This is my stop Johnny Mac, y'all go on without me...Rebuilding the Movement and the New Contract for America (updated)
By BlackRepub Posted in 2008 — Comments (214) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
So today, we learned that John McCain does not intend to pander to full blooded conservatives; rather he intends to continue to harness his Maverick, BiPartisan, NewTone image to convince his friends in the media that he's really not one of "those" Republicans. The effect of this of course may be that he does indeed get elected to the White House, but by distancing himself from mainstream Republicans as he intends to do, he is going to kill the GOP's prospects downticket. Where has he strayed off of the reservation this time, you ask? What has he done to warrant an entire blog? What he has done today is saw off another leg of the already shaky stool he was one. Today McCain's violations were threefold. The first two go hand in hand: McCain decided to bury his credentials as a conservative, by supporting signing the Kyoto treaty as well as supporting a carbon cap and trade deal. Now here's the problem with this, other than the fact that it is taking money out of American's pockets and allowing Europe to police the American economy. We know McCain is not a full blooded conservative, but unlike Rudy Giuliani, who sought to downplay his differences with full spectrum conservatives, McCain seems anxious to run to his friends in the New York Times and give them more evidence of how he's not such a bad guy, after all, he worships at Al Gore's church of Global Warming, which has about as much credibility as Ron L Hubbard's Church of Scientology. This decision by the McCain campaign to once again run to the media to beef up his Maverick credentials is another move by McCain to show off his great BiPartisan power, because this of course is legislation that he sponsored with the only sensible Democrat, Joe Lieberman, the last of the Scoop Jackson Democrats who is right on the GWOT and wrong on everything else. Unfortunately, Joe isn't running for President, McCain is, and this was another middle finger to the base and to the American people who in a time of economic distress, don't need politicians making up more regulations and taxes to hit them in the pocketbook. However, it did bolster McCain's earlier statement that he doesn't really know anything about the economy. Further boosting that claim was McCain's third faux pas in today's NewTone trio, that sources have leaked America's Snake Oil Pastor, Mike Huckabee is in line to hitch his trailer onto the back of the Straight Talk Express. I don't need to go into every single reason why Mike Huckabee is bad for this job, I think I've been pretty clear in the past. Suffice it to say that McCain achieved the one two knockout punch for flushing his economic credentials down the toilet as well as his pledge to pick someone who knows national security. Huckabee wouldn't know national security if it appeared personified, sat down in his double wide and ate a plate of fried squirrel with him. The vice President is poised to be the future leader of the party, a heartbeat away from the Presidency. McCain was supposed to assure his party and the American people that they can trust that America will survive if something happens-with his Huckalove, the only thing that we can be assured of is that there will be plenty of class warfare and Kool-Aid to go around. And this is only the beginning-if you liked McCain-Feingold, McCain-Lieberman, and McCain-Kennedy, wait until you see what he gets going when he has an even weaker GOP minority in the fall. Thusly, I have decided to get off the Straight Talk Express, and I am no longer voting for John McCain, nor will I treat him with the kid gloves I had been as a good little Republican, getting in line no matter how I had to grit me teeth through the knives he put in the heart of every conservative.
But fear not, Dear Reader, for this is not a goodbye cruel world diary. This is the opposite of that in fact. This is my do not go gentle into that good night diary. Rage, rage at the dying of the light. Brothers and sisters, at RedState there has been one series of diaries giving us a history of conservatism, and what conservatism means and stands for. In my series I have attempted to show where conservatism must go to survive the 21st century. I will not stand by without a plan while the Party destroys itself by accepting the urine the Democrats bring to our cup of orange juice in the name of NewTone Bipartisanship. In 1994, conservatives took action, and regained the majority with a plan called the Contract with America. Today my brothers and sisters, I give you the New Contract with America.[update-I have updated some items in the Contract as some people requested. It is also my birthday and in light of that I reserve my right to remain cranky and of this moment reiterate that I am still not voting for McCain, and at this moment nothing is going to change my mind. Allow me to blow off steam with the knowledge that this is probably going to change by November, but he will still not be getting any more kid glove treatment from me.]
1. Spending and ethics-we were thrown out not because of the Iraq War, but because the party had become as corrupt as the party that we threw out during the Clinton years. Every single Republican Congressman and Senator should sign a pledge to no longer accept earmarks. In addition, any earmarking needs to be visible to the American people, so that the American people can see exactly where their money is being wasted by the Congress. The Congressmen and Senators who won't sign it, should be primaried by strong Club for Growth supported candidates. In addition to this, we need to actively work to end bloated entitlement programs, and backing that with strong and robust tax cuts, showing the American people we can put money back in their pockets when we spend less of their money.
2. Term Limits-remember these? Comfort bring corruption. The hallowed halls of Congress have been dominated by the Kerry's, Kennedy's, Byrd's, and Rangel's. Force them to answer to the people. House members should serve 3 terms at the maximum, and Senator's should serve 2. If you can't accomplish it in 8-12 years, you are wasting taxpayer money most likely, and if you have greater visions, run for something else or choose a good successor. President's can't be President forever, why should the Congress be treated differently.
3. A commitment to solving the Social Security crisis-This is a huge issue, and the Democrats won't touch it with a ten foot pole. This is going to be the next big issue in 20 years, when the system goes bankrupt, and the GOP needs to commit to coming up with solutions before it becomes an issue that the Democrats can use against us by saying Republicans won't pay for higher payroll taxes and they want Grandma to starve. The younger generation hates payroll taxes that are paying for a system we will never gain from-show us that the free market really does work.
4. Free market healthcare solutions-Again, the Republican party needs an answer other than, we don't want socialist healthcare. Romneycare is much better than a socialized system, because it is an insurance program, not a single payer healthcare. It allows you to pick your plan, untied healthcare from a job, most importantly, and allows the free market to drive down the cost with different companies offering a better plan. We must step up to show that we know what we are talking about in relation to the economy.
5. A commitment to federalism-this encompasses education as well as other fields, and perhaps should be higher on the list. NCLB is an example of federal intrusion into the business of the state, and should be ended. In terms of education, the GOP should advocate for school choice and charter schools, especially in the inner cities. Vouchers have been especially successful with poor Hispanic, Black and White males, the biggest victims of poor public schools, and this is an issue that the GOP could use to repair our brand in these communties. In addition we should commit to federalism regarding social issues and the War on Drugs. The federal government is not helping The Children-we are The Children, and the federal government should not dictate the values of each and every state.
6.Commit to fighting the Kyoto Treaty-this is something where the GOP needs to show overwhelming solidarity. The rest of the world cannot be allowed to set the economic agenda for America, and regulate our economy. We must be allowed to regulate as we see fit, not as the world does.
7. Across the Board tax cuts-the money that we will have made through cutting spending, earmarks and entitlement programs will pay for across the board tax cuts. Show the American people we know what to do with a surplus-we give it back to the people. We can afford to send people an economic stimulus and cut the gas tax entirely if we can offset the cost. We must also commit to cutting the corporate tax, providing incentives for businesses to stay here rather than moving to cheaper labor overseas.
8. Securing the border-the American people have spoken that they want a fence, and they want the border secured. Every GOP member needs to sign a commitment that we will not stop pushing this issue until we have a fully functional and operational security fence across the entire border.
9. Winning the War on Terror-again another necessary commitment for the GOP to make. We have enemies of the United States and her allied. We must swear that we will hunt them down in all parts of the globe and bring them to justice. There will be no retreat, no surrender until good prevails over evil.
10. Judges-each Republican should sign a commitment to supporting constructionist judges on the bench. This is not a commitment to activist judges on the right, rather a judge that reads the Constitution for what it means, not what they'd like it to mean. I'd do unmentionable things for 9 Clarence Thomas', who is by the far the best Supreme Court judge and a good man as well as well as more of a constructionist originalist than even Scalia.
I believe that this Contract, while mostly economic, very much like the original contract, lays out conservative principles in a winning formula. We need to fight back hard, and we need to remake the case for conservatism in American politics. The old saying goes, every time conservatism is tried, it works. Well, it's time to try try again. This is no time for moderation, this is a time for extremism-an extremism in defense of liberty.
Be realistic. McCain is NOT serious about the war on terror. If he was, he would be the first to demand a secure southern border.
No one is willing to make major advancements on the southern border. It's either because they want the Hispanic vote, fearful of full scale civil war in Mexico or just an open borders ideology.
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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
--Aristotle
John McCain isn't interested in preserving life. He's interested in growing government to run our lives.
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Halls of Justice Painted Green, Money Talking.
Power Wolves Beset Your Door, Hear Them Stalking.
Or are you just going to watch teevee while we exercise our vital rights to vote?
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
To start pushing Ron Paul?
"Always be honest with yourself. Even if you are honest with no one else."
--me
I don't know, when is a good time to push an apologist for Communist mass murder?
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
I really can't see Raven as the RP type, but I can't resist an opportunity to bash that man :-)
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
Absolutely!
Unfair. Unbalanced. Unmedicated. -- IMAO
High school drama class out early?
"enjoy your freedomless life"
"I like living"
We are a country at some serious crossroads, but being afraid to this degree reeks of something pathological.
I'm in step with BR here and will not be walking back. I'll be writing in a candidate as I did last election as well. Thanks for standing for principles, BR.
Mitt, Mitt, Mitt, Mitt, Mitt, Mitt, Mitt!
Seriously, there is bound to be some sort of protest, and there is no way we can expect these younger people to remember the blood, sweat, and tears Ronald Reagan put into making this party a majority party with impact.
If they want to jettison Reagan's political ideals, which have served the party brilliantly, perhaps it is time for them to look around.
and we need to move back towards them, at the soonest possible opportunity (which appears to be 2010 at this point).
Reagan moved the center of the country towards the right. The Republican leadership today wants to move leftward, indirectly moving the center to the left.
Now, admittedly, Reagans are few and far between. But the last few years have been a unilateral capitulation towards movement to the left.
As far as Reagan's commandment, it's certainly still a valid idea - as long as you accept this restatement of it.
"Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican who is willing to follow this commandment."
Reagan's eleventh is not a suicide pact, and without that restatement, it would be.
Very simply, you do not jettison a Republican candidate because he disagrees with you on several points. That's Reagan 101, the essence of what he taught.
Now, if you want to push the party in a conservative direction in an election, and that is a goal here at RedState, you act during the primary process. Once that is over, you live with the results or get out of the party.
How many conservative Presidents has this country had since Herbert Hoover? One, and that was Ronald Reagan. Conservatives did not agree in entirety with Eisenhower, Nixon, GHWB, or GWB, but we voted for those Presidents, did not try to sabotage them during the election, and kept lefties from power. We kept the Republican Party viable for future conservative Presidential candidates and as the home of conservative member of Congress.
The outrage about how everyone is more conservative than John McCain is old. We know. But he's the Republican nominee, working to sabotage his campaign is working against the political ideals instailled by Ronald Reagan.
of course mine would be different, but I will have to write my own diary for that. Let's stipulate that I agree with all your points that I do not call out here. You did a good job.
2. term limits- This is one area where I do not agree with most conservatives. I simply do not see how denying the people their choice of candidate furthers the cause of freedom.
10. ethics - As they say "you can indict a ham sandwhich". Individual liberty is a God given right, even politicians deserve a fair hearing. Trust me, our enemies would use this to their advantage, look what happed to Tom Delay et al.
I also disagree with the idea of not voting for McCain. An Obama presidency will be so damaging, that any gain from showing up McCain will be lost in the sands of time. Republicans know we are not happy, they know there is desire for a major overhaul, I would prefer making this overhaul, a return to Goldwater Conservatism, under a McCain presidency and not under an Obama/UN regime.
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Molon Labe!
And I'm in the swing state of Michigan-McCain needs my vote to win. But I'm tired of just giving the GOP my vote, just to hear them act like Democrats. To quote Martin, I offered to meet McCain halfway with my cup of orange juice. He in turn brought a tall glass of urine to the table. That's his halfway compromise, and I'll have no more of it.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
Not too many days ago, I thought I'd found a reason to vote for McCain, as in he would cause the least damage to the country. Then he goes and does something so terribly wrong-headed that even that reasoning no longer stands up. I've never blogged here but I have commented somewhat infrequently. I can live without commenting, too, if necessary, because at this point I can't find any reason, let alone a good one to vote for this guy.
I'm willing to let Ginsburg and Stevens be replaced by clones of themselves if it means saving the movement. Most people don't look at the GOP and say, man I'd vote for them if they'd talk about abortion more, they see a party that has spent to death and has allowed the economy to hit the tank. Newt's Contract didn't focus on social issues because he wanted to bring conservatives together in a set of issues where we can successfully hit the Democrats with conservatism, which is in the ethics and economic arena. That was my goal of my contract that I tried to replicate here.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
Most of the Reagan Democrats came over on account of cultural issues. Part of the reason they're going back to the Democrats is that we've downplayed them so much. Don't get me wrong. Fiscal irresponsibility has been a major problem, but there are plenty of people whose votes we won't win without encorporating the cultural issues into the appeal. Not incidentally, the Court moving left would further erode the conservative/libertarian movement.
I doubt anyone here wants to hurt our culture. The Dems do want to hurt our culture. So we all seem to be battling on how to improve the culture. When things get fuzzy, it is always time to look at the Constitution. Our culture will be just fine if we follow the Constitution and allow men to make their own family decisions.
It is the welfare state, the leftist dominated teachers' unions, and anti-American politics that have hurt the culture. There is no government program that can take us back to the 1950s.
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Molon Labe!
"There is no government program that can take us back to the 1950s."
Amen. Lets concentrate on ethics and economic conservatism because that is what is broke right now.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
You're right. It is broad. Some of the "problem" has been too much success, as in the case of gun rights. Democrats have thrown in the towel on the issue, so it no longer makes much difference. In other cases, though, such as ESCR, a cloning ban, and judicial redefinition of marriage, Republicans have failed those who identify with the GOP primarily based on such issues. Often times those who came over to the GOP on those issues will vote Democrat when such issues are taken off the table.
"man I'd vote for them if they'd talk about abortion more"
You have no idea what you'd be missing if the Dems became the pro-life party over night and the Republicans abandoned it as an issue. The south didn't flip to voting republican in the 80s because of economics. We'd all be hurting real bad (and I'd probably be voting democrat depending on national security issues... yetch!).
As for your other stuff, I agree with Doc that ethics and term limits are not necessarily in our best interest.
"Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em. I'm a whale biologist."
I believe he voted against the ban on partial birth abortion.
That makes him the farthest left on this issue and at odds with a significant majority of the American people.
If McCain doesn't make it an issue in the general election the he is a fool.
McCain and Obama are competing over independent voters. The most crucial swing voter group is Catholic voters. Catholic voters almost always vote for the winner. Hillary has been cleaning up in this group during the primaries, and Obama's extreme positions on abortion - especially including his support for BAIPA, which is essentially infanticide - is not going to help him make inroads here.
Bush won Catholic voters in 2004 by a slim margin, largely because of cultural issues. Obama is even further out of the mainstream on such issues than John Kerry was.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Either from the MSM or McCain?
I certainly believe he is vulnerable on the issue. It's the kind of thing that makes me wonder whther McCain has the stomach for the fight.
The BAIPA will be a big factor this fall. I guarantee a lot of hay will be made of it. I am certain that McCain will make this an issue, as it is totally legitimate, even by McCain's standards.
It hasn't been a big issue thus far primarily because Obama is in the Democrat primary right now, and abortion is not a big issue. Hillary can't exactly attack him on it because she is militantly pro-abortion herself.
BAIPA will be a major general election issue.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
I think the media has decided that each side has recruited all that can be recruited into thier respective camps and that there is no use covering the debate anymore. I think we need to come up with a better way of preventing/eliminating abortion. I have my ideas but I'll save them for another post.
I just think you're wrong about how important issues like abortion and same-sex "marriage" are to most Americans.
But if socons do get kicked out, Republicans will find out pretty quick in the next election cycle.
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Small is beautiful.
I love 3 stooled conservatives, in fact I myself am very much in the pro-life camp and I'm completely pro 2nd amendment, although I do support gay marriage. My point is that when people look at the GOP, they are not saying, boy they really aren't hitting hard enough on moral values. People look at the GOP, and they think, boy they've really screwed the economy, gas prices are insane, and I don't have any healthcare. Also, when I made the Contract, I was going along with Newt's thinking of taking issues where we can come together as conservatives and pushing those issues. Abortion and gay marriage divide us inside the GOP, why would we make an issue where we can't come together as a party a centerpiece to rebuild the movement. That comes down to a commitment to federalism more than anything.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
That's who McCain will likely nominate when he's President. That's still better than the Souter, Ginsberg types we would get with President Obama.
My assumption is that the next two to go would be Ginsberg and Stevens. If it's Scalia and Thomas, then I would defer to my more conservative bretheren for replacements.
If this ticket were to somehow win it would be a net loss.
Yeah, lets destroy the economy because it makes the NYT like you.
One good thing comes out of a McCain/Huck blowout loss.
Huck will forever be out of our misery.
We could lose Utah and Idaho with Huckabee on the ticket due to his derogatory and inflammatory views towards Mormons, and send the libertarian Goldwater conservatives like me running and screaming for cover. McCain is socially conservative enough-he doesn't need to pander to the SIVV crowd to shore up the only region that's shored up for us.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
Huck-a-buck is fun for the guys who want to hightail all over the Back Holler hitting mailboxes with baseball bats.
Your Redneck Rampage ticket.
"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it"-Winston Churchill
hole in your contract. And that hole is enough for me to vote for McCain.
6 words-
SCOTUS
Please don't take this as me talking down to you, because that is not my intent at all. I will, however, point out that you are still young and idealistic. We all were at some point. Because of this, I think you possibly overlook the absolute necessity of preventing Obama the Marxist from ever being able to appoint a single person to the SCOTUS, much less any other federal bench. We simply can not afford to lose the court for a generation and that is precisely what will happen if we are subjected to even four years of Obamanation.
The implications of a liberal court are far more devastating than simple social issues. And it is just too big of a risk to take.
I've got six months to convince you. I won't give up until I do. Let the arm twisting begin.
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Just a typical, small town, white girl...
C17wife, I want to ask you one question. Knowing the history of john mccain, do you really believe he will nominate conservative judges when the senate is held by democrats? Or do you think he will reach across the aisle and nominate someone who will be "acceptable" to the other side of the aisle.
What do you really, in your heart, think he will do? And could he get a Roberts or Scalia on the bench even if he tried (apart from whether he would even try).
I don't know why people think McCain is going to give us Alito or Roberts? He'll probably ask Teddy Kennedy who he thinks is a good judge before he brings it to the table. But you guys go ahead and think his nominees are going to be better than Obama's, and I'll laugh when Souter 2.0 is appointed to the bench. Now who's going to argue that Souter is better than Ginsburg?
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
he probably will give us alito or roberts type....
but he never said he'd nominate any Scalias...
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. " -James Madison
Slouching towards Gommorahh by Robert Bork
Tempting of America by Robert Bork.
Assuming that you haven't read these, read them...if you have already read them...you may need a reminder as to why SCOTUS counts...
I'm all for your nCWA...well thought out...could use a few more items... but good starting point... However, SCOTUS is a big issue as well as Foreign Policy...the scary thing is Barry understands very well what's at stake for SCOTUS, he'd love to appoint radical judges and watch their legislative natures take control. He'd love to re-map our foreign policy to include commie rhetoric... he'd love to have tea and biscuits with Chavez, Castro, Hamas, and dare I say OBL himself.
I may be as idealistic as you are...but I can't risk that kind of a future by sticking to principles of government...there really are no such things as priniciples in government...there's principles, and then there's governments...in the interest of pragmatism we either elect McCain...or we allow Commies to get their policy making on in a world of fascists and terrorists...
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. " -James Madison
1. We were thrown out because of the Iraq War. Don't be clueless. Had we been more successful on the ground by 2006, we would have taken fewer losses or held one of the Houses. Rumsfeld's strategy screamed indecision, which the American people hate. Just because the Club For Greed wants to kill a few earmarks doesn't mean that the budget is going to be brought into balance. That means tackling entitlements. Period.
2. Term Limits are garbage. And I don't think they are in the Constitution. What's more, they destroy a lot of institutional memory. A pol isn't necessarily corrupt because he's been around a long time. However, I do like the idea of rotating committee chairs to encourage new blood.
3. Any solution to solving the SS crisis must be bipartisan, will involve tax increases as well as benefit cuts and stretchouts. That just is what it is. Social Security is a pyramid scam. It's becoming very much like a perpetual motion application to the Patent Office. Any one who says "blue ribbon commission" needs to be horsewhipped. The politicians got us into this mess, the politicians, in both parties, will have to get us out.
4. Totally agree with your number 4. Republicans should take the Venn Diagram for Obama's healthcare financing administration and show it to the public, then ask how it will reduce costs. Remember this?
...I guarantee you that Obama's people will have to come up with something similar to what Hillary did. We need to get our hands on Obama's planning documents and shout them to the rooftops.
