Is This An Impossible Struggle?
posted at 12:01 am on June 29, 2009 by Doctor Zero
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Many conservatives feel the battle to rescue America from the Democrats is an impossible struggle, offering no real chance for victory. I’m not Pollyannish about the situation myself, but I don’t think we’re completely doomed. Here are some of the reasons I’ve seen cited as evidence that resistance is futile, and why I think they are obstacles we can overcome. I don’t raise these points to dismiss them – overcoming them will be difficult, and success is not guaranteed. Much will depend on the courage, discipline, determination, and resourcefulness of conservatism’s political leadership. Come to think of it, their demonstrated lack of these qualities is the first point that should be addressed.
The Republican Party is a hopeless mess. It’s certainly not a pretty sight right now, but any party coming out of two bad election cycles would inevitably be roiled by internal power struggles and defectors looking to make themselves useful to the opposition. They brought a great deal of their political misfortune on themselves, through profligate spending and ethical misadventures in the latter Bush years. We can take some comfort in knowing we have an electorate that is willing to punish shady politicians, since the Democrats long ago passed “shady” and are in the process of transforming into Ringwraiths.
There have been signs of spirit and eloquence returning to the Republicans, such as John Boehner’s energetic performance on the eve of the Cap-and-Trade bill, or Michael Steele’s excellent speech to the Republican National Committee.
Also, despite massive media bias and approval ratings that seem to defy gravity, Obama’s socialized medicine infomercial on ABC was a ratings bust. Coupled with the outcome of the David Letterman flap, it would be fair to say the political figure Americans are most interested in at the moment is a Republican, Sarah Palin. That’s not guaranteed to remain a Good Thing forever, as the public’s interest could sour into mockery or morbid curiosity, but it argues against the notion that the voters have completely given up on the Republicans.
One of the reasons Republicans suffered losses in 2006 and 2008 was political fallout from the Iraq war, and this factor will be absent in 2010. They will also stand to benefit from the increasing politicization of every aspect of American life, under Obama. Intruding politics into every aspect of life transforms people who just want to be left alone into partisans. Thanks to Obama, everyone who thinks America should have a healthy manufacturing industry, wants gas to stay under $6 per gallon, desires positive growth in the Gross Domestic Product, hates the idea of government-manufactured automobiles, or opposes the idea of brutally rationed health care, just became a Republican. Before the end of this year, everyone with elderly parents whose lives would be erased through comparative-benefit analysis will be a Republican. No one will do more to restore the vitality of the Republican Party than Barack Obama.
Socialism will give the Democrats a permanent lock on power. The fear that a public bribed with government goodies will vote Democrat in perpetuity is a serious concern, but I take comfort from my dim view of socialism. It doesn’t work – it never has, anywhere – and the American version is already strained to the breaking point. There aren’t enough taxpaying suckers to pay for the social welfare benefits necessary to build the political perpetual motion machine, especially given the generally high standard of living Americans are accustomed to. National health care is probably the best chance the Democrats have to trick the voters into indentured servitude, and the public appetite for such a scheme is already looking soft… even at a time when Obama enjoys the willing assistance of nearly the entire news media in selling it, and has hardly been challenged on any of the details.
The electoral map has shifted to favor Democrats. Electoral maps change. Relative small numbers of people in key states can produce tectonic shifts in political alignment. Remember that Republicans were supposed to have achieved something like a permanent electoral lock in 2004. Obama’s 2008 election performance was not particularly strong, given his astonishing media coverage, a disastrous Republican presidential candidate, an unpopular Republican president, and a remarkable number of major events breaking Obama’s way. McCain’s defeat was mostly caused by people staying home, not people voting for Obama. In a country with about 200 million eligible voters, victory by nine or ten million votes does not build an invulnerable electoral fortress.
