With the loss of Specter, the usual suspects are going on about how the Republicans need to be less right wing to be competitive. This is idiotic. The one things moderates never have is passion; you can’t have passion for an incoherent hodge podge of a political philosophy. So you can survive politically and maybe scrape by when you’re constantly compromising for expediency, but you’re never going to inspire anybody and make big things happen.
Who wants a political party that’s principles are just a reflection of however issues are currently polling? If our views on issues are correct, they’re worth fighting for no matter what polls says. Plus, if you want to move people, you have to have some real values and show people they’re important by sticking by them. How can we argue against crazy spending if we tolerate those who are for it in our own party? I think being less inclusive can be helpful if it makes us more coherent and principled.
Passion for ideals isn’t enough, though. Lots of people think they’re really right and stick by unpopular views no matter what. That’s why there’s one more thing that’s key: You have to be able to explain your views without coming off like a nut.
Look at Daily Kos. Lots of passion, but crazy views and crazy people who have no self-awareness of how insane they appear. A lot of Ron Paul people have some pretty intriguing views, but they also come off as kooks who only seem all the more kookier by not comprehending how crazy they sound. Good views are ultimately sane views that you can explain passionately by calmly. Plus, conservatives are supposed to be real people who work and have families; we know how to connect to people because we are people. That’s an advantage we have to exploit. Look at liberals reaction to the Tea Parties; they couldn’t even comprehend what it was about because they just don’t understand the average American like we do.
So, let’s get rid of the squishes, but let’s not go crazy. Passion and sanity are the keys to success.
could not agree more Frank J.
Values are worthless as long as one is willing to compromise them
How great is it that the appeal-for-sanity post comes right after the snausage-eating, terrorist-chomping-flying-dinosaur post. That’s why I love this place.
Passion, Sanity and rocket armed dinosaurs, that is the true key to success.
All that you said being fully uttered:
Ron Paul is the best choice of them all. A doctor. NOT a lawyer. Logic is always paramount in his positions expounded.
The only people who are crazy are the people who would not vote for him if he had a whores prayers chance of winning.
The only problem with your theory is that it will lead to a time when only the insane will be running this country……indeed some would say that day is already here.
Family, community, friendship!………..these are the 3 demons we must slay if we’re to incorporate flesh-tearing dinosaurs into our Conservative movement!
One of the few times I hope the Democrats well. Well, in double-crossing Specter.
Despite any promises Specter will have no influence with the Dems. He can help them a little in Senate proceedings right now but not next year.
And he got nothing tangible except the thrill of being news this week. Or O may have promise a cushy appointment if he loses next year. See my first and second sentences.
Specter will have to roll-over on card check before all that union money and help arrives. He says no at the moment, but who believes anything he says.
I think he may not even win the Dems primary. It simply isn’t in the parties interest to have him back in for six more years. They know that once safely re-elected he will knife them too.
He is only loyal to the Specter Party.
I’m a conservative and I disagree. Not because I’m here to defend Specter or anyone else currently on the conservative sh*t list, but because I believe conservatives are shooting themselves in the foot by marginalizing those who might agree in philosophy but not specific policy.
For example, you wrote “How can we argue against crazy spending if we tolerate those who are for it in our own party?” Well, what would you call crazy spending? If you put 10 conservatives in a room and asked each one of them to define “crazy spending” you’d get 10 different answers. Sure, they would all agree on the basic premise of over-spending, but when it comes to specific examples and policies, something called “individualism” arises and the differences among our party start to appear. And instead of encouraging a healthy debate about those differences, conservative pundits have decided that it’s much easier to silence the debate via the “moderate” label. Sad, really.
Very few people are going to agree 100% with conservatism as defined by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc. Yet millions of them DO agree with the basic principles of conservatism. I think those people should be courted as voters instead of mocked and ostracized… by Limbaugh and Hannity, no less.
Other than that two-cents worth, I enjoy your blog. Seriously.
I still stand by my assertion that we will not see a cessation to the bleeding of ourselves buy our party and others unless our party and others are made to bleed first. Be it wallet or artery, They need to bleed and feel what we have felt for years under their power-grabbing trampling of The Constitution. We need passion, we need sanity, and we need a really decent sniper rifle with a fantastically dialed in scope and trigger finger.
Oops, gotta go, DHS is here to take me to Camp.
I don’t think you do relate to people, Frank, because you think “the people” are smarter than they demonstrated a few months ago. Clearly they aren’t. When I start seeing some evidence that the recent trend has reversed I might have some hope, but for the time being I’m proceeding under the assumption that public education has accomplished it’s mission permanently.
