Posted on 02/01/2008 5:03:19 AM PST by A2J
In the coming weeks, I will acknowledge an anniversary of thirty (30) years as a registered Republican. I have always been a Republican and my first presidential election was a vote cast for Ronaldus Magnus, one of my heroes.
I have always voted the GOP line in state and local races, except when there were only Democrats running wherein I would either vote for the most conservative or skip that particular match up entirely.
I'm afraid that this year will be different.
As a conservative who found a home in the GOP 30 years ago, I now find myself without a home, particularly as the GOP has been gradually becoming the DNC-Lite over the past eight (8) years. To say that I'm now frustrated with the GOP would be an enormous understatement but yet I find myself more frustrated and even bitter at such conservative stalwarts as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, two I have always enjoyed listening to and agree with for the most part.
It is not my intention to challenge the pedigree of their conservatism, but rather to tell them and the collective conservatives and conservative wannabes who are now complaining about the ascendancy of John McCain, a despicable little man, to shut the hell up.
Why? Because they've laid the steps for McCain's rise.
Just this week I listened to Rush complain about McCain and Huckabee, who should step aside and support Romney who is more conservative than McCain, with Rush's earlier comments that should McCain or Huckabee receive the nomination, they would destroy the GOP...a statement to which I agree. Additionally, just this week Rush was championing conservatism over the GOP, as he and all conservatives should, and yet when asked as to whether he would support McCain if he is nominated, Rush flip-flopped, ala John Kerry, when he said that he would do nothing to harm the GOP.
Such doublespeak is what cracks the door open for rats like McCain.
Sean Hannity, "Mr. Nice Guy," is no different especially when it comes to anyone who has an "R" after his name.
During Arnold Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial run against Grey Davis, Hannity nearly wet his pants in adoration of Schwarzenegger. He has been the same toward "Mr. Character," Rudy Giuliani. And now he wants to feign anger and frustration over Schwarzenegger's endorsement of the little man from Arizona. In fact, Hannity ridiculed Schwarzenegger's comments as being void of the ideals and core values of Ronald Reagan.
While I cannot speak for all true-blue conservatives, I know that my frustration truly lies with people like Rush and Hannity who openly embrace liberal Republicans and yet now complain that those same ones whom they have embraced are now going to destroy the party. Maybe the GOP should be allowed to continue to merge with the DNC. Maybe then we can build a true conservative party from the ashes.
To me, true conservatism transcends parties and labels and remains absolute and unchangeable, however hard others may try to redefine it. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" are the "marching orders" for all conservatives regardless of party and while the GOP is currently undergoing a redefinition, conservatism must never.
But, alas, as long as we are more obsessed with making sure that GOP candidates are elected instead of true conservatives, we are not only guaranteeing the destruction of a Grand Old Party, but worse, we become the willing participants in the assault on conservatism.
This year will mark a new era in my long history of voting Republican in that should John McCain become the Republican nominee, I will choose my convictions over my party and withhold my vote because if I truly love America, as we all claim to, then why would I continue to inoculate her with more poison by choosing party over principles?
Amen.
“Because if my nose had cancer that would ultimately spread to the rest of my body, I would be stupid not to remove it.
Don’t you agree or are you just a GOP martyr?”
Would you be satisfied with 8 years of hillary nominating judges.
I think the phrase would be, cutting off your nose to spite your face.
If it meant a revitalization of the conservative movement, then, yes, I would.
Rush has said he may not vote for the Republican candidate this time around.
Your initial argument that Rush is embracing a liberal cannot be supported then. All Rush has said is that he will support the primary winner.
You could revitalize the conservative movement the day after hillary is nominated but she will get at least three supreme court nominations. Imagine 3 young Ruth Ginsbergs. The damage would continue until I am cold in the grave.
If you want to revitalize the conservative movement then get to work in the party. Get conservatives into politics. Get out the vote. Kill the RINOs in the primaries but don’t give us a democrat in the white house just when the old liberal justices all have one foot in the grave.
McCain is a PIA to conservatives but he is better than anything the democrats put up for president.
I understand you being angry, I’ve been peeved about the Republican choices for months. But take a breath and really consider what each nominee will actually do when they are in the white house.
LOL
The next Dem is not likely to appoint a sick old lady like Ginsburg to the Court. You are more likely to get a 40-something that will last for 30 or 40 years. We just can’t afford another bad justice till we have at least 7 or 8 conservative ones, of which we only have 4 now!
Please post a link to that. That is a bit hard to believe. (I know his recent years are some of his worst...)
As bad as Mclame is, I can’t imagine 4 years of the two socialists on the other side and the irreparable damage they will do to this country. Don’t you think there’s more a chance of pushing Mclame to the right than Hitlery or Hussein Obama? Anyway, Huckabee should get the hell out of the way so Romney can have half a chance this Tuesday. Conservatives should realize that he’s just staying in to be the spoiler for Mclame and not vote for him.
I think Obama will run for Governor of Illinois if he loses. Blago is very unpopular here and would have lost to just about anyone, but the Illinois Republicans put up a very unattractive Rino named Judy Barr Topinka because it was “her turn” (sound familiar) and she got killed.
Obama at will put in much better position to run for President in 2016 if he is a sitting Governor.
McCain has to be taken down in the long term interest of saving the Republican party as the carrier of the conservative movement.
Unless he does for Illinois what Granholm has done for Michigan.
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