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Come Together, Right Now

8.2.07 @ 12:01AM

UNITE AND FIGHT
Re: Quin Hillyer's Listen to Goldwater:

Quin Hillyer explains the first half of what conservatives need to do, i.e. grow up, consider the good things we already have, "celebrate them, and consolidate them in an attractive way, and build, build, build upon them."

I agree. However he leaves out the second half. That is, articulate our vision in the public square, and if need be, get down and dirty to fight our leftwing adversaries in advancing and ARTICULATING our vision in a down-to-earth way (Reagan's gift!), showing the American people how ridiculous our political adversaries' vision is and quit just preaching to the choir. It needs to be a full-court press, all day, every day in all the media -- print, radio, TV, Internet, etc. That today is the key thing lacking.

All I see is Republicans hiding for cover at the slightest adversity, no matter what it is and conservatives tongue-tied. Their silence and that of our current Chief Executive is deafening -- they are all AWOL! They have not only yielded the terms of the debate, but the debate itself to the Democrats and the left (one and the same to me).

Republicans, and conservatives, need to be hungry again; they need to be streetfighters for the cause with a "take no prisoners" approach. (Oh, for another Lee Atwater!!) Limp-wristed, craven, cowardly "go-along-get-along," weather vane Republicans who care only about perpetrating their own power and position at the expense of the principles which originally got them elected inspire no one -- I will not give one cent to them, and forget about even voting for them. If need be, we need to begin our own insurgency within the party, blow the fat, dumb and happy politicos out of the water, and put new blood in a position to take things over.

By way of example, so far, I have heard nothing by conservatives or Republicans in Congress about the recent op-ed piece in the July 30 New York Times by two scholars at the liberal Brookings Institution -- Michael E. O'Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack. Even though it is not 100% in our favor, the fact it was written and printed by of all institutions, the New York Times, should be cause for rejoicing for anyone who supports our war effort; it is the political equivalent of Paul's ride to Damascus. