FIGHT! (National Review)

National Review The Corner ^ | November 5, 2008 | Peter Kirsanow

[greyfoxx39]

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Fight   [Peter Kirsanow]

Now back to the real world. It's traditional that a new president get a honeymoon of some indefinite length. It's also traditional for Republicans (and many conservatives) to act as Charlie Brown to Lucy with the football.

 

Obama will get the most lavish and extended honeymoon in history. Every time he walks to the podium without falling down will be trumpeted as the greatest accomplishment since MacArthur returned to the Philippines. It will be the natural tendency of Republicans to join in the praise, and worse, to try to be "bipartisan" when it comes to legislation that is manifestly bad for the country and abhorrent to conservative principles. This tendency will be magnified by the Republicans' fear that any opposition to Obama's policies will be portrayed as motivated by racism rather than principle.

 

Senator McCain is an American hero, a remarkable man. I can think of few I respect more. But he's likely to be the first to be leading the charge toward bipartisanship. This would be a mistake of galactic proportions. This must be resisted.

 

It's all well and good for Republicans to congratulate Obama today, and on Inauguration Day. The GOP shouldn't oppose merely for the sake of opposition. But if they were paying any attention to what Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Rangel, Schumer, etc, have been saying over the last year, they should realize that on the major issues of the day, liberals are determined to take the nation down a hard left path that will,  in the words of Obama, "fundamentally transform" America.

 

Republicans and conservatives will be taking a needed hard look at ourselves. Losers usually do. We must reassess, recalibrate and argue.

 

But in the meantime, we still have principles to defend and we must defend them vigorously. Particularly in the first 100 days when many of the most objectionable bills will likely be brought up.

 

For those inclined to make nice, which of the following Democratic agenda items are you prepared to sign on to so that you'll get invited to the right parties?

• Employee Free Choice Act
• Fairness Doctrine
• Freedom of Choice Act
• Nationalization of health care
• Estate tax increases
• "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" (driver's licenses for illegals)
• Capital gains tax increases
• Defense cuts
• Liberal judicial appointments
• Racial and ethnic preferences
• Income tax increases
• Bans on oil drilling
• Global poverty tax/Kyoto

These are but a few. Perhaps the most worrisome agenda items are those that will betray a fecklessness in foreign policy that could lead to a nuclear Iran, a vulnerable Israel, an imperial Russia, and an imploding Pakistan.

In many cases, the congressional math may preclude Republicans from little more than voicing principled opposition. But that's not nothing. It's imperative. Republican politicians for too long have been spectacularly inept in communicating their ideas, principles and positions. They've been unconscionably silent in defending their own. They shouldn't then be surprised when they get their hindquarters handed to them.

Last night was Obama's night. January 20th too. Watch for genuine opportunities to work together for the betterment of the country. But on every other occasion fight. Fight every attempt to entrench a new entitlement. Fight every attempt to redistribute wealth. Fight every attempt to radicalize the courts. Fight every attempt to weaken our defenses. Fight every attempt to restrict political speech. Fight every attempt to revise history. Fight for what's best about America.

11/05 10:33 AM

 

[concerned about politics]

That’s a really good post. Hat tip.

Thank you. It explains everything. That's why Oboma was untouchable. That's how he won in a landslide. We'll never know how many of his votes were actually legitimate. ACORN and the left had free reign. We won't hear a word about it, because it doesn't matter. No one will even bring up the issue.

It also explains why no one is checking his citizenship. You'd think that would be huge. It's better to let him have his 4 years than be seen by the anti-U.S. world as racist, or to have the now energized black base break out in riots around the country.

"Just shut up. Let him slide in for 4 years, and then get him out."

[Pharmboy]

Indeed...it is the twilight.

[concerned about politics]

I just wonder how the "race" benefits will be alloted. Will the hispanics be treated equally with the blacks?

Oh yeah. Oboma is Reverend Wright Junior. Middle class white people are not on his favorites list.

[LS]

I like this guy. He’s right on.

[DaGman]

"I just wonder how Rush is feeling about the whole Operation Chaos thing now. Seems he was working to get the wrong candidate defeated."

I don't think it matters. This is such a bad year for Republicans that even Obama could get elected.

[LS]

If you didn’t see my other “eat crow” thread, I mentioned that in our multiple very red precincts of Ohio, we turned out 80% . . . yet 10% or more Republicans voted for Obama. In one precinct, 25% of the vote was Obama.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I chose all black today too. The only jacket I had was blue... oh well. Blue should be our color anyway, not red.

[60Gunner]

FORCE! THE! RINOS! OUT! OF! THE! PARTY!

We should have done this two years ago, people. Now it is not merely a matter of party survival; it is a matter of NATIONAL survival.

SPINE UP.

[concerned about politics]

Good post. Well thought out and on the mark.

Thank you. I sensed something just wasn't right about this election. At first, I though something supernaturally evil was protecting him (s), because no other candidate in U.S. history has ever been carried so gently into the White House like this guy.

Once I went back to the beginning of the primaries for answers, it jumped out at me like big, red, hammer and sickle flag.

[greyfoxx39]

How are you doing today?

[greyfoxx39]

Side note...the DOW is down 225 points.

[concerned about politics]

Side note...the DOW is down 225 points.

I figured. If you had money in the market, would you want a political kindergartner in charge? Oboma will not be able to "community organize" the world no matter how hard he talks. It just doesn't work that way.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Yup. Everything that happens now: disasters (like Katrina), bad economy, unemployment, terrorism, waning freedom, rampant immorality, social problems, soaring taxes — they’ll all be his problems now.

Oh wait...

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Dang, dude, really?? That’s pretty drastic. Unless you’ve been meaning to close anyway. Can’t you sell the place?

[greyfoxx39]

DOW down 295

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

0bama’s fault.

[MeanWestTexan]

It’s an oil company; I will sell the assets (working interests, oil wells primarily). There is not a lot of “good will” value in that type of company.

I’ve been thinking of aliyah for a while.

Figure I might as well make my stand at the center of it all.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks,...just posted this:

BBC: Obama shackled by debt

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Dvorak’s “Stabat Mater.” Mary’s trials always make mine seem insignificant.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I heard the Christian Science Monitor is no longer publishing on paper... might be printing presses up for sale.