I think we who have worked so hard since the mid 60's to stop the liberalization of our culture are bitter. But I feel that Rush, Levin and now Geo. Will have sent a strong shot to the moderate Republicans that we are p.o.'d.
It is now time to rally behind GWB. I asked myself last night if there was something better or a place I could go in the short term. There isn't. So I am left, sadly, with hoping - not trusting - Ms. Miers works out OK. She has been nominated. Nothing I can do will change that.
To keep dragging on my complaining only weakens GWB, our chances in 2006 and 2008, honestly.
You are right. I'm one of the dubious-on-Miers crowd. The president has made it so that conservatives, in the end, have no choice but to support her. But it annoys me big-time that he continues the R tradition of loving the conservatives on election day and not giving a d$$m any other time. It annoys me that he pulled this stunt with almost no regard to how difficult it is going to make it for us local pols to get out the vote in 2006. It annoys me he has put our Senate majority at risk by demoralizing the base.
I am already seeing the fallout from this at the local level. It's going to be a lot harder to get conservative volunteers for 2006 than it was two years ago. Of that, I'm certain. The extent of the problem is not yet clear.
I can talk myself blue in the face to some of our stalwarts. But they still don't like the direction the Pres has taken things and at this point, they are sitting things out--Miers was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Miers may turn out fine. She may not. But Bush has a big-time problem with his base for which noone other than W is responsible. He needs to pay a lot of attention to fixing it--NOW. Otherwise, he's going to have a rat Senate for the last two years of his term.
The only way he learns about the problem is if we express our opinion vocally and loudly. I will be dragged kicking and sreaming to supporting her. And I will continue to kick and scream until W stops ignoring the people that elected him. So in the terms of the loyalists here, I'm going to be a 'whiny crybaby' who 'doesn't understand strategery.'
But don't blame me. Blame W. He's the one that has backed conservatives into the corner we are in and left loud complaining, sitting out 2006, or blind loyalty, as our only choices. The loyalty stuff is wearing thin. The other choices suck; but here we are and W brought is to this point.
Frankly, I'm probably not smart enuf to understand strategery like the good FREEPERS do; 'cause to this old local pol, all I can see is a piss-poor political decision regardless how the confirmation comes out and regardless what kind of judge she turns out to be. You dance with the one that brung you; and W is eyeing the babe across the room and thinking that his conservative date is a little to frumpy for his tastes these days.