Posted on 03/08/2007 8:52:48 AM PST by Reagan Man
It was a weekend of shameless pandering. In Selma Alabama, the forty-second anniversary of the famous voting rights march was commemorated in a most ignoble manner. Pandering shamelessly, Democrat presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton attempted to relate to largely black church congregations by speaking with what they obviously hoped would be interpreted as convincing southern drawls.
In the end, they came off sounding like second-rate impersonations of Foghorn Leghorn and Aunt Jemima respectively. Such transparent posturing proves that the speakers regard their audiences as ignorant and backward chattel, who are easily impressed by a little effort at forced "down home" talk.
Fortunately for Clinton and Obama, their latest antics, while generating a good deal of dismay and disgust among their political opposition, are not likely to exact any political cost from the liberal base. Liberalism is what it is, and few if any among the "faithful" are really surprised by it.
Those on the left know full well that their presumed leaders are not genuine, nor are they ever expected to be. Rather, they need merely to toe the party line and, when in a position to do so, dole out pork barrel "goodies" to their favored constituencies. Even in the all-too-common situation where they are required to support disparate and competing causes, the end result will be satisfaction of both constituencies, if they are provided their desired portions from the public trough.
Thus, aside from occasional issues such as the Iraq War in which leftists do indeed subscribe to an ideological agenda, all other topics and concerns can be effectively addressed monetarily. And with the annual federal budget soon to top three trillion dollars, the nation's coffers contain plenty of money to go around.
But across the aisle on the Republican side, fundamental differences in the workings of the Party render it completely counterproductive to try to mimic the Democrats. As a result, Republican "moderates" (read: liberals) look longingly at their Democrat counterparts, wishing always that they could reform the GOP into an insipid likeness of them. Sadly, the "moderate" wing of the Republican Party currently finds itself in a position where it believes it can accomplish just that.
In reality however, it will have no more success this time around than it ever has. For in stark contrast to the Democrats, the bulk of the Republican base is comprised of individuals who are driven by a guiding philosophy that had been derived from a set of principles. And, those principles are ultimately much higher and more immutable than any party platform.
Worse yet from the perspective of the RINO crowd, true conservatives scorn the very nature of governmental handouts by which Democrat constituencies are bought off and their leaders empowered. Thus are "moderates" deprived of the sort of inducements that might lure individuals at the grassroots into compromise with the Party elite. These circumstances present GOP "moderates" with a particular dilemma going into the next presidential election.
It is incredible that, out of an inordinate fear of Hillary, Republicans are attempting in vain to rally around John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Guiliani, three presumed "frontrunners" even though the first primary is almost a year in the future.
Despite fervent efforts to put a positive "spin" on this abysmal situation, none of the three can lay claim to a past performance that is even remotely "conservative." In fact, their track records all reflect nothing short of an ardent and enduring disdain for conservative principles. The lack of a true conservative among the currently anointed Republican "frontrunners" means that each must work to portray himself as the rightful bearer of Ronald Reagan's torch.
As a sad counterpart to the charade at Selma, the other episode of shameless pandering this past weekend takes on a much greater significance than that of Hillary or Obama.
For while those Democrat presidential wannabes were attempting to court the black vote by relishing the glory days of the civil rights movement in the South, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington presented Republican Presidential hopefuls with an opportunity to do their own tap-dancing and conservative impersonations for those on the right.
John McCain was a "no show" at the conference, to nobody's real surprise. Mitt Romney "talked the conservative talk" rather admirably, considering that such rhetoric constitutes a complete departure from his governing actions of even the very recent past.
Worse yet is Rudy Guiliani, whose defenders attempted to laud as a far better choice for conservatives on the ludicrous grounds of his frank "honesty" when expressing his unwavering devotion to a flaming liberal ideology. Out of this, we are happily promised the appointment of pro-constitution judges.
Some speakers, such as former Virginia Governor James Gilmore, enthusiastically trumpeted their conservative pedigree, and their proven loyalty to the conservative agenda on all fronts. Yet they currently lag in the crucial areas of fundraising and name recognition.
With the primaries looming, the hurdles facing candidates such as Gilmore are admittedly great. Yet he represents a burgeoning dissatisfaction among real conservatives at the grassroots who feel disenchanted over the possibility that the Republican ticket has already been predetermined for them.
Nevertheless, many within the RINO camp are hopeful that the CPAC spotlight, along with the South Carolina straw poll, will sufficiently cement the leads of the three presumed "frontrunners," thus ensuring that the party must move to the political "center" in order to accommodate its prospective leader.
Sadly, the election of McCain, Romney, or Guiliani might indeed serve as capstone of this effort. But any jubilation over such a victory would be short lived. For even in the unlikely event that they prevail in the short term, they will deal a setback to Reagan conservatism of unfathomable proportions.
Attempts at broadening Republican Party appeal among northeastern liberals by abandoning or diluting its core conservative principles have never worked, and never will. A party-wide move to the political center is a move towards irrelevancy.
[Christopher G. Adamo is a freelance writer and staff writer for the New Media Alliance. He lives in southeastern Wyoming. He has been active in local and state politics for many years. His contact information and archives can be found at www.chrisadamo.com]
And they are correct, they know their audience.
Thanks for the ping.
Duncan Hunter will give top down loyalty which is unknown by nearly all politicians.
***
There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top.
Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and much less prevalent.
George S. Patton, Jr.,
Lay low, I hear the Rudy Calvery on the way.
bttt
Her speech was in her regular voice until she began quoting Cleveland's hymn, when she did use the vernacular.
Agreed.
"I think this Rudy "I am pro-choice and I believe presidents generally appoint people on the Supreme Court that they believe agree with them" confession should be posted to every thread and every post that tries to claim that the pro-choice Rudy would appoint any other kind of judge other than a pro-choice judge. The man is an admitted abortionist and he most definitely will appoint abortionists to the court! He believes in "a woman's RIGHT to choose" and that Roe vs Wade is constitutional."
"In the end, they came off sounding like second-rate impersonations of Foghorn Leghorn and Aunt Jemima respectively."
Foghorn Leghorn & Aunt Jemima....????
Don't laugh...they could probably WIN with that ticket.
Maybe you can put the "Geez, Not This Sh*t again" guy next to the picture of RINO-rudy with his hand up against his forehead, seemingly saying, "Geez, not these True Conservatives expecting me to answer hardball questions about my LIBERAL views again".
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