Key graph: adding layers of beauracracy does NOT reduce the cost of healthcare for the American worker. Period. Thank you very much!
5.And replace NCLB with what? People are worried about kids falling behind in engineering and technical education. That ain't gonna sell to the Middle Class, pardner. Might sell down at Grover's Wednesday meeting, but won't sell in Peoria. Try again.
6.Educate people on Kyoto first. Tell them why Democrats voted against it. Educate people about the importance of sovereignty.
7. What surplus? What dreamland are you living in?
8. You want the Hispanic vote? Then don't be hostile to immigrants. Yes, build the fence and be firm on illegals, but then proceed with comprehensive immigration reform. End the flow of illegals, but begin to intensively assimilate those who are here. But it's important to end the flow of illegal immigration. It's hard enough for native born people to get starter jobs in construction when cheap labor can come from Mexico and get the same job for less.
None of this "fruit salad" stuff. "Melting pot" assimilation.
9. 100 percent agreement. Use thermonuclear weapons early and often.
10. Ethics? Boy, is there a sucker born every minute, especially in the Republican Party. My friend, the oldest trick in the Democratic Playbook is to indict an honest Republican on trumped up charges. Any Democratic State's Attorney can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich if he so desires.
No thanks. The Dems will go hog wild. I'm tired of ethics rules that assume that my side are filled with criminals. They aren't. The Dems can go p*$$ off.
One last thing. The McCain Campaign is true suckage. Vacuum Cleaner suckage. By the time they're done, our VP choice will probably come from the Burmese Junta. However, Johnnie Mac is the only thing we got in a year where folks are exhausted with the Republican Party in power.
As it stands, Obama is such a hard lefty that Johnnie Mac will just have to get my vote.
"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it"-Winston Churchill
"Club for Greed"?
You've obviously been misinformed about the mission of Club for Growth. The are fiscal conservatives (and all around conservatives) that push for limited government. One of those tenets is a balance budget.
I think you are both wrong on why we were thrown out. Iraq and spending had some to do with it, but R fatigue was much more the reason. We had held majorities for 12 years in the house and Senate and the White House for 6 years. People wanted someone else in control. It happens to both parties when they have been in power too long.
I have to say Section 9, your overall tone here is that of crapping on BR's ideas. Disagree with him sure, but don't outright dismiss him. Challenge him. Make him flesh out his ideas (which I'm sure he is doing).
For example, on NCLB: Instead of asking "replace it with what?" and then the attack garbage why not help him come up with alternative solutions to an education system that is woefully inadequate despite billions of dollars of taxpayer funds over the last 25 years.
Now also found at The Minority Report
"Had we been more successful on the ground by 2006"
"Rumsfeld's strategy screamed indecision"
Can you name for me a more successful war? A more one sided war? In recent history? I'll grant you Afganistan maybe. Perhaps you and every other arm chair quarterback in the US in conjunction with a media invested in our defeat need to be quiet and let the adults handle war.
BTW, the real success of the "surge" was the participation by the locals. And do you know the cause of that? The Rumsfeld "stubborn" strategy of not leaving.
"Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em. I'm a whale biologist."
"No matter how much lipstick you put on the taxation pig, it's still a pig... and it's currently snout-down in your wallet." - Michael Fisk
"Use thermonuclear weapons early and often." Sarcasm right?
"Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em. I'm a whale biologist."
We must destroy the reactionary Club for Greed, those industrialist running dogs, and crush their system of oppression of the glorious proletariat.
Long live the Revolution!
*fist in the air*
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
Sounds like you have been spending some time on The People's Cube
Now also found at The Minority Report
If in fact Huckabee is on the ticket, I see no way for McCain to win. I will either vote for Barr or the Democrat. Huckabee will netrualize the Paster problem that Obama has and for hard core conservatives like myself push us out of the party (as far as President goes). Its better to lose a battle than lose the conservative war. By putting Huckabee on the ticket, McCain will be grabbing defeat from the Jaws of Victory.
Not me. Let's face it. I don't like McCain (well sometimes I do, but this whole maverick thing really gets to me.
BUT! I'm not going to hand my country over to the avowed socialists and Marxists that are the alternative. McCain is not great for the conservative movement, but we still have to win this battle. There are after all SOME battles that lose the war. This is one of them.
Just think... for example:
1. Bush has finally gotten the Supreme court to have a slight conservative advantage. There are at least 2 justices that may create vacancies within the next 4 years. Would you rather have McCain appointing their replacements or one of the D's. I'd submit that this battle alone can turn the tide in the war either in our favor or against it.
2. Which portions of our economy are you willing to permanently concede to the socialists? Healthcare? The energy sector? Manufacturing?
3. How well do you want our country defended? Say what you will about McCain, but he's no coward and no fool when it comes to foreign relations.
The McCainiacs could probably list pages more of examples like this, but these 3 should be enough to give you the idea.
Socialism doesn't work. It looks nice on paper, but it's been tried and it's failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
and I'll go point by point
1. How do you stop "enterprising" Senators and Representatives from developing new ways to earmark such as Chuckie Schumer. Short term, we should push at minimum for earmark reform (complete disclosure of ear marks with full debate on each...much like amendments to bills have to do now). This intermediary step may help to create the popular will to end this practice that has been abused for the last couple of decades.
2. Is this an issue to run on? I'm not sure there is a great enough popular feel that there is a need for this. Although if you know of polling to the contrary...
3. Okay....AMEN.
4. How do you hope to account for all of the special needs cases? For example, it is very difficult for someone who has pre-existing conditions to find insurance on their own. Under a free market model, you can't mandate coverage because it would take the profit incentive away (many pre-existing conditions that are excluded from coverage are done so because of the immense costs associated with them).
5. You are going to have an uphill fight on this one. The teacher's unions are wedded to federal government support (although not fans of NCLB. They favor an overhaul of the system). Even among the middle you see a desire to continue to fund a failed program (heh, I should say several failed programs.). We have to hammer home the billions of dollars that have been spent on education in the last 25 years to achieve no improvement.
6. Fight for it, but I'm not sure it's a top ten platform item.
7. Amen
8. Amen. This one shares broad support with the American people according to Newt Gingrich's Platform of the American People. This should be a no brainer...should be.
9. We'll have to change the PR of the War on Terror. It has to shift from War in Iraq and War in Afghanistan when they are two fronts in the WoT.
10. Ethics and earmark reform should go hand in hand. I would combine the two into a larger bullet point leaving room for another major issue on the platform.
Overall, great piece bro. We really do need to focus on where we go from here.
Now also found at The Minority Report
I can quibble with a point or two, but I'd have no problem voting for your contract where as I can't see my self voting for McCain. In the case of McCain it is not a minor point or two with which I disagree. Instead there are huge philosophical differences.
What kind of principled conservative could vote for a candidate that supports restricting political free speech, amnesty and citizenship to individuals who have crossed our borders illegally, and who follows the mob mentality of global warming alarmist?
It seems to me that electing McCain would be a Pyrrhic victory at best for conservatives.
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"The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it."
-Ayn Rand
Because ALL of the items you are complaining about will be worse under the alternative.
Elections are about voting for the person who best meets your ideals of those available.
I've said before on other posts that I fully expect McCain to screw me over 15% of the time (which 15% I never know). But I expect Obama or Clinton to screw me over 100% of the time. That math is pretty simple.
And since those are your only realistic choices, it leaves you with supporting McCain.
Or you can pout until you get someone who is a 100% conservative and just hand the country over to the socialists.
Socialism doesn't work. It looks nice on paper, but it's been tried and it's failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
A couple of years ago, Ted Kennedy said that Social Security isn't a problem to be dealt with right now because it won't go bankrupt until 2047. Oh, great... the year I turn 64. Nice going, Senator Gasbag.
Right now, though, I realize I'm on the outside looking in with both parties as a Goldwater-style libertarian Republican. I'm way to the right of the Republican Party on most economic issues, and there are some social issues that, although I'd consider myself moderate on balance, I end up to the left of the mainstream Democratic Party on (obviously not abortion or gay marriage, but you can probably come up with a fair share of things). As somebody once told me: "If you ran for office, you'd end up either being venerated or lynched, one or the other."
The problem with both parties is a lack of principled leadership. We know the progressive Left panders to its sycophants all the time, and the GOP leadership seems to strive to be Democrat Lite (great taste, less filling?). What's needed is the ability to repudiate that which is not in the best interests of our country and be able to explain in a clear and steady voice why it isn't. We need to be able to call a spade a spade, to kick the tails of those who need their tails kicked.
In short, the party needs to grow some Mount Rushmore-sized stones, and pronto.
"No matter how much lipstick you put on the taxation pig, it's still a pig... and it's currently snout-down in your wallet." - Michael Fisk
In the end, the overwhelming vast majority of conservative Republicans will be voting McCain because Barack Obama is the alternative, with Queen Bee Nancy and Dingy Harry waiting for him to rubber stamp every socialist bill they send up to him, and also confirm every leftist federal judge he sends them.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
You know you're one of my favorites, but I just can't go along with this.
The War on Terror is too important to lose.
SCOTUS seats are too important too lose (after waiting so long).
Earmark and spending reform are too important to lose.
Anything you say about McCain that you don't like, Obama is much worse.
If Obama gets in, this country will make a significant left turn; a turn from which it will be extremely difficult to reverse.
McCain gets my vote and he gets my support.
I'm not sure myself where I'd draw the line at voting McCain, but would you have ridiculed me if Giuliani was the candidate and I said I wouldn't vote for him for socon reasons?
"Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em. I'm a whale biologist."
nt
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Small is beautiful.
I supported Huckabee for president, but I can't say this is a good move by McCain. It's certainly interesting, but man, I want to hear what's going on inside the heads of McCain's staff.
--------------------
Small is beautiful.
1) Fix spending .. is it earmarks or entitlements. Fred showed the way on entitlements.
2) On health care -- agreed. That's one thing I liked about Romney. He could say that he had DONE it not just talked about it. Is his idea perfect? No. But there is a lot of good there.
3) JUDGES.
4) BORDER FENCE AND BUSINESS PENALTIES.
5) WIN IN IRAQ
It's not rocket science.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
I never have gotten to vote for the real conservative Senator from Arizona. The RINO tag doesn't hurt my feelings either-I'll be a conservative before a Republican any day of the week. When the GOP stops bringing urine to the table when I bring orange juice, then we can talk about meeting halfway. McCain is going to give us the finger for the next 4 years, I'd rather focus my energies on a Gingrich style revolution in 2010, when the Democrats will be on defense and we will be in the first 2 failed years of an Obama/McCain administration.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
That's fine. Not everyone's cut out to step up and make the hard decisions that adults have to make in the voting booth.