Immigration will make the Democrats invincible within a few years. It’s true that Hispanic immigrants currently tend to vote Democrat, and Republicans don’t seem inclined to act strongly against illegal immigration, or reduce legal immigration quotas. That could change, of course, particularly if loud popular support for tighter borders leads Republicans to see such policies as the path to victory. Even if both legal and illegal immigration remains high, there’s no reason to think Hispanic voters will remain serfs on the Democrat vote farm forever. Most of them came here for a better life, and they might not remain mindlessly loyal to the party that murdered the good life right before their eyes, then offered them a few bucks from the victim’s wallet to keep quiet. Most of the fears about perpetual rule through Hispanic vote zombies are based on the nagging fear that Democrat policies might actually work, to some middling degree, at least enough to keep the welfare benefits coming. I urge you to broaden your image of the magnitude of Democrat failure. Give their policies a few more years to chew on the economy, and black voters might not be willing to cough up those guaranteed 90% vote margins any more, either.
The voters are asleep. I think it’s more accurate to say they were tired in 2008. They were weary from the relentless Democrat and media assault against Bush, and McCain didn’t give them anything to get excited about. A lot of them were too weary to trudge to the polls on Election Day. The one time their eyes popped wide open was when gas approached four bucks a gallon… and if those prices hadn’t gone down quickly, we’d be talking about President McCain’s chances of holding both houses of Congress in 2010. Never forget how absolutely flummoxed Democrats were by the gas crunch of summer 2008… or how terrified they were on the eve of the subprime debacle, an event which could have (and should have) essentially destroyed their party for a generation, if McCain had not bungled his response so badly. American voters are light sleepers. It doesn’t take all that much real pain to wake them up. Republicans would be wise to remind them, constantly, of the agony House Democrats and Obama just voted to inflict on them, even if the Cap-and-Trade nightmare ends in the Senate. Voters can doze through long, moralistic discussions of abstract principle, and even agree in theory to popular psychoses like the global warming hoax, if they are presented with a heavy dusting of media glitter. Their attention tends to become focused by wounds that leave pools of tax dollars congealing at their feet.
2010 is a battle, not a lost cause. There really aren’t any reasons why we can’t win, and absolutely no reasons why we shouldn’t try.
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Hmm. Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
cthulhu on June 29, 2009 at 12:48 AM
The one item missing from the equation……
A unifying leader to move the party forward. 1980 had Ronald Reagan. In 2009, who is that individual. Probably not Romney and certainly not Palin.
highhopes on June 29, 2009 at 6:50 AM
highhopes on June 29, 2009 at 6:50 AM
—
1994 had the Contract With America, in response to Clinton’s tax hikes and the perception that power had slid too far toward the Democrats.
I agree with Doctor Zero that 2010 could be a banner year, but it will take leadership with abilities rivaling Reagan, or organizational skills rivaling Gingrich, and all of that in the face of Chicago Machine style politics, and a media machine that can’t afford the depth of their loss of objectivity to become obvious….
This isn’t going up against an intellectual twit from Georgia or a small-time sexual predator from Arkansas… and the Republicans haven’t shown the kind of back-bench strength that’s needed to handle this in Illinois, let alone nationally…
Mew
acat on June 29, 2009 at 8:02 AM
it’s difficult to win elections when you are so completely untethered from reality.
sesquipedalian on June 29, 2009 at 8:49 AM
sesquipedalian on June 29, 2009 at 8:49 AM
—–
Indeed. Obama is clearly the exception proving the rule…
Mew
acat on June 29, 2009 at 8:51 AM
I joined the GOP in 1972, the year I became eligible to vote. The party “left” me in 2002. While I remain a staunch conservative (fiscal, military, small government and social) the current political crisis will not make me a Republican again. I will only vote for and help true conservatives. Republican’s that have abandoned fiscal and small government conservatism will never get my support. They have f…ed me once too often and may they rot in political hell for it.
chemman on June 29, 2009 at 10:16 AM
Doctor Zero,
You have excellent writing skills but poor ideas. Many of your postings have the same theme that runs through them; which is that there is a “secret” or “untapped” conservative movement or idea that is going to lead the Republicans back into power.
The problem is that you (as in your party) held the mantle of power for the longest time. And the truth is that when someone tells you to worry about the national debt and another person tells you that they have a solution to the healthcare problems you are personally experiencing; most Americans will choose the later; especially when the same people that are telling us to worry about the debt lead us through a spending spree that drastically increased the debt.
