Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Democrats Are Poised To Hold The Senate, And It’s Conservative’s Fault
Townhall.com ^ | September 21, 2014 | Derek Hunter

Posted on 09/21/2014 4:48:33 AM PDT by Kaslin

I know a lot of people are giddy at the prospect of Republicans taking the Senate this November, but that’s becoming less and less likely. It’s not because Democrats are rallying around a particular mission or set of candidates; it’s because Republicans and conservatives aren’t.

It seems like I’m always writing on issues no one wants to hear are mistakes, such as messaging or social issues. But I don’t care. These things have to be said. If these columns are received like a gaseous cousin on a long car trip through the desert, so be it. Crack a window…

If things continue on their current course, the GOP will not retake the Senate. Anyone telling you differently is selling something.

There are many reasons for this: tough primary fights, the “establishment vs. Tea Party” meme, stubbornness, arrogance, ignorance, ego. You name it, a segment of the center-right coalition suffers from it.

Too many people and groups on the right are content to take their ball and go home because their candidate lost a primary and/or the nominee doesn’t pay enough attention to whatever pet issue they care about most. They may vote, but their email lists sit idle and their wallets remain closed.

GET OVER YOURSELVES!

As upset as you may be, this election is not about any of the candidates you dislike. This election is about the following things, and the following things only – Barack Obama, Harry Reid and the Supreme Court.

I don’t care where someone lives or who their Senate candidate is … if you don’t support the Republican candidate, for whatever reason, with everything you have, you are voting to retain Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader.

In spite of what you may have heard, the Senate is very much in play and too close to call. As unpopular as Barack Obama is, that isn’t enough to win. You have to be involved – through donations, volunteering, talking to everyone you know – or else Democrats will win.

I’m not making this up, I’m not trying to scare you; these are real numbers in real races that will make the difference. And they don’t look good.

The next two years can be spent either forcing an unpopular president to veto popular, pro-growth, pro-liberty legislation, acts that will harm his party for years; or spent with an unfettered activist president complaining about a do-nothing Congress while he initiates executive actions to implement a radical agenda and worse – packing the Supreme Court.

Live in Kansas and think Pat Roberts is a squish? Tough! Suck it up and support him.

Live in Kentucky and think Mitch McConnell is awful? Get over it and support him.

Live in Iowa and not a particular fan of Joni Ernst? Grow up and support her come hell or high water.

Live in Colorado and don’t think Cory Gardner is for you? Who cares? Support him or you are supporting Harry Reid.

Live in Arkansas and wish Tom Cotton wasn’t the nominee? So what? He’s the nominee, support him or lose more than that one race.

It doesn’t matter where you live—Louisiana, Michigan, Alaska, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, New Hampshire, anywhere—if you don’t suck it up, fight and work like your candidate won, you will be handing the Senate back to Harry Reid and the power to President Obama he has always sought – to fundamentally transform America.

It’s not the Senate that’s on the ballot this fall; it’s the Supreme Court.

In the last two years of his presidency, Barack Obama could appoint as many as three new justices to the Supreme Court. Would you like to see retiring justices replaced by young activist progressive nominees rubber-stamped by Harry Reid? Then work!

Yes, a Supreme Court nominee must overcome a filibuster according to Senate rules. But those are current rules and, as Harry Reid demonstrated for all other federal appointees, those rules can be changed at a moment’s notice and by a simple majority to fit whatever he and the president want at any time.

If you stay home, or if you simply vote and that’s it, you might as well be working for Harry Reid and Barack Obama. If the Supreme Court is lost, it will be lost for at least a generation. Then it won’t matter who you elect or who the next president is, the progressive agenda will be locked in as the law of the land for the foreseeable future.

You have a choice this fall: Sit on the bench or work to defeat whoever the Democrat is running for the Senate in your state. One choice is a vote for Harry Reid for Senate Majority Leader and more cover for President Obama’s abuses of power. The other will at a minimum apply pressure on the hemorrhaging wound from which our liberty is seeping.

The damage done to this country in recent years won’t be reversed by one election. No ship as big as the United States can be righted immediately. It will take time. But it can’t start being corrected until it stops getting worse. It can stop getting worse this fall if you vote and work to get others to do the same.

