So, with Mitt Romney out and Mike Huckabee needing to win 83.3% of the remaining delegates to secure the nomination, does anyone doubt that John McCain will be the Republican nominee? I will be writing in the near future on what I see as the cause of the state of the Republican Party and what “We the People” can do about it.
Until then, I’ve posed some questions that I am inviting everyone to post their comments and you can throw out other food for thought. Let’s get the dialogue started.
Rules first; no nasty talk, no name-calling, no disparaging a candidate’s character. This is the grown-up blog. If you want to curse, belittle, make fun, talk about someone’s physical characteristics, that is not welcome here. There are plenty of blog sites out there for that, or you can start your own. I want substantive comments and respectful points and counterpoints.
Here are some questions to get the ball rolling:
How is it that we’ve come to this point?
What do we as a party do now?
Do you care if we lose the White House?
What about the Supreme Court nominees?
Are you willing to allow the country to suffer to just to teach the Republican Party hacks a lesson?
What, if anything, can John McCain do to win your vote?
That should get us started.
How is it that we’ve come to this point? I’ve been asking myself that question since the beginning of the primaries. Where are our strong leaders? Have they all decided not to run again? Who will stand up for those of us who believe in the values we were taught and want to have them passed on because those values really DO work! To be honest, I believe that much of it has to do with the incredibly destructive atmosphere of politics that exists now. Who in their right mind, who hasn’t been a Washington hardened politician would want to put themselves, their families, their lives through the rigors of a presidential campaign or the microscope of the Presidency itself?
What do we as a party do now? We remind ourselves that we are Americans FIRST. That comes before party affiliation. The country has to come first. What form that should take I haven’t though through all the way.
Do you care if we lose the White House? Yes
What about the Supreme Court nominees? We must have more genuine conservative judges throughout the federal and state court system, not just in the Supreme Court.
Are you willing to allow the country to suffer to just to teach the Republican Party hacks a lesson? No.
What, if anything, can John McCain do to win your vote? No answer for this one yet. But fortunately I have time to really pick this apart and consider my options carefully.
That should get us started.
McCain’s speech was merely a step in the right direction. There were many questions unanswered, many issues unresolved and/or not clarified, many positions not repudiated and many apologies not issued among other problems I had. I’m sure he’s well aware of the need to revisit the base frequently in the coming months. It’s going to take a lot more to reassure and gain the trust of THIS hard-core conservative! I have no doubt that the bulk of us are not the pushovers he may hope!
Q. How is it that we’ve come to this point?
A. We have had a cyclical swing of the political pendulum in America to the Left. Not all of the way, but past center, perhaps. Rarely in our history have we seen our country as divided as we are now. I think the people are getting tired of the bickering, as well as the apparent inability of our government to get anything done. Added to this is the angst created by the war, which impatient Americans cannot tolerate. Finally, the issues have become so numerous and so complicated that I doubt if 5% of the voters or even know about them much less understand them.
Q. What do we as a party do now?
A. Do all that we can to educate America, but in a positive light rather than in the destructive haranguing that both we AND the Democrats have used in the past.
Q. Do you care if we lose the White House?
A. Yes, definitely. The havoc that will be raised if either Hillary or Obama are elected will be irreversible…Socialized health care; a weakened military; surrender in Iraq; loss of focus on terrorism; higher taxes; more entitlement programs; amnesty for illegals; revisionist federal judges appointed; Roe v. Wade never overturned; further destruction of family values. And that is just a start.
Q. What about the Supreme Court nominees?
A. Six of the existing judges are approaching retirement. If the Democrats win, we could have a liberal supreme court for 20-30 years.
Q. Are you willing to allow the country to suffer to just to teach the Republican Party hacks a lesson?
A. No, under no circumstances.
Q. What, if anything, can John McCain do to win your vote?
A. Although I am optimistic after his speech today at CPAC, even that was not necessary to gain my vote. The alternative to a McCain win would be simply too horrific, considering the two Democratic candidates.
What do we as a party do now?
The news media has told us that the nomination process is over. The news media picked our candidate. Why don’t we ask them what we should do?
It ain’t over until its over, but we give up because we have been told it is hopeless. They tell us over and over what is possible and what we should do, and look at where listening to them has gotten us. Maybe it is time we stopped listening to the news media. Maybe that is what we should do as a party.
If Huckabee needs 83 percent of the vote, then let’s work to get him 83 percent of the vote. Why hand the nomination to McCain on a silver platter. For the good of the party? Nonsense. McCain needs us, not we him, and he needs to be reminded of that.
Davo, here we go. My third post. But, I know you have mentioned me many times as your dear friend, and Dave you and Karen certainly are. Love the both of you.
JB Williams mentioned in an email to us that the GOP should concentrate on regaining the Senate to counter McCain’s, Obama,s or Hillary’s liberal decisions should any of those three win the White House. I agree it is a great plan. However, my reply to his email is below and you and I have talked about this a few times at lunch when the Lott’s and Frist’s were running the show.
I agree 100% that we should concentrate on the Senate. The time to start IS now, and, if the GOP does regain control of the Senate, let me ask this, because I think many Conservatives will agree with me. Do you think Republicans REALLY know what to do WHEN they have the majority? I don’t.
They had the House and Senate for 14 years and in the 2002 elections got a greater majority than they had in 2000! What did they do with that majority?? Squandered it away.
With Leaders like Lott and Frist who cow tow to the left, who needs the majority! They are frightened of PC, their chances of re-election, and the media. They cannot stand for their own principles and they “apologize” for everything they do instead of taking criticism like adults. They do not have the will or backbone to filibuster the way the dems did and they do not have the will to play ball the way the Dems do. Remember, “fight as your enemy fights”. The GOP at times disappoints me with how they react to issues and that needs to change before the GOP can regain majority. They need to stand for what WE THE PEOPLE believe and voice it to the country without fear of retribution.
Our party needs to start taking some calcium shots to harden their backbone because if we do regain the majority, it will be the same old thing we saw 2001-2006 – political impotence.
In closing, I agree with what you (JB) are saying. Matter of fact I think all of us (conservatives) agree 100% with your anger at being “politically homeless” (I like the term I used the other day – a man without a country when it comes to a candidate) and that’s where the fork in the road begins. Some will hold their breaths and support McCain and some will not. Yes we should regain the House and Senate and do everything we can to take it back. But when I envision a GOP controlled Senate, the discussion above comes to mind.
Hi Dave- Like others, I’ve been trying to think of how we’ve come to this point. I have the same feeling I did when we had the last congressional elections. So many people either sat out and didn’t vote, and I believe that many who did vote probably had no idea who they were voting for. In this day of information- seems to me that so many still get all their information from the mainstream media and are Not informed as well as they could be. “He sounds nice”, “He has nice hair”, “He speaks well” etc. I also think that the republican party has not been that much different from the democrats. I’m not saying there aren’t real concervatives still working hard, but we have so many rino’s it seems, and wiith big spending, the open borders and the almost unwillingness to stand up against the democrats- even when republicans held the senate and the house- it seems like they (we) rolled over way too much. I hope this makes sense the way I’m writing it. Thankfully, republicans have passed quite a few bills that are so important to the values voters- but at the same time, it just seems like not enough strong minded, people of conviction are willing to fight harder. My son likes to watch the old Davey Crockett movies. Now, I’m not sure how historically correct they are, but there’s a part where Davey rushes back to Washington during an important vote on Indians. He knew that his position was a losing one, and he gave the speech of his political life to defend his principals and his unpopular position on the rights of Indians. I’ve often wondered if he really would have had to leave his office if others had been as strongminded and outspoken as he was. It’s still the same today- how wonderful people could accomplish so much good for this country- if they just stuck to their guns, and had the guts to fight. I just don’t see this in McCain- Yes his speech was somewhat impressive- but I’ve heard it all before. God Bless you Dave- I don’t quite know where we go from here, but I know we’ve got a lot of work to do!
Always respect the opposition, particularly from within your own party. McCain, for example, does fight, and he fights hard — just not always for the right things.
Our problem is that incumbent politicians have systematically undermined the ability of the People to express their preferences by organizing via political parties. Consider why McCain has done so well. McCain is effectively the incumbent, the well known establishment candidate. The vote of conservatives who know his record is diluted via primaries, and such is the intended effect. The primary system exists solely so that incumbent politicians do not have to answer to the political parties that nominate them.
One of the main reasons we have come to this point is that most rank and file Republicans stood oblivious to the political chicanery being perpetrated by the RNC prior to the primary process.
How is it that two incredibly liberal states like New Hampshire and Iowa were allowed to literally mandate who our canidates would be? Why on Erath did the RNC allow Blue New Hampshire and Blue Iowa to effectively drum Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter out of the primaries?
We need to FORCE the RNC into restructuring the primary process. States that have demonstrated a dedication to Conservativism through high Conservative (read Red) voter turnout and percentages should be slated for early primaries and states like New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York — states that have never delivered Red in a national election — should be relegated to later primaries. This assures at least two things:
1) Conservatives will choose the candidates deep into the primary process,
2) Crossover voting will be discouraged.
JB Williams is correct, we must now focus on the Senate and, optimally, the House. But we don’t have to choose either the Legislative Branch or the Executive Branch. We can take both. Then strong congressional leaders can support what is good about the McCain platform and oppose what isn’t.
But make no mistake, if we get caught in the politics of fingerpointing within the party, always looking backward and never to the future, we will lose simply because we aren’t addressing the issues.
McCain needs not only to convince the Conservatives to back him (and we must allow him to do so, we can’t stick our fingers in our ears) he needs to start campaigning. We can either help or hinder….which one leads top victory?
(See previous comment, above)
The currect URL for my website, The Drum and Cannon, is http://home.comcast.net/~jackott2/Redstate.htm
Read Michelle Malkin my friends. Stop sulking, let’s make sure a Republican wins in November and starting NOW: Get fired up!
Make sure, if you are a TRUE CONSERVATIVE, that you walk the walk and not just “talk” or complaint or whine. People with a mission and a cause DO NOT WHINE, they ACT, the DO!!
Join the Vanguard, join the NFRA, join whatever coalition or organization of true conservatives is near your area.
Stop complaining about the Mainstream Media, you are preaching to the choir on their “liberal bias” and guess what? Your complaining about them will not change them in the least.
Help “educate” your family member, your church friends, your neighbor and ESPECIALLY YOUR CHILDREN, that this nation is a nation of doers but that unfortunately right now has “much too many what do you have for me?” types. That this nation, still yet, has more CONSERVATIVES than LIBERALS. If only more CONSERVATIVES would get off their couches, if they only stopped “just whining and talking” and if only they “did more proactive things” to keep this nation CONSERVATIVE.
Get fired up!! Get organized, UNITE as CONSERVATIVES. The reason we are ending up with McCain is because we FAILED TO UNITE.
He knows he can’t win “without us pesky CONSERVATIVES.” Yes he knows and he will pander. That’s ok, we need him in the White House instead of the other option.
UNITE for your nation, UNITE for the GOP….and, join the cause to make sure RINOs know we are on the warpath with them!
God Bless
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MjUyODA5Mjg5YTc3MTY1MjE5NjdmMGU0ODlhYzI1Yzg=
How is it that we’ve come to this point?
I think we have come to this point because of the number of “half famous” candidates we had running. ie. Rudy, McCain, Thompson. People recocnize their fame or notiriority and not thier worth… or they did not think them worthy because of their fame. And the meriad of voters who are interested in the “greatness” of these people overlooked the importance of thier political and social agendas.
What do we as a party do now? Do you care if we lose the White House?
I don’t know what we do except keep voicing our opinions so the candidate with the final primary vote might hear us. About the White House this is a tricky question for me. I think we can not afford to loose this time because of the major agendas we are facing, for possibly a lifetime, changes such as health care, walfare, military etc… However was it helpful to us 9+ years ago to have a do- nothing -president in the Democratic party, I mean would Bush have become elected if we never had his predicessor? If you work on Sukoko puzzles perhaps you will understand this analogy: somtimes when finding the right number it is the absence of a number that is the biggest help! hopefully some of you will get that.
What about the Supreme Court nominees?
another reason not to loose the election.
Are you willing to allow the country to suffer to just to teach the Republican Party hacks a lesson?
Refer to my answer two questions above, but basically no…I don’t know. God did send the Judges and other various mercies when his people were lost, maybe he needs to send some again….Pray Hard!
What, if anything, can John McCain do to win your vote?
Pretty much change his attitude, and his friends (politicaly.) Hey God saved Saul, I am sure he could do it again…PRAY REALLY HARD.
If Fred Thompson thought John McCain would be a good president for the United States of America he would have never entered the race. He made that personal sacrifice because none of the candidates were acceptable to him, acceptable to us. The acknowledgement that President Clinton and President Obama would be a disaster does not make an endorsement for John McCain. Nor does the acknowledgement that John McCain is the lesser of the evils make it an endorsement.
As for falling in line because of what Fred does or says: This was always about principle and truth not a man or personality. Fred is his own man. I am my own man. You are your own man. The truth remains the same and I choose to follow the truth.
Fred having a high profile in the Federal Government would do much to console me. A promise of this could be enough to win my vote in this year of no good choices.
John McCain dosen’t understand!!!
I received this in an email and thought it was good.
HATS OFF TO CHARLIE DANIELS….AT LEAST HE HAS THE COURAGE TO SPEAK HIS MIND!!!
I don’t know how everybody else feels about it, but to me I think Hispanic people in this country, legally or illegally, made a huge public relations mistake with their recent demonstrations..
I don’t blame anybody in the world for wanting to come to the United States of America , as it is a truly wonderful place.
But when the first thing you do when you set foot on American soil is illegal, it is flat out wrong and I don’t care how many la la land left heads come out of the woodwork and start trying to give me sensitivity lessons.
