Posted on 06/22/2002 9:46:05 AM PDT by quidnunc
This summer will mark the 47th year since I took my first Republican job: as public relations director for the party in Minnesota. Since then I have rarely strayed from politics, or my party. I served as a staffer to two GOP congressmen, to a GOP governor, as a federal appointee to Richard Nixon and as a corporate executive who supported in Washington and Springfield much, if not all, of the Republican agenda.
You can describe me as a conservative. Thus I am qualified to say that although I dearly love conservatives, they tend to be querulous, disagreeable and threaten revolt when Republican office-holders don't please them. So it is now with George W. Bush. Here is a president who has surprised us all with the firmness and resolve he showed after 9/11. I must tell you I voted for him with less enthusiasm than I had for many of his predecessors. But his administration has pleased me often most notably on two issues: defense of America and social policy.
Yet, Bush has to get re-elected in a country that is evenly divided on philosophy. Thus he must occasionally on matters that sometimes offend conservatives dip into the other side's ideology for support. He has done so on three notable occasions: on the issue of steel protectionism, where he departed his free-market proclamations; on the signing of a campaign finance bill tailored by his enemies, and allowing his attorney general (in the words of Libertarian Nat Hentoff in the Washington Times) "to send disguised agents into religious institutions, libraries and meetings of citizens critical of government policy without a previous complaint, or reason to believe that a crime has been committed."
In a perfect political world, where conservatives are in the majority, these things would be sufficient to encourage a boycott of the polls. Either that or a protest vote for the Democratic opposition. But we are not in a perfect world. We conservatives have a president who didn't receive a majority of the votes, and has one house of Congress against him. He must make compromises to get re-elected. Conservatives who do not understand the nature of politics ought to stay in their air-conditioned ivory towers and refrain from political activity altogether. If they cannot adjudge the stakes in this election and the difference between Bush and an Al Gore or a John Kerry (D-Mass.) or a Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), they are foolish indeed.
-snip-
To read the remainder of this op/ed open the article via the link provided in the thread's header.
What do you mean slash and burn? Is standing up for what you believe slash and burn? Is doing what you said you'd do slash and burn? Early in in GW's presidency he was fulfilling his promises and the liberal media was shocked that a politician was keeping his word. Now that he's started to change on several positions have you noticed how the media have let up on him? Coincidence?
Now if you take the extremes like he should mandate all abortions be illegal and challenge it in the Courts and that he should try and pass a flat tax right this very moment--then yes that is slash and burn. Especially since it isn't what he promised during the election. All I want is for him to keep his promise. He promised me things and I promised him my vote. I delivered on my promise--has he delivered on his?
That's right, don't show any FReeper courtesy, don't ping me. CJ was right, "[t]he only people tpaine gets any respect from are the discredited retreads".
Visine Eye Drop = blustering, boisterous, brainless retread!
Disability?
You got the whole radical leftist agenda. Seems like you want to return to those days.
Btw, exactly when did you change your tune about President Bush and decide to support him? I don't remember seeing that one.True about some, wrong about most. That's a really tired play at marginalizing those who criticize the President.
So much for your coalition-building skills.
I support him when he's right, and bash him when he's wrong. Though he's come close to losing it, for now, on balance, the President has my vote. Where have I said otherwise?
I'm not. Take a shot.
Yep, probably a forced retirement.
I'm 49 too.
So you're on retirement disability. BIG DEAL. Mental stress got to be too much for ya. Too bad. So sad.
I made a killing in the stock market.
I'm independently wealthy.
Actually if you haven't noticed we are getting there, but faster than we were in '92. Actually I posted the wrong date. I meant to say 1992-1994, but either way the point stands. The liberal left passed a tax increase and was trying to do other wacky things like socialized healthcare. Then 1994 the conservatives led by Newt and the Promise with America took over. And they delivered on those promises!
. If you don't believe it does, why don't you have the b@lls to stand up and fight it?
You mean by voting for losers like Harry Browne, Pat Buchanan, and Howard Phillips? I prefer to work on my state reps, school district reps, and city council to keep my local taxes low and try to maintain high property values in our neighborhoods.
Working at the national level is too frustrating.
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