Posted on 11/10/2006 5:33:32 PM PST by Pokey78
1. It has to rain sometime.
Some people seem to believe that their party could and should stay in power forever, always holding all branches of government, and that any loss any time is inexcusable, and always is somebody's fault. This is insanity. No party has enough of the people, or enough of the truth, to make this sustainable: The system is built around balance of power, frequent reverses, enforced House cleanings, and changes in tone. As David Brooks notes, lack of power corrupts absolutely. In the 1950's, having lost the White House for five elections running, Republicans produced Joe McCarthy. In the past decade, Democrats lost Congress and some very tight races, and produced Michael Moore. Few conservatives are morose at the loss of the House, which ought to flip every decade for reasons of hygiene. Turn the rascals out, and bring in new rascals. And then throw the new rascals out.
2. If it has to rain sometime, let it rain now.
If you must have a bloodletting--and most presidents need one--this is the time for it. Better now than 2002, which was still the beginning; better now than 2004, which was presidential; better now than two years from now, which is presidential again. Let the Democrats vent, relish their triumph, and blow off some of the steam that would have exploded in 2008. Actually, this result drains the left of one of the big advantages held by the out-party after eight years of other-side dominance: the natural hunger for change. A centrist conservative who is stylistically different from Bush now has a better chance in '08, as a change from both the president, and from a left that is bound to pick up some baggage. Some of its chairs are accidents waiting to happen, and the strains in its caucus are evident. Will it be beloved by the '08 election? We'll see.
3. Adversity Rocks.
Sometimes, good outcomes can be too rich for one's health. In 1992 and 2004, two bright politicians named Bill Clinton and George W. Bush won big elections, carried both houses of Congress, and were hailed far and wide as political geniuses who had cemented the gains of their parties for the next generation. Both proceeded at once to take leave of their senses, and had their rears kicked hard two years later. As it turns out, people work well on a short leash under pressure, when they are aware they are being watched constantly, and know an opposition nearly at parity is well-poised to strike. The Republican Congress was the making of Clinton, who became so great on defense that people forgot he was a klutz when on the offensive, and Bush gained his reputation as a political wizard in a come-from-behind race against Governor Ann Richards; when facing Democratic control back in Austin, and governing in Washington on a razor-thin margin, after losing the popular vote. Bush has got to get back to the agile politician that he was when he was fighting adversity. It's not as if he doesn't know how.
4. This is still, after all, a center-right country.
The old allocation of conservative-moderate-liberal seems to have changed not a bit.
5. Iraq?
If Iraq is the killer they think it is, why did Ned Lamont lose 60-40 to two 'war' candidates in sky-blue Connecticut ; and why do McCain and Guiliani, two of the biggest hawks in the country, lead all comers in 2008 polls?
6. 'The conservative movement is dead!'
Not even Rasputin has died so many times as the modern conservative movement, which has been dying since mere moments after its birth. It first died in the 1982 midterms; it died a second time with Iran-Contra; a third time in 1992, when Bush pere lost to Bill Clinton; again in 1996, and after the 1998 midterms; a fifth time during the Florida recount, and now, wouldn't you know it, the damned thing is dying again. Of course, this time it IS dead, but, but they said that the last time, and all the times previous. It has been shot, strangled, stabbed, beaten, stomped on, had its hands cuffed and been tossed into the Neva River, and, sure enough, a short time later, is rising up with a grin. And it will again.
Noemie Emery is a contributing editor to THE WEEKLY STANDARD and the author of the forthcoming Great Expectations: The Troubled Lives of Political Families (Wiley).
The author lost me by equating Joe McCarthy, a U.S. Senator - with Michael Moore, a schlockumentarian filmmaker
Yup. Not that bad. Unless, of course, you're serving in the military, or you're an Iraqi working to be free. Then, life sucks.
Love it!
LOL!
One of the unfortunate consequences of universal suffrage.
You must be a RINO blah blah blah I heard on Michael Savage blah blah blah RINO blah blah blah impeach Bush for not exterminating illegals blah blah blah RINO blah blah blah I voted for change blah blah blah RINO blah blah blah I want the RINOs thrown out of the party blah blah blah RINO blah blah blah let them be Democrats blah blah blah RINO blah blah blah we had the majority for 12 years and we still don't stone abortionists and adulterers to death blah blah blah . . .
The problem is that old Joe McCarthy was more correct than he has ever been given credit for.
Now the rats won't have the dubious luxury of voting for show to display to their lib/socialist constituents.. they actually might have to think of the real consequences since they have the majority.. not much consolation, and I fear our survival, but they are going to have a lot harder time shifting the blame.
I don't folks. I agree with some of the points in this article:
1. Certainly better now than 2008
2. Lamont did lose which blows a hole in the its-all-about-Iraq theory.
3. In every life a little rain must fall.
4. Maybe somethiing else -- but I can't remember what.
Anybody who equates Joe McCarthy with Michael Moore is too ignorant to be worth listening to. . .
Balances - let's balance our fine people getting killed because the enemy runs to the Mosques & thumbs their noses at them. Let's not do anything here in Mosques or schools where Muslims are told how the infidel must be eliminated & then hear your president tell you that Islam is a religion of peace. A War Terror - tell me when you leave the borders unsecured & won't profile. Now, you tell me who is playing with our security.
Good luck wining in 2008 when half your squad would rather shoot their own side in the back then attack the Democrats on ANYTHING.
We make them come to us. We do not go begging them. We went that route this year. It doesn't work. They want their perks and their power. FINE let them come convice us they have are worth it. Let's see them activiely work ofr an agenda for once and not just hear this old "Oh we got to all play nice and get along now" everytime they dump it in the crapper and we got to come back and save them from themselves. Just like 1980, just like 1994, just like 2000.
People get really tired of having to go back to square one and rebuilt the same tower over and over and over just because it makes the psuedo Conservatives "talking heads" and the DC Establishements job easier if the baton is passed back and forth by the DC Old Boys club every few years.
If you want to rule, RULE, do not PLAY with it.
Hey, the party was going stale and losing its ability to appeal to voter groups needed to stay in power. The referendum questions say that we are not going lefty in this country but rather the people in power were. Bush is still the man and now that he doesn't have to suck up to Congress he can start taking the gloves off. If you remember his acceptance speech at the 2004 convention it was a statesman, a leader and a general all in one.
We will be back stronger than ever in 2008. And, if we were going to lose I am glad it is in an off presidential year.
optimistic bump
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