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.
Amen, Rabbi.
we didn't lose big, or as big as one might losde in an off-year election... we are a couple seats from the senate and fewer than the normal number of seats from the house ... at least when we run candidates, lincoln chafee need not be one of them as well as other assorted phony conservatives... hard work? yeah, sure, why not? but at least maybe we can get in who we need trather than settling for pro-aborts and weak-kneed momma boys
If Dick Morris told me the sun would rise in the east, I'd look for at least two supporting opinions to back him up.
I've been physically sick for three days. It's not so much that we lost, it's how huge the loss was.
Mr. President, Our party is wounded, we implore you now to try to bring us home to our conservative values.
Thank you.
Excellent piece.
Well said.
That's how I feel too. Our guys need to know that the liberal establishment will NEVER accept them -- and the MSM will only like them if they're willing to trash a fellow republican ... and after the trashing stops, they'll dump 'em like a hot potato... I think we lost respect for our guys... watching them grovel for print space or face time on some liberal network... Shameful.
Actually, I could have written this about my own attitude.
And to be frank, my feelings yesterday really surprised me.
That's exactly what my goobernor did -- called the opponent a tax and spend liberal after passing nay, ramming through the biggest tax increase in Texas history in a time of surplus. He won. With 39%.
It will be at least 6 years, before we can try to take back the "most vulnerable" senate seats we lost this time. I dont know what 2008 senate seats are weak for the Dems in 08 yet, if there are any.
Republicans were inept, but ineptitude isn't evil.
However, liberalism is... which is why America lost on Tuesday. Look at it this way... the sum total of evil trumps the sum total of ineptitude, which in turn trumps the sum total of honor. We as a country are in for a long haul.
Because the author can make all kinds of money off of this? Hope those 30 pieces of silver are worth the blood of the troops.
The article is almost total BS. Hardly surprising considering its publisher.
Thanks! That post does give me hope!
I feel sort of objective about it. Like watching history. This is the way it's going to be and I can't do a thing about it at the moment. Sure hope something comes along to give me some hope. Hope is a commodity in short supply right now.
Wow! He really gets it.
It has something to do with what part of the country you come from, though. The closer you are to Texas (physically and spiritually) the closer you probably feel to the President. Ditto for some of the other leaders.
Politics right now has a lot to do with who you are, what you do, and where you live, and less to do with abstract principles than it once did.
So Republicans who you live in deep Blue states, even if they're pretty conservative, just don't get as enthusiastic in the current environment.
Doubtless, things will change in the future, but the rabbi has definitely caught something of the current mood.
Nope. The end, when it comes, will be mercifully quick.
About the only thing the survivors would notice is that "Jericho" will have moved from "television drama" to "reality show."
Ludicrous in problem description and solution.
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