Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Republicanism in decline [Normally Mild-Mannered Tony Snow Hits GOP "Packed with Cowards]
Townhall.com ^ | Tony Snow

Posted on 12/03/2005 6:27:44 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest

By Tony Snow

Dec 3, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Democrats gibber about Republicans' writhing in a culture of corruption, they're on to something -- but not what they think. The Republican Party in Washington is in trouble not because it's overrun by crooks, but because it's packed with cowards -- and has degenerated into a caricature of the party that swept to power 11 years ago promising to take on the federal bureaucracy and liberate the creative genius of American society.

The collapse stems from the simplest and most natural of causes, the survival instinct. Within months of seizing power in 1995, Republicans began backing away from Big Ideas, from tort reform to the necessary overhaul of the Social Security system. They started consulting pollsters to assay "correct" issues and positions. They played it safe -- or so they thought.

Over time, imagination-grabbing ideas melted away. Gone was the Reaganite breadth of vision, and in its place stood the musty idol of Incumbency. Republicans drew the wrong morals from the decline and fall of Newt Gingrich. They thought his boldness got him in trouble, and chose to crib plays from the Bill Clinton playbook -- tacking left, at least oratorically, so as to appease, rather than confront, their critics.

Hence, George W. Bush's "compassionate conservatism" -- a slogan that exceeded skeptics' worst expectations. That phrase, aimed at reassuring suburban white moms and queasy left-wing Republicans, became a white flag on the core issue of government size and might. Bush insiders even began boasting about "big government" conservatism -- oblivious to the fact that big government does not conserve or preserve; it crushes and digests, devouring institutions that challenge its supremacy.

Leaders in the Party of Lincoln stopped talking about people, and started talking about programs and expenditures. They justified head-snapping shifts in policy by claiming the need to take issues "off the table." The multi-trillion dollar Medicare "reform" is a case in point. It was designed less to save a system than to deny Democrats a talking point. Yet, the only things Republicans really took off the table were their moral authority and the loyalty of their partisans.

This helps explain one of the great ironies of the age. We live in what ought to be an era of Republican triumphalism. The president's one reliable bit of domestic-policy conservatism, his tax-cut agenda, has succeeded brilliantly. The most recent Commerce Department figures peg the third quarter economic growth rate at a sizzling 4.3 percent -- despite the ravages of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the oil shocks that followed.

Republicans have won the battle over whether centralized bureaucracies can eradicate poverty, or perform social services more efficiently than private or volunteer operations. Throughout the country, the same patterns appear: Where elected officials govern with a light touch and without imposing onerous tax and regulatory burdens, prosperity flourishes -- and people flock to the scene. "progressive" states, on the other hand, are becoming empty husks, with more rigid class distinctions than in any other section of the country.

The GOP also wins big on values. Virtually every time the ACLU files a lawsuit, Democrats lose supporters. Despite these advantages, however, the GOP founders. Its Washington potentates simply refuse to embrace the party's ideals or successes (including the war). They have forgotten the most important rule of political survival: If you want to remain an incumbent for long, you don't jettison your principles. You act on them.

When House Speaker Denny Hastert broke arms to secure votes for a pork-packed highway bill, calling the legislation a "jobs bill," it was an embarrassment. When the president signed a campaign-finance bill he called unconstitutional, he seemed to lack not only conviction, but vision.

Fortunately, irate constituents roused some conservatives from their dogmatic slumbers. Young Republicans rebelled against the apostasy of their elders, especially in the matter of the federal budget, and state parties seized the initiative on everything from spending limitations to school choice.

Capitol Hill Republicans now admit their Democratic colleagues don't want peace -- they want the Alamo. So the GOP is fighting back. Hastert approved calling the bluff of anti-victory Democrats last week by demanding a floor vote on the idea of vamoosing Iraq immediately. He scored another triumph this week by restoring the good name of the National Christmas Tree.

Who knows, he may even figure out the Paradox of Incumbency. Politicians who run just to protect incumbency may save their seats, but only by destroying their party's heart and soul. If you really want to build lasting power in politics, you need to forget about mere incumbency -- and remember the principles that got you elected in the first place.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial
KEYWORDS: 109th; alamo; cowards; foxnews; goalong2getalong; gop; pubbies; republicanism; republicans; socialismhalfspped; tonysnow
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 101-120121-140141-160 ... 421-440 next last
To: Enterprise

Sad but true. I wonder how many actually do wear pampers?


121 posted on 12/03/2005 10:15:16 AM PST by Candor7 (Into Liberal Flatulence Goes the Hope of the West)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

To: Peach
"The only thing necessary to insure the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke (1729-1797) This was taken off your Home Page.

It is hypocritical of you and makes you a BUSHBOT when you know full well Bush and/or Chertoff have DONE NOTHING to protect this countries borders or coastlines from foreign invaders, yet you sing his praises.

Don't bother replying, I don't waste my time by posting more than once to people who's head is stuck in the sand nor their cohorts who will surely be pinged!

122 posted on 12/03/2005 10:19:14 AM PST by SweetCaroline ("You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich...Abraham Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 112 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest

Thanks for the ping on this, GLGB. Would have missed it.


123 posted on 12/03/2005 10:20:28 AM PST by DCPatriot ("It aint what you don't know that kills you. It's what you know that aint so" Theodore Sturgeon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tony Snow

Hey Tony!

Great piece! Spot on...

However, you're showing that most typical of blind spots in DC.

Not once do you mention the one issue that has rank and file Republicans the most rankled at their leadership: Immigration and Border Security.

You need to get out a little more, sir...


124 posted on 12/03/2005 10:24:04 AM PST by EternalVigilance (Stop the Bleeding First!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]

To: SweetCaroline

I know you won't reply, since you said you won't.

But it's interesting that you call me a Bushbot and just a few weeks ago I was widely criticized because I was critical the president wasn't defending himself against the liars on the left.

And you have NO idea where I stand on immigration and the administration's policy. So much for YOUR credibility.


125 posted on 12/03/2005 10:28:42 AM PST by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]

To: Tony Snow
BTTT



;-)

126 posted on 12/03/2005 10:37:51 AM PST by tiredoflaundry (The right wants victory, the left wants surrender. It's that simple.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: Peach; SweetCaroline
Ladies, please!


127 posted on 12/03/2005 10:40:57 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show since 2002 so you don't have to.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest

Good for Tony. He's right. We've been weakened by a lot of gutless GOP'ers. We send back the request for funds now.


128 posted on 12/03/2005 10:41:55 AM PST by cubreporter (I trust Rush. He's done more for our country than we will ever know. He's the man!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tiredoflaundry; Tony Snow

Thanks, TOL, for pinging to Tony. I didn't realize he was a FReeper - great!

Tony, as the person who originally posted your column here, please let me congratulate on saying so vividly what so badly needed to be said.

Coming someone who commands the respect you do, we can be sure that the message will be heard, if not necessarily heeded, in the centers of GOP power.

If you'll take a moment to breeze through the comments on the thread, you'll note that your column was received with tremendous enthusiasm here.

Bravo!


129 posted on 12/03/2005 10:47:47 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show since 2002 so you don't have to.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest

Guess Tony Snow is now a traitor too...lol


I haven't looked downthread yet....is he being roasted yet as a fool and disloyal etc?

hope no one calls him Paleo...the horror


130 posted on 12/03/2005 10:49:53 AM PST by wardaddy (Merry Christmas ya'll)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tiredoflaundry; Tony Snow

LOL....why do I get the impression that Tony's show on Monday may be so hot...it will melt the ice all over the north, though???

Tony: You need to tell the Bush Administration and Sen. Warner that they need to quit "apologizing" and agonizing over every PERCIEVED wrong that the dems and MSM throw at them...this so-called propaganda in Iraq case, for example.


131 posted on 12/03/2005 10:54:24 AM PST by Txsleuth (9/11NEVER FORGET-NEVER SURRENDER, Sam Johnson, a REAL hero!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: Rosemont
The GOP is getting hurt because Conservatives are always getting stabbed in the back by a RINO Hagel, Voinovich, Chafee, Snowe, Collins...who care more about getting favorable write ups in the NY Times than they do principle.

Eaxactly right. The Pubbies don't have enough Conservative to pass good laws so they have to water down everything to please the RINOs. That is why we lost ANWR and so many other issues. The RINOs are ruling because they know that the Conservatives need their votes.

132 posted on 12/03/2005 10:56:31 AM PST by DeweyCA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest

You should join us on the Tony Snow Show thread on Monday !


133 posted on 12/03/2005 10:56:56 AM PST by tiredoflaundry (The right wants victory, the left wants surrender. It's that simple.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies]

To: wardaddy; Tony Snow
I haven't looked downthread yet....is he being roasted yet as a fool and disloyal etc?

I would hope not.

134 posted on 12/03/2005 11:01:12 AM PST by tiredoflaundry (The right wants victory, the left wants surrender. It's that simple.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 130 | View Replies]

To: Dolphy
Congress is sending those spending bills to the President. And while it's true he could veto them, it's also true that the Republican Congress should be expected to do some of the heavy lifting when it comes to the conservative agenda. Instead they have shifted the entire burden to the White House, either waiting to get on board those policies that appear popular or to run for the hills when the fight looks tough. Their performance has been abysmal and they are as vacuous as the Democrats when it comes to leadership.

The Highway Bill .. which I think the President should have been vetod

But Congress has a VERY bad habit of attaching huge pork projects to important legislation

Like the Military Spending that was need for the military fighting in Iraq

135 posted on 12/03/2005 11:01:26 AM PST by Mo1 (Message to Democrats .... We do not surrender and run from a fight !!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 119 | View Replies]

To: tiredoflaundry

some here have a teenie threshold for dissent against the GOP and especially the WH


136 posted on 12/03/2005 11:04:28 AM PST by wardaddy (Merry Christmas ya'll)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 134 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
I hope that someone in Congress listens to Tony Snow. This is a time in our history when we need to be speaking out and taking action that leads to less reliance on government.

Government is not the savior that so many Americans think it is. They can do so much better for themselves than government will ever think of doing for them - let alone actually do for them. The GOP is missing in action on this historic opportunity!

137 posted on 12/03/2005 11:15:50 AM PST by Sunsong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WorkingClassFilth

I wish I shared your optimism.

A few token conservatives in the pipeline are going to do little to stop the gop led "moderate" agenda. (they're being held back too)

"Our issues" are being paid lip service at best.


138 posted on 12/03/2005 11:17:04 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Vote for gridlock)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Sunsong

Amen, brother [or sister as the case may be]!


139 posted on 12/03/2005 11:18:22 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show since 2002 so you don't have to.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 137 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest

The GOP does have some very strong-minded conservatives who want to do the right thing for the USA on important issues like trade, globalism, spending and immigration but I'm afraid the Rockefeller Republicans are running the show.


140 posted on 12/03/2005 11:19:59 AM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 101-120121-140141-160 ... 421-440 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson