Posted on 07/02/2013 5:57:12 PM PDT by Bratch
Much has been made about Sarah Palin’s comments on going third party. I just have one problem with the comments about Governor Palin’s remarks.
Though she was answering a question about going third party, I did not and still do not interpret her remarks as expressing an outright willingness to go third party. Governor Palin has long been a disruptive candidate and, as a disruptive candidate, has worked from inside the party to change its ways. When she says things like,
more and more of us are going to start saying, ‘You know, what’s wrong with being independent,’ kind of with that libertarian streak that much of us have. In other words, we want government to back off and not infringe upon our rights. I think there will be a lot of us who start saying ‘GOP, if you abandon us, we have nowhere else to go except to become more independent
I read it as more of an endorsement of free agency, so to speak, than a new third party. And I agree with this. It is what I and others have been doing for some time.
In short, conservatives upset with the Republican Party need to go rogue or go home. While LUR and I read Governor Palin’s comments differently, I agree completely with his solution – take over the GOP.
After all, my working theory right now is that the GOP is a dead man walking and whichever side of the fight possesses its body gets all the parts that come with the body, from state parties to the national apparatus.
So work to take it over and, concurrently, open your checkbook to outside conservative groups fighting on your side. Start funding the organizations that actually have a solid track record of finding, funding, and running disruptive challengers within the party. The four I recommend are:
The Senate Conservatives Fund, which looks like it may even be ballsy enough to fund a challenge to Mitch McConnell.
Heritage Action for America, which Republicans in Congress have taken to routinely blast for daring to hold them accountable and challenge them when they get squishy.
Club for Growth, which Republican Leaders in Congress routinely attack in the press, anonymously no less, for being uncompromisingly in favor of smaller government and small government candidates.
Madison Project, which is fearless in finding top notch grassroots candidates to challenge incumbent pukes.
Nationally, the GOP is pursuing a terrible piece of immigration legislation. Many of the Republicans who support it campaigned on securing our borders first. They lied to the conservative base to get their votes. A good number of the Republican leaders pursuing immigration are doing so because they listen to the moneyed interests that support it. They could care less about the base because the base doesn’t cough up money and has not shown a willingness or ability to fight a war of attrition within the party.
But there are others in the party who hold the conservative base in outright contempt. They want a new base and see immigration reform as the first step to replacing conservatives, particularly evangelicals. These people, instead of urging the GOP to take up populist measures that play well with the middle class and blue collar voters would prefer immigration reform, mitigation of climate change, and technocratic nonsense that plays well with rich white liberals and no one else. If conservatives do win, these Republicans will use their columns, blogs, and TV appearances to bad mouth the conservatives as simple minded hicks and rubes.
In Ohio, John Kasich has declared Jesus wants him to expand medicaid under Obamacare. In fact, State Treasurer Josh Mandel has been outspoken against Kasich’s plans to expand Obamacare inside Ohio and tax tracking. Kasich’s response has been to veto funds for Mandel’s office.
Kasich has repeatedly been telling people that one day we’ll all stand before our Maker who will ask us what we have done for the least of these. Kasich will say he expanded government. I do not know about the rest of you, but I talk to Jesus every night and he has never told me to expand government to help others.
Put bluntly: I could care less if the Democrats beat John Kasich in November. I could care less. If the GOP is going to expand Obamacare and taxes we might as well let the Democrats be in charge. And I think that’s the point Sarah Palin was getting at — the conservatives who are upset should stop behaving like they belong to a party that does not want them and instead go rogue. Primary John Kasich and if the conservative does not win, stay home (EDIT: metaphorically stay home. In reality, just don’t vote in the gubernatorial box or vote for someone else running for that office).
Yes, this is controversial, but consider the evidence:
“Oh,” you say, “those were bad candidates.”
Time and again when less conservative or moderate Republicans win, they expect the conservatives to hold the line. You know what? Conservatives do. But when the moderate to liberal Republicans lose, they run to the media, blame conservatives, and start supporting the other side.
It is time conservatives behave the same way. From the Dakotas to Ohio to Kentucky to Louisiana to other parts of then nation, conservatives should get involved, find really good candidates, and work like hell to win. And if they lose, consider free agency. Make the Republican who wins earn conservative trust instead of letting him presume he has their vote.
I don’t think Sarah Palin was flat out endorsing a third party and I don’t either. But I think she was, like me, suggesting conservatives stop being such cheap dates.
Follow LUR’s advice. Get involved at the local party level. Take over precincts, counties, and states. Find good candidates to challenge incumbent senators and congressmen. Stop taking for granted that the faces of the GOP really have your interests at heart and stop letting them take your vote for granted.
Again, I recommend you get behind four groups:
The Senate Conservatives Fund, which is hated by Jenn Rubin and the Republican leadership.
Heritage Action for America, which is hated by Jenn Rubin and the Republican leadership. Get a load of this.
Club for Growth, which is hated by Jenn Rubin and the Republican leadership.
Madison Project, which is rapidly becoming as scrappy as the other three.
At the RedState Gathering, I intend to introduce you all to some of these disruptive candidates who are going to challenge incumbent Republicans — even some in leadership — and also go up against some of the candidates the GOP is already telling you that you must support in order to win. Let’s go rogue, but from within not from without. And win or lose, make sure the GOP knows it cannot take you for granted.
Yep. Time to walk away from the wreck and start anew.
What the GOP-e did with Murkowski in ‘10 was enough proof that they are utter and complete traitors to Democracy.
I wouldn’t expect that kind of %hit even out of New Orleans or Las Vegas.
I don’t much trust any of those groups above and let me note that the former President of Club For Growth which has its roots in Steve Forbes 1996 presidential campaign was none other than that Second Amendment ‘champion’ Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
Why didn’t Erickson mention SARAHPAC by the way?
I would much rather put my money there than in the four groups he mentions or send money directly to the candidates which is my chosen method.
Please do not invite to the new party; rinos, Ann Coulter, Chris Christie, McConnell, Bohner, .....I know one thing for sure, if immigration goes through, the rnc is toast.
One other thing, I don't think Roberts was following the lefts orders on same sex marriage. I think he was giving the gop and their elitist big donors what they wanted. They knew they could not do it directly. The rnc wants to get these things off the table so it cannot be used against the right. They don't realize the evil the left could come up with to offer their constitutes. There are some sick people on the left.
True, but we got Ted Cruz in the bargain. Now if we could just get a dozen more like him, our side could put a real hurtin' on the Dims.
I see things differently.
There already is a third party.
They completed the mitosis, but not yet the cytokinesis.
The division will continue, and the daughters will fight each other harder than the foreign body of Democrats.
Conservaives do not need to win 51% of an election. They only need a solid and predictable 5% -10%. Once established, the majority parties must consider the conservative positions in close elections.
HEY ERIK, STAY THE F OUT OF OHIO POLITICS.
Kasich has reduced the cost of govt., produced job and economic growth in excess of the rest of the USA, and put through a sizeable income tax cut to boot while plugging a projected 8 billion deficit and running a surplus.
Kasich did take the bait on Medicaid where the federal govt. pays 100% of the cost for 3 years and then sticks Ohio with the bill after that. That is a pretty tough bribe to ignore and my guess is that Kasich is betting on an eventuall repeal of Obamacare and wants to take the money now .
Regarding Kasich and Ohio, You (Erickson) don't know jack.
Easy to do in a 90% gop state like Utah. Try doing it in Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa, etc.
Isn’t Norquist’s Club for Growth trying to stifle any criticism of Muslim immigration?
I think any group you contribute to had better be solid across the board, or you’ll fracture the party, and open the door to these opportunists trying to play one side against the other.
My mistake. Club for Growth’s Moore is a big buddy of Norquist’s and they often work together, but Norquist’s operation is different. So Club for Growth hasn’t screwed us yet.
In my defense, it is tough to keep track of all the Conservative’s stabbing the movement in the back in one form or another.
GOP was right this time. Rubio was the tea party candidate supported by palin. Rubio is the one pushing this horrible country destroying Amnesty bill. Rubio is helping the democrats import 100 million 3rd world immigrants to turn the USA into a socialist state. crist couldn't have done what Rubio did who lent his “conservative” credentials to shill for Amnesty
Rubio you traitorous pos you helped the democrats destroy America and freedom
It’s a matter of resources folks. RINO hunting is fun but we lose credibility and punch. See all the Rino’s in the Senate? PICK ONE. We lose focus and are run over by the Karl Rove Corporate interests. Focus is the key. Who is the Worst Rino in this cycle? Graham? Lamar? Maybe McConnell isnt the best one to take out and Primary. Keep in mind, we will NEVER get a Ted Cruz in New England.
http://www.franklincase.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=9
So that means Pelosi 100% of the time or Pelosi 80% of the time with Bonehead as Speaker.
Also means Reid 100% of the time or Reid 95% of the time with McConnell as Senate Majority Leader.
This isn't a purity test. The GOPe hates conservatives. If they were even 50% conservative, it might be worth voting for them.
Thanks, but no thanks. If it is a choice between socialist and socialist lite, let the real socialist win.
Well I think you’re conflating the GOP estabs with all GOPers....a common common disease....and I think you’re more interesting in ranting than solving the problems but hey, that’s your right. I would bring up the analogy of stage one cancer and stage four cancer, but you’re already decided on choosing stage four. So enjoy....
While I agree that it is good to focus on RINOs who can be successfully primaried, it doesn't end there. The time has come to withhold support and votes in the general election from GOPe who win primaries. They hate conservatives and libertarians. Why reward bad behavior simply because they're socialist lite instead of full blow Marxists?
Nope. I'm interested in voting for conservative candidates. If a conservative is unavailable, I will support a libertarian (not the party) if such a candidate is on the ballot.
If neither exists, I'd rather shrug than support the lesser of two socialists. If that means the GOPe goes the way of the Whigs, so be it.
You think the election is about rewarding the GOPe or not. You think it’s about whether the GOP survives or not. It is not. You will still have to bow before Obama Reid Pelosi - your pure vote does not make you exempt. Enjoy.
I’m pretty much turned off by it all. I don’t trust Erickson because I think he’s just someone who’s been around in politics but doesn’t give me that “true bell-ring.”
Hard to explain, really. I just don’t like him, nor do I largely believe in his analyses.
Likewise, I’m tired of hearing about ‘Tea Party’ as if it were some sort of controlling authority for conservatives. In the past 3 years I’ve seen probably a half dozen people on TV who claim to represent the “Tea Party” in one manner or another, and I get the nasty feeling that some of them are just what I call “glom-ons” IOW, opportunists.
I get the same kind of feeling with some of them as I do with Alan Gottlieb who runs SAF, CCRKBA and about three other ‘conservative’ operations....just google him and read about this man about how he formed all that back in the 80s and 90s....I don’t give a dime to any of them.
I prefer, rather, to consider myself as a Tea Party SENTIMENT supporter.
My ‘support’ is my vote. My vote is my only weapon at this point, and it is more valuable than money. My vote is harsh, unwaivering and final. It is a tough taskmaster - ask my Congressman or the dozen’s of emails I’ve ideologically threatened my Senators with.
Fool my vote, just ONCE (Marco, McCain, et al) and you suffer its lack for eternity (at least my eternity). Stand true to my vote, and you will have it forever and will never have to worry about what the MSM or DC politicos have to say.
My old fart’s two cents.
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