Win, Lose, or Draw, The House GOP Needs New Leadership
By Erick Posted in 2006 — Comments (30) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
As the sun sets across Georgia, let me be the first to say publicly on RedState what a lot of us have thought privately – we’re probably going to lose the House by 20 seats minimum.
I’ll be pleasantly surprised if we hold the House, but I do not think it is likely. I’ll happily eat this post if I’m wrong, but I doubt I am.
And, whether we keep the House or lose it, we’re going to lose seats. It is important to keep perspective on this – we’ve defied history for two election cycles. The good ride was bound to come to an end. In the long run, considering the Democrats will win by taking seats that lean Republican, this will probably be very good for the GOP. Let the independents see Speaker Pelosi in action for two years and the GOP will never have to worry again.
Win, lose, or draw, however, I want to get something off my chest and I want to make sure I do it before the returns start coming in.
Read on . . .
For months I’ve been busting my butt for the GOP. And what has the GOP leadership done? They’ve spit in my face repeatedly with big spending, a failure to do anything meaningful on immigration until polls told them they absolutely had to, and, in short, peed on the 1994 Republican revolution.
After crashing the gates, the Republicans became the Democrats. They adopted Bill Kristol’s “big government conservatism” theory (and what loyalty he shows – predicting a 30 to 40 seat loss after giving you the agenda with which you’ll hang yourselves) and disrupted the fine truce between fiscal conservatives and social conservatives.
Win, lose, or draw, the House GOP needs a change. The Senate should, I think, be fine under the leadership of my hero Mitch “Repeal BCRA” McConnell. Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Boehner, Majority Whip Blunt, and Deputy Majority Whip Cantor need some time in the wilderness to rediscover their roots.
The GOP will benefit by, as a result of this little defeat, being more conservative. As a result, it needs conservative leadership at the top. As Rush Limbaugh, me, and others have said, the GOP has not been led by a President pushing a conservative agenda. In the House, we need someone to do that.
May I suggest Mr. Pence serve as the leader of the party in the House and Mr. Shadegg, who put his money on the line for the cause, be the Whip? They may not, as have been long rumored, like each other. But they are both passionate conservatives and are commitment to first principles. And while you’re at it, purge the GOP Appropriators who are principle architects of this mess by repeatedly showing their stunning arrogance.
The GOP did not lose seats because of Iraq. The media may like the easy, convenient narrative. It’s just not true. The GOP lost seats because it divided its base over spending and rejected its first principles. Whether we hang on to the House or not, it’s time to go back to first principles.
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Not necessarily the part about Pence being the go-to guy, or necessarily about Boehner, but the overall sentiment. Especially the part about Hastert.
...in his FREEZER.
"We could find a speck of dust and scribble down our life stories..." - The Refreshments
I just can't bring myself to preface "Leader" and "Whip" with "Minority" until the election is over.
In 2008, after the nation is furious with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, I'm all for
Speaker of the House Mike Pence
Majority Leader John Shadegg
Majority Whip Jeff Flake
In 2008, after the nation is furious with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, I'm all for
Speaker of the House Mike Pence
Majority Leader John Shadegg
Majority Whip Jeb Hensarling
for Pence to be Speaker AND President or Vice President? ;)
We will win tonight because I don't believe the people are as dumb as I think they are.
President Mitt Romney (MA)
Vice President Kenneth Blackwell (OH)
Speaker of the House Mike Pence (IN)
House Majority Leader John Shadegg (AZ)
House Majority Whip Jeb Hensarling (TX)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY)
Senate Majority Whip Jon Kyl (AZ)
:-)
at least that's what my new siggy says? you like?
WOW Shep Smith is ripping a Dem apologist a new one (and a whiny Repub too, about the non-issue of Dubai ports)! I can't believe my eyes- Go Shep Go!
We must win, because anything else only validates the media lies and brownshirt tactics and bring more of them, not less.
We will win tonight because I don't believe the people are as dumb as I think they are.
sorry for the interruption. Shep's outburst made me lose focus, lol!
anyway, I'm not on board with the pessimism on the outcome, or with the accomplishments of our party. nobody is ever going to get all of what they want, and no they're not perfect, but the Republican Congress and President has done a lot that we too often overlook in the rush to negativity and pessimism.
if our voters are so stupid that they'll sit home in anger and put in place a reckless, hate-filled leadership that will give us NONE of what we want, we'll truly deserve what we get. I'm cool with some fresh leadership, provided its not the not-so-fresh Nancy Pelosi.
We will win tonight because I don't believe the people are as dumb as I think they are.
I'd have voted several times if I could have figured out how. I am, however, fed up with, sick and tired of, and generally po'd at what has passed for Republican leadership in the Congress.
Good bye and good riddance to Bill Frist. The entire House leadership team needs to go on the scrap heap of history. Personally, I would prefer Shaddeg as Speaker, but as long as Hastert is G.O.N.E. and replaced with a conservative, I'm OK. Same for the rest of the stooges.