Doctor, if you truly cared to lead this country on a fiscally sound path you would support Ron Paul. The very fact that you picked Palin, a governor who’s state received the most in pork barrel spending per person than any other state, is a testament to your massive hypocrisy.
Instead of evolving, you are cratering to a smaller and smaller proportion of your base. What you write about (socialism, the voters were “asleep” during the election, immigration reform that involves massive deportations of people out of the country and setting up militarized borders) is so fundamentally out of touch with mainstream America that it is starting to become sad.
If you are going to try and lead the Republicans out of the abyss, start with writing about ideas that weren’t tried in McCain’s failed bid for the Presidency.
There is a reason why he failed with practically the same script you are writing.
ckoeber on June 29, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Which isn’t surprising, given there’s about 14 people and a couple of dogs living there, dumbass.
LimeyGeek on June 29, 2009 at 12:28 PM
blah blah blah. It’s all about turnout. We will crush them in 2010.
marklmail on June 29, 2009 at 12:28 PM
More per capita? Not the total but more per person?
So, leaving aside your apparent lack of knowledge of the culture of Alaska, you believe someone in Alaska should get more federal dollars than someone in Ohio or New York?
ckoeber on June 29, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Hmm… you DO realize that the current Governor has brought down pork barrel requests that have originated from the state executive office by nearly 80%, right?
BPD on June 29, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Do you have questions about 9/11 too?
RON PAUL!!11!1
TheUnrepentantGeek on June 29, 2009 at 12:41 PM
True, but you must realize that it was given when Alaska was admitted to the union that they would be hard-pressed to be self-sufficient. The goal was to bring to bear the vast energy reserves of Alaska… it is not the fault of Alaskans that the Federal Government is handcuffing them.
BPD on June 29, 2009 at 12:43 PM
I don’t support Ron Paul. The point was that if Doctor Zero wanted to be intellectually consistant he would choose a candidate who was truly fiscally sound instead of going for a failed sales pitch.
If Sarah Palin were to win she most likely would have pushed McCain over the edge in 2008 to take the white house. Instead, she dragged down the ticket. She now continues to drag the ticket down with constantly trying to settle scores with people who criticize her.
ckoeber on June 29, 2009 at 12:46 PM
As evidenced by her rising favorable numbers in 2 recent polls.
Seriously, try relying on facts when you’re making an argument. A little research goes a long way.
BPD on June 29, 2009 at 12:48 PM
One of the reasons Republicans suffered losses in 2006 and 2008 was political fallout from the Iraq war……
Categorically, UNTRUE!
All the post-election polls showed, that the Democrats won, because Republicans STAYED HOME!
They stayed home, because:
Stupid Bush/Graham/McCain support for “Immigration Reform”; i.e. AMNESTY!
Bush was not a “fiscal conservative”
All the stupid Repulican Sex scandals, such as Mark Foley, etc.
The Dubai Ports Fiasco
The Meier SCOTUS nomination idiocy
Trent Lott
Tom Delay
Richie Cunningham
etc., etc…
The Republicans had 12 years, to prove to their constituents that they were NOT “Democrats”; instead, they proved they were the same, or even worse!
The Democrats won in 2006 & 2008 and it had nothing to do with Iraq; the hell, 20% of Republican & “Conservative” voters voted for Obama (PBUH) (SWT)(SAW); and another 20% didn’t vote at all!
And it had NOTHING to do with the “Iraq War”, and everything to do with the stupidty and corruption of the Republican Party!
FACTS!
