The Decline of the Grand Old Party
Posted on October 3rd, 2008 at 3:41 pm by Shawn NaegleThis is your problem Republicans. I can’t help you much since I forsook you four years ago and don’t plan on returning. All indications are that Barack Obama will be the next President. McCain’s numbers are down, Palin did well in the debate, but not well enough to inspire those not already committed to the ticket, and his campaign just ceded Michigan to Obama. Yes, it looks like McCain’s run for the Presidency is all but over. Without an “October Surprise” of his own, McCain is done. So where does the GOP go from here? If McCain loses, who’s your go to guy (or gal?) for 2012? You should have a lot going for you by then. A Democratic controlled White House, Senate and House, should all but destroy Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness by 2012. The opportunity will be yours, but you will still need a strong, articulate, and experienced candidate. So who will it be?
Oh, I know many of you will rant and rave about why and how John McCain can still come from behind and win. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. So when you are done ranting, play along and tell me, who are you going to rebuild your party around? My personal thoughts are - and I am suppressing a shiver as I type it - Mitt Romney. No, I don’t really like him for purely Libertarian reasons, but with the mess on Wall Street and in Congress, he’s looking ever more Presidential to me by the minute. In my opinion, if he were the nominee, it would already be over…well maybe not over, but at least he wouldn’t have ceded Michigan by now.
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I can see you have fallen for the media hype that this race is over, hahahahaha. Who was up 3 weeks ago?
Our farm team is quite deep.
In order of my personal pics….
Top 5
1. Bobby Jindal
2. Tim Pawlenty
3. David Patraeus
4. Mitt Romney
5. Mike Pence
Jindal is a good choice and a man I respect and would vote and campaign for. He is strong on economics. How would you feel about a Romney/Jindal ticket?
Why Romney on top? Not gonna happen.
Jindal is the future face of the GOP
Like I said, Jindal is a good man, but I still think Romney will run again. I also think the country will go through economic turmoil for the next four years. In 2012 they will look to Romney who is high profile when it comes to economic street cred. Jindal has what it takes, but doesn’t have the same proven business experience that Romney has. That’s why I think Romney has a good chance at the next run. Don’t get me wrong, Jindal has my vote where Romney would have to earn it.
The person who will uphold the Constitution and abides by the Goldwater Doctrine will get my vote.
Troy, I’m afraid we won’t live long enough to see another Barry Goldwater.
Ron Paul came close. If it wasn’t for his stand on Iraq he might have been a stronger candidate in the primaries.
I didn’t see anything wrong with asking Congress to follow the Constitution and formally declare war.
Sounds like a vote for Barr…
We could be looking at 2012 or even 2016, don’t you think? If Obama is elected this year, he would blame any worsening of our national problems in 2012 on his taking over after 8 years of Bush, and the bad economy and turmoil going on just as he entered the office.
Either way, I don’t know a lot of the candidates, but I agree that Mitt Romney looks like a good candidate- doesn’t he have a lot of business experience? Someone that has made lots of money on their own accord should know how to run an economy, I would think.
No, I think he’s in and out in 4 years. If we thought things were bad under Carter, think economic Armageddon under Obama.
Shawn,
No ranting. No raving. I think that Gov. Palin will head a strong Palin/Jindal ticket in 2012 - after MCain chooses to serve just one term.
What’s the big deal about giving up on Michigan? I seem to recall that we’ve won quite a few times without it, including the last two elections. It’d have been great, but its not a traditionally red state anyway.
I have faith that our country will not choose a novice, socialist “world citizen” to be our next Commander-in-Chief.
Gary, love ya, but you’re dreaming. Holding her own against Biden? Nice. Presidential? No. When McCain fails, she’s done.
Far from it, Shawn. Give this woman four years of prep of national politics and she will be a force to reckon with…..more than she already is.
IF McCain fails (I don’t think he will), and if Palin runs in 2012, she will be able to run with:
- 6 years experience as governor;
- the experience of having run in a national campaign;
- major national name recognition;
- rock star status within her party.
And you say she’s done? Really?
actually, i think that an obama victory will be a very healthy thing for this country and for the gop. few will deny that the republican party has lost its way and most of us don’t identify with it anymore. this putrid carcass of a party needs to slain so that it can be reborn with a restored sense of purpose and a return to its core beliefs. think back to the 60s. the democrats were the dominant party, and goldwater was wiped out in a 20-point landslide in 64. but it was during that time in the wilderness that the conservative movement was born. goldwater/reaganism was born out of the ashes of coolidge/hooverism during a period of democratic dominance. we need another such cleansing period to save the party and to save the country. this cycle of dominance, decadence, and defeat is natural and it is a healthy thing. one party should never stay in power for too long, for it inevitably loses its way and becomes corrupted. let us accept the fact that the party of reagan is no more; it is time to rebuild a new conservative movement and start fresh. we should embrace the death of george w. bush’s big government conservatism, suffer through a term or two of obama, and reconnect with basic conservative principles again and spark another reagan revolution .
