Posted on 03/20/2007 8:21:54 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Years ago, Congressman and medical doctor Larry McDonald was working late in his Capitol Hill office when an old friend from medical school knocked on his door. Larry rose and greeted his guest and, after exchanging the usual pleasantries, looking a bit dejected, his friend slumped into a chair.
Larry asked him what was wrong.
With a little sigh, his friend said “Every few years, a group of us have to take time away from our practices and jobs and come all the way up here to meet with our representatives and senators to try to head off some new effort to trash the Constitution. And I often get the feeling that these guys up here just aren’t listening.”
Laughing, Larry offered, “You do know, don’t you, that there’s a better way?”
“What’s that, Larry?”
“You and your friends ought to get together at home and find a House candidates who shares your values and get behind him with support and resources and REPLACE those guys who aren’t listening. And if there is no candidate with those qualifications, go out and CREATE one – maybe even run yourself! And if, down the road, the new guy stops listening to you, work to replace HIM. The beauty of the House of Representatives is that the Founding Fathers designed it so that these folks have to come home every 24 months to get their tickets punched by the voters. And as we both know, the taxing and spending occur in the House. If the lower house refused to fund some liberty destroying or unconstitutional agency or program, it just won’t happen.”
“But, Larry, how do we convince the rest of the voters that the incumbent needs to be replaced?”
“That used to be a real challenge since poll after poll asking folks what they thought of congress usually got very negative answers. But when asked how they thought THEIR guys were doing up here got responses indicating that THEIR guys were doing a good job. There’s a new program called Tax Reform Immediately (TRIM) that uses only one yardstick for its quarterly rating of every member of congress – the United States Constitution.” (http://www.trimonline.org)
“Does it work, Larry?”
“One of my favorite stories about that is the 16 year-old paperboy out in the Midwest who every quarter paid to have 10,000 TRIM Bulletins printed and threw them on his route and in another 9,500 lawns in his district – FROM HIS BIKE! After 3 quarters of that, the incumbent was ousted for someone who more closely represented the views of the voters. On election night, the red-faced loser was interviewed on TV and, waving a TRIM Bulletin, sputtered that it was a right-wing plot to “get him.” It was GREAT TV.”
“A ‘plot’ by a 16 year-old paperboy.” Larry and his guest laughed.
“And it’s happening all over the country – even in my state, Georgia. My supporters down there are keeping the voters in the 7th informed about my votes up here. Since my only standard is the Constitution, they keep sending me back. So it works both ways: The good guys get reelected and the bad guys get sent home – or hang around as lobbyists.” Another chuckle.
“But what about the presidential election?”
“While important, if we had 300 or so decent representatives up here on the Hill, they’d take back much of the power they’ve shipped down to 1600 over the past years and the 4 year beauty contest would become far less important than it now is. A metaphor for these elections for president, representatives and senate is a 3 card Monte game: While everyone is focused on the card marked with the “P,” the “R” and “S” cards are largely ignored.”
Larry’s friend returned home, got his friends and neighbors up to speed with TRIM – and within a year, had a new and improved representative.
You know, you reminded me of how they love to throw around the term "RINO", meaning of course, Republican in name only. Yet these are the same posters who tell us all that unless we get their social right candidate that they will refuse to vote Republican. Now, I ask, who is a Republican in name only?
TRANSLATION: Conservatives would rather be relevant than right. The 2006 election results were extremely favorable to Giuliani because they woke up all Republicanns, conservatives and moderates, to the political reality that conservatism as a running platform in a general election is no longer a viable strategy. This poll says as much.
Here on FR a few might speak loudly, but even here Giuliani polls favorably, especially head-to-head versus McCain. People recognize the need to reverse the 2006 bleeding, and Giuliani offers the best hope in that regard.
What I am particularly disgusted with is the discovery of campaigns of the power of sites like FR and lucciane.
As a result, obvious campaign workers post here (Ron Paul and Rudy being ones I have noticed) in an attempt to manipulate "base" opinion.
It's not working, guys. Please stop.
Duncan Hunter remains the best possible candidate. Although it is disturbing that so many Republicans are apparently ignorant to who Duncan Hunter is, I think it will be something when they get a chance to see him during the debates. The man is a natural leader and give it time we can see change. Debates and more campaigning. That is what it is about.
Do you have proof of that? I don't know any campaign workers and I certainly am not a campaign worker.
Duncan Hunter - I hope he can make a showing. He has my support.
And wouldn't you say that you consider Thompson a 'realistic candidate' because he is an actor? In all seriuosness, why don't you people just open up the fact this is hype yet again because you know he's an actor and that takes precedence with you. If he wasn't, nothing would have stuck out about a 6 yr. Senator. Hunter is the real deal and will show who is the REAL candidate during the debates. His only problem is name recognition, unfortunately. But he is solid as they come and will continue to show he has what it takes. That is REALITY, not some tv show script telling us what is supposed to be. It's about campaigning and how well you can sell your policies.
You mean they are trying to hijack conservative sites and try to make their candidate look like a conservative? Who'd of thunk it? :-)
Duncan Hunter looking like a Goliath amoungst Davids < /s>
He will also need our money. http://www.gohunter08.com Let's get this magnificent man more recognition because he is clearly the best.
We'll see one we get to the primaries. Nevertheless, how do you expect a conservative to react when he's told that the Republican Party's frontrunner is a liberal?
Now, I ask, who is a Republican in name only?
At this rate, the direction the Republican Party is headed in will turn the party itself into a RINO. Unfortunate...but with the party tilting leftward, classic Republicanism (AKA, conservatism) is being left in the dirt.
...but even here Giuliani polls favorably, especially head-to-head but ONLY versus McCain.
There. Fixed it for ya...
Fred Thompson 65.9% 4,165
Rudy Giuliani 19.3% 1,219
Newt Gingrich 60.5% 3,478
Rudy Giuliani 24.3% 1,395
Duncan Hunter 59.3% 3,058
Rudy Giuliani 28.6% 1,474
Don't miss post:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1803763/posts?page=35#35
Rumors out that Fred will run as VP with Rudy on top of ticket.
I can't wait until the debates. Ought to be nice to actually make sure people TAKE A LOOK beyond the 'names'. Of course, Rudy is passing up the first debate in New Hampshire next month!! No more time to masquerade. Duncan Hunter is pure quality and substance. NO ONE is better prepared for the times we are facing. And you people are kidding yourselves if you don't think the Republican candidate, with the GOP position on Iraq and the WOT, is going to face questions of "what military service have you had? has your own child served in the war you want?". Hunter is the best possible all-around candidate. No chickenhawk there. People are MORE impressed in these times with someone who has actually served and has a child who has served.
Thanks for the link - I'll have to hit it tonight when I have a faster connection!
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