That's fine. Have fun watching teevee. But the rest of us have an election to contest, and a country to fight for.
But you go ahead. We don't need you help, so go ahead and give America the finger with your jokey 'protest.'
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
I'm sorry that I'm not cut out to shut up and get in line like a good little Republican Neil, but some of us aren't willing to throw away an entire movement for a man who hates us. And as for me giving the finger, I'm giving it right back to the nominee who gave it to us first. I'll be fighting for my country tooth and nail, to move us to the right. You believe if you want the poppycock NewTone that comes out of McCain's mouth. Global Warming, Kyoto and Huckabee are just the beginning for what he's gonna work up.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
There there. We know it's hard. No need to apologize. So you can go ahead and vote for Spaceman Spiff in November.
As long as you stay out of the way of the people trying to better America with your "revolution," Nobody cares if you draw a picture of yourself in crayon on your ballot.
Just stay in the lines. It's good motor skills practice.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
This bull is why regulars have been leaving RedState in droves lately. Just because we don't have the endurance to bend ver and ask for another every time McCain wants to ram something else down our throats, you want to patronize us. I'm sorry for wishing Republican still stood for something.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
Even the average idiot on the street is going to take a stand and pick a candidate for hte most important election in November, exercising the right so many have fought and died for.
While you, you, will make a mockery of it, spoil your ballot, and then claim superiority for your ballot empty of all meaning.
You choose to sit, and that makes you an easy target for mockery. Well if you're going to leave, I don't care. Red State is for activists, not whiners sitting down and patting thesmelves on their head for standing for nothing.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
take a break and CHILL out.....
" Got to love the Lord for making things like that."
Morally Compromised
I got in my mockery. Time to move on.
HTML Help for Red Staters
"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
Anyone else would've been blammed had they personally insulted BR with condescending attacks like yours.
I am not a blam professional, just a hobbyist. I actually think that heated exchange illuminated an issue/debate we will be having here a long time, and that is sad. I will say that the day when people could just "hate on" McCain is comming to an end. It is the entire party leadership, the leaders in Congress and the President.
I hope you all heard Hannity's opening monologue today. It seems the most loyal among us are really, really starting to chafe. When the Bush administration today said they know Global Warming is killing off the polar bear, they declared war on our economy, in fact, on the Western World.
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Molon Labe!
Isn't that we all are supposed to be worshipping around RedState. Support for the man who bucks the Party at every chance. So you could say I'm pulling a McCain-taking the areas where I don't get in line and shouting it to the world that I'm not one of "those" Republicans. I don't really care if you care that I leave or not, since RedState is about more than whether Neil likes my ideas. Since every blog I've written here has generally going to the top of the recommended list, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there are people who care about what I have to say. I'm not leaving or running away, my point is that the management's desire to crack down on everyone who isn't excited to get in line with McCain is craziness. I've been here for nearly three years, I know what RedStates about thank you. And last time I checked being a conservative activist and voting for McCain aren't mutually exclusive-or was that not you that wrote the I'm A RINO post. Maybe you should climb off of your soapbox a little bit and stop acting like you don't understand where we're coming from, because I know that you do. You of all people Neil know what the rest of us conservatives are feeling, so instead of jumping all over us for not falling in line perhaps you could just lay off a bit, understanding that we're probably coming around in November, but McCain's consistent nature of giving us the finger doesn't make this easier to swallow.
End the NewTone. Punc
like you BR. In fact most would probably put me below you on the pecking order :) We seem to both cherish the true conservatism of Goldwater, we seem to agree on many issues.
Yet, I do not have a problem with management. I think they are doing a good job. Anyone should know I am no brown noser. I was almost banned the first day I posted when I got into it with Moe. I did nothing wrong of course :), and I have tremendous respect for the Moe, the Myth, the Legend. But I digress.
I think when someone says something like "I will vote for the Democrat" or "I will never vote Republican again", then those comments do kind of negate the point of being a member of this site. I am not saying they are bannable, unless common, but they do kind of put us all at an impasse.
I think the moderators DO allow for tremendous debate, anger, and even a few drunken errors. It is when the entire foundation of the site is questioned, in a continual way, that they and the poster need to really think about the purpose of posting here.
I am not saying you Black Repub said any of the above things. I am just giving a general comment of what I believe this site to be about, and the issues that are sometimes face by moderators. Also, I can't think of a time when someone who was kindly, honest, and fair was banned.
In fact, as far back as I can remember, the moderators have always been fair. "oh really, how far back can you remember?"
"Oh, about 3 weeks" ba doom ba! old joke :)
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Molon Labe!
I love RS, as I always have and always will, and I won't be leaving anytime soon. I have only had a couple problems with management, and both resolved generally fairly to all sides, but it was more the tone than the actual debate. I'm more than happy to debate these sorts of things without getting into a flame war-and also the fact remains in the end, I know, you know, Neil knows, and everyone else that I'm gonna come around and vote for McCain in November. However, more importantly Doc, was the second part of the post which I will be resubmitting tomorrow, which is the Contract for America. I don't expect McCain to help the movement, and indeed he may try to destroy it, so it is up to WE THE PEOPLE, in the words of GC to keep the conservative movement alive. That to me is more important than McCain, because our Party cannot wander for 20 years in the desert like the Democrats.
The trouble with our friend McCain isn't that he's ignorant, but that he knows so much that isn't so.
I have to disagree BR. Those who are leaving are doing so over nothing more than a rejection of disagreement. They say blank, someone else argues, they take their ball and go home. You are still here. E P U is. Gamecock. Have y'all not been silenced? Forced to "get in line" like a "good little republican" or any other thinly veiled assertions of fascism and censorship?
The notion that it's important to vote for McCain is a legitimate one. It's a real, good faith, honest to goodness point of view, which has a lot of subscribers ... among them FRED THOMPSON I might point out.
But the droves opt to view that point of view as some kind of tea tax that is just too much to bear.
The droves consistently argue from the position that either they get to bash McCain from the mountaintop, and do so unopposed and to cheers, or else they are being silenced by the evil Republican establishment out to get them. Those are not realistic, dispassionate assessments. The are angry, emotional ones.
No one has asked anyone to bend over, sell out, shut up or anything of the sort. But if you come here to say 'I won't vote for McCain' you shouldn't consider people arguing with you to be a trampling of your freedoms.
Clearly you do not take it that way as you are still here, so why offer that in defense of the droves? All this angst and depression is manifestly not necessary. Why can't there just be arguments? We certainly had them in the primary, and you clearly want to have them about McCain ... why not about "Not McCain"? Why is that an unassailable position?
Now don't take it the wrong way and burn me down. I've been arguing about this for days. Tell me, what is the deal?
absentee
Also Find Me Here.
If you don't think anyone's been told to shut up or sell out, you just haven't been paying attention. Since many of those who were told that chose to leave, it hasn't been as prevalent lately, but it sure happened.
I know, I know, you guys have an election to win, and a country to help screw over. Just hope that there are enough of us who don't feel that way available to help pick up the pieces in a few years.
I don't agree at all. I haven't seen anyone silenced or pushed out. If they were, how do you explain the popularity of blogs such as this, which enjoy not only the top of the rec list, but days of replies? Hinz's last was a perfect example. A hugely popular blog which had hundreds of comments. Who is being silenced?
It's just a matter of being argued with. If I think a person is wrong, I say "I think that's wrong". That shouldn't imply "so get the hell out of my sight, pigdog" right?
absentee
Also Find Me Here.
you must not be paying attention. Neil's incessant "excuse us, we have an election to win" is absolutely asking people to shut up or go away. I'm not saying that it's being _enforced_, but it is being asked for.
Here's a direct quote in a reply to me, in a post where I asked for people to just get along, shortly after the McCain nomination was basically assured.
"Take your crap elsewhere. We don't need you here. If you can't support the Republican candidate then you have no place on a site that is designed to be a Republican community."
You think that doesn't qualify? I've seen many other similar replies to other people. But the reason folks stay around is precisely because they're passionate about fixing the problems. It's not to snipe at those of you who are now on the McCain bandwagon, however reluctantly. For many of us, we're trying to move on, and trying to plan the recovery after the coming nightmare.
I don't post in these threads much any more, because they just tend to make me angry, and sad. I posted in this thread because BR's list was a good start, and yet people ignored the purpose of the thread, which was all about how to recover afterwards, and turned it into 'bash McCain/bash those who bash McCain' thread.
If the Dems win, yes, I think you can say there will be nightmares for a great many folks. The country will likely lurch left and as others have said, reversing that lurch will be difficult.
But what GOP nightmare are we about to see?
No one, on this site or anywhere, knows what is going to happen with John McCain in office. Everything I've heard is hysteria and projection. If you really know what's going to happen, you should be making a fortune in stocks.
I do not care for John McCain personally. However, let's face it. He's a politician and politicians do what they do to get elected.
Once he's in office, he could do anything. I strongly suspect the most liberal McCain we will see is the one running for the office and we will be pleasantly surprised once he takes over.
However, even if McCain does absolutely nothing of value while in office, he's giving the nation 4 years to find another leader without sinking it under Hillary or Obama.
That's worth my vote.
The greatest single cause of Atheism today is Christians who profess Jesus with their lips & then go and deny him by their lifestyle. That's what an unbelieving world simply finds..unbelievable -Brennan Manning
then I'd happily vote for him. That's exactly what I was expecting from President Bush, and, without 9/11 it's what I would have generally gotten from him.
But if you can honestly look at the last dozen years or so of McCain causes and policies and not realize that many of them would be horribly, horribly bad for the country, then I don't even know where to start.
I mean I said earlier, this was never meant to be an I'm gonna take my ball and go home, goodbye cruel world. This was a, I'm sick of carrying water for a man who brings urine to the table, this is what I want to do about it. Part of what made me so snippy was because I didn't write three paragraphs of whining. I wrote one paragraph of what some might call whining, and then used the rest to try and lay out a concrete winning formula to conservatism. Neil thought somehow my "revolution" is getting in the way of saving the country somehow, as if I'm pursuing some tin foil hat agenda. I'm trying to help the conservative movement in other ways, because like I have said, McCain is going to get us killed downticket whether he wins or loses, so I was trying to come up with a plan to revamp the team and rally the troops for 2010. I laid out 10 points a la the Original Contract with America that I think is a winning formula. This isn't taking my ball and going home-my remarks were more geared to Neil's calling as a RINO anyone who isn't jumping for joy to vote for McCain, or who is not seeing him as the lesser of two evils. like I wrote, I'll probably come back around to vote for him, just let me focus on what I think are better focuses for me at the moment. And besides, it's my birthday, I'm getting married next week, and at the end of the day, I've been a member of this site for almost three years for a reason. I love RS, but I think y'all have to get that just because y'all endorsed McCain doesn't mean that we are going to blindly endorse him. He's done a lot of stuff to infuriate us, and we sat back and watch a moderate in Bush destroy the R brand in the name of compassionate conservatism, because Bush at least wanted to be part of the club. There's no way we're going to carry water for a moderate that feels such disdain for conservatives.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
but first, let me say that I know it wasn't a taking the ball and going home post. Thats why I was saying about you and EPU not being the ball-going-home types.
"but I think y'all have to get that just because y'all endorsed McCain doesn't mean that we are going to blindly endorse him."
The key point I was making is that no one is asking anyone to blindly endorse anyone. My point is, if you say you don't endorse him, why is someone arguing with you about the merits of that choice such a bad thing? Why should "not" endorsing be any more an unassailable point of view than endorsing him?
What I am saying is that I see a lot of people, not you or EPU or gamecock or Jaded, who take being argued with to be exactly the same as being told to leave. But it's definitely not the same. Or they take it as being told to get in line, or sell out or some other thing. It's not that either. What's wrong with arguing about the correctness of your choice? We all argue about the correctness of everything else, like, all the time right?
I hereby order you not to carry water or bend over or any of things. By absendecree. Now, with that being said, I'd like to be free to debate the merits of said position.
absentee
Also Find Me Here.
Even the average idiot on the street is going to take a stand and pick a candidate for the most important election in November, exercising the right so many have fought and died for.
While you, you, will make a mockery of it, spoil your ballot, and then claim superiority for your ballot empty of all meaning.
You choose to sit, and that makes you an easy target for mockery. Well if you're going to leave, I don't care. Red State is for activists, not whiners sitting down and patting thesmelves on their head for standing for nothing.
Sounds a lot like shutup and get in line to me-and above all, was by one of the moderators. And this has been the overall tone of others that because RedState has endorsed a particular candidate, that the rest of us have to shutup about it, because if we don't vote for McCain, of course we're doing nothing. Never mind the fact that I rewrote a Contract with America, the same device that Gingrich used to sweep in a revolution that Neil so patronizingly mocks. Just get in line because if you aren't happy to shower on the McCain love, then you can be treated like cr*p here. This has been the general tone of the moderators since the endorsements, that all of us are now required to leave our principles at the door, because letting McCain wreck our country and party label is much much worse. I am shakin in my Texan cowboy boots. I don't know-perhaps someone else will feel the need to mock my blog in a FrontPage diary again, I'm not sure what sorts of personal attacks are allowed on members here anymore. But I'm especially glad that being a long term member who has contributed several blogs doesn't mean spit in terms of not doing enough to bow to our Fearless Leader, John Sidney McCain, else be called a RINO who knows nothing.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
There's not a bit of shut up in telling you that you've made the wrong choice. That's just plain arguing.
I think those who don't vote for McCain are wrong. In exactly the same way that you think those who voted for McCain in the primary were wrong. And I recall you didn't wear kid gloves in the primary fights either.
No one told you to shower anyone with love. It just didn't happen. That's just lashing out talk. The idea that it's the tone of the moderators is frankly absurd. Most of the contributors went kicking and screaming to McCain.
Every day we have people like bs and finch did today, whining about being told to get in line. Being argued with isn't being ordered. Being disagreed with isn't being ordered. When you told people who was the best candidate in your opinion during the primary wars, it wasn't you telling them to shut up and get in line, and so it isn't now either.
I'm sorry. I've heard this gripe every which way from Sunday, and from some of my favorite redstaters. But the bottom line is simple. People are going to argue with you if you say you won't vote for McCain. And that is a perfectly fair thing to do. Not voting is exactly as arguable as voting.
And frankly, I find it particularly upsetting when in the same comment where you are suggesting it is unfair and undue pressure to be labeled as a RINO, you, like bs and finch and a host of others, yet again suggest that those who ARE voting for McCain are unprincipled whores.
absentee
Also Find Me Here.
Just begging you to understand that there is a point where some us can't do it anymore. And no, I'll admit, I'm probably right after mbecker in terms of kid glove usage, but I did write more than couple diaries on why other conservatives should vote for McCain. He just seems determined to lose my vote and keep on pushing the envelope further to the left. I suspect we can argue this all the way until November and I will probably go in, vote for McCain, take 5 shots of strong tequila at a minimum and 3 showers. In the meantime, you, EPU, and GC remain my redstate mentors.
With manlove always,
BR
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
There's a nice Irish Pub in Farmington Hills that is a fun place to blow off steam.
Trust me, I will be in the mood for extreme intoxication as well.
But I can't understand. For me the election is about enemies, not brands or factions or even AGW.
Enemies like Osama, yes, but also like Obama. I am mollified by your tequila drenched vote, but I remain unsatisfied. I won't require nose holding or gin soaking or dragging kicking and screaming, because I betray nothing. I'm not voting for McCain's position on Global Warming. I'm voting for America's future.
Still. Some will not be able to vote for one or two issues. They'll feel that somehow they are voting for the things he thinks which they disagree with. I can't make them unthink it. I only hope they eventually realize what a boon Redstate is to reaching McCain's ears when he chews up our favorite slippers or piddles in the foyer.
absentee
Also Find Me Here.
And it is not that McCain has a few unconservative positions. I loved Rudy, and he had some profoundly unconservative positions. It is the way that McCain is so quick and happy to capitulate to his friends in the media and the Democratic party, and point out how stupid and "out of touch with reality" those Republicans are. I agree, win the War-and that is the only reason why McCain will get my tequila drenched vote as you say. I believe that the future of America must be a conservative future, if it is to be great. McCain has conservative ideas, but he is not a conservative. And I fear his love for being the BiPartisan Maverick will overshadow his desire (if he has any) to do anything to further the movement. Whether he wins or not, he cannot help us downticket. Fine, I'll help win the election, but there will be no kid gloves for 8 years, and he will be called out on his cr*p every time he strays from the reservation which I suspect will be within the first week of his administration.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
if you use a Rinnai tankless water heater. Go to foreverhotwater.com
"Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em. I'm a whale biologist."
I don't think you can point to a time I've defended McCain on the issues.
I've defended him against unfair or incorrect attacks, and I argue strenuously that he's the obvious best candidate for President among those on the ballot nationwide and therefore could win.
But if you can find a time I've showered my friend, as the Senator is wont to say, with love, I'll be surprised.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
BR, we have a job to fill. McCain is the better choice. Take America seriously.
But as for activism, I think the activism needs to be for principles and policies that work.
McCain has shown that he can be persuaded. He does share conservative principles. He is confused on policies.
So, let's elect McCain, and as we do, let's teach him and America what policies are correct and that We the People are the boss.
After the election, we seriously consider the following.
I used to think that dems were going the way of the whigs. But the dems must only defend a petty brand.
Let's consider that maybe our repubs of the past 10 years have spoiled our ambiteous brand and that maybe its the gop that as whigs and be about the business of a revolution.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
I swore off posting for a while and committed myself to just lurking and posting over at TMR but something needs to be said here.
Don't tell me we haven't been asked to blindly endores McCain and to get in line and shut up.
I was threatened no less than three times last week for not towing the Party line in a couple of threads started by EPU.
I was almost banned permanently after McCain won and I said he'd do exactly what he's done.
This isn't about taking any balls and going home. It's not about arguing or debating...I love that part of it at RS. It's about being allowed to call a spade a spade without having to duck and cover from certain Moderators hovering in the shadows waiting to drop an anvil on our heads!
I'll no doubt get another nasty email or be banned for this post but so be it if that's the case...If not...I'm back to lurking and I'll talk to you after November.
CFR, Amnesty, Spending, Corruption,
Earmarks, Socialized Medicine:
”Your Silence Is Your Consent!”
are muted just now
to their credit
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
The purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, nor to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better.
Dr. Theodore Dalrymple
That vote was selfish and pointless, made in sheer ignorance of how the real world of government and politics works. People who vote like I did hurt the movement.
Why anyone would willfully ignore the lessons of Goldwater and Reagan, while professing to respect what those men did, blows my mind.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
Specifically, the bit about attracting more flies with honey than with vinegar?
If you want to shrink the Big Tent of the Republican Party, you're doing an all-too-good job of it. I guess neither you nor John McCain give a tinker's d*** about Ronald Reagan's Eleventh Commandment.
---
Finrod's First Law of Bandwidth:
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it takes the bandwidth of ten thousand.
I am fed up with self-absorbed twittery going on here, these TrueConservatives who CONSTANTLY bash most Republicans, calling us zombies, sellouts, describing our political views in terms of homosexual imagery (where does that even come from), and unprincipled RiNOs.
I give as good as I get, and I have no use for people who can't take what they dish out.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
Please point out where I called you a zombie, a sellout, and where I've constantly bashed most Republicans, not to mention where I've called you a unprincipled RINO and used your political views in terms of homosexual imagery. Unless somehow you transformed into McCain overnight and I missed it, I was talking about the candidate in my bending over metaphor, not you. You started with your patronizing tone, so don't suddenly act like I'm the one dishing out something that I can't take.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
BR, by adopting those badges in your signature, you have adopted yourself into that movement, so I am associating you with the attitudes expressed by others in the movement.
I am judging what you write in light of those you choose to associate with.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
And this is partially over a fallout on us getting our butts handed to us in 06 and in all likelihood this year as well. I think that the direction that McCain and the Party want to go in is a profoundly losing one, and it is one that I have sat quietly with for Bush, because if nothing else, Bush did not enjoy angering conservatives in the same way that McCain seems too. As I told absentee earlier, I gave my rant, I will probably vote for McCain in November, but I'm not giving him the kid gloves treatment I gave Bush, mostly because I liked Bush despite his faults as a person. The point I'm making here was that I spent a more time drawing up my new Contract with America than I did on the opening paragraph, and I think that you're immediate instinct to paint me as a cut and run RINO was unfair to say the least. Goldwater campaigned for moderates, but it was a moderate like McCain that fueled the drive for a Goldwater. The party is taking the wrong lesson, and I believe if McCain wins will take us further left for the sake of winning. We've had 3 moderate Republican Presidents and a liberal Democrat out of the last 4-how is carrying water for the middle of our party getting us a seat a the table? We had one solid 3 stooled conservative in the race this year out of 6. I disagree with you on how to rebuild the movement-but my point was you don't have to just dismiss and patronize what I was saying.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
The election is paramount in our political system. Ideas are worth NOTHING without being put into practice after getting approval by the voters.
The fact that you choose to sit out the election means you're effectively dismissing yourself from the process.
Yes, the rhetoric gets heated, but when you're criticizing our candidate without having a candidate of your own which can be criticized, you leave no room for substantive debate.
You're playing the role of the kid in the back of the class throwing spitballs. There's no substance.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
I'm working to get Republicans in Michigan elected that are going to be corruption and earmark free. I'm sorry, I don't feel like I have a true candidate at the top of the ticket. I was willing to give it all for McCain. I had come around to CIR because he said he'd build us the G-D fence, then he's going to speak to hate group La Raza. He says he's going to be a footsoldier of Reagan, then he goes to Al Gore's church of global warming. He says he wants conservatives behind him, and then he calls conservatives in the NC GOP living in another reality. He says he's going to govern like a conservative and make America strong, then he goes for signing Kyoto. And he says his VP will reflect his desire to pick someone who can take over on day one. especially in terms of national security, and on the top of the short list he has Mike "Bush's arrogant Bunker mentality" Huckabee? And this is a consistent pattern that we've known McCain has, but one that he acted like he was not going to repeat ie Gang of 14, McCain-Feingold, McCain-Lieberman, well, you know the rest. It's not the nonconservative positions he has, after all I supported Rudy and he wasn't a 3 stool conservative. It's his snobby dismissive attitude towards conservatives and his need to run to the media and the Democrats to point out how much he agrees with them and not us stupid, out of touch Rethuglikkkans. I just can't stomach being kicked in the groin for 8 years at the top of the ticket, so I'd rather focus on getting some Conservatives elected to the House and Senate to stop the madness.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
Every time I think I just can't take any more Mavericking, I just look at who gets my vote by default if I don't give it to McCain.
The time to have fought pure ideological battles was the primaries.* We lost (both us Fredheads and you Hippie Punchers). Now we've got to do all we can to keep the socialists out of power.
I'll vote for McCain. There is no alternative.
*This does not mean we can't still push our agenda, but we'll have to settle for trying to entice McCain to accept it for the next 4 years. No I don't like it either.
Socialism doesn't work. It looks nice on paper, but it's been tried and it's failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
Clinging to my guns and all right now against McCain. But I won't be as quiet about it as I was for Bush. You can be sure there will be a loud chorus of I told you so's every time he screws us (which will be frequently) over the next 4 years. In 2012, we better have someone real good in the primaries.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
if McCain wins? Of course, there won't. And if McCain wins, in 8 years, the frontrunner will be whatever moderate/liberal he picks as his running mate this year, regardless of whether or not he wins in 4.
I think McCain will have done some things that will haved garnered sufficient anger to result in a primary challenge.
Immigration is a likely source of opposition.
The term limits pledge was part of the 1994 Contract. It must have been defeated. I believe term limits would require an amendment to the Constitution.
How about this idea...
Voluntary term limits. Promise to serve only 6 House or 2 Senate terms and then take a 2 House or 1 Senate term break before running again. This would keep lawmakers in touch with life outside the beltway while preserving corporate knowledge. That is, unless they groom a successor and stay on as staff in the DC office.
not a Southerner or Mid-Westerner or an urbanite whose "conservatism" is an intellectual exercise in places that long, long ago became socialist utopias, which is another way to describe cesspools of Democrat corruption. And when I say Westerner, I'm leaving out the Ecotopian strip between San Diego and Seattle and the Coast Range and the Pacific.
Most of his politics and attitudes are pretty reflective of the Empty Quarter of America between the Rockies and the Coast Range, the Mexican Border and the Canadian Border, and most of developed Alaska as well. This is a world of huge distances, small populations and great wealth that has largely been developed, exploited is more correct, by those other than those who actually live here. There's a solid old-time Frontier independence with a generally Christian underpinning, but in most of this world there are more bars than churches and still quite a few whorehouses as well. Social politics are firmly libertarian of the "I don't care what you do as long as you don't try to do it to me or expect me to pay for it" sort. There's an easy tolerance for small, local business, but a huge distrust for corporate America. This is the land of discriminatory railroad tariffs and strong memories of the right of way battles of the 19th Century. There are also strong memories of industrial mining that ravaged the land and provoked intense labor strife. Most are very accustomed to and hateful towards the monopolistic practices of most any big business, but especially shipping companies, grain elevators, feedlot operators, etc. It is also quite "green" in outlook. The average person doesn't hold much with the envirowhackos, but it is because the envirowhackos oppose ALL economic activity and in their native habitat don't conceal the fact that they may be green on the outside, but they are Red, the communist sort, at heart. That said, having seen industrial scale ravishing of the environment by the mining companies, nobody is willing to give them or any other natural resource developer free rein. And finally, but not exclusively, Westerners are not anti-government in the way that, especially, Southerners are. The States of the Empty Quarter require strong central governments to do the things that have to be done by government both because of their small populations and their concentrated revenue sources, especially revenue from natural resources which are either owned by some level of government or heavily regulated and usually heavily taxed by government so that some revenue from the resource can obtain to the people of the State rather than being shipped back East or to England or Canada. Westerners are conservatively sensitive about what they use government to do, but are not averse to using government for those things the res publica must do collectively.
That said, there are things he's espoused that I don't agree with, Campaign Finance and Amnesty foremost among them, and I am really troubled by the extent to which he seeks the approval of the Left and media in areas which they will never really support him, but on lots of issues, he's pretty genuinely reflective of the region form whence he comes.
In Vino Veritas
Also, one thing I like about McCain is that when he looks you straight in the eye, even during an argument where you want to strangle him about some position he's taking, is that "do you want a piece of me?" challenge.
I like him! He drives me nuts!
O! Obama Savior, a hymn!
Having lived in the Mountain Time zone since 61 that’s very close to the way I feel. Although I hate/despise/distrust government more than your example. Mostly because I have very rarely seen good or competent government one guy tried but he took the bureaucracy’s cars away and they had him impeached within a year.
And you are spot on with your objections to him also.
I am really troubled by the extent to which he seeks the approval of the Left and media in areas which they will never really support him ...
The Tories had this same problem - their leader trying to make friends of their enemies by making enemies of their friends - with David Cameron for a while.
This would make for a great diary, indeed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a typical, small town, white girl...
Has not been confirmed. At all. In the past few days, we've had different sources telling us that Huck, Pawlenty, and Jindal are at the top of the list. Face it -- no one has a clue who the veep's going to be, reporters are just guessing because it's a long time till November and they have to kill time. You have absolutely no reason to believe Huck will be the veep, and I very much doubt he will. (I don't have nearly as much of a problem with Huck as many of you do, but he doesn't know foreign policy and McCain has said foreign policy will be one of his chief considerations.) So how about you try not getting worked up about something that hasn't even happened.
And btw, I remain astonished by all the people who know perfectly well that McCain disagrees with them, and then claim they would respect him more if only he pretended he didn't. Really? You would respect him more if he pandered to you? You only object to pandering when it's directed at other people? And don't try to say "well, he's pandering to the NY Times now." No, he isn't, or he never would have become the biggest cheerleader for the war, since the war is their number one bugbear. Conservatives like to say Mac's pandering to the media on the issues where he's liberal, and liberals like to say he's pandering to Jerry Falwell, or has been cowed by W, or some similar nonsense, on the issues where he's conservative. He isn't in either case. He's taking a liberal position on climate change because he believes what he's saying. He's a hawk because he believes what he's saying. He's not going to suck up to you, or tell you what you want to hear, just to win. He's a basically honest man. Deal with it.
I've been looking for just a glimmer of light to merit opening my checkbook for McCain and calling the RNC to volunteer on the GOTV teams.
Well, now between the GW - BS science (I'm old enough to have bought into the coming ice age nonsense from the 70's -- ahh the empty head of youth), the pending La Raza speech, and the rumors that Huckster is actually in consideration for the VP spot.
1) Checkbook is glued shut.
2) I am planning a late October vacation that does not involve politics -- I've got at least an extra $2,300 vacation dough available.
Okay -- I would never vote for Obama even if someone puts a gun to my head and threatens to pull the trigger if I don't -- or my mother's head for that matter (no contest on the liberal sisters' heads -- there is nothing in there anyway)
So -- no money to McCain, no volunteer time for McCain -- both were worth more than my vote. Each year my vote just cancels out one of the liberal sister's votes, but this year both are considering voting for McCain -- so nothing more for me to do.
M Penny
NCLB is an example of federal intrusion into the business of the state, and should be ended.
This strikes me as a possible shift away from your previous position in favor of NCLB. Just curious, but what has tipped you back over to the side in favor of doing away with it?
Most states have some form of the carrot and the sick in ters of accountability. NCLB puts a lot more bureaucracy into a system that already has way too much of it. We need to focus on getting better educational systems state by state, because often the state standards are higher than the federal standards, and many schools are going for the lowest bar rather than the high one.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
I still can't find that "right" to a public education in my constitution. Having taught in public schools, I know most of the parents and kids are led to believe it is there. Spending is up 35% in last several years with only 3.4 % making it to the classroom.
Boy that sure is a nice administration building, even though Johnny can't read, and he will be passed anyway.
Regards
PS Read several of your posts that were right on target.
I posted this elsewhere on this site, but I'll repost it here as it is relevant:
"I was going to hold my nose and support him, but what's the point? He's clearly not interested in that. I won't support this socialism. We need a president who will take a stand against wacko environmentalists, not embrace their lunacy. I'd rather lose on principle than win by selling out. McCain just can't be trusted. Don't believe a thing he says on taxes or judges. He's already talking comprehensive immigration reform again and he wants to ruin our economy and create a global warming bureaucracy to run our lives. Forget that. There's no point in fighting for our freedom in Iraq if we're pissing them away here at home without a fight."
________________________________________________________
Halls of Justice Painted Green, Money Talking.
Power Wolves Beset Your Door, Hear Them Stalking.
stuff like "taking your ball and going home" or those of us opposing McCain are sellouts or purists or whatever insult you want to use. But you just don't get it, really.
It's not about Fredheadedness or purist notions. It's about my immediate future which looks dimmer every time McCain speaks. If things continue on the path they're going, I'll likely have to put my home up for sale or go into foreclosure... not because I have lived above my means but because the politicians keep taking my means away from me. We have one car and we don't live in a posh neighborhood. We're affected more than a lot of you by illegal immigration because my husband is in construction. His wages have been stagnant for years now while costs go up and up and up because of governmental stupidity. About the only thing that even keeps him in a job is the fact that he's got a reputation for getting things done right.