I agree with your premise that losing this election could be good for the GOP in the long run. But, to have a Regan like revolution, you’ve got to have a Reagan like candidate. So far, I haven’t seen one that the GOP can turn to.
I agree with the premise, and part of me cheers for this kind of emergence. I just know that until the conservative powder keg gets lit, we will endure the nonsense of massive liberalism. I realize that could also be part of the fodder to pack the powder keg.
Shawn - I think the candidate emerges after the vision crystallizes. If not, then it’s the person, not the mission. If the vision is bigger and greater, and comes first, then it’s much clearer to see a compelling candidate. Maybe that’s the reason we had 12 people in the primaries - because it was unclear to the masses and candidates what the compelling vision was. And no, I don’t mean to belittle Iraq and the economy. But if we’re just reacting to things, there’s no driving vision forging ahead.
Give the Oba-wan his shakes on this. He tapped into the latent vision of liberals enough to ignite a firestorm under them that got them motivated and galvanized in the campaign. And if the Oba-wan wins, it’s because the ground game launched 1+ years ago is going to pull him through. That’s the effect of tapping into the vision that people resonate with.
We may very well have 4 years of Obama, or even possibly 8, before we see a cleaned-up, trimmed down, lean, mean fighting machine of a party embracing a clear vision and ready to tackle that issue with the country.
I do see a Palin/Petraus possibility either in 2012 or 2016. I said it 2 weeks ago, & am repeating it now, so I can collect royalties from y’all when it happens.
Me thinks it is common in politics,
As well as, $ investments et al,
To buy and sell, to trade off and
Cut losses when up against a wall.
Kenny Rogers, the Gambler, said it:
“Know when to hold ‘em, know when
To fold ‘em…” A perfect metaphor:
Waste not money if you can’t win!
Libertarian leanings often lead to
Believing that getting 2%! Oh Wow!
Libertarians don’t see 2% as a loss
But, rather a symbolic win somehow.
Forgetaboutit! Its a loss, buddy,
It has no meaning, Its irrelevant:
You can scream platitudes with big
Attitudes, with “facts” just rant.
But 1 or 2% means nothing to anyone
You are branded the luny side,
Spending life jousting windmills,
Always losing,never getting inside.
Whodat believes in “The lesser of two evils” as the most sensible criteria all voters could ever use.
Whodat’s a man that I don’t want to lecture-
But Whodat’s bought in to the lies and conjecture
of Politicians and Kings and University Professors
Who teach men to settle for the evil lessors
But evil’s still evil no matter what face it wears
For no party or policy or country it cares
It attacks from without and destroys from within
You can ignore it or pacify it but unchecked it will win
You can stand up for what’s right or bend for what’s wrong
The difference is plain as the night is to the dawn
That ONE percent or TWO percent is good company
for Whodat has forgotten his own history-
That Washington, Jefferson, and Adams before
only had THREE percent who helped win the war
Their plight was worse, much worse than ours
Bare foot and bloody they carried the scars-
But stand up they did, that lone THREE percent
and gave us our freedom and good Government
They left it to people they thought would remember
and honor and cherish and treat it tender
And what would they think if they saw us today?
Would they be proud of the things that we say -
about bad leaders being better if the other is worse
Or would the read us the Constitution by chapter and verse
Would they show us how far, how far we have gone -
astray from that Liberty so hard fought and won?
And remind us of the difference between evil and right
that to bend from our course is to loose the fight
So sit with your ninety eight percent if you must
I stand with the other TWO for our cause is just
And if in the end we TWO stand alone
In the Founder’s eye’s will I look when I’m called home-
And thank them for their sacrifice and how they stayed true
And how, like them, I chose to stand with the few!
I will ALWAYS be proud to stand with that 2% that you mock, if more people did, we wouldn’t have to worry about the lessor of two evils.
Awesome, Shawn!
To think, liberals and university smarty-pants types think we conservatives have no class… We tirade in poetry!
And your length is overwhelming, but I must quote Shakespeare here, from Hamlet, “Me thinks he doth protest too much…”
Whodat knows there must be a relevant quote from The Rolling Stones, but I just can’t find it…
Thanks. I was a little afraid to challenge the master PD poet.
No need for fear, Shawn. That was pretty awesome. (not agreeing with your points, but your poetry was “on lock”!)
Gen. Washington seemed pretty pragmatic to me. Just guessing (since we can’t ask him), but I kinda imagine that if old George were voting today, he’d look at the choice between Obama, McCain, Nader, and Barr and vote for MCain.
Life is a constant series of choices between the lesser of two evils.
When I’m hungry, I’d love to have a big juicy steak (PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals). But, if all I have is baloney or sardines, I’ll choose the lesser of the two evils, rather than starve to death.
