voted was the conservative Republican, and he promptly lost. Big."
Ha! I think we voted for the same guy. Istook is a great man, but what did he get, something like 37% of the vote in a heavily conservative state? Brad Henry hasn't done badly, and he's far more personable. Sorry to say, Istook didn't have a chance.
"This election was not a rejection of conservative principles, it was firing an incompetent work force."
Excellent post, and I think you're spot on.
With a few exceptions, like the abortion referendum in SD, most ballot measures that you'd think of as reflecting "conservative" values passed handily. Example: in my home state of Virginia, the marriage amendment passed handily in spite of significant opposition and spending on the part of those who wanted to defeat it. It wasn't even close.
We survived Jimmy Carter, we'll survive this.
ImpBill wrote: "And I believe most "old school" conservatives found themselves back in the booths once again voting "against" rather than voting "for" as I did. For most of us "old school" conservatives deeply believe that voting is more a resposibility in our Republic than a right."
Very true. Oh, to finally have some candidates to vote "for" instead of "against." It brings back bad memories of the Dole nomination.
Link??
"They became bloated with power, and stopped listening to their base. They simply decided they liked being congressmen better than being true to the people that put them there."
Yup.
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