Dale in Atlanta on June 29, 2009 at 12:49 PM
People said the same thing in 2008. I don’t see 2010 being a year for the Republicans. Really, what Senate seats and congressional districts are in play other than retirees?
ckoeber on June 29, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Please cite these polls.
ckoeber on June 29, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Sanford, the Gary Condit of 2010.
spmat on June 29, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Bah… Mark Foley, not Gary Condit.
spmat on June 29, 2009 at 12:51 PM
The economy is everything. Socialism will tank the economy. People will vote for an alternative to that. The traditional Conservative view on government spending and many other issues are majority opinions in the nation. All we need is candidates that espouse those views and offer a clear choice.
echosyst on June 29, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Republicans lost in 2008 because they were corrupt and power hungry. If you’d like to hang that on Palin’s door that’s your delusion, but don’t kid yourself.
Sarah Palin was a VP candidate, you’ll recall – a sinecure of a job most of the time. If you honestly think she looked worse than Joe Biden I can’t begin to take you seriously.
TheUnrepentantGeek on June 29, 2009 at 12:53 PM
The PEW poll and the PPP poll… both concluded within the past 2 weeks or so. They were wideley discussed here at hotair. The PEW poll fromlast week showed her favorables amongst independents improved 7 pts.
BPD on June 29, 2009 at 12:54 PM
We have been talking about energy indepedance for well over 50 years. The last thing we need is to rebuild our energy platform for the next 20-40 years on the same fossil-fuel based ideology that is hamstringing us now.
Nuclear, wind, and solar? Yes. More drilling which is decimating our environment and will run out within the next century or so? No.
ckoeber on June 29, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Some of us didn’t stay home or vote for the big O.
When Republicans fail to nominate fiscal conservatives I vote Libertarian. Been doing that a lot these last 15 years or so.
Lost my shape on June 29, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Enough with solar and wind
shale oil
nukes
methane hydrate
blatantblue on June 29, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Nuclear sure, but wind and solar are meaningless until we find a way to store electricity efficiently.
And as for this supposed decimation? Hyperbole. Additional drilling is a useful, revenue generating stopgap.
Economically viable innovation is the way forward, not draconian government policy.
TheUnrepentantGeek on June 29, 2009 at 12:58 PM
You are essentially proving my point that I wrote to Doctor Zero. Republicans had their opportunity.
Now people are somehow hoping that two years out of power is suddenly going to change the script?
ckoeber on June 29, 2009 at 12:58 PM
You can certainly make arguments to drill less and use more nuclear, wind, and solar. That’s not the point. The point is, you can’t blame Alaska or it’s government for not being self-sufficient when IT WAS KNOWN at the time they were admitted into the union that they would not be self sufficient. It’s not Alaska’s fault if the nation decides to move away from fossil fuels. They aren’t the ones making these determinations.
By the way, you should probably avoid overusing strawman arguments. We aren’t decimating our environment by drilling. The drilling is going to be done regardless, whether it is in the USA or elsewhere. We do it much more environmentally-friendly here. By not drilling, we outsource the production elsewhere… including places that light their wells on fire when they are pissed off at the world.
Clueless, you are.
BPD on June 29, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Dude, the demographic trends are against limited government.
toliver on June 29, 2009 at 1:04 PM
There you go with socialism cries again. Frankly that is the last thing on people’s minds.
The “majority of American’s are conservatives” view is garbage. Recent polls put the public option on healthcare (yes, that Obama ’socialist’ healthcare plan) popular amongst everyone, including Republicans.
ckoeber on June 29, 2009 at 1:06 PM
If we fail, we fail. What’s the point of even talking about whether it’s possible or not. What we need to focus on is what if we succeed?
We need to take our own advice. The same rules that apply to fighting Islamic theocracy apply equally to ALL fanatics: if all you do is defend, you will always eventually lose.
We cannot talk about “holding the line” against Socialism anymore. The GDP three years from now will be at least 30% less than it is today. We need to DESTROY it.
Any candidate who credibly promises to dismantle the welfare state will win, and will then go on to accomplish a veritable miracle in revitalizing this nation.
Another candidate who promises “kinder, gentler” Socialism Light can’t win another national election. This country no longer has a choice between slow poison or fast poison. Once Hussein gets through with this country, we will be very lucky if we have a choice between life or death.
logis on June 29, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Mostly good points.
To add to this, Americans need some education, and fast.
- Education on what and who Obama and his cohorts really are and what they want for this country, and why it’s a complete disaster.
