Watching the election through the past few months, I could not help but feel a sense of hopelessness. Many applauded the selection of Senator McCain as being a uniting force for the country, as he is a maverick who is willing to cross party lines. I saw him for what he was, not a true conservative in any sense of the word, and someone who is willing to put his political aspirations ahead of the party.
This was a problem for me, as well as many other conservatives, as we did not have a rallying point to get behind. But, I held out hope that he would still win, based on his moderate stances on many issues. I figured a moderate McCain is better than the alternative.
Then came Sarah Palin, the conservative uniter that we had all been waiting for. But, was she really? I applauded the pick initially, but as I learned more about her I realized that she would never garner the support needed to truly unite the ticket, as well as the nation. Her apparent lack of knowledge on many issues made a mockery of our ticket, as being conservative was quickly equated with being merely simple in mind and policy. I have nothing against Palin, but I do not believe she was ready for such a task.
The overwhelming disdain for President Bush did not help the cause. What was worked so hard for was destroyed so easily. The Republican Revolution, following the Reagan Presidency was a clear mandate from America to shrink government and become fiscally responsible. It also spawned great leaders such as Newt Gingrich, as well as Reagan. But these values were quickly perverted and took a backseat to socially conservative values as President G.W. Bush took office. This being said, the events surrounding 9/11 didn't help the cause, as we waged wars that stretched our budget. I do think, though, that history will be far kinder to him than the present perceptions.
Now, though, the party lays in shambles as we do not have an identity. This must be recaptured if there is any hope for America to go back to what she was founded on, personal freedom and small government. This country was founded on the belief that high taxes are death.
It is going to take time to recapture the core conservative values of low taxes, small government, protection of individual liberties, accountability, etc., but I believe that a grassroots movement can help throw out the big government liberals, who are posing as conservatives, as well as bring these values back to the forefront in the coming years. It will take a new kind of political warfare in these changing times, though.
We are in a dark time, but giving up is not an option that any American was ever given. We must persevere if there is any hope for this country. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
This is one of those times.
President Trump’s Magic Show Begins
18 hours ago
3 comments:
Tim Pawlentti, Bobby Jindle, and a few otehrs, are a good beginning.
Unfortunatelly, as we overcome racism to elect an African American to POTUS, our Nation hasn't overcome sexism to accept a strong female and back her up. A lot of people did, but it was a lost cause since Obama outspent McCain 4 to 1, and that was only in payed advertising; nevermind the unpaid Main Stream Media and the rest of poeple on TV.
My regards from the "Thinking American"
http://thinkingamerican.blogtownhall.com
It is a time of reflection, but not of darkness.
See this post for some historical perspective.
One thing that stands out to me, as reflected in my previous comment on an earlier post, is that we cannot continue to alienate potential allies, either across the aisle in the legislature, or across the street in our neighborhood.
Look at what Obama is doing. So smooth, so slick on the outside, and having his minions do the dirty work of painting us as intolerant racists. It is brilliant. He has plausible denial and can claim the moral high ground, while reaping the benefit of the slander of the opposition.
We like to hold up Reagan as a model, but Reagan was a one in a million leader. Only he could make a biting quip about a liberal and have that person be his friend and support his legislation.
We can't all do that and we must realize the simple truths of kill 'em with kindness and attracting more bees with honey.
We've lost the marketing war and that is fundamental to political success, now more than ever.
Jeffrey, I can't agree more with you. Liberals are so quick to discount the party over and over again, but fail to recognize that the country goes through cycles where it is more favorable to one type of thought over the other. I think nominating Bobby Jindal would go a long way in changing the racist image.
Post a Comment