Who Hijacked the Primaries?

Human Events ^ | 1/31/08 | Brian Winterble

[pissant]

With John McCain’s all-too-easy road to the nomination paved through Florida and now nearly complete one thing is clear: The Republican Party has been hijacked. Over the past month a new Axis of Evil has emerged -- not one based in Damascus, Tehran or Pyongyang -- but instead in Cedar Rapids, Charleston, South Carolina, Derry, New Hampshire and Boca Raton, Florida. It is the liberal and “independent” voters in these 4 states that have nearly completed a deed that makes Kim Jong Il envious -- the near crippling of the American Electoral System. These four states have combined their native liberal populism with an imported liberal electorate and have forced the GOP to accept a nominee so distasteful that in more than one poll -- the numbers of voters choosing not to vote and those choosing to vote third party actually exceed those who will hold their nose and vote for Maverick, War Hero, Amnesty Supporter, John McCain.

I can hear you saying, “surely you aren’t saying that South Carolina has gone liberal -- are you?” Are you kidding me? Drive through the Carolinas and count the number of license plates from NJ, NY and Pennsylvania. There is not much Dixie in the Carolinas; it’s more like Trenton and Long Island with fireworks. “But”, you protest, “New Hampshire, is Live Free or Die, it’s been a backbone of conservatism since the 1950’s.” No longer my friends -- NH has become an exurb of Boston, with Boston’s sensibilities and, ugh, their voting tastes. NH hasn’t been reliably conservative since Reagan’s first term. These voters would rather be loved by the Boston Globe, than respected by the Union Leader.

But the evidence continues, you say, “Iowa, that’s America, with small town values and homespun sensibilities.” Wrong again -- Iowa is just a state brimming with farmers on the federal dole, college students and ex hippie professors looking to con, libs in training at Grinnell.

And Florida? As my bubbies would say in Bay Ridge -- puhleeeez. It’s the 6th borough and has been since the mid 1960’s. Liberals have been sliding down the I-95 corridor since Kennedy was elected.

Sadly these 4 states have done more than set the tone for the other 46 -- they’ve dictated terms. Frankly I could extend the analogy to include Nevada, which is down to about 13% native -- but why beat a dead horse.

What we have is the sick and twisted dreams of Pinch Sulzberger, Don Imus, Maureen Dowd, Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews come true: the GOP has been forced to choose a nominee designed to cause the base to retch, and thereby not vote. Guaranteeing 4 years of Clinton score settling or Obama socializing entire corporate sectors.

Its time to simultaneously bring back democracy to the GOP and defang the left and her Rockefeller accomplices in the new Axis of Evil. It’s time for the nuclear option -- its time for the GOP to front-load the whole freaking process into one date. Make every state vote on exactly the same day. Make every candidate compete in EVERY state at the exact same time and hold every single GOP primary and caucus on Super Tuesday. When NH and IOWA complain, take a page from the Democrats and refuse to seat their delegates, or better yet, declare renegade states as straw polls.

This would balance our nomination process out. There will be no more “Big Mo”, no more singular precincts in obscure Iowa towns setting the tone for the rest of the country. If liberals from Englewood Cliffs NJ want to vote liberal, it’s going to get cancelled out by conservatives in Chattanooga -- who might actually get to vote for Fred. Its time to let Nebraska count as much as New Hampshire. Let Texas matter as much as South Carolina, let Florida be canceled out by California -- as it should be. The only two groups who have benefit from the current process are the media flacks selling the drama and John McCain establishment hacks. Does anyone think Fred Thompson got a fair hearing? Or Duncan Hunter? John McCain does not speak for me…or frankly for any one else, I know.

Folks, we have let the liberals and RINOS set the agenda. Open Borders, Higher Taxes, and surrender to Kyoto-worshipping technocrats. This is the Republican Party? But hey, the McCainiacs counter, “John McCain is a war hero -- right?” Let me be the first to say it’s not about what you did in the 60’s sir -- it’s about what you will do to America in 2009 and beyond.

