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.
Political leadership isn't the naive notion that you hold, it's far more complicated than that.
Right now, the Democrats hold the vast majority of the cards when it comes to education, all that the GOP can do is to look like crap in front of the middle-of-the-road voter (read,the majority of US voters). Yes, it isn't enough that we yell that the system is failing, it must fail, completely.
To go to the American public with this will only satisfy or ego, it will not convince the single mom with two kids of anything other than the GOP is about to screw the school kids again.
You sure are obsessed with my sex life.
Maybe I misunderstood you when you asked me to "flame" you.
I'm sorry; I can't help you with that. You'll need to cruise those 'special' bars.
Good night.
I am sure he does. You are his "every member is at least more stable than Tpaine" guy. Hell even Buckaroo.
Hell LAZ I am not the one writing odes to my underwear. LOL
Regulations aren't law.
How would you change settled regulatory interpretations of existing law without a change in the law itself? And how could a President bring about such a change? Do you have any clue at all?
Your plan is working!
As we all do, tpaine. Who *you* are is other than your words and temper.
Hey I didn't "puke" you did.
Bush doesn't need to change any law or regulation or interpretation. He simply needs to direct OSHA to stop unenforcing blood-borne pathogen regulations (e.g. reusing tubing, not sterilizing instruments) in abortion clinics. Abortionists remain in business only because they are tax-subsidized and handed de facto get-out-of-jail-free cards by Democrats and Rockefeller Republicans. Yes, I have a clue. Thanks for asking.
What 'plan' is that, Stan?
Ahhh shucks. Thank you.
My impression of a certain cranky, insult-flinging individual on this thread is pretty well established. Nice of you, bud, to urge him to apologize - I appreciate that. He has refused, of course, but I'm sure that surprises you about as much as it surprises me.
Why people need to treat each other so poorly on FreeRepublic is a mystery to me. This guy would have a perpetual black eye if he talked to people this way in real life. I'll bet his mouth isn't nearly as bold as his keyboard.
Everybody Piling Ons? Well, GW might be a conservative but his first term hasn't proved it. I'm actualy one who looks forward to a two-house majority where he may exhibit it. Dan from Michigan has probably got it right. The current crop of candidates chosen for national politics have to start somewhere and third parties should start jamming real conservatives into the mix at the local level.
What's in the clip right now is not much for a conservative to depend upon, but what's headed up just might be. If the two major parties continue down the same set of tracks perhaps even Joe-dumbass-voter will recognize the dangers and look for an alternative. A good looking, fluent, third party candidate could wipe the floor with anything the two major parties want to send up. It'd be like the Belmont all over again. 70 to 1 long shot. I'd nominate myself but I'm too busy with my business and hobby to have the time. :^)
Are you contending that OSHA has exempted abortions clinics from the uncited and unquoted regulations you've referred to? How do you know?
Remember dog food for the elderly? Poor kids not getting milk? Doesn't matter HOW the Dems say it--the mssg. never changes when it comes to bashing the GOP. It seems to be their only agenda.
Dementia.
You really should stop sharing your mental problems with us. Too much information.
1784 posted on 6/23/02 9:45 PM Pacific by Texasforever
You so beat me to it. ; )
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