Not The GOP Anymore
Mar 3rd, 2009 by RSmitty
First…thanks to Dave for bringing us back to the delawarepolitics.net domain. I am no longer blocked! That said, this may be short-lived…maybe. Depends how this post is taken.
I twitted (sounds so wrong) via text this morning:
Has my GOP lost its identity and become Buckley’s (once) defunct Conservative Party? Rush thinks it’s so. Limbaugh, you do NOT speak for me!
What in the hell happened to the Republican Party? What in the hell happened to the more moderate of us that brought the balance and tempered the extremism that makes us the isolationists that we are becoming?
I am sorry, but I can’t argue against DelawareLiberal’s sentiment that our very own crowned-moderate has been acting somewhat of a sheep of Boehner. Moderates are either scared or have been assimilated into the Borg machine.
Congratulations, CPAC, you have finally done it in 2009. You have officially killed the Republican Party. Out of it’s ashes, the resurrection of the Conservative Party has risen. You have no right to the title of the party of Lincoln nor the party of (Theodore) Roosevelt. You are, 100% true, the party of Buckley and the party of Limbaugh. Lincoln and T Rooselvelt would puke at the sight of your faces.
Since the REAL Republican Party exists no more, that means my registration is now invalid. Given the soonest chance, I will become an Independent. I can NOT, EVER share the same party registration as Rush Limbaugh nor ANY other person who feels the need to apologize to him for engaging in political discourse. You apologized for participating in one of the most cherished rights of being an American! You apologized to an ultra-Conservative RADIO personality. You are weak, have no conviction, and do not deserve my sweat.
The only person of the Republican Party that I will openly support at this date with my free labor and sweat (note that it can change for those brave souls who have proper ideals, but remain with the party – this also does not apply to those I have no direct work with, such as Rep Lavelle who is a strong and good character) is Representative Richard Cathcart. A great man who does put people over party and does great constituent work and is never afraid to stand up against a daunting challenge.
RIP – Republican Party, March 2009. Cause of death: CPAC Attack.
Wow! First Dave has the guts to call out Limbaugh, and now Smitty’s poignant epitaph. Both inspire hope.
Believe it or not, I want a viable opposition party.
Well, it’s an opposition, alright. Viability is completely different and something they don’t really seem to be concerned about. The 30%ers are now official (if that much).
Steele’s successor has to either kiss Rush’s ring, or repudiate Rush and lose the base.
And of course, if it wasn’t Rush it would be something else that would force the GOP to choose between the center and the far right. There is nowhere to hide now.
Smitty, please get over it. You can’t go around offending the majority of the donors and volunteers and hope to lead the party. Chairman Steele knows that. You talk about the 35%, but you want to change the party into an irrelevant 15%.
The real problem with America is not a Rush Limbaugh who has no power except that of free speech. The real problem is President Obama who is bent on remaking America in his left win image. Save your ammo for the real fight.
Crap. Does that mean I lose my salary, too?
It has been dead to you much longer than you think, Rsmitty. Perhaps only now has the fetid stink of decadence become overwhelming to your nostrils.
Pandora,
We need more than one opposition party to the dems, but it should come from the left, not the right. Don’t try to help resurrect the repubs just for the sake of having an opposition party. They don’t deserve it, and their agenda is anti-freedom. Trying to woo “conservative” independents and disaffected repubs will only pull the dems to the right (See DLC) when we should be challenging from the left.
The problem is the same since the start of the Bush administration. Too many water carriers, not enough honesty. Compare the strength of the Blue Dogs to the weakness of the Tuesday Group. The former speak out, the latter become invisible.
A real fight? Stand in a REAL moderate’s shoes and look at the landscape. Limbaugh is not just a voice and can not be dismissed as such. Under Regan’s day, the party at least knew how to communicate and accepted varied views and made it work on a platform. Today? A person like me is just as much a Judas as a Democrat is, except that they wouldn’t be considered a traitor, for they aren’t Republican to begin with.
Steele should have had the mettle to stand up, behind his previous comments. I have no problem if he acknowledged them and accepted them as part of the view; however, to apologize only gives Rush far more credibility and strength to shape party policy than he should EVER have. Rush claims to not want leadership, but as long as he proceeds in his dictorial manner, he is a de facto leader and Steele has become nothing more than a figure at the helm. Steele could have easily given Rush a voice while repudiating him at the same time, giving us all the reinforcement that Rush is NOT our collective voice. Rather, he apologized and gave Rush 100% legitimacy.
I am NOT EVER a member of the Party of Limbaugh nor the Party of Buckley. NEVER! I AM a member of the Party of Lincoln and the Party of Teddy Roosevelt, which this incarnation is anything BUT!
http://delawarewatch.blogspot.com/
Republicans Conservatives or what ever they call themselves now: The Party that tried to trash the Constitution
DELETED – Because that’s uncalled for. -db
Smitty: Excellent post, here. Unfortunately, it’s been infected by the ridiculously hyper-partisan likes of anonone and now Andy.
Please — take a loooong look at yourselves before casting judgment on others. Y’know, like Burris and now Smitty have. It’d be quite nice to see that … just once.
Dave: Does that term “Dysfunction Junction” have a Scholastic Rock short to go along with it? “Dysfunction Junction, what’s your function …?”
Um…uh…what did I miss?
Anonone, we’re going to have to agree to disagree. There are lessons to be learned here. Democrats should pay attention. The fringe holds no appeal to either side.
You want opposition to come from the left. I’m fine with that. Frankly, I think opposition should come from all sides. Only in politics is it called “opposition”, everywhere else it’s known as “brain-storming.”
Dave, you CENSOR!!
Huh? It was not an invitation to join the Democratic party, it was a link to help Smitty do what he said he wanted to do. WTF?
LG posted a link to change your registration. I don’t recall ever pissing in their sandbox that way.
Oh. That actually was an inside joke, then. Maybe too insider-y, but it was kid-gloves.
Gee, Pandora:
Women voting was once a fringe position.
Abolitionism was once a fringe position.
Civil rights for black people was once a fringe position.
Voting rights was once a fringe position.
Gay rights was once once a fringe position.
American independence was once a fringe position.
And on and on and on…
Think twice before you’re so dismissive of the so-called “fringe”. Real progress always starts on the fringe. And it holds appeal to lots of people.
I couldn’t agree more anonone.
Empower the Greens and Worker’s Party to keep those Dem’s moving left.
You know I like you RSmitty, and more than respect your position and the right to change your registration, but for the hell of it, let me ask you this, since you brought up Delaware Liberal – Why are you not coming to the same conclusion with the extremists on the other side, or are they changing their name to Delawarecenterleft.com?
That’s a rhetorical question, I just want to make sure we don’t just call people out on one side because its en vogue to bash Republicans.
This was a Republican Party vs Media Personalities (in this case Rush) issue. I stood behind our party and Michael Steele. I wish you’d remain and do the same, why let it get hijacked by any group we view as extremists?
Since the REAL Republican Party exists no more, that means my registration is now invalid. Given the soonest chance, I will become an Independent.
I suppose that if the post said that at his next opportunity he was going to register as an organ donor, you would excise a link to a place to register as an organ donor? It wasn’t intended as pissing in your sandbox, I know that you have quite a few liberal readers. Perhaps they would like to change their registration.
Repubs are all about disenfranchising non-repub voters, LG. He couldn’t help himself; it is part of his DNA.
Going independent does not mean I support them, either, John. I respect them, we all know that. I can also handle their method of discourse, probably because I know quite a few of them on a personal level and I know where it comes from. I hardly agree with the words used in many cases, and one of them (possibly a certain jason330) has heard it from me on many occassions. I hate, and you can underscore that, I hate the arguing that often comes between here and there when it goes off-topic and becomes personal. It’s stupid, pointless, gets nowhere faster than anything else and completely turns me off to blogging.
On the Conservative Party having grabbed the mantle, it’s done. To me, Steele’s apologizing to Limbaugh does tell all of us that Limbaugh has far more legitimacy than Steele does. Had Steele done what I said earlier (acknowledge that Rush’s view is shared by others but remain steadfast in his opinion and not apologized), this post would not have happened.
I AM A MODERATE REPUBLICAN. I am NOT a Moderate Conservative (Party). There is no such thing. This has every characteristic of the defunct Conservative Party now and I am not a part.
My decision isn’t so I can go join Delaware Liberal. Do you think I am that self-centered? There is no place for me there. They know that and I know that. It’s not an issue, either. Dave B and I consulted on this site way back when FSP was being developed, because he wanted a center voice involved. It was intended to be a representation of the Republican Party. Unfortunately, I couldn’t participate as much as I wanted to, something that, ironically enough, became an actual depiction of the current Republican Party. Far too few moderates are active, and those that are, aren’t all that welcomed.
This is starting to ramble, so I’m wrapping it up. By apologizing, the Conservative Party has risen.
The fringe has its place, but it’s not in governing. For example, I’m against animal testing when it comes to a new shade of lipstick, but when it comes to cancer that’s where I’ll part ways.
The fringe serves as the idea maker, and it’s goal is to move these ideas into the light.
The Republican Party leaders, Steele, Boehner, McConnell, Romney, Hucklebee, Cantor, whoever, have to find a way to marginalize Rush and simultaneously keep their social conservative base in the fold. So far, they have not found a way to do this. Maybe it’s impossible! I hope not!
As Smitty suggests, the Repubs are not a viable party if they concede leadership to Rush Limbaugh, which is exactly what they have done.
Rush is an extremely creative and talented manipulator, as proven by his record shattering audience of 20 million devoted listeners. He is a phenomenon! And his impact is amplified by the likes of the Rush acolytes like Ingraham, Beck, Michael Reagan and many others on talk radio and Fox. These listeners/viewers and preachers act just like a religious cult of absolutists, having Rush as the high priest. Incredible! There is no room for compromise. It’s all black and white. This is exactly why, given the current political context, this nut is a hard one for saavy Repubs to crack.
Republican leaders are loathe to speak out against Rush. Even the few who have, later apologize. This constitutes an abrogation of principles, and that’s the point. What are the principles? Is Rush their spokesman?
So the Repubs are left with hoping that Obama fails. This is a hellava political position to take in a crisis. This does their party no good. This does our nation no good.
Speaking out against the Rush types means speaking for conservative principles, then translating principles into governace, into policies, into legislation. Compromise is necessary. Working with the opposition is necessary. Believe it, Obama is a roll model for the anti-Rush Repubs, the way he leads from his principles, while extending his hand to the clenched fists, a centrist approach.
It takes time before this approach bears fruit, so the Repubs need to start now with their principles, reach out, and be willing to compromise on policy decisions leading to legislative action. I don’t see any of this happening now, when we need it most, in the middle of a serious crisis.
I agree with Pandora, our nation works best when there are honorable and healthy debates emanating from a “viable opposition party”.
Now that you deleted the link, how will all those Markell voters know how to change their registrations back to Republican?
Good point, noman.
Well Smitty, if nothing else you started a good discussion. I think it deserves a response.
This was a one on one fight – Limbaugh vs Steele. Rush didn’t like being called an “entertainer” and that’s what set him off. Michael Steele ONLY apologized so to speak about his choice of words. He is a fine representative of the Republican Party.
With that said, understand why I also responded negatively to Rush’s comments. He is not an elected official and thus does not have to make any decisions nor concessions required to lead any group. What Michael Steele said was right, that he is …and this is where he could have used a different term a “right wing media personality.” He has an audience with no set pre-conditions for membership. I would think it’s safe to say that if he had a checklist for membership which folks had to agree 100% of what he believes, his membership would dwindle dramatically. That’s why if he were elected, he’d find out quickly that he too would have to temper his dialogue at times, meet with the other side, and ultimately dial down his rhetoric. As someone who has chosen not to go down that path, he has free reign to lob absolutes and personal opinions at anybody he likes.
Again, this was a one on one fight and there is no need whatsoever to blanket this to a larger group.
The fact Michael Steele was elected as chairman already sends a message as to where the Republican Party is, the extremists were denied at the convention.
…the extremists were denied at the convention.
…but allowed to return through the back door via the CPAC convention.
I hear you, John, but Rush does have a place, but at the helm of policy is HARDLY that place. The apology put him there, implied or otherwise. It legitimized him, completely.
Steele is a fine person, whom I looked at as a favorable leader for this party, anticipating a return to what I used to know. As long as Rush is going to be allowed a position of policy influence, all those hopes are diminished.
The problem was not the entertainer line. It was the ugly line. That needed an apology. Picking fights with your own side is usually an ill fated proposition. To his credit, Chairman Steele is a big enough man to say that was a mistake. He is our leader not Rush. Rush leads himself. He doesn’t have to worry about building a national winning coaltion. I think we all agree with that point.
I don’t have a problem with what he said about the Chairman because the chairman started it. I will have a problem if he doesn’t accept the apology and move on. It will show whether or not he is more concerned with his feelings or the movement’s strength.
By the way, what is extreme about C-PAC? I reject the entire premise that those of us who hold traditional Constitutional interpretations are extremists and the socialists are mainstream. Forgive me if I am a little miffed by the implication.
I reject the entire premise that those of us who hold traditional Constitutional interpretations are extremists and the socialists are mainstream.
Keep running with that one. I’m certain that it will help your case. As long as you throw around names like that, no one will take you seriously. Seriously.
“….act just like a religious cult of absolutists…”
Sort of like the Obama as Messiah crowd?
http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/03/03/the-obama-limbaugh-steele-triangle/trackback/
Moderates aren’t welcomed, Mr. Anderson, it’s plain-and-simple. I am not attempting to say that as a characterization of you, an individual, but as the CPAC group. My social-policy views are not shared in that platform.
It’s rather amusing to see our friends on the Delaware Liberal lament that the Republican Party is becoming what it should be, a conservative party. You see, we tried the Democrats Lite, go-along-to-get-along Republican mode throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and what did it get us? We won the White House a couple of times, ’cause the Democrats put up lame candidates, but the GOP in Congress was a permanent minority party.
The GOP came alive once it actually began to stand for something. Ronald Reagan took us from wishy-washiness on abortion and defense, and turned us into a conservative party. Newt Gingrich helped put us over the top with unabashed conservatism, with taking the position most Americans hold, that if you don’t work and aren’t trying to work, then you don’t eat.
We lost our edge when we began behaving like Democrats again, trying to spend our way to popularity, and look where it got us.
It really does the country little good to be an opposition party that is simply majority-party-lite. Having two liberal parties can lead only to ruination. Heck, having one liberal party will probably do that!
I really do enjoy when moderates like me are apparently being taken to school via the Reagan example. Just how did Reagan build that base upon which he cruised to power? Conservatives alone? Nope. Moderates alone, oh hell no. All of the above. He and his support found a way to make it work where all had input and acceptance, and it worked. In today’s world, moderates are the so-called blame for the party’s ills. That is the worst scapegoating I have ever experienced in my life. I’d call it petty politics if it weren’t so serious and intended to be factual.
Reagan did NOT isolate or bemoan the moderates among him! He welcomed the input and meshed what he could.
“how did Reagan build that base upon which he cruised to power?” I think that was called Jimmy Carter.
Carter was ahead in the polls up until the first and only debate one week before the election. That was the debate where Reagan said “There you go again…,” lying his face off in response to Carter’s accurate charge that Reagan had a history of opposition to Medicare. A true Limbaugh moment if there ever was one.
“how did Reagan build that base upon which he cruised to power?” I think that was called Jimmy Carter.
No, I think it was because Reagan was a paid corporate shill. Come to think of it, Reagan was sort of a 1950′s version of Rush.
Smitty, I agree with you that moderates are part of the coalition of the GOP so are conservatives. We need both. You seem to have taken offense at the word pout in my reply. Thinking back over it, I would not have used it. I apologize. I am just a human being who makes mistakes. Please accept my apology.
Well-said, Dana.
Delusional Dems should realize that they’ve won four presidental elections in the past forty years, and lost seven. Any Dem would have won this election, so what’s the big deal?
The wheels are already falling-off BO’s bus; he’s going to be a one-and-done, assuming that Republicans run a conservative instead of a ‘big tent’ appeaser.
Smitty,
Don’t worry. If Dave decides to extend that unpaid leave, you’re always welcome to join the happy outcasts at Delaware Libertarian, where we’ve not only argued for individual liberty, but actually even proposed a tax increase from time to time.
Let me state that Dave B has been supportive of my opinions. By that, I don’t mean that he necessarily agrees with them, but he supports that I do what I do. I don’t think a walk out the door with goons at the flank is in my near future for this.
BTW, as hard as keeping up with this and related threads has been, I absolutely love what’s going on. I love it, because it’s finally brought to the sunlight a discourse that’s been barely whispered for a long time now, aside from snide remarks, yet has been as real during the “quiet” as it is right now. It’s better than saying, “yes” and “attaboy” over and over, especially when not genuine.