This is our party, not John McCain’s or Mel Martinez's, or Lindsay Graham’s. The Republican Party is THE conservative party dammit. Let’s admit it and take it back. RINOS and Liberals have taken the GOP plane hostage, and its time for us passengers to revolt…and do what has to be done -- Let’s Roll.

[ravingnutter]

If I have to vote for McCain, I will sit the General election out. I’d rather have a Dem in office that we can blame for their failures than a disaster like McCain.

[cake_crumb]

"I guess this would entail somehow going after control of the RNC (they make the rules right?). But what do you guys think? "

Yes it would. IMO, we SHOULD be planning just how to do that and getting organized.

Sounds like a good idea, to tell the truth.

[tennmountainman]

I’ll leave the Rockefeller Plantation if McCain is the nominee.

[Gritty]

The MSM and Liberals lost in 2000. But the country-club Republicans also lost their opportunity for electing McEgo. They got Compassionate George instead. Since then, the fix has been in. The rest is just kabuki theater.

The GOP country-clubbers really don't care much who wins now. Hillary, Obama, McAmnesty? They are all part of the same Establishment Crowd who sup and schmooze together while planning how to aggregate more power into their own deserving hands. There's not much difference in how any of them will treat America. They'll irrevocably open our borders, globalize our inherent wealth, take away our personal freedoms, and gut the Old America which opposes their rule.

As far as they are concerned, "everybody" is a winner - or at least everybody who they care about.

[cake_crumb]

"I think the RNC will pay dearly for this in the long run. I predict they will find it very difficult to raise the money needed to run competitive campaigns in the future when their traditional conservative voters stop giving them money."

But the more conservatives stop donating to the RNC, the more the RNC will go after moderates. Seems contrary to the point.

[Richard Kimball]

Uh, guys

Darn. California and New York are lost. Iowa is a liberal state, now. Florida is turning liberal. So are the Carolinas. New Mexico is turning liberal. Colorado is turning liberal. Washington, Nevada and Utah are all being overrun by Californians and turning liberal. Then we make the call to put the primaries somewhere where REAL conservatives are. Where are these phantom states? Where is this wonderful land of rock-ribbed conservatives where everyone agrees with me?

"Where ya gonna go? Where ya gonna run to? Where you gonna hide? Nowhere. Cause there's no one like you left."

The lesson of Pat Buchanan and the first post-Reagan meltdown is instructive. Many liked some of Pat's ideas, few agreed with all of them. In the end, though, Buchanan came across as a mean, vindictive little man who had a hard core base and utterly p!ssed off everyone else in the entire universe. Claiming to be the adult, he was far more akin to the spoiled child in the playground, making everyone around him cry and breaking all the toys before stomping off and saying he was leaving because no one else there would play nice. When he left, there was a collective sigh of relief in the Republican party.

Guys, we've reached the point where we think EVERYBODY is a RINO and ALL the states are too liberal. NOBODY is good enough to be our candidate. In reality there's a party realignment going on. A lot of these people crossing over to vote for the RINO just may actually be switching parties. In 1980, I was the RINO. I was a Democrat that changed parties to vote for Ronald Reagan. Maybe it's not some Machiavellian scheme. Maybe we're getting our butts kicked at the ballot box. Maybe part of it is because we're complete @ssholes in putting forth our beliefs.

[codercpc]

Bravo!!!

[Beagle8U]

I still like the idea of dark red states first rather than one huge primary day.

Having it all in one day would assure that only the super rich could afford to advertise and run a campaign.

With would still be stuck with some rich liberal puke like Romney or Bloomburg. No thanks, I’ll vote third party if those are the options.

[rom]

I don’t think there are many people left who understand why conservatism and limited government work. Watching the debates is like watching a bunch of doctors trying to treat symptoms rather than the core problem.

What many people miss when they compare themselves to Reagan, is that Reagan did understand both why small government works, and he did great in articulating it. Whether it be with jokes, or an explanation of sound principles.

It did also help that he had the antithesis of a libertarian government in the form of the Soviet Union that he could use as his punching bag.