- Education in what America is. How it was founded and why. This is lacking severely in the populace today, and it’s a shame. Those who do not understand freedom are doomed to lose it.
- Education in what defines CONSERVATISM instead of letting the extremely weak republicans attempt to define it. Conservatism is geared toward individual freedom and personal responsibility. Liberalism is geared toward socialism and worse, which is ANTI-freedom, removing personal responsibility and individual freedom wherever it can be taken. Americans, due to a successful long term brainwashing starting all the way back in the 60’s, believe the exact opposite, and the current republican leadership which is barely conservative at all, has done nothing to correct this misconception for decades. It’s so bad that it makes one wonder if the republicans weren’t in on it to begin with, that’s how ridiculous it’s gotten.
Education is key here. Misconceptions need to be flushed out and destroyed at the same time the liberals need to be exposed for what they are. Let Americans make the choice between freedom and socialist fascism BEFORE it comes to armed conflict. Since America is rapidly heading to 3rd world country status, I can no longer rule out armed rebellion, it’s in the cards now. It can be avoided though, but we need leadership. Something we’re sorely lacking at the moment.
Spiritk9 on June 29, 2009 at 1:10 PM
you seem to have some issues with conceptualizing things.
sesquipedalian on June 29, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Those are my concerns as well – that does seem to be the way Statists cling to power.
The key has to be interrupting the revenue stream that produces the vote-buying goodies.
Chainsaw56 on June 29, 2009 at 1:27 PM
It seems this thread brought the defeatist trolls out in force.
trigon on June 29, 2009 at 1:29 PM
I’ll tell you this much, as long as Republicans are more concerned about casting blame than supporting a positive agenda, they’ll continue to lose.
It doesn’t matter if Bush is at fault, or McCain, or Palin (and quite frankly, blaming the people who fought against the socialists for not winning is a bit like blaming a woman for being raped. Why not blame the perpetrator?).
Another thing, looking for our own savior isn’t a great idea. Neither Ron Paul nor Sarah Palin is The Only One Who Can Save America. Republicans have always won by supporting good policies, and knowing when to compromise and when to draw the line. Republicans didn’t support Reagan because of his personality. That’s just another liberal lie. republicans supported Reagan because Reagan supported good policy. If Republicans work to support good policies, then the politician who supports whose policies will naturally rise to the top.
JohnJ on June 29, 2009 at 1:33 PM
As long as the Democrat base of Latino race hucksters is motivated, we won’t win. I’m not saying all Latinos feel this way, but they are more motivated than Pro-American Latinos.
Speedwagon82 on June 29, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Ah darn and silly me….
I forgot where this was posted. The GREEN room, where the communists play.
Disregard the previous post then, it was wasted typing. You can’t talk to socialists about freedom, they can’t “conceptualize” it.
Spiritk9 on June 29, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Republicans can win in 2010 across the board. The message should be fixing the economy, shrinking government, and stopping the bailouts. Throw in true energy independence and you should do fine. Campaign on runaway government spending, and highlight democrat’s personal profiteering for good 30 second commercials.
Once in power they should work quickly to defund all of these lib special interests groups who get fat on tax payer dollars. Unions, ACORN (or whatever it calls itself) all should be kicked off the federal dole. I’d love to see an effort to break public sector unions but getting federal money out of liberal pockets should be the priority.
Iblis on June 29, 2009 at 1:38 PM
The reason Sarah Palin’s VP credentials got more scrutiny was because the Presidential nominee looked half-dead the whole year. If it had been a Romney/Palin ticket, I think Palin would have been a nonfactor since Romney is the picture of health.
Speedwagon82 on June 29, 2009 at 1:42 PM
I guess the fact that the high school drop out rate and the out of wedlock birthrate of Hispanics are approaching that of blacks is “no reason.”
I guess the fact that the educational achievements of Hispanics that have been here for over four generations have not improved during that time is “no reason” too.
Your “no reason” argument is just a politically correct excuse not to face reality. PC people want to believe that people of all races have the same possibility of voting for self-reliance and conservatism. That is not reality and if you ignore reality, reality wins.