If you’re unhappy with your choices this fall, if your candidate didn’t win, you face a simple choice this November: Check your ego, pull your head out from where your hands are and get in the game. Or just quit. Which way are you going to go?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2014election; 2016election; election2014; election2016; gop4alqaeda; gop4obama; gop4obamacare; gop4openborders; gop4polygamy; gop4rinos; gop4romneyagenda; gop4romneycare; harryreid; republicans; senate
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 241-260261-280281-300 ... 501-507 next last
To: CapnJack

I believe it was a Republican’s nominee and appointment to the Supreme Court whose twisted logic left us with Obamacare.


261 posted on 09/21/2014 8:54:25 AM PDT by sheana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Thanks Kaslin.
Too many people and groups on the right are content to take their ball and go home because their candidate lost a primary and/or the nominee doesn’t pay enough attention to whatever pet issue they care about most. They may vote, but their email lists sit idle and their wallets remain closed. GET OVER YOURSELVES! As upset as you may be, this election is not about any of the candidates you dislike. This election is about the following things, and the following things only – Barack Obama, Harry Reid and the Supreme Court. I don’t care where someone lives or who their Senate candidate is … if you don’t support the Republican candidate, for whatever reason, with everything you have, you are voting to retain Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader.

262 posted on 09/21/2014 8:58:21 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: tennmountainman
The reality is if cloture votes on liberal bills were included, folks like McCain, Gramisty etc would have a 50% rating or lower.

True enough. The ratings would change. But the rank order probably wouldn't be affected much. Cruz and Lee at the top. Same guys at the bottom.

263 posted on 09/21/2014 8:59:48 AM PDT by InterceptPoint (Remember Mississippi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 183 | View Replies]

To: 1010RD
Good article and totally accurate. We hate RINOs, but we must hate Dems more.

What? It was an absolutely disgusting article. The author is an arrogant GOPe POS.

This article makes me more determined to NEVER again vote for a RINO.

264 posted on 09/21/2014 9:00:41 AM PDT by sand88 (We can never legislate our way back to Liberty)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

It seems to me we miss the point about conservative candidates.

Obama didn’t win because conservatives stayed home. All the studies seem to point toward black and Hispanic voters and (in his first run) the young.

What we do is not that important as there are so few true-blue conservatives. The reason a true conservative candidate like Reagan wins is his broad appeal to the middle that a sycophant pol like McCain can’t make.

I think this constant beating up of each other for differences in opinion about pragmatism or die hard principle on election day is diverting from the real work of presenting conservative principle, analysis and the like as well as promoting those conservatives that are in the race.

Conservatives that don’t vote due to anger or heated feelings have my respect. I don’t worry about them. I worry about low information voters in the middle, dozens of whom may swing if the right facts are promoted and brought to light.


265 posted on 09/21/2014 9:03:08 AM PDT by KC Burke (Gowdy for Supreme Court)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 259 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

Despite holding opposite positions in 1996, for the 2000 campaign, Forbes announced he was adamantly opposed to abortion and supported prayer in public schools.

Aside from this flip-flop Forbes’ position are the right ones.

I would vote for Forbes


266 posted on 09/21/2014 9:03:38 AM PDT by DanZ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 209 | View Replies]

To: MortMan

Learn to read mort its always an advantage in life.


267 posted on 09/21/2014 9:05:41 AM PDT by rodguy911 (FreeRepuplic:Land of the Free because of the Brave--Sarah Palin our secret weapon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 257 | View Replies]

To: Black Agnes

Look you guys can go on about your way of staying home to punish the rinos in power.I’ve got other places to be.


268 posted on 09/21/2014 9:07:06 AM PDT by rodguy911 (FreeRepuplic:Land of the Free because of the Brave--Sarah Palin our secret weapon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 258 | View Replies]

To: sand88

New tagline...


269 posted on 09/21/2014 9:07:12 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (GOPe: 'The beatings will continue until morale improves.')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 264 | View Replies]

To: jpsb

NObody is goning to give you crap you have to take it,nuff said,im off to the other dozen or so sites on the web worth going to.


270 posted on 09/21/2014 9:08:35 AM PDT by rodguy911 (FreeRepuplic:Land of the Free because of the Brave--Sarah Palin our secret weapon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 259 | View Replies]

To: Black Agnes
Exactly how did the incumbent Republicans vote on Obama’s previous supreme court candidates? Why am I to believe they’ll be voting against any future ones?