Well said, I believe if our party can come up with a list of simple principles to show the american people what we believe in and what we are about, then more will come to the GOP. There’s a whole load of misconceptions about conservatives, republicans, etc that many people are not willing to look into verifying if they are true, (Especially out here on the Left Coast). Our principles sell themselves, they don’t need a dressing up.
Also, this Specter thing was easily foreseeable. A noted conservative has declared in the race for his primary next year. He couldn’t have won as a conservative. He’s not Lieberman. He can’t win as an independent. As a matter of fact, he probably can’t win as a lib next year, either. He’s living for the right freaking now because that’s all he has. And what he can sell is a chance for dems to put through there social reorganization easily. He’s buying himself a nice retirement by selling out his backers. Duh. People trying to put a spin on this as a conservative loss are just capitalizing. I was at a tea party and I saw more demonstrators there than I have seen at ANY other event (including day of prayer, sadly). This movement isn’t small and it ain’t going away. So, let the libs have there five minutes in the sun. I can’t see another day of liberal wins any time in the future.
You’ll sounding like Basil, Frank. Did you use the right login?
“The one things moderates never have is passion”
YOU ARE WRONG!
They have passion.
The moderate Republican:
passionately fears liberals.
passionately accepts liberal premises on all things, and then nips at their heels.
passionately attacks Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, etc.. just to catch some scraps of the MSM’s table.
passionately declares their independent thinking, right after reading Crooks and Liars, Huff Postal, or LGF. Then they switch parties the next week.
passionately reaches out to liberals who call them tools, and never reach out to the grass roots who fund their war chests.
passionately defends fiscal conservatism, declaring Ayn Rand second only to Christ, and then they go vote for the Fearless Reader’s spending programs.
passionately attacks evangelical Christians and their “crazy” ideas, and ignore public school teachers practicing the Big Bang theory on their students.
passionately hustles their books, filled with useless platitudes on chatter shows like The View and GMA, hoping to show how open minded they are for a Republican.
passionately hates the South, even if they are southern, because MSNBC told them to.
That my friends, takes passion.
Please please please drive the Republican party into a death spiral by calling for a return to conservative values. All the conservatives are dying, and it’s just a bunch of neo-nazis in the woods plotting against President Blackie at this point. You idiots.
[Project racism much? -Ed.]
Definitely. The reason so many people in their early 20’s are socialists is because no one ever bothered to explain the MORAL argument for capitalism to them. I don’t think many people understand that you can’t have freedom without capitalism, and if they understood this we’d have a lot more republicans.
My definitely is directed at Frank J. of course.
Shawn Fleek is clearly just trying to deal with the fact that he opposes morality itself.
I was gonna ask Shawn if there were more like him at home and then I noticed that he’s from Portland, Oregon, and so, yes, there are! Lot’s of Shawn’s in Portland – mostly getting laid off. Oh well, as seanmahair says, “Don’t feed the trolls.” *Sigh*
Isn’t it great how out-of-touch beltway douchebags feel free telling us that we don’t understand…well, us?
Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, Common Sense, …………..
I don’t know, I’ve been saying this for more years than I care to remember. President Reagan came the closest to achieving it but his staff and family had some issues. I really don’t know how else to say it. I really don’t. I guess like integrity, very few people even know what the concept of “common sense” really means.
I’ll tell you one thing, it means that someone who once was a Demon-crat and changed party affiliations to get elected but never changed social opinions and was always wayyyyyyyyy to the left of center was going to jump ship as soon as it became possible to get elected as a Demon=crat. That’s just COMMON SENSE.
Hey Shawn, come on down to the next tea party in Portland. I have a feeling we can deal with your judgemental streak with a bit of reality.
I might add Truth to your ‘Keys To Success’. The Squishies are kind of like Pontus Pilate. They ask, “What is truth?”,when it is right before them. Then they crucify the truth because the mob wants them to.
I’m truly sorry, Jimmy, my friend, but I can’t resist.
Hey, Shawn, ever wonder what Nazi stands for? National Socialist German Workers Party. Hmm.
No, seriously, I love your childish comment in a way that the English language cannot adequately describe.
Honest, I could read this comment over and over and over. It’s a work of art. The only way it would be better is if you had added “As a concerned Christian conservative…” to the beginning of it.
Axelrod has a fine troll in you, my friend.
Frank if you keep making that much sense you may just have a place in the new 2013 administration. The problem with the 2008 election is that with the exception of Palin, the two parties were indistinguishable. Republicans need to be everything that Democrats are not, in order to give voters a clear choice.
Of course, this is assuming that ACORN and the Media won’t steal another election for Der
FuhrerLeader. [sarc]Vote early, vote often! Illegals too! [/sarc]And I totally agree #11.
Whoa, that made total sense. What’s going on here?
Marco, if you feed the trolls they keep coming back and we’ll never get rid of them. In a way they’re the cockroaches of the web and nobody wants roaches in their computers.
Jimmy, I really appreciate and applaud your self control. I know it’s hard, but remember;
Psalms
27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
You sir are a man of excellent spirit.
And finally Shawn of the Dead Spirit
Psalms
13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
I don’t write them. I just read them, believe them and try to put them into practice.
Go mbeannaí Dia thú (God Bless You)
We can make all the sense we want to. We can even find some politicians brave enough to risk the wrath of the NYT and carry our banner into the arena of ideas. Ain’t going to matter unless we can stop the Democrats (political, media wings and special ops (ACORN)) from entering another unholy alliance with the blue blood Republicans and picking our candidate yet again.
Folks are looking for things they can DO. Well there is one, start organizing and agitating NOW to get the primary in your state closed in time for the 2010 and 2012 elections.
Closing the primary won’t stop the blue bloods or the NYT. However in 2012, unless he totally implodes, Obama is going to be running unopposed for the Democratic nomination so past history shows their primary voters will be more interested in ensuring we pick the candidate that sucks the most yet again.
“you can’t have passion for an incoherent hodge podge of a political philosophy.”
Doesn’t that describe both republican and democrat political philosophies? Niether seem internally consistent. Libertarians and socialists are consistent. Republicans and democrats just seem like got together and did a coin flip on each issue to decide who would be on which side.
Sanity a key to success? Where is Frank and what have you done with him?
Or…
Sanity a key to success? Frank – Do you have to remove a word from the website motto? I hope you didn’t lose Basil and Harvey with the new meds.
America had the opportunity to elect a liberal (“moderate”) Republican in November, but I guess they weren’t interested.
Moderate (n.) – A liberal’s bitch
“America had the opportunity to elect a liberal (”moderate”) Republican in November, but I guess they weren’t interested.”
Like that election had anything to do with anyone’s viewpoints. McCain wasn’t a sexy black dude enough.
I’m so glad my parents didn’t name me Shawn! We must have some compassion here. After years of being pantsed, head stuffed in toilets, snipe hunts and nuclear wedgies one would certainly see most people in the world as “nazis”…
My apologies, seanmahair. A momentary lack of self-control.
Frank are you on your meds?
“What makes a good man go neutral? Lust for gold? Power?
Or were you just born with a heart full of neutrality?”
-Zapp Brannigan
If I don’t make it out of this, tell my wife “hello.”
#15 – TheRudeNews,
“Fearless Reader”. Good one! 😉
Haha. Troll. Dudes, its over. When you say racist shit like “not sexy black guy enough” you LOSE ELECTIONS. More blacks, asians and latinos than white people will be in the US by 2040, and you want to insist mccain lost due to race. Waaa, the minorities are taking over (go read the eliminationist at what was it, wapo, who said his numbers are only high because he’s super-popular among blacks). The truth is, right-wing haters in the woods buy pictures of hitler and hate their left-wing president. Hitler and the Nazis were fascists in the law-ignoring vein of the republican albatross, GWB. Get used to losing elections until your name-calling asses learn to debate substance, not static. Now back to Dijongate. You idiots.
GK Chesterton, The Everlasting Man.
“Our glimpses of both these early empires (Egypt and Babylon) show that the first domestic relation had been complicated by something which was less human, but was often regarded as equally domestic.
The dark giant called Slavery had been called up like a genii and was labouring on gigantic works of brick and stone.
Here again we must not too easily assume that what was backward was barbaric; in the matter of manumission the earlier servitude seems in some ways more liberal than the later; perhaps more liberal than the servitude of the future.
To insure food for humanity by forcing part of it to work was after all a very human expedient; which is why it will probably be tried again.
But in one sense there is a significance in the old slavery.
It stands for one fundamental fact about all antiquity before Christ; something to be assumed from first to last.
It is the insignificance of the individual before the State.
It was as true of the most democratic City State in Hellas as of any despotism in Babylon.
It is one of the signs of this spirit that a whole class of individuals could be insignificant or even invisible.
It must be normal because it was needed for what would now be called ‘social service.’
Somebody said, ‘The Man is nothing and the Work is all,’ meaning it for a breezy Carlylean commonplace.
It was a sinister motto of the heathen Servile State.
In that sense there is truth in the traditional vision of vast pillars and pyramids going up under those everlasting skies for ever, by the labour of numberless and nameless men, toiling like ants and dying like flies, wiped out by the work of their own hands.”
It may be true that some men are only fit to be slaves; but it is Certainly true that no man is fit to be a master.