I don’t need sensitivity lessons, in fact I don’t have anything against Mexicans! I just have something against criminals and anybody who comes into this country illegally is a criminal and if you don’t believe it try coming into America from any other foreign country without a passport and see how far you get. What disturbs me about the demonstrations is that it’s tantamount to saying, “I am going to come into your country even if it means breaking your laws and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
It’s an “in your face” action and speaking just for me, I don’t like it one little bit and if there were a half dozen pairs of gonads in Washington bigger than English peas it wouldn’t be happening.
Where are you, you bunch of lily livered, pantywaist, forked tongued, sorry excuses for defenders of The Constitution? Have you been drinking the water out of the Potomac again? And even if you pass a bill on immigration it will probably be so pork laden and watered down that it won’t mean anything anyway. Besides, what good is another law going to do when you won’t enforce the ones on the books now?
And what ever happened to the polls, guys? I thought you folks were the quintessential finger wetters. Well you sure ain’t paying any attention to the polls this time because somewhere around eighty percent of Americans want something done about this mess, and mess it is and getting bigger everyday.
This is no longer a problem, it is a dilemma and headed for being a tragedy. Do you honestly think that what happened in France with the Muslims can’t happen here when the businesses who hire these people finally run out of jobs and a few million disillusioned Hispanics take to the streets?
If you, Mr. President, Congressmen and Senators, knuckle under on this and refuse to do something meaningful, it means that you care nothing for the kind of country your children and grand-children will inherit. But I guess that doesn’t matter as long as you get re-elected. Shame on you.
One of the big problems in America today is that if you have the nerve to say anything derogatory about any group of people (except Christians) you are going to be screamed at by the media and called a racist, a bigot and anything else they can think of to call you
Well I’ve been pounded by the media before and I’m still rockin’ and rollin’ and when it comes to speaking the truth I fear not. And the truth is that the gutless, gonadless, milksop politicians are just about to sell out the United States of America because they don’t have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to face reality.
And reality is that we would never allow any other group of people to have 12 million illegal’s in this country and turn around and say, “Oh it’s ok, ya’ll can stay here if you’ll just allow us to slap your wrist.”
And I know that some of you who read this column are saying “Well what’s wrong with that?” I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it. These people could be from Mars as far as we know. We don’t know who they are, where they are or what they’re up to and the way the Congress is going we’re not going to.
Does this make sense? Labor force you say? We already subsidize corporate agriculture as it is, must we subsidize their labor as well?
If these people were from Haiti would we be so fast to turn a blind eye to them or if they were from Somalia or Afghanistan ? I think not.
All the media shows us are pictures of hard working Hispanics who have crossed the border just to try to better their life. They don’t show you pictures of the Feds rounding up members of MS 13, the violent gang who came across the same way the decent folks did. They don’t tell you about the living conditions of the Mexican illegal’s some fat cat hired to pick his crop.
I want to make two predictions.
No. 1: This situation is going to grow and fester until it erupts in violence on our streets while the wimps in Washington drag their toes in the dirt and try to figure how many tons of political hay they can make to the acre.
No 2: Somebody is going to cross that border with some kind of weapon of mass destruction and set it off in a major American city after which there will be a backlash such as this country has never experienced and the Capitol building in Washington will probably tilt as Congressmen and Senators rush to the other side of the issue.
I don’t know about you but I would love to see just one major politician stand up and say, “I don’t care who I make mad and I don’t care how many votes I lose, this is a desperate situation and I’m going to lead the fight to get it straightened out.”
I don’t blame anybody for wanting to come to America , but if you don’t respect our immigration laws why should you respect any others?
And by the way, this is America and our flag has stars and stripes. Please get that other one out of my face.
God Bless America
Charlie Daniels
MY COUNTRY
IF IT IS YOUR COUNTRY,
SPEAK UP!
I am not against immigration –
just come through like everyone else
Get a sponsor;
have a place to lay your head;
have a job;
pay your taxes;
live by the rules;
and
LEARN THE LANGUAGE
as all other immigrants have in the past
and
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
PART OF THE PROBLEM
Think about this:
If you don’t want to forward this
for fear of offending someone,
YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM!
Will we still be the Country of choice
and still be America if we continue
to make the changes forced on us by
people from other countries who came
to live in America because it is the
Country of Choice?
Think about it!
All we have to say is, when will
Someone do something about
MY RIGHTS?
We’ve gone so far the other way,
bent over backwards to not
offend anyone, that I am now
being offended.
But it seems no one has a problem
with that.
“In God We Trust”
is our national motto. This is not
some Christian, right wing, political slog an.
We adopted this motto because Christian men
and women – on Christian principles – founded
this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls
of our schools.
It is Time for America to Speak up
If you agree – pass this along;
if you don’t agree – delete it!