I reckon I oughtta feel mighty honored that such an omniscient ol' veteran as yerself sees fit to spend so many paragraphs tutoring such an Ignoramus as myself, hunh? Still, I believe your impassioned argument for triangulation is a recipe for the continued deterioration of our individual rights and the future success of America as a whole.
"Mudboy Slim thinks about only in terms of what pleases him. The name of the game is to get enough support from the 2/3 of the population that does not and never will support your position."
Actually, I'm thinking about what is best for the Country, and that is not to continue our unceasing slide towards Socialism as we make excuses as to why a collectivist future is inevitable. You can claim that "2/3rds of the population does not and never will" support the devolution of Power from the Federal Bureaucracy back to the States, Localities, Neighborhoods, Families, and Individuals, and I will admit we've got a lot of educating to do. However, you seem to cynically discount the fact that Centralized Decision-making has been demonstrated to be a failure whenever and wherever it has been tried. Sure, the Left controls most of the Mass Medyuh, the Education System, Hollyweird, the lion's share of the non-profits and philanthropic foundations, and of course the huge Federal Leviathan, but we've got the Truth on OUR side and that still matters. Increasingly, we've seen the impact of alternative sources of media (talk radio, some periodicals, and the Internet) have in getting this Truth out to the masses. We need to build upon this, not throw in the towel and aggressively implement our adversaries' agenda until we somehow get 60 GOP Senators!!
"If Bush were to fight Daschle, guess what happens in the fall elections? Such a fight causes the middle to say the hell with both sides. When the middle see both the Democrats and Republicans as bickering fools, who wins?"
Who says we need to be "bickering fools"? What we need to do is pick issues that we can win on and differentiate ourselves from the RATS, then debate the issues shamelessly and tirelessly. Allowing a percentage of our Social Security to be invested--at our option--in Personal Retirement Accounts is one such issue. Medical Savings Accounts are another such issue. School Vouchers are another issue on which we can gain voter share. Each empowers the Individual over the Collectivist Bureaucracy. For those who favor the supposed security of the Federalized option, they should be insured that they can keep with the same system they now use. This is the way to advance the Right's Agenda AND gain Voter Share; instead of fighting over who can be the most "compassionate" in spreading around Government Largesse.
"The only victories that the right enjoys is when the public sees them as the party trying to get along and the Democrats as those wanting to make trouble."
Sir, with all due respect, this is absolute moolarkey!! Dubyuh's daddy attempted this strategy in '92 and we got Clinton. Then, in '94, the GOPers used the "Contract with America" to differentiate ourselves from the RATS and we won a huge victory. After we chickened out in the Government shutdown and buckled, we nominated the "Tax Collector for the Welfare State," Bobdole who is the quintessential go-along-to-get-along candidate and we got whupped by a demonstrably-corrupt Billzabubba who was ripe for the pickin'!! The GOP gets our heads handed to us when we try to be DemonRats II.
"When the Democrats attack the Republicans and the Republicans fight back, the media helps the Democrats."
So it has always been, but increasingly the Sheeple have come to understand this bias and account for it.
"When the Democrats attack and the Republicans don't fight back, the media first comes down on the side of the Democrats. Then they see the middle is rooting for the underdog. So they take on the Democrats. It seems that even very stupid people could figure out the game is stacked against them."
Since you've already pointed out my "ignorance", I must assume this "very stupid" comment is addressed to me as well...but I have always known the game is stacked against us. The National Media needs National Issues to be addressed by an ever-expanding National Government. State, Local, and Individual Solutions to problems do not Expanding Ratings Shares make!! But to claim that the Media and the Sheeple are "rooting for an underdog" when the Left is rolling over Right is ridiculous...when the Right shows no spine, the jackals smell blood and pour on the vitriol all the heavier.
"The only time this nation has moved from the right to the left or vice versa is when one party controls 60 votes in the senate, a majority in the house and the presidency. When that is the situation the nation is moved one way or the other. The only game worth playing is trying to get to that position."
So, the right should continue growing the Federal Government as desired by the RATS for as long as it takes to get 60 GOP Senators?! Sorry, sir, but that could take forever if the voters perceive the GOP to be weak step-sisters to the RATS. I do think we can gain a 60-seat majority because I believe the ever-expanding Federal Leviathan has become increasingly-indefensible, but we will only be successful if we show the voters how the right would accomplish scaling Collectivism back and how it will benefit--and empower--them!!
"Nixon gave a little to the left hoping for approval. He never got it."
Actually, Nixon gave quite a lot to the Left (wage/price controls, the EPA, etc.) and the Left sensed weakness and pounced. I fear Dubyuh could be walking into the same trap.
"Mudboy demands that Bush squander this chance by fighting over small items in the near term. But the long scheme to win the senate by 60 working votes is all that really matters. Mudboy wants Bush to do what Reagan did which is just go for limiting government growth. Reagan makes Mudboy happy."
Elsewhere, you've already pointed out that Reagan failed in limiting government growth, but I was happy with Reagan's ability to win the Cold War over the Evil Empire of Collectivists. Since that battle has been fought and won, I believe the next battle to undertake is against the Evil Left in our own Country, and we should be prepared to fight America's Collectivists with every bit as much passion and resolve as we fought the Soviets...yes, that would make Mudboy happy.
"Sixty percent of the public is against what we want to do. Just as sixty percent of the population is against what the Democrats want to do. The wishy washy 20 percent in the middle wants to do nothing. They keep saying,"Can't we just get along?" The object is to get the 60 percent opposed to the Democrats to vote against Democrats and for Republicans. To do that Republicans have to keep their heads down and make sure the Democrats a$$es are up. That is the current situation."
I guess this is the core of our disagreement, my learned yet somewhat mean-sprited FRiend. I don't think you can win a mandate voting for the other guys' Agenda and saying, "Hey, we're not as bad as the other guys." Only 40+% of eligible voters vote anyway, and it ought to be our goal to give folks something to vote FOR, while still accepting the votes of those who simply--and understandably--vote AGAINST the DemonRATS. There are a lot of voters who have become disillusioned by too many years of Republicrat/Demoblican Milquetoast Moderation...let's not take them for granted and we should see an impassioned turnout for the Right in both '02 and '04!!
FReegards...MUD