While that may be acceptable loss to you and the politicians, it isn't to me, not when I've done nothing to deserve having everything I and my husband have worked for taken away from us.
Voting for McCain would be like actively helping somebody ruin me. It will happen regardless but for me to help it happen is sheer lunacy.
If yall want to call that taking my ball and going home, fine and dandy. Perhaps I'll get to enjoy it a little longer before somebody else flattens it.
"Voting for McCain would be like actively helping somebody ruin me."
But not voting for McCain would be like actively helping someone ruin you even more. Because Obama's gonna be worse.
"It will happen regardless but for me to help it happen is sheer lunacy."
If by "it" you mean McCain's election, it's not going to happen regardless. It might happen -- on the other hand, Obama's election might happen.
Look, I agree that the "take your ball and go home" language is needlessly insulting, and I know people are tired of voting for the lesser of two evils, but I don't really see what else you're supposed to do. If you're given a choice between contracting herpes and contracting AIDS (sorry, I hope that analogy isn't too squicky), it doesn't make a bally lot of sense to choose AIDS, or to refuse to choose and thereby risk AIDS. You're going to get McCain, or you're going to get Obama. Which do you really want?
The one whose damage will be easiest to repair in 4 years. As to which candidate that is? Well, there's some disagreement on that, and it's not really settled yet. McCain's doing his best to move into the lead in that category every time he speaks.
I hope you groom yourself towards big things and will consider political office someday. That said, no matter how much I object to McCain, I'm still going to vote for him. He is the lesser of two evils. I think if Barry gets in, America will change fundamentally for the worst. My vote for McCain is really a vote against Obama. The downticket is going to suffer for this.
Tim Schieferecke
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
Glad at least the whole site hasn't gone into a sputtering you're a RINO outburst.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
Ultimately for me, the whole thing boils down to universal health care. McCain won't put in a centralized, government-controlled health care system. I believe that Obama or Hillary will. Therefore, I will vote for McCain.
The Democrats were stupid about Universal Health Care in 1993. They won't make the same mistakes twice. The generation of loyal, government-cheese consuming Social Security voters are dying off. If we give them President Obama plus the current leadership of the House and Senate, they will not lose out on this chance to create a whole new class of Democratic government dependent voters who will "need" health care.
Once it is in place, there will be no killing it, no un-funding it, no stopping it. It will become a behemoth that will make SS, Medicare and Medicaid look like the clearance isle at the dollar store. And for the next 60 years the Dems will be able to play the fear card on a whole new generation. "Oh, no! The Evil Republicans want to take away your baby's health care? You better vote Democrat!!!"
Second, you are living in the primaries. They are over for us and not (pass the popcorn) for the Dems. But we have our guy. For the record, McCain was nowhere near the top of my list.
That said, once the primaries are over, they are over. Reset your dials, get rid of your wish list for what you would like to see in a candidate. McCain is what he is. It's real simple now. McCain v. Obama. If you love this country, you only have two choices. To not choose one is a vote for the other. So you can sit on your hands and when Obama is POTUS 44 and he eviscerates SCOTUS for 30 years, we will come knocking and see how you feel then. When his Global Poverty Act bill is signed and countless billions of our money will be mandated by the U.N to be spent on eradicating WORLD poverty, we'll see how you feel. When businesses and American citizens are saddled with crippling taxes to pay for enumerable earmarks, I hope you have an answer.
You don't have to like McCain. Just vote against Obama for God's sakes.
Remember the line in The Patriot?
"This war, [Mel Gibson] says, will be fought not on distant battlefields but among the colonists' farms and homes. "Our children," he warns, "will learn of it with their own eyes." When asked how he can square his refusal to fight with his patriotic principles, Martin answers, "I'm a parent. I haven't got the luxury of principles."
Mel, of course, goes on to kick some Redcoat a#s.
You are an American first. There are only two choices. You don't have the luxury of priciples.
Bill Dupray at The Patriot Room
But if someone told me to google Wayne Allyn Root and then I did and then I looked at his website, I could see how I might, theoretically, find such a candidate much more appealling than the other names I've seen thrown around in the race.
Of course, I would then realize that campaigning for a Libertarian candidate on a Republican website would be wrong and counter-productive... but if someone was saying that they didn't know who they could vote for, I might see it as not campaigning but merely providing information to someone out there searching.
Theoretically, I mean.
Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. --Voltaire
First, let me wish you a sincere Happy Birthday.
Second, I think you list for a new contract is right on.
Thirdy, I'm not voting for McCain either and never planned to in the first place.
* If Conservatives are to have a place at the McCain table, a place has to be set for them. Making us lay on the floor to lick crumbs is not being a good host.
You will be searching the corners to lick up Dust Bunnies.
"40 million American households with McCain are generally happier
than those people in households that don't have McCain."
I'm sorry, but we were the ones who invited him in as our guest. We nominated him in our primaries. There are principles with which we disagree with our guest.
Taking the flip side, if he is now the host, he has prepared a banquet - SCOTUS, health care, GWOT, fiscal discipline. Sure, he has provided a few odd delicacies - AGW, LaRaza.
And, although I am against comprehensive immigration reform...I think him speaking at LaRaza may in fact be a great idea to bring more people to the coalition.
Erik
Everytime I think I've finally summoned the intestinal fortitude to find the world's biggest clothespin and vote for Johnny Mac (like after his judges speech) he goes off and embraces (and I mean embraces) not only the biggest bunch of hogwash (AGW) but also the most socialistic scheme ever perpetrated on the American people. It will dwarf whatever good he does on controlling spending and tax cuts.
So...here I sit. Everytime I think of what McCain will do to the conservative movement and picture actually voting for him, I get ill and feeling like I'll need to take several showers after punching the hole. Everytime I think about Obama and what he will do to the country, and picture him being president, I get ill and feel like I need to take several showers.
My cunundrum lies in the fact that I believe that our country is ultimately doomed anyway without a vibrant conservative movement. So, since John's past vituperativeness doesn't lead me to believe that he will abide any disagreements within the party to his philosophy without major payback.....
Long-term/short-term....long-term/short term. Sigh!!
I feel your pain, brother. I feel your pain.
"All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
ultimately, I'm staying in the saddle, though. He don't make it easy.
Unfair. Unbalanced. Unmedicated. -- IMAO
I knew I could trust in Fredheads to feel my pain, but really, I was more about trying to revive the movement. The McCain rant in the beginning unfortunately has turned this into a I love/hate McCain debate. My Contract I actually worked on for a long time to try and provide some direction for the party.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
Your headline was guaranteed to get you that kind of attention. Maybe in a few days you could resubmit JUST the Contract, after you've had some time to mull over it some more, possibly refine it (not that it's not excellent).
I think in order to go forward, at least on RedState, if you want to say anything that you intend to be constructive and sonmething to build on, you're just gonna have to leave Johnny Mac out of the discussion.
Unfair. Unbalanced. Unmedicated. -- IMAO
Fred was on the stage this past week with Johnny Mac at Wake Forest. Made me start to feel a little better about the "Mac", until Mac started talking.
The more Mac Pelosi talked, the worst my indigestion got.
I sat there and wondered what the heck is Fred doing on the stage with a lib like that.
"I sat there and wondered what the heck is Fred doing on the stage with a lib like that."
The answer is important.
absentee
Also Find Me Here.
The idea of Fred and the reality of Fred were two completely different things. The idea of Fred wouldn't be up there, but the Fred we actually had is.
The idea of Fred absolutely would be up there. The idea of Fred would care about goal attainment. The idea of Fred would care about implementation of some conservative principles, versus the foisting upon the world of disastrous Obama policy. The idea of Fred would fight for the Supreme court seats. The idea of Fred would know the War on Terror won't wait for four years of some nebulous and hypothetical brand-building or realignment. The idea of Fred would know that Iraq can't afford Obama or Clinton.
The idea and the reality of Fred would be on that stage. And so they were. Fact.
absentee
Also Find Me Here.
I suspect it was not most peoples idea of Fred that he would fight for disastrous McCain policies. Fight against disastrous Obama ones, yes. But also fight against disastrous McCain ones.
Reagan stood with Ford too, after a fight. Dam near beat a sitting incumbant Pres for the nomination. Ford, yeah that winner, he left a good mark on the (R) didn't he? But Ronnie knew that curving left, and turning left, was still the same result... failure! He waited four years while watching them fail. Then people got smart, and concluded that going left sucked!
Along comes Ronnie! This man (that some around here do not seem to recognize as a True Conservative LEADER) returned a sense of pride and patriotism that we have riden ever since! Only to be destroyed by this constant left turn, or curve, this country seems to keep repeating.
The way I see this is we can turn or curve left, either way, failure! And the way McCain has been turning... To be truthful, I'm not so sure that I want this failure to be on the shoulders of the (R)... I can almost justify staying home waiting through four years of SUCK just to hope Bobby Jindal or some other True Conservative Leader comes to save us from ourselves once again! McCain is doing us no favors, and the leaders of Republican party should be taking him to task on this. We are doing the party no favors by getting inline. I mean I am a party die hard, and influence a lot of active voters. A lot of what I am hearing from people I talk with, four years of SUCK may be what is needed. They look to me for advice... Senator McCain, what should I tell them?
Back to why I originally responded, just as I feel the need to steer these people to the polls in support of McCain, Fred feels the same... He's almost got too... but just like me, he can always change his mind.
Is far to the right of what the left wants. Seems to me that although I disagree with it, he is only striking a reasonable central position on the issue, not one on the far left.
Erik
prospect of it now is preventing investment and slowing the economy.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
And it is an excellent one. Who wants to buy new capitalized equipment or buildings when the AGW Cap and Trade may be hanging over your head in just a few months.
Erik
This race is not about Conservatism. It is about America.
We will either turn the Presidency over to Obama or McCain.
Obama, with the racist conflicted past or McCain, a true patriot.
I disagree with McCain on many things. But he is a patriot. And country comes first.
I am an American before I am a conservative.
Country comes first...Ya'all need to quit being so Righteously Indignant...After McCain wins..You guys can go back to your Bitc......making the Conservative brand better.
