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.
He brags about being retired at age 49 and continuously attacks tpaine.
I should have addressed this: He was rude to me. Rude, and condescending. It was no "expression of frustration"; it was totally unnecessary, unprovoked, and uncalled for...and there's no excuse for it. But now, I'm going to do something more productive with my time than discuss the posting habits of others. Have a good one.
That's not been my experience, and I am often quite disagreeable...errr, in the minority.
"If he squelches dissenting opinions (often) then the direction of the forum is most certainly shaped with his hand."
I haven't seen him squelching dissenting opinion...the folks who get the heave-ho are usually the trolls who would love nothing more than to see conservatives cannibalizing each other. They're actually quite easy to distinguish from the genuine Conservatives who feel let down by the present Administration.
As for those who cavalierly dismiss Constructive Criticism of Dubyuh as BushBashing, it's an increasingly-tiresome debate technique, IMHO. Still, there is a real difference between offerring up a critique of Dubyuh's performance to date and attacking the man personally, which too many frustrated folks are all-too-quick to do.
FReegards...MUD
I think the biggest problem in this country is that people look for leaders instead of leading themselves.
I guess I should have called you a smart ass! LOL.
It's our responsibility to lead ourselves, IMO.
I admit I haven't paid attention to you or tpaine, but this thread was started by your attacks (as far as I can tell). If tpaine is truly rude and socially unacceptable...why do you stoop to his level? And worse yet, why do you start it?
And your point is? Who's to say that both don't deserve what they got?
I do blame the president. He signed it. I blame my jerks of senators Carl Lenin and Debbie Stabusall as well.
I'll be working to rectify one of the jerks from my state by voting for ROCKY.
Correct me if I am wrong but it was Twodees that said he was 49 and retired.
Drunk again huh?
Tell me about it...one of them (RINO Sen. Jawn Warner) is running unopposed for reelection this Fall!! Turns my stomach just thinking about it in this relatively conservative State, but I'm sure there are gutless pee-ons out there that look to Warner's fecklessness as an example of how to keep their fat, useless arses in Power as long as politically-possible!! I still think Ollie North couldda whupped him in the GOP Primary, had he been so inclined.
"...if Clinton had a Democrat Congress, things would ahve been alot different"
I don't disagree, and we had two years of that and were saved from Socialized Medicine only by the threat of GOP filibuster. It's a nightmare scenario alright, especially considering the turbulent times in which we live.
FReegards...MUD
LOL...thanks fer clarifying. Yo hablo espanol pero no frances...MUD
I missed last night's thread, but good for Jim if he could find reasons to defend Bush's position on some issues. I know you don't like Bush, but I think he has many positive qualities, and is a good leader-so I am always glad to know other people think so too.
As far as the rest---it's bizarre. I know that some people believe that if you aren't a Bush supporter, you are more likely to become a victim of NCFBTN. I am not sure that being pro or anti Bush has anything to do with anything. It seems more like it is more about fun and games than anything else.
I have it on good authority that you are the head warlock in the "coven".
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