Thresher on June 29, 2009 at 2:01 PM
The Republican party should either stand up for Conservatism, or get the H*ll out of the way for another party. They need to forget about being the ‘Lite’ version of the Socialist Fascism of the Demoncraps.
What’s the saying? When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging – well the Republican party is digging it’s way into oblivion being “moderates” and “bipartisan” and where has it gotten them? Maybe they should stop digging and try something else, maybe something like being Unapologetically Conservative.
Chainsaw56 on June 29, 2009 at 2:05 PM
The fight for freedom has always been hard.
the_nile on June 29, 2009 at 2:07 PM
I’ll never understand why people blame the Republicans for being a better party than the Democrats. If you spend more time hating Republicans than you spend hating Democrats, you’re a Democrat.
JohnJ on June 29, 2009 at 2:14 PM
There are two questions:
(1) Can the GOP win again? Yes, easily. It would have won in 2008 if there hadn’t been so much defeatism from the start of the campaign.
(2) Can the nation be restored to conservativism?
Ummm, that is much harder.
Far more people play the lottery than chess. The lottery proffers huge rewards and demands no serious thought. Most people don’t think strategically or evaluate or calculate; they follow their feelings and their feelings are largely determined by the words of people that they feel comfortable with and ‘admire’.
Once upon a time people might have been influenced by thoughtful, insightful men in the form of pastors. Today the influential people are publicity seekers: actors, ‘media personalities’ (whatever one of those is), musicians.
Good policies are not enough because the majority of people are incapable of understanding policies and their implications. Intellectually, most people are sheep and they will follow thoughtlessly wherever they are led, (assuming that the leader can rouse them from their laziness in the first place).
YiZhangZhe on June 29, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Threadwinner.
Everything else here is nothing but mental masturbation, defeatism, or liberal delusion.
thirteen28 on June 29, 2009 at 2:19 PM
The thread winner you pick is the one that offers absolutely no guidance as to how to move forward. That’s sure helpful, but I think we can do without your help.
Thresher on June 29, 2009 at 2:25 PM
Understand that I’m not hating on Republicans – I’m a Conservative first and then a Republican.
It’s just that Republicans are going to have to get some conjones and stand up for what’s right.
Of course that means they will be pilloried by the SCM – but that’s going to happen anyways, it’s just a matter of degree, so why not be condemned for the right things.
Chainsaw56 on June 29, 2009 at 2:38 PM
The one permanent “game changer” is amnesty for Mexico’s “peasant class”. If that happens, it’s over.
MB4 on June 29, 2009 at 2:47 PM
As the previous head of my own manufacturing company, what is being lost in the political discussion is commerce. It is business and NOT Government that creates the wealth of this country. Screw with business by punishing the companies with over regulation, making it harder and harder to compete in the world, brings you the massive recession we see today. This is not the fault of Capitalism it is the fault of Government’s over-regulating the economy.
Capitalism is and should be the basis of the conservative party. The tragedy with Government is that NO ONE has ever RUN a real company, YET they think they know how to regulate it. It’s like the Blind leading the Blind. None of the politicians have the backgrounds (Particularly O’Bama, who’s claim to fame is rising to the top of his profession as a Community Organizer) understand the basic principles of business. If you want to see the result of the Democratic theory, one only needs to look to Detroit, MI as their shiny example of how well Democrats can run a city. It’s a virtual wasteland and that’s what’s in store for our economy if they are left in charge.
The only Republican that I know who has the skill set not only to run or turn around a failing company is Romney. A Romney/Newt ticket would be a good way to turn all this crazy stuff these wacko Democrats are doing around. We as a country should demand a separation of Government and Commerce. It is trading freely with others unhindered that will bring about innovation and new ways of solving problems. Ayn Rand was right when she said true laissez-faire Capitalism, which has never been in practice in the United States, is the only way to create wealth, innovation and self esteem. Once Government starts regulating commerce you start creating the Halves and Have Nots. You start interfering with businesses ability to adapt to the marketplace and you handcuff our manufacturing industry here in the U.S. This is why manufacturing has moved overseas….. because we can’t compete internationally as a country when the same conditions are not placed on our overseas competitors. That’s why we’ve got to get Government out of Commerce.
