Posted on 10/31/2009 10:34:47 AM PDT by rbbeachkid
Although I am very happy with the events so far in New York and I support both Hoffman's run against a liberal GOP Candidate and the conservative statement to the GOP, I have some concerns.
I think that Hoffman's campaign will encourage more independents to buck the GOP establishment. While I think that this is necessary in showing the GOP that the conservative grass roots don’t want the establishment’s compromising, weak spined, unprincipled moderates, when will conservative enough be conservative enough?
There are few politicians that espouse the (small l) libertarian, small government philosophies that I believe in. I am not a public school proponent. I would like the majority of business regulations done away with. I think that the fed’s job is national defense and arbitrating between states in disputes. I think that the federal government should have little to no impact on individuals other than guaranteeing freedom.
Few candidates will have the purity that I would want. So, will I always want a third choice? Scozzafava was the logical conclusion to a GOP gone “moderate” (read liberal). She was absolutely unacceptable on a multitude of levels. But are we going to see the destruction of a real chance to make some of the changes that we want by demanding purity? In a reliably Republican district it was ridiculous to support a liberal candidate, but there are districts that are more balanced and maybe less strictly conservative candidates should represent less strictly conservative constituencies.
Unfortunately, always putting up a more conservative choice means that victory over the Democrat will require more than 2/3 of the votes. Except in situations like Hoffman, that is unlikely.
I voted for McCain last election (after vowing to never vote for him) for one reason, judgeships. There is a reason to have Snowe and Collins in the party (I would like them replaced in the primaries). The system is set up to require a majority in Washington to get things done.
Where do we reach the balance between pulling the GOP back to their conservative roots and continually shooting ourselves in the foot? We will never really win with Democrat light. We won’t even come out to vote for them. Conservative can and do win elections. But when is a candidate conservative enough?
I don’t have an answer; I am only just concerned with what we may be setting ourselves up for.
- that our rights are Creator-endowed, not grants by government;
- that elected officials are just imperfect persons, like other citizens, and will not make better decisions than those they represent;
- that the "People's Constitution" divides, separates, limits and balances the powers it delegates to them--not the other way around; and,
- that if they do not begin to act like "conservatives" of the Founders' ideas of liberty and articulate those ideas clearly, then they will be sent home to live under the kind of tyrannical government power which they've participated in creating.
Electing a few real "conservative" independent candidates may just convince the others to "shape up or ship out."
When they are not JUANnabies.
Somewhere to the right of where the party has been since 2000. There is a lot of room to move before we hit any kind of "purity." I am not impressed by arguments that conservatives are trying to enforce a purity. "Purity" implies 100% agreement with me, and I'm the only person who agrees with me 100%. Well, sometimes I disagree with myself, but that's a whole other topic.
It's been said that I should be able to vote for somebody who agrees with me 80% of the time, and I usually can, but when somebody drifts so far to the left I can't agree 50% of the time, then I'm a lost cause. Scozzafava was such a candidate. McCain's another for whom I have not voted in many elections.
If the GOP establishment is going to keep on being RINOS then we all need to desert them for a true conservative, no matter what party!! You keep voting for rinos and NOTHING will ever change period
The answer is ultimately education. The quote applies,”Conservatives hope that people will understand, liberals are afraid they will.”
Rush’s theory that all elections are local is no longer strictly true. Elections are about money and people from all over the country donated to Hoffman and Wilson and others. One of the solutions is to contunue to contribute to conservatives.
It is just this same sort of pragmatic rationalizing that ended up with me supporting a candidate in the last election that had no goddam business being anywhere near a GOP ticket, period!
You either stand for your core principles or you don't. You don't collaborate or abet appeasers - you defeat them, utterly. Tough love is tough love. We cannot drive these usurpers out of this country's government otherwise.
It is hard to recognize a Democrate from a Republican these days. Why? because most, not all, are one in the same. I waiting for the staunch conservatives in the GOP to get up and scream bloody hell, I’m tired of the crickets in the background while each and every day the country goes further in the toilet with these a## clowns that have highjcked my country. The cancer that has inflicted the Democratic party has also inflicted the GOP. It is up to us to FIX IT! COCKBLOCK THE MUTTS IN 2010! Find the conservative support, donate, and push.
“Pretty simple in my book. Demand they follow the Constitution and de-construct the parts of the federal gov’t that is not constitutional (most of it).
IF we are not willing to go down that road, we will lose the country, and deservedly so.”
I agree 100%.
I’m still waiting for the cries for the democrats to be more moderate. Apparently “moderation” is only for republicans and only in one direction.
Absolutely! I love that conservatives stood up and said, “Enough.” The left doesn’t worry about being too liberal. We need to see things move significantly to the right. But there is so much talk about purging that I think is destructive.
When every statement they make is backed up by our Constitution, and every vote they cast is similarly grounded. When every penny they spend is for the purpose of restoring the constitutional republic.
When we have a Congress sufficiently stocked with conservatives, that they can repeal 90% of federal legislation, eliminate spending for anything that is not for national defense, and eliminate taxes that are not needed for national defense and a very thin administration.
When management of national forests, wilderness areas, wildlife, mineral resources, waterways, law enforcement, etc., are turned back over to the states.
When the federal government is satisified to live within the constraints of the Bill of Rights, and recognize that any influence beyond those constraints amounts to usurpation.
Considering the type of job the GOP establishment has done since 2005, I don't think that's a bad thing.
However, the main thing we normally have to weed out the Dede's of the world is a primary. That was not the case in this special election. Primaries do the job of vetting candidates.
It only becomes a problem if third, fourth or fifth party candidates run because they don’t like the primary results. Though that was not the case in New York, I am reading that it is becoming one in other areas.
This is the better method, but it is We the People who need to get involved and stay involved throughout the whole election cycle.
There are also petty tyrants in states, counties, cities, school boards, and other elected positions, that need to be weeded out, and replaced with sensible conservative people.
There is no excuse for anyone, anywhere in this nation to tolerate government or its office holders that do not operate of, for, and by the people.
(1) there was no opportunity for a primary;
(2) a liberal Republican was nominated by foolish local party leaders in a conservative district;
(3) New York has a long-established Conservative party and laws congenial to minor party candidates;
(4) a credible candidate was picked by Conservative party leaders; and
(5), with no other competitive Congressional election, national conservative GOP leaders and opinion makers rallied to the Conservative insurgent.
In most any other election, similar factors will be absent and running as an independent or a minor party candidate would be an exercise in futility. By law and public preference, the two party system is strong enough in the U.S. that even a spoiler role is implausible for all but a few third party and independent candidates.
Instead of running as spoilers, conservatives around the country will be encouraged to become more active in Republican politics and to run for office as Republicans. Most all GOP candidates will be advised to adopt more conservative positions and a populist tone so as to preempt potential rivals from the Right.
On balance, the Scozzafava beat down and the election of conservative Republican Doug Hoffman strengthens the conservative position within the GOP and in national politics.
NY 23 isn’t even done and the call for compromise has already started.
LOL....care to tell us how you really feel?
BTW, I agree.
Yep the GOP firefighters are out in force trying to shut down these crazy ideas like conservative ideals and self determination.
Kinda funny if you think about it. The GOP is forced to back a 3rd party candidate but is running around telling people that 3rd party candidates are failures.
The GOP hacks on FR been doing this for years, telling us how worthless independent and libertarians were, demeaning us and then demanding our votes.
I say pi$$ on them.
The days of GOP demanding that non Democrats vote for their candidate or else are over.
Dede Scozzafava was too libertarian and conservative independents and conservative republicans rebelled against her selection.
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