Those jokers on the debate floor last night couldn’t tell you the first thing about conservatism, but merely parrot what they have seen as successful in the past. Tax cuts, strong military, etc...

And then since they don’t understand it, they think things like requiring everyone to carry Health Insurance is a small government approach to fixing health care. Right.

The moderators allowed Ron Paul to go off on our ‘Empire’, but cut him off whenever he had something sensible to say about limited government, or even how his anti-war theme fits with his limited government approach. That irked me big time. We need him to articulate that, and not the ‘Empire’ theme.

I’d love to have had a real debate with conservatives. Dr. No could be the isolationist conservative debating it with free market conservatives, fair traders, etc... But conservatives all. Instead, we had a bunch of liberals with conservative leanings on the stage.

[Beagle8U]

*** WE would still be stuck...

[kellynla]

“A deadlock Republican convention turns to the most qualified Republican of them all to be president on the fifth ballot, Dick Cheney. And he wins in a landslide in November.”

Bill Kristol
12/23/2007

[rintense]

1. The MSM
2. Independents who registered as Republicans just before the deadline
3. Democrats, safe in accepting either Obama or Hillary, who registered as Republicans just before the deadline
4. RINOS

[Apple Blossom]

I love the part during the debate when McCain said that he was for cutting spending.

He’s been in the senate now for what, close to 20 years? What’s he been doing all this time? NOW he wants to focus on spending cuts?

Also about his being a “foot-soldier” in the Reagan Revolution....obviously he didn’t learn much.

[mmichaels1970]

I still like the idea of dark red states first rather than one huge primary day.

I agree. You'd be building in incentives for local party organizations to work harder at organizing and getting the message out. Officials in the darkest red states would work even harder and compete to try to secure a first-in-the-nation primary. Even if you were a party official in a blue state, you'd have incentive to work to keep your state from landing in the bottom rung of the primary order. I like it.

[OCCASparky]

It's probably just a matter of time before an income tax and some sort of sales tax is rammed through.

Oh, they're already trying. And Lynch won't promise not to raise taxes. This is what we get for "staying home" in 2006--Hodes, Che-Porter, and a 'Rat legislature that hasn't fixed jack but wants to tax us even more (without reducing property taxes, mind you) and force gay marriage down our throats.

It wasn't so long ago "Live Free or Die" actually meant something more than a punchline.

[OCCASparky]

Good points, all. Even Reagan knew compromise was an inevitable part of politics. It’s just how much compromise we’re willing to take before we draw a line in the sand.

[blindsided]

Uh, gutsy statement there about “Geezers.” I kinda feel that happened in Florida too, but still... :)

[cake_crumb]

The CA RNC banned independents from voting in the GOP primary. The CA DNC IS allowing indies to vote in the Dem primary. IMO, that will have an ENORMOUS effect on the outcome. No, CA isn’t completely lost.

[Richard Kimball]

Thanks all. Part of the genius of Reagan was that he could put forth his ideas simply and positively. I never heard him attack with vitriol. He could puncture an opponent in such a way that even the opponent would laugh, while making the point germane to policy. One of my favorite lines was during his debate with Mondale about the military. Mondale claimed he was strong on defense, and mentioned a recent visit to an aircraft carrier. Reagan smiled and said, "Yes, I saw the film of you on that carrier. If you'd gotten your way, you would have been in deep water out there, because you voted against that carrier five times."

He delivered the line perfectly, while smiling. It was a valid policy point. It wasn't a personal attack. It was funny. It was one of the best smack downs I've ever seen. One of the things we forget about Reagan is that besides everything else, that guy was good.

Reagan understood policy and could create coalitions. He could compromise when necessary and avoid making enemies unless it was absolutely necessary. He's not coming back, and I fear we are in danger of becoming like Alabama fans who still think Bear Bryant is coming back. I still think studying his policies, style and techniques can lead us to great victories, and not just at the ballot box, but in the marketplace of ideas, which is where we're losing the battle now.

[Texans]

Neither did this one...