Having said this…..These thoughts go right over the heads of politicians…Why? Because they have never personally worked in business trying to manufacture a product and bring it to market. The majority have mostly worked in Government as a career. This is why were in trouble my friends….right here in RiverCity.
FreedomLover on June 29, 2009 at 2:51 PM
I think that’s referred to as “strategery”. Democrats have gotten really good at labeling Republican strategy as hypocrisy, though.
Being a conservative first, to me, means making sure that Republicans stay as conservative as possible while still being able to win. Politicians have to win to be able to do anything. Promoting a culture of individualism has to be done by us, and not politicians.
JohnJ on June 29, 2009 at 2:52 PM
It seems this thread brought the defeatist trolls out in force.
trigon on June 29, 2009 at 1:29 PM
—–
Sometimes, the best way to tell you’re going the right way is by who you’re pissing off.
This is, by that measure, a good post.
Mew
acat on June 29, 2009 at 2:54 PM
Hispanics are not locked into these behaviors through immutable physiology, any more than anyone else is. There are no high-school dropout or educational underachievement genes, present in certain races. These behaviors are a matter of individual choice and cultural influence. Individuals can make different choices, and cultures can change. I don’t suggest it will be easy, but it’s not impossible. Political Correctness is the refusal to see what is, not the willigness to envision what could be.
That’s a good description of the challenge that faces conservatives, although I think the metaphor of voters as sheep can be overworked. Some of them are easily herded, of course. Others are overwhelmed, a predictable consequence of massive government combined with sensationalist, agenda-driven media. Many of them can be reached if they are approached with passion, energy, and clarity. The socialist enterprise has gotten about as far as it can without drawing serious blood from the middle class, as we can see from the quick and violent death of Obama’s absurd promises to spare anyone making under $250k per year from tax increases.
The world-view and policies of the Democrats tend to get shoved in voters’ faces by the media, but when that world-view proves false, and the policies fail to deliver what has been promised, the voters will be ready to listen to other voices – particularly a comprehensive critique that exposes the bankruptcy of the socialist approach, rather than a little nit-picking over a few of the details. It’s an opportunity that can be squandered, as the Republicans have done many times before, but it is an opportunity nonetheless.
Doctor Zero on June 29, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Spiritk9 on June 29, 2009 at 1:36 PM
—–
Not all who wander are lost.
Mew
acat on June 29, 2009 at 2:58 PM
a troll manifesto?
sesquipedalian on June 29, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Should we fail in 2010 and the traitors continue to push communism on us, there are alternative beyond the voting booth.
The staggering amount of business our sporting goods stores are doing in one specific area paint a pretty clear picture as far as I am concerned. The populous will not take such nonsense indefinitely.
Remember King Barry Hussain: The US will 100% loose a determined asymmetrical confrontation on it’s home soil. The infrastructure is too vulnerable and you know it. The war games you’ve been running since April have shown this time and time again. Wrap yourself up in that thought and keep yourself warm at night Barry.
The Ronin Edge on June 29, 2009 at 4:51 PM
a troll manifesto?
sesquipedalian on June 29, 2009 at 4:10 PM
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What is it with you and trolls, sesq?
You seem a tad fixated.
Mew
acat on June 30, 2009 at 7:49 AM
The Ronin Edge on June 29, 2009 at 4:51 PM
—-
Be careful what you say in public.
The only privacy you have is that you can personally guarantee. Behind your eyes and between your ears….
Mew
acat on June 30, 2009 at 7:50 AM
John Hancock put his name is big letters on the declaration. Someone has to say what everyone here is thinking.
As I am fond of saying… there are things much worse than dying. And many things far far more imporntant than living.
I do not fear death. And I shall NEFVER fear our government.
It should fear me.
The Ronin Edge on June 30, 2009 at 9:43 AM