Now, there’s nothing that says that I can’t work your butt off to make sure that you can have steak next time, but I won’t be able to work my butt off if I starve to death, will I?
If we let Obama get elected, with a Democrat Congress in full control, they will fundamentally change so many aspects of our country and our laws that it will be TWICE as hard to ever get back to the point that we are now.
Whodat,
When Mick sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction… but I try, and I try, …” - maybe he was speaking politically, and was referring to the fact that he never has a “perfect” candidate, but he keeps trying to vote for the lesser of two evils.
Or, he coulda just been talking about chicks.
Thanks for the nice words Gary.
You should write a history book showing how the Founder’s consistantly chose the lesser of two evils. I can imagine some of the good quotes from your book-
Nathan Hale: “I regret that I have but one life to give for my lesser of two evils”
Samuel Adams: “The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks unless we can find the lesser of two evils, then that is just as good.”
Thomas Paine: “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have the lesser of two evils.”
Patrick Henry: “Give me Liberty or give me the lesser of two evils”
Thomas Jefferson (from Declaration of Independence): “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of the lesser of two evils.”
Seriously, I think you forget that they went to war over taxes. Taxes less than what we pay now. They thought it was worth the thousands of lives lost, fortunes squandered, and families broken so that we could have freedom. That’s how important they felt it was. And you think they would take higher taxes today than they had then, government trying to confiscate their arms, a national debt so high we can never pay it, and they would just roll over and vote the lesser of two evils?
Sorry, can’t buy it, I think I know them better than that.
Well, Shawn, if I follow YOUR logic, I guess I can ammend the quotes to say:
Nathan Hale: “Rather than give my life for my lesser of two evils, I think I’ll just sit this one out.”
Samuel Adams: “The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks, UNLESS WE FEEL LIKE OUR CHOICES AREN’T GOOD ENOUGH, IN WHICH CASE WE’LL JUST SIT IT OUT .”
Thomas Paine: “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have the CHANCE TO SAY, ‘AT LEAST MY DAD DIDN’T SETTLE FOR THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS.”
Patrick Henry: “Give me Liberty, OR GET BACK WITH ME IN FOUR YEARS.”
Thomas Jefferson (from Declaration of Independence): “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of PERFECTION IN AN IMPERFECT SYSTEM.”
Hey, Shawn, I doubt we disagree on many issues at all, just on the best way to achieve our goals.
*sigh*
Since when did a fine Republican like yourself determine that voting in the REPUBLICAN Primary and voting in the general election = “sitting this one out”? I haven’t missed an election since I was old enough to vote and don’t plan on missing this one. You can criticize my choice, that’s fair game, but you can’t level the charge of sitting it out.
Hey Shawn,
I withdraw my “sitting this one out” comments - you’re right, you’re not sitting out if you’re still voting. (even if it is for a candidate who’ll draw less than 2% of the vote). I respect your stand, just feel differently about it’s effectiveness.
But, hey, watch it with the “fine Republican” tag! I’ve voted for a few Democrats in my time (gonna vote for one or two on my local level next month), and I would vote Libertarian if the right candidate and set of circumstances presented itself.
Great poetry to the both of you.
Man we have such talent on this site
I enjoy your poetry, can you publish a book or start a web page or something so we can keep up with you view of the world after the election!?
Totally late to the party…..
I hope for our country’s sake that you’re wrong. An Obamassiah administration scares the living daylights out of me. We can stay strong for the next 31 days. We can’t lose hope. (Ha! ‘Hope and change….’)
I’m a fan of Romney, and hope to see him again in the future. Romney/Palin? That would be kinda cool.
No nominee would ever pick the previous election’s losing VP candidate to serve as their own. A Romney/Palin ticket is not going to happen.
Hey, it was wishful thinking.
If Obama wins, and the Dems control congress, the USA will not come to an end. It may lean a bit more to the left… OK, a lot to the left, but it will survive. Even Clinton could not change the country that much in 8 years.
People have been using the same scare tactics for years - If you let the other party win, the country will go down in flames.
Guess what? It has not. Take a look at the history of this great REPUBLIC. The PEOPLE have kept the country in balance. Yes, it swings from right to left and back, but look at how many times the controlling party has been kicked out.
It’s for precisely that reason that I do not feel a vote for Barr is a waste. And, that is also why I do not believe in voting for the lesser of two evils. T
BTW, there are many evils running for POTUS. Take wacko Cynthia McKinney - for those in Georgia, you know the craziness of this woman. She’s way more to the left than Obama. And, there are true Communist and Socialist candidates running as well. Obama’s pretty close to them (compare the party beliefs when you have some spare time), but not quite there.
So, do your homework and vote for whom you feel is best qualified to be President. There is no such thing as a wasted vote. Every vote counts. Every vote means something. It is our responsibility (not a right) to vote, and I take that responsibility seriously. I hope all of you do, as well.