Posted on 11/09/2006 12:00:39 PM PST by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
The Republicans lost big. I'm a Republican -- and yet I'm not devastated. For the first time, the loss doesn't feel personal. Why?
Because from President Bush on down, no one in the party seems to touch us the way some Republicans previously did. Many haven't gone out on a limb, in our behalf, to champion our causes. Many didn't respond to our offers of help.
Many of us who take the issues seriously were sickened every time Beltway Republicans and RNC leaders referred to those Democrats -- who mock us, and our country, and care more about terrorist "rights" than the safety of our families -- as "our friends" across the aisle.
It's hard to feel personal about elected officials who seem incapable of enunciating what I believe and what I stand for. If they understood what we hold dear and why -- who we are -- they would be able to express it themselves. Unless, of course, they really don't feel it. They don't seem to be one of us.
Fire begets fire. But this crop of Republicans seems unwilling daily to fight hard and say what has to be said. No passion. They leave us cold. What they do possess is loads of timidity and a pre-occupation with appearing "reasonable" -- Washington-like. It’s our party but not “our guys."
Never in my lifetime has the party been so bereft of individuals to whom one can feel a personal bond, an affection, a long-distance connection. Never before has the party been so comprised of colorless, political robots. The party has no personality. It has become a shell without a core, a hodge-podge without a germinating seed.
It has become a party of slogans, such as "stay the course" and No Child Left Behind instead of one with guts and patriotic heart. It is too globalist and Madison Avenue and not enough Main Street. They took our loyalty and belief in them for granted, giving themselves permission to prolong, much too long, Iraqi nation- building with American lives and dollars. Assured of our patience, they chose easy-way-out political-correctness.They didn't respect us -- until election eve.
They seemed so unrecognizable -- these pre 1980-like Republicans, as often does their President whose every other sentence starts with "compassion" as well as references that are alien to this life-long conservative. I often cringe.
It's a group who won't stand up for their own. The minute the media make a charge against a Republican colleague or supporter, they've shown they'd rather appease the media than stand by a brother. This is not an endearing quality. Nor is it manly. All along we’ve wondered: Would they stand up for us?
While we often find the party an ideological home in which to hang a hat, it seems to have lost the ability to touch us emotionally. Reagan did, as did “Bobbie” for the Democrats. Only that can explain why millions of die-hard conservatives are this afternoon, upon the heels of this week’s defeat, able to make reservations tonight for a dinner. We feel anxious about the country's possible new direction, but we aren't in mourning for friends. Too bad, unlike in the past, the loss doesn’t seem personal.
Election 2006 - Democrat Win, Conservative Mandate
RONNY REAGAN, WE MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Man oh Manishevitz!! That's some whine from the rabbi.
It feels very personal to me. And I have felt a connection to President Bush like none other I've had in the past, including Ronald Reagan.
If you're not devastated about the GOP loss, then you're in luck. According to Dick Morris, it's going to be another 20 years or more before the GOP recovers control of the Congress.
Considering that the last time they lost, they were out for 40 years, I would not be too surprised.
I really hoped GW Bush would not follow in his father's footsteps, but he did. And a lot of congressional Republicans became just as inbred as the Dems had for 40+ years.
Term limits is the only answer. Whether imposed by law or by the voters.
It feels very personal to me. And I have felt a connection to President Bush like none other I've had in the past, including Ronald Reagan.
I agre, I feel like crap and I hurt for my country and President. I am trying to not listen to news today and not listen to talk radio, trying to re-focus but it just is not working.... so I feel your pain BIG TIME, in Cheney's words.
If anyone tought the situation was tenuous in Iraq, just wait til the Democrats get involved and really screw it up. They'll set up a Taliban style government there if they can.
What aggravated me is that the pubby US State Rep running for re-election kept calling the demonRAT opposition a tax-spend person? And he was. Yet, when the pubby person was in the state house prior to winning the US State Rep position, the pubby voted to raise our taxes for the general budget and the transportation budget. It was like the "pot calling the kettle black." Hypocrisy!
I agree, there was no President like Reagan. I feel very disconnected to George W. Bush---even more than I was to his father. His big spending and amnesty for illegal aliens is similar to what I would expect from a democrat.
I fell devestated, especially when we get Harriet Miers again before the Senate Judicary Committee for a SCOTUS nomination
I voted all Republican, as always, but I've never been less excited about doing it. I felt that I was simply choosing the lesser of two evils, rather than good over evil.
I feel the same way!... Tried helping... voted dutifully... but I have this felling of ambivalence. Not happy but not sad either. I was thrilled about the marriage amendments passing though :)
The DEMS may have a majority, but they didn't take over every seat in the House and Senate.
Our Representation is still there, and considering the DEMS have a tendency to be concerned only about their private needs when making bills and voting, while the Republicans tend to work together, I don't think things will be that bad.
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