WE Have The Cure For What Ails The GOP
How many of you are scratching your heads right now in wonderment of what I am referring to? If you are up-to-date on the GOP's history over the last five years, then you understand. For those that do not, no person is best at explaining it than Hugh Hewitt, and to best explain it, one must read Painting the Map Red to understand. Below, from Painting the Map Red, is a description of the disease the GOP suffers from:
"General George McClellan was one of Lincoln's unsuccessful generals and was eventually Lincoln's Democratic opponent in the 1864 presidential election. While still in command of the Army of the Potomac, McClellan repeatedly blew opportunity after opportunity in the early years of the Civil War to force decisive battles, always overestimating the strength of the Army of Virginia, and always demanding more men and more supplies or imagining obstacles in his way."
"Though he was a Democrat, McClellan's timidity has found it's home in large parts of the GOP, whose leaders are quick to panic whenever a bad patch of news appears. Even more alarming, there is a refusal to simply debate these crucial issues openly and repeatedly and to demand of media representatives the right to talk not just about what Tim Russert wantsa to discuss, but what the leadership wants to discuss. The polite courtesies of Washington, DC, have also seemed over the years to freeze Republicans in stiff silence even as Harry Reid blasts the president as a "loser," or Nancy Pelosi labels him as "dangerous." If politics is understood as football, the GOP doesn't do well in the trenches, and its leaders often lack the stomach for contact."
In the modern day, Mr. Hewitt refers to this as "McClellan's Disease." And the GOP has exhibited it for quite some time. The cure, you ask? It is dirt simple: Reinforce to the GOP where they are supposed to be. We are their base, and WE do not think enough "punishment" has been handed out to the GOP yet. As we highlighted a few months back, Captain Ed Morrissey a phemomenon. It was called "Not. One. Dime." And it hurt the GOP. At a time when the fireworks were flying over the possibility that the Constitutional Option would be executed, Senator Bill Frist dawdled. He dithered. He stretched out the drama for weeks. In the process, he let a crucial issue slip through his fingers.
McClellan's Disease all over again, and the GOP responded with a refusal to send any money directly to the RNC, or the NRSC. That is step one. If you contribute, do so directly to the candidates you support. We are already winning the war in donations compared to the Democrats, but the GOP will not support outsiders challenging incumbants. They did not do it to Arlen Specter in 2004, much to our chagrin, and they virtually froze out the two people attempting to challenge John McCain.
While we agree with Hugh that the GOP has a large enough "tent" to encompass all facets of the Republican party (even those leaning a shade more left that the centrists), there are limits to one's patience. We have no problem with people like John McCain as long as he stays on the reservation just a bit more. While he may be right six or seven times out of ten, lately he has become a world-class pain in the backside. The same goes for the other RINOs in the Senate.
We are positive that most of that "individualism" that the RINOs display at times would disappear quickly with a far more effective leader int he Senate. Senator Frist will be retiring , and his seat is wide open in Tennessee. So, a new leader will also be needed. And it cannot be someone like Senator Frist, and no, it cannot be Senator Lott either. New blood must be brought in, so to speak, who can control the party. Personally speaking, I would prefer Senator John Kyl to head up the GOP in the Senate. Senator John Cornyn would be another solid choice for the position.
A strong leader is equivalent to a strong party. So, step one is to contribute directly to candidates you respect, and can appreciate their contribution to the Republican party. Not one more dime should go to the big tent's coffers. They will earn enough on their own through direct contributions. If that upsets an incumbant like Olympia Snowe or Mike DeWine, that is fine by us. But their replacement cannot be a simple retread of the person they are replacing. We are looking for a few good conservatives, and we hope the Republican base is on board for that. If not, it is not a big deal. We have beat our heads against brick walls before. Eventually, enough people will, and the wall will crumble. Some of these people, in our eyes, have not earned reelection.
Step two is to support a strong leader when the time comes. This is not an Arlen Specter or John McCain. Both men, and senators of similar stripes, tend to pull a McClellan and refuse to engage, or allow debate. They look for the easiest, most non-confrontational means necessary to maintain a false peace. The Democrats are playing to win, and we seem so likely to simply rollover. This week's fiasco with the immigration compromise (thank God it did not get the votes it needed), the DeWine-inspired nosing around the NSA program and his possible Congressional remedy, the Gang of 14 deal, and the hemming and hawing over the Constitutional Option are four glaring examples of why a strong leader is needed. A strong leader, willing to engage the parties ideological foes, will motivate his party to do the same.
We are not talking about getting down in the mud and wrestling with the Democrats. We conduct ourselves as we have been, but we just do not turn tail and run like it seems we are so often doing. We can debate the issues, and we are better at it. Whereas we bring facts, logic, and reasoning to the discussion, we receive vitriol in return from them. So what if the Democrats call a Republican a "racist," "homophobic," "bigoted," or any other adjective they may locate within the English language. Ninety-nine percent of Republicans are not like that, and I would hope that this percentage is close to how our elected officials think, too. I am almost positive that it is. It is a name, nothing more, and not something that should silence anyone in a debate if it is not true.
WE have been called much worse. Every time Thomas is called a "Nazi" he returns the commoent with a quick "Seig Heil!" It is amusing, but diffusing, and he can quickly turn the debate back around on them. Instead of engaging in the same sort of rhetoric as your ideologically-inferior opponent, throw it back in their face and move on.
--Contribute nothing more to the NRSC or RNC. Contribute only to direct candidates.
--Help your elected officials choose a strong leader in the Senate.
--Do not run from a debate or an argument. Stand your ground.
Three simple steps, and they are the first steps in a cure for McClellan's Disease.
The Bunny ;)
How many of you are scratching your heads right now in wonderment of what I am referring to? If you are up-to-date on the GOP's history over the last five years, then you understand. For those that do not, no person is best at explaining it than Hugh Hewitt, and to best explain it, one must read Painting the Map Red to understand. Below, from Painting the Map Red, is a description of the disease the GOP suffers from:
"General George McClellan was one of Lincoln's unsuccessful generals and was eventually Lincoln's Democratic opponent in the 1864 presidential election. While still in command of the Army of the Potomac, McClellan repeatedly blew opportunity after opportunity in the early years of the Civil War to force decisive battles, always overestimating the strength of the Army of Virginia, and always demanding more men and more supplies or imagining obstacles in his way."
"Though he was a Democrat, McClellan's timidity has found it's home in large parts of the GOP, whose leaders are quick to panic whenever a bad patch of news appears. Even more alarming, there is a refusal to simply debate these crucial issues openly and repeatedly and to demand of media representatives the right to talk not just about what Tim Russert wantsa to discuss, but what the leadership wants to discuss. The polite courtesies of Washington, DC, have also seemed over the years to freeze Republicans in stiff silence even as Harry Reid blasts the president as a "loser," or Nancy Pelosi labels him as "dangerous." If politics is understood as football, the GOP doesn't do well in the trenches, and its leaders often lack the stomach for contact."
In the modern day, Mr. Hewitt refers to this as "McClellan's Disease." And the GOP has exhibited it for quite some time. The cure, you ask? It is dirt simple: Reinforce to the GOP where they are supposed to be. We are their base, and WE do not think enough "punishment" has been handed out to the GOP yet. As we highlighted a few months back, Captain Ed Morrissey a phemomenon. It was called "Not. One. Dime." And it hurt the GOP. At a time when the fireworks were flying over the possibility that the Constitutional Option would be executed, Senator Bill Frist dawdled. He dithered. He stretched out the drama for weeks. In the process, he let a crucial issue slip through his fingers.
McClellan's Disease all over again, and the GOP responded with a refusal to send any money directly to the RNC, or the NRSC. That is step one. If you contribute, do so directly to the candidates you support. We are already winning the war in donations compared to the Democrats, but the GOP will not support outsiders challenging incumbants. They did not do it to Arlen Specter in 2004, much to our chagrin, and they virtually froze out the two people attempting to challenge John McCain.
While we agree with Hugh that the GOP has a large enough "tent" to encompass all facets of the Republican party (even those leaning a shade more left that the centrists), there are limits to one's patience. We have no problem with people like John McCain as long as he stays on the reservation just a bit more. While he may be right six or seven times out of ten, lately he has become a world-class pain in the backside. The same goes for the other RINOs in the Senate.
We are positive that most of that "individualism" that the RINOs display at times would disappear quickly with a far more effective leader int he Senate. Senator Frist will be retiring , and his seat is wide open in Tennessee. So, a new leader will also be needed. And it cannot be someone like Senator Frist, and no, it cannot be Senator Lott either. New blood must be brought in, so to speak, who can control the party. Personally speaking, I would prefer Senator John Kyl to head up the GOP in the Senate. Senator John Cornyn would be another solid choice for the position.
A strong leader is equivalent to a strong party. So, step one is to contribute directly to candidates you respect, and can appreciate their contribution to the Republican party. Not one more dime should go to the big tent's coffers. They will earn enough on their own through direct contributions. If that upsets an incumbant like Olympia Snowe or Mike DeWine, that is fine by us. But their replacement cannot be a simple retread of the person they are replacing. We are looking for a few good conservatives, and we hope the Republican base is on board for that. If not, it is not a big deal. We have beat our heads against brick walls before. Eventually, enough people will, and the wall will crumble. Some of these people, in our eyes, have not earned reelection.
Step two is to support a strong leader when the time comes. This is not an Arlen Specter or John McCain. Both men, and senators of similar stripes, tend to pull a McClellan and refuse to engage, or allow debate. They look for the easiest, most non-confrontational means necessary to maintain a false peace. The Democrats are playing to win, and we seem so likely to simply rollover. This week's fiasco with the immigration compromise (thank God it did not get the votes it needed), the DeWine-inspired nosing around the NSA program and his possible Congressional remedy, the Gang of 14 deal, and the hemming and hawing over the Constitutional Option are four glaring examples of why a strong leader is needed. A strong leader, willing to engage the parties ideological foes, will motivate his party to do the same.
We are not talking about getting down in the mud and wrestling with the Democrats. We conduct ourselves as we have been, but we just do not turn tail and run like it seems we are so often doing. We can debate the issues, and we are better at it. Whereas we bring facts, logic, and reasoning to the discussion, we receive vitriol in return from them. So what if the Democrats call a Republican a "racist," "homophobic," "bigoted," or any other adjective they may locate within the English language. Ninety-nine percent of Republicans are not like that, and I would hope that this percentage is close to how our elected officials think, too. I am almost positive that it is. It is a name, nothing more, and not something that should silence anyone in a debate if it is not true.
WE have been called much worse. Every time Thomas is called a "Nazi" he returns the commoent with a quick "Seig Heil!" It is amusing, but diffusing, and he can quickly turn the debate back around on them. Instead of engaging in the same sort of rhetoric as your ideologically-inferior opponent, throw it back in their face and move on.
--Contribute nothing more to the NRSC or RNC. Contribute only to direct candidates.
--Help your elected officials choose a strong leader in the Senate.
--Do not run from a debate or an argument. Stand your ground.
Three simple steps, and they are the first steps in a cure for McClellan's Disease.
The Bunny ;)
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 11:56 PM
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