_______________________________
If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"?
Th more this goes on, the more I think of doing so, myself. I may have no college and no real political experience, but my family and my military experience should stand me in good stead. As should my opinions and how I would stand on various issues...
...Anyone know a good campaign manager that might be interested?
"The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal comfort... has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
--John Stuart Mill
I think this could wait till tomorrow. Try now to win every seat you can.
Nice to see the "Losing is a good thing" crowd is in full force. You never achieve anything by losing. But what do I know.
Sitting out is a vote for KOS.
To lose to liberals because we were too liberal.
The longer we dwell on our misfortunes the greater is their power to harm us - Voltaire
why should I vote for a liberal in Republican clothing when I can vote for a real liberal.
_______________________________
If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"?
is my Congresswoman, she's in the fight of her life against an idiot. It doesn't help that her district is 60% dem so she's always the under dog.
The complaints lodged against her are kinda contradictory, first she's a big spending Repub, but she doesn't bring home enough pork.
But if her competitor wins, Yarmuth, we'll have finally got a solution to Immigration, Prescription drugs, the healthcare system and Iraq. Best part is that according to his website it'll only take about a page worth or law to fix it all. Now I just need to figure out what he's planning for the other 720 days he's in office.
It's the top of the ticket that has dragged the party to the left. By which I mean the people in the White House. The most conservative chamber of government these past several years has been the House, but they are being made the fall guys for others missteps.
Second, I'd rather not see this admission of defeat until we are actually defeated. I can see people on the West Coast reading this and giving up and going home. What are you guys thinking?
I know that a lot of Redstaters want to talk about the 2008 election or what to do after the results are in but IMO those sorts of discussions can at wait until at least we know the results from today. Particularly as how the MSM has been predicating a GOP defeat since the day after the 1994 elections. I see no reason to put any faith in their “exit polls” or polls that routinely predict doom and gloom now.
Frak the bastards and win one for the Old Man.
Like Leon, I am in with the sentiment though perhaps not the names...but there is plenty of time for quibbling.
There is no mystery about where I stand...but I want in on this debate. I have made a personal commitment to myself to liveblog the ascension of a true Conservative to the Presidency in '08...live from DC herself-my roots and my birthplace.
I officially sign up here and now, ALSO before the results come in...to reiterate it is time for a change whether I am in the wilderness or sitting on the edge of it.
Regardless of who wins tonight...it is time for a change. My post for tomorrow is already prepared, and it is not related to the results of today...it is related to where we go from here...
Count me in... if we are serious about change, I will do my part.
What we do in life echoes in eternity.
-Maximus Decimus Meridius
if we allow the leadership to carry on as it has it will mean death to all we stand for. The leadership and the rest of the rino's should be very much looking over thier shoulder for me, as a middle class working family man, will be putting his money and time where my mouth is. I will not slow down, calm down, go along or shut up until I see the ship starting to right. I will no longer tolerate weak republican leadership.
No matter the outcome the Republican leadership should be feeling the cold winds of the comeing storm.
"It ain't over till it's over"
Yoggi Berra
Particularly here:
After crashing the gates, the Republicans became the Democrats. They adopted Bill Kristol’s “big government conservatism” theory (and what loyalty he shows – predicting a 30 to 40 seat loss after giving you the agenda with which you’ll hang yourselves) and disrupted the fine truce between fiscal conservatives and social conservatives.
The Weekly Standardites started to head for the exit door in advance because they thought everyone would then forget who were the architects of 2006. They forgot the link between elephants and memories, I suppose, although that will be brought home to them in 2008.
Let's keep plugging away until the polls close nonetheless.
People are not listening to the Democrats when they say 'new direction' for Iraq. By gaining control of Congress, they can't do it. They can't override a veto, get through their agenda. They can raise our taxes by not extending/permanently making tax cuts by about 3-9 k per average household of 45k. But, for a 'new direction' in Iraq, there is 1 solution for them. Impeach Bush.
They say impeachment is off the table (It is.... for now). If they got the Senate, they'd go for it. If they're stupid enough to call Bush for investigations, and they can't since he has executive priviledge, they'll get killed in 2008 by wide margins.
Now, for Republican leadership. THEY NEED TO FIGHT BACK, AND FIGHT BACK HARD! We are tired of our guys being complete WIMPS! I want a fighter, not a lover.
If the Dems take the House, they kill the President's plan for Iraq by defunding the troops. They did it year after year to Reagan when he was supporting the Contras in Nicaragua. The Dems will do it to our troops if they control the budget strings, because like Kerry, they believe if you are stupid you get stuck in Iraq.
Yes, I have an elephant memory when it comes to ways Dems have *@#$%@! us in the past.
Surely we can wait a few more hours before having this discussion?
But I'd settle for Shadegg/Flake
--
If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.