"but there's something kind of "Muslim-y" about him. I know there's no proof or anything, but I take his denials with a big 'ole grain of seasalt."...crabcakes
I came up with a solid ten points on how to improve the prospects, and you two in turn take it as another shut up and get in line moment. Rather than simply accuse me of simply b**ching, you would do well to learn reading comprehension where I compiled a list of things that conservatives can actually do to improve our prospects. Like it or not, your boy is going to get us killed downticket this year, and we are going to have to have a plan to regain the majority. I offered a plan, hoping that conservatives would comment on it, and perhaps some of the McCain lovers could meet us halfway on some conservative goals. You know, matching a glass of water with orange juice, rather than continuing to show up to pee on the base. And boy, if all you all have is shut up and vote for McCain no matter what he does or you're just a stupid RINO, then you guys are going to be in for a real treat the day after the election. Boy you people really can fire up the base.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
You sound like a Leader...And we/I will follow you...But for you to sit out and not vote for what is best for the country just doesnt make sense...Just vote ...help us win...I'm on your side and will continue to read your Awesome posts.
We really will be better off without Obama.
Frankly from the title and the first para, it seems you are just another who is going to sit it out and let Obama or Hillary win.
I don't want any part of that.
I am the an AGW skeptic, as you might have noticed. I am ticked off that McCain is falling for the consensus of apocalypse.
But McCain is not going to sell me out over immature posing like Obama. Obama tosses friends and family under buses as convenient.
I would suggest with great respect that it is not my job to fire you up.
I sure as heck am not waiting on McCain to fire me up.
I am watching out for myself and what I think are the best interests of this nation.
The one I am ticked it as is Bush.
He is the one who has fragmented the coalition. He is the one who undersold and under led the war.
He is the one who did not stand up when the dhimmies betrayed the war after supporting it.
That makes me willing to give you the same amount of respect as you afforded me, which is zero.Since you didn't bother to read my new platform you are the one doing the bitching and moaning about my diary, and allow me to suggest with great respect that you then write your own diary. You are dreaming if you think we aren't going to get killed downticket-hence my Contract with America to try to get Republicans back into office. I'm sorry that I'm not being a good enough member of the McCain echo chamber around these parts, about as sorry as I am that you didn't bother to read the update where I said I will probably be voting for McCain and feeling really dirty about it. You McCainiacs sure learned the art of catching flies with vinegar.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
it's attitudes like yours that are going to make repairing the Republican coalition very hard, and quite possibly impossible. You sit there on your high horse, with the assumption that those who oppose McCain here are doing so out of pettiness, imputing bad motives on us.
Would you like me to return the favor? I could easily say, with just as much correctness, that obviously those who pushed through this nomination care about electing a Republican, any Republican first, didn't give a tinker's dam about the damage they would do to the country to accomplish it. From my vantage point that's exactly what happened, and the damage has already been done.
But that's water under the bridge. The task now is to try to minimize and contain the damage, and from where I stand, it's a really close call whether the damage from the complete destruction of the US economy and the creeping socialism that's destined to follow, from McCain's desired policies are worse than the damage Obama will cause as a completely ineffective politician.
If you can't help, at least stay out of the way while those of us who want to do something try.
Very, very doubtful. I'll likely vote in down-ballot races though. Senator Cornyn may be in trouble with McCain's radioactive coattails, and he'll need (and deserve) my vote. My Congressman, Kenny Marchant, is in about as safe a Republican district in Texas as you can have, so barring a live boy/dead girl problem he'll get re-elected easily.
I cannot vote for someone who wants to destroy the US economy for a generation, when the Republicans will be (rightly) blamed for it. That's at least as bad as anything Obama could do on judges, and in my view, actually worse, because it will lead directly to more socialism, but enacted by the legislature, not the judiciary.
You started in this thread by impugning the patriotism of those who who didn't leap up rushing to jump on the McCain bandwagon. I didn't really see much of a point there, just some mindless ad hominem.
And it's pretty clear from them that he thinks that people not jumping on the McCain bandwagon are un-American, because otherwise the post has no meaning. What else would you call that, but impugning someone's patriotism?
He appealed to your patriotism, he didn't impugn it.
absentee
Also Find Me Here.
He said "I am an American before I'm a conservative". The clear implication is he thinks that those on the other side aren't Americans first. That's impugning their patriotism.
A country is only as good as its leaders, laws, and the people in it. I'm a Christian first and foremost, then a Conservative, then a Coloradoin, and last an American.
1)God
2)Family
3)Values and work ethic-Conservative philosophy
4) My home state
5) My liberal and morally bankrupt country (Actually a good place if you could cut off the West coast and the East coast above DC and below new Hampshire)
That suprises me. It seems to me that our national history is so much more important than our state histories (I realize that there are some exceptions to that, but I wouldn't think of Colorado as being part of that list).
So if you were storming the beaches at Normandy, you would be thinking of Colorado before country?
That the Anti-Federalist LOST the debate.
"I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist – jurists of the highest caliber who know their own minds, and know the law, and know the difference." - John McCain
I don't identify with.
If I was dying in battle for America at Normandy I wouldn't be thinking about America. I'd be thinking about how I was dying to preserve a way of life i believe in and lived in Colorado Springs. I might be willing to die for the way of life seen in several other values-con religious-con or crunchie-con states
But for liberal amoral America as a whole...no
I identify more strongly with my community, state, religion, and conservative views than my nation. I am a Coloradoin first, then an American
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
#4 and #5 ain't gonna switch
....unless of course Colorado swings way Liberal--then I'll either have to put my home city first or join a State I can be proud of.
"I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist – jurists of the highest caliber who know their own minds, and know the law, and know the difference." - John McCain
The reason we have an electoral college is to protect States rights. The only reason a Union was founded in the first place was for cooperativity between states who couldn't accomplish the functions necissary for a Nation on their own. Initially the Unites States of America was a collection of states. This changed with the Civil War when the South tried to leave. This change was for the better, especially considering the practice of slavery, but the pendulum may have swung too far the other direction when we become more loyal to our country than to our own values and beliefs and State identities. We are fundamentally states who have entered a binding cooperative agreement-we can't leave this agreement, but we can have first loyalty to our states--and I believe this is historically appropriate.
of red state.
There isn't a nicer way to put it then that. That's the most willful and idiotic misreading of a truism I've ever heard.
"I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist – jurists of the highest caliber who know their own minds, and know the law, and know the difference." - John McCain
Anyhow, one way or another, I'll consider you're taking it as a complement as a complement. It must mean you buy into reasoning that idiotic.
"I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist – jurists of the highest caliber who know their own minds, and know the law, and know the difference." - John McCain
It means that you've been so consistently wrong on other things in your posts here that your lack of understanding wasn't surprising. Of course, your lack of understanding in this post isn't surprising either.
Who am I? I'm a conservative Texan, who used to consider himself a diehard Republican before the Republicans decided to not be a conservative party any more, who's deeply concerned about the cleanup we're going to have to do on this great nation regardless of the outcome this fall. Who the heck are you? All I happen to know about you is that you're someone who seems to delight in impugning the motives of anyone who's not 100 percent worshipping at the church of the Maverick, and are usually fairly abusive in the process. Throw in a few curse words and you'd fit right in at dkos.
the irony would be sickening if it wasn't so funny.
Anyhow, I'll only correct the most egregious. McCain was not my first choice in the primaries, and wouldn't even be among the top 20 people I'd appoint to the office if the choice was mine.
And anyhow, I wasn't impugning the motives of someone who wasn't "worshiping at the church of the Maverick" sparky, I was impugning the motives of a blatant Buchannanite/Paultard anti-American loser who apparently understands even less about American history then most people taught at American public schools. Huge difference.
"I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist – jurists of the highest caliber who know their own minds, and know the law, and know the difference." - John McCain
And you can have the last word if you so desire. Your arrogant, insulting and abusive posts speak for themselves. Whether or not he was your first choice, you're certainly intolerant of anyone who didn't make your decision.
I don't know why I bother in these threads. People like BR are trying to fix the root cause of the problems with constructive solutions, and people like you are trying to destroy them. I take exception to that, and it just makes me even more angry and depressed.
I'm guessing you'll reply to this post with even more puerile insults. But you needn't bother. I won't read them.
Let me rephrase it. "I cannot vote for someone who is so clueless on economic matters that he would destroy the US economy for a generation". Better? Still doesn't change the outcome.
Would you like America the nanny state or Exeptionalist America.
You don't get both, and I suggest to you that there is ONE route to Exeptionalist America.
Unfair. Unbalanced. Unmedicated. -- IMAO
Conserving America before McCain leaves nothing left for us to conserve. Of course, once the EU controls our economy under the guise of environmental regulations, there will be America, the Maverick state.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
Hello to my friends. I am still reading regularly but I stopped posting because it took too much time.
I pulled my cash out of efforts to stop McCain and I was moving towards supporting him but this is an issue that I just can't get past. I can't support this man because of the damage positions like this will do to our party. The only way I will vote McCain is if I like his VP - and that is a very short list.
"The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end."
- Maximus
You picked quite a time to drop in, it's been pretty lively here in the last week or 2. Good to see you check in!
Unfair. Unbalanced. Unmedicated. -- IMAO
I like every single point in your contract. Only quibble I have is the term limits. I believe it is a positive, but I also think it is completely unrealistic in our situation.
As of today I plan on voting for John McCain, and I already am shopping for a vice grip since a clothespin would probably not be able to hold in all the steam coming out of my nostrils.
If the McCain web site starts marketing designer vice grips, let me know.
McCain/Huckabee: One disappointment following another.
Like I've said, I'm gonna probably vote for the man, drink a minimum of 5 strong shots of tequila, and take three showers. Then I think instead of watching the results, I'll watch something with Fred in it.
End the NewTone. Punch the hippies.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
I really do appreciate what you've done here with the new contract, in spite of the fact that I went on my own little rant against McCain.
The problem is I feel it's too late. We've been on this track since Bush 1 and all we've learned from it is that as long as we accept the status quo, even if under vocal protest, all we're going to get is the status quo... or worse.
We've accepted the status quo for a quarter of a century. I believe it's going to take a very major disaster much bigger than 9/11 to put this country back on track.
Keep working to perfect your new contract. I wouldn't call it an exercise in futility just because I'm pessimistic about its receipt right now. If that disaster that I believe is going to strike happens, it will be a very useful and powerful tool for the future.
and that is I will vote McCain. The reality of the current state of the Country politically is that a Conservative is not going to win this cycle and Obama's naiveity to the evil in the world is very dangerous and I dont think we should risk an Obama Presidency because we dont like his cap and trade or whom his VP pick is. Lets win this scrimish and then concentrate on the battle for more conservative goverance.
as for your planks of a new CWA, I really like all of them except for Term Limits. I feel that people should have the right to vote for whomever they want. Could you imagine if Duke were to fire Coach K because he has been the coach too long? If someone is good at something and wants to do it we should not let them not to able to do it because of some artifical time table.
McCain '08