I agree that even a GOP controlled Senate is not going to say no to Obama's Supreme Court nominees automatically. The President, with the support of the MSM, has a lot of power here. But they will, I believe, say no to the sort of radical nominees that Obama is certainly capable of nominating.

And voting no to a nominee when you know that you have a majority and the ability to stop a confirmation is a lot different than voting no when the outcome is inevitable due to majority Dem support.

In addition, if a retirement or a death of a Supreme Court Justice comes late in 2016 then stalling until after the election would be a real possibility.

271 posted on 09/21/2014 9:09:07 AM PDT by InterceptPoint (Remember Mississippi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 248 | View Replies]

To: rodguy911

Various Republican presidents have selected people to the supreme court who favor BIG G’ment.

Mr. Roberts just happens to be the latest.

Anyone remember Eminent Domain ?

That came from Bush I - David Suter
Ron Reagen also made a mistake - Anthony Kennedy


272 posted on 09/21/2014 9:12:00 AM PDT by DanZ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 223 | View Replies]

To: HotHunt
The issue of whether or not voting is a civic duty doesn't touch on my primary point, which was "which way" a non-vote goes. You say it ALWAYS goes effectively to the DEM. I say it goes effectively to whoever the winner of the contest was.

-- by your comments, you seem to follow Christopher Morley's (American journalist & novelist) claim from his book, "inward Ho!", that America "...is still a government for the naive, by the naive." --

I see the government as "by the cronies, for the cronies;" and the cohort of business/political cronies is far from naive. Voters, on the other hand, half of them think the "speaker of the house" is part of a sound system.

273 posted on 09/21/2014 9:18:41 AM PDT by Cboldt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 124 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

This guy doesn’t get it and never will, the squishy, Rove “R”s would still vote to confirm another Kagan or whatever abomination Obola nominates. Rove candidates taking the Senate will probably change nothing..


274 posted on 09/21/2014 9:20:04 AM PDT by cardinal4 (Certified Islamophobe..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rodguy911

Obviously Thad doesn’t think Obama is a problem. He rather likes him.

If he’s too senile to see the problem, he doesn’t deserve my vote. Sorry.


275 posted on 09/21/2014 9:20:35 AM PDT by Black Agnes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 268 | View Replies]

To: rodguy911

It has been so easy to get you to illustrate in vivid color the futility of your own arguments, FRiend. I have merely turned your own statements back against your stated position, which prompts you to assert I cannot read. Bravo!

Ad hominem becomes you!

The fact that this argument arises every two years should be a lesson to those on both sides. It appears that only those who will stand up for their conservative beliefs by not supporting GOP politicians who act against those beliefs have learned any part of a lesson.


276 posted on 09/21/2014 9:26:32 AM PDT by MortMan (All those in favor of gun control raise both hands!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 267 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

Yes. i.e. Cruz and a hopeful increased Senate fellowship can block the “reach across the aisle” RINOs from any such horsehockey.


277 posted on 09/21/2014 9:29:37 AM PDT by X-spurt (CRUZ missile - armed and ready.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 166 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

Frankly, considering the source, I say that’s a definite compliment.


278 posted on 09/21/2014 9:34:27 AM PDT by X-spurt (CRUZ missile - armed and ready.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 166 | View Replies]

To: tennmountainman
-- Don't forget the 14 gangsters. They will rear their ugly heads again to clog up the senate. --

That only comes into play when a conservative interest is being advanced. When the GOP tried to bypass cloture on judicial nominees (a proper move, IMO), the gang of 14 stymied Frist/McConnell. When the DEMs moved to bypass cloture on judicial nominees, there was no gang defending the "principles of Senate rules" or whatever hogwash was used to prevent Bush's judicial nominees from getting votes.

The Senate is dysfunctional in a pretty serious way.

279 posted on 09/21/2014 9:39:33 AM PDT by Cboldt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 202 | View Replies]

To: bonehead4freedom

I’m with you and many other Freepers that have a very low opinion of McConnell.

He got to the level he is as Minority Leader by transforming into whatever it takes to improve his position. I suspect that when there is a stronger “Cruz” group he will go along with them much more than many think.

This scenario does require a Senate GOP majority, otherwise we all continue to suffer from dingy harry’s crap sandwiches and his un-hampered loading of the Fed Courts.


280 posted on 09/21/2014 9:48:04 AM PDT by X-spurt (CRUZ missile - armed and ready.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 198 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 241-260261-280281-300 ... 501-507 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson