The Republicans In Name Only are taken to task in this installment. For example, why would any Republicans concern themselves with the opinions of Colin Powell?
by Michael Naragon
V
TO THOSE CALLING THEMSELVES REPUBLICANS:
“Only to realize far too late in the day,/As stone becomes dust/The world is a field of chameleons.” — from Chameleon by G. G. Falderal
I am writing to those of you who currently take the mantle of “Republican” but hold to little, if any, of the party’s core conservative beliefs. Those in this group include, but are certainly not limited to, John McCain, Olympia Snow, Colin Powell, David Brooks, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, Mary Bono Mack, Mike Castle, Mark Kirk, John McHugh, Frank LoBiondo, Leonard Lance, Dave Reichert, and Chris Smith. The last eight on this list, of course, are the eight so-called Republicans in the House who voted with the Democrats to pass the bill that will condemn our children to economic slavery through the cap-and-tax system.
My tolerance for you is far less than that for the Democratic leadership. I disagree with Barney Frank. I believe he is a pathetic man who clings to his power like a small child grasps a favorite blanket. Even now, he is making attempts to put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac back into a position of failure by asking them to relax their rules on condominiums, allowing high risk borrowers to make purchases. But, at least I know that Barney Frank is a pitiful sod–and by “sod,” I imply the British meaning of “man,” not a shortened form of sodomite, although, with Mr. Frank, both meanings work equally well. He makes no qualms about his views or his perspective. There is little deception with Mr. Frank. He is what he is, disgusting though it may be.
Against liberal Republicans, however, my fury is kindled. Take Colin Powell, for instance. The State media would, if they had their druthers, set him up as the leader of the party, the standard-bearer of its values. And yet this man, regardless of the sacrifices he has made for our nation in the military, has very few values that would place him in line with the majority of Americans, let alone Republicans. Mr. Powell claimed that Americans want to pay more taxes. Which Americans have expressed a concern to him that they are not taxed enough? How many “working” or “main street” Americans have approached Mr. Powell and begged him to lobby for a higher tax burden on the people of this country? Does Mr. Powell even know any regular Americans? Or has he become so entrenched in the Washington culture that he has begun to believe its ridiculous rhetoric?
Mr. Powell also said that Republicans cannot win elections by turning the party over to its conservative wing. The Grand Old Party needs more moderate candidates, according to the general. In 2008, Republicans nominated John McCain, possibly the most liberal candidate selected by the party in its history. And for whom did Mr. Powell, a self-described Republican, vote? Certainly not Mr. McCain. But did not the party do that for which he had asked? Why, then, would he not reward them with his own vote? Instead, Mr. Powell voted Democrat in the election and now seeks to lecture the party as to their choices of candidates and ideology. His “advice” amounts to nothing more than an appeal to the good graces of the State media and philosophical blackmail against the Republican party.
Speaking to the McCain campaign, when did Mr. McCain actually appear to have a chance in the 2008 election? His wave of popularity did not begin to crest until after he selected conservative Sarah Palin from Alaska as his running mate. Had Mr. McCain chosen Tom Ridge or Joseph Lieberman, as some speculated at the time, he would have lost the election by a far greater margin than he ultimately did. Ms. Palin saved his candidacy, and he knew it. I believe he resented–and resents–her for it. As the election neared its climax in November, Mr. McCain’s campaign attempted to minimize Ms. Palin’s influence. The State media did its best to discredit her. Attacked on both fronts, albeit in differing ways, Ms. Palin did not have the impact she might have had if Mr. McCain had used her to continue to energize conservatives.
After the election, pundits in the State media, liberal strategists, and Republicans who, like Mr. McCain, are fearful of the conservative element of the party, proclaimed the overdue death of conservatism. Jeb Bush proclaimed that it was time to move on from the ideals of Ronald Reagan and begin to adapt the tactics and, in some cases, the ideology of the enemy. You who are of this mind lack understanding. The element of the Republican party that keeps the tired, elitist party of Gerald Ford and Robert Dole alive is the conservative movement. Were it not for the conservatives in the South, Midwest, and elsewhere, the Republican party would be an utterly irrelevant clone of the Democrats, content with its role as a minority (translation: losing) party.
To liberal Republicans, known in the blogosphere as RINOs (Republicans In Name Only), the key to victory is inclusion. As many voters as possible must be included in the Republican party, they claim. This “big tent” can best be expanded, they say, by accepting any viewpoints or interests, so long as Republicans are ultimately elected by the clowns who parade under the big top. The stupidity and hypocrisy of this ideology is staggering. What these elitist Republicans would advocate is a populist party, giving away what is necessary in order to ensure election success. Principled decisions in areas such as the environment, or health care, or illegal immigration are subjugated to the need to be sent to Washington, to preserve power. In the end, this philosophy cheapens the Republican party to the point that the name becomes useless. “Republican” will stand for nothing. If handouts and bailouts are what the people want, they will vote for Democrats–they are the real experts in bankrupting the country through spending programs. Republicans are merely understudies.
Rather than become less convincing parrots on the shoulder of the piratical liberals, repeating the platitudes and policies of Democrat leaders, I suggest a different tact. Those politicians who currently place an “R” next to their name but espouse liberal ideas to gain office, leave. Please. Take your charade to the other side of the aisle. Not only will you strengthen the Republican party by doing so, you will also feel more comfortable working with those with whom you closely agree. You will also have dropped the ridiculous mask that you wear, making you much more honorable. Or as honorable as a Washington politician can be.
I realize that, by making such a statement, I invite criticism. Those in the media would claim that this exclusionary attitude is why conservatism is dying. I feel exactly the opposite, and I believe history will bear me out–the only enemy of conservatism, and the Republican party in general, is the complacency and complicit nature of those liberals who continue to run with the G.O.P. A true conservative message is one of fiscal responsibility, strong defense, and smaller government. It is a message that resonates with a vast majority of Americans. Once the chaff is separated from the wheat, the true business of restoring our nation after two years of runaway liberalism can begin. The first American Revolution began with a very small group of ideologically-driven patriots. Our second Revolution will begin in much the same way. This is not to say that anyone needs to be forcibly expelled from the party. You’re welcome to morph your ideas in order to bring them more into line with a conservative worldview. Changing, after all, is what a chameleon does well.
