Glenn Reynolds Pre-Mortem For The GOP

I'm not going to cite the thing, chapter and verse.Go on over and read it, though It's pretty long. It is very detailed and it has provoked a number of comments. He's received numerous e-mails, is ripped by an e-mailer to Jonah Goldberg, and even Captain Ed has jumped in the mix. So have his commenters; keep scrolling as the debate picks up.

This is an election post he's put up. And he's telling the GOP that, if they lose in November, these are many of the reasons why. It's point-blank. It's in-your-face. And if it hurts the feelings of those within the GOP in Congress, sometimes the truth will do that. BUT, the list is a "single-issue" list. It's Harriet Miers, it's immigration, it's Mark Foley and William Jefferson (at least Hastert's defense of Jefferson), and it's Terry Schiavo. These are the issues that irritated certain areas of the base, and while I share a decent amount of anger towards the GOP for this list (H*ll, I think we commented on every frelling issue on ths list), there's one simple thing that is going to make us throw the lever for the GOP this year.

If I don't--if the base doesn't--the Democrats are going back into power in Congress. That is a concept that is, at the very least, raise my personal threat level.

This election isn't about any of what Glenn raised as perfectly valid points. And they are quite pertinent reason to be irritated with the GOP. However, this upcoming election is a party election. we do this for the party. Why? Because the Democrats have conveyed their intentions upon a return to power. Nancy Pelosi laid out her first 100 hoursthe first female Speaker of the House. I'm not interested in it, folks. The anger isn't worth the repercussions.

And we also have to remember that this is the party in favor of a withdrawal from Iraq. They dislike the NSA TSP. They don't like the president, and if given the opportunity, they will move forward with impeachment proceedings. This is what awaits us on November 8th if we act out of selfish arrogance. Ask yourselves if you want to revisit 1998 all over again, only with a more serious cause-and-effect routine? Are you ready to watch a party play politics with the lives of men and women abroad fighting on behalf of America?

I'm not. And yes, Glenn also has a valid point in his closing. These are poor leaders by anyone's standard. Anyone who professes that those in Congress are "the best" are either blindly partisan, and their opinion, quite frankly, doesn't figure in. It's like the nutroots betting the farm that Lamont can overcome the 13 point deficit to Lieberman, and storm back. The moonbats can only do so much, and seem to have a problem with the word "teammate."

We acknowledge the failings of our party. We know that they're not perfect. But in politics, more often than not, we're left choosing the lesser of two evils. It stinks. Trust me, I know. But the answer is to stay involved, stay informed, and support the party when it needs it most. And right now the GOP needs it badly. Every one of our readers knows that we're predicting that the Democrats won't retake either House. If we're wrong, so be it, but like Captain Ed, we don't buy the doom-mongering going on.

We believe enough people know the stakes in this upcoming election, and America, for the most part, isn't stupid. They're not willing to risk their immediate future on a grudge. Cash that grudge in next time around, and focus it. Not this time, though. The stakes are literally that high, and we can't afford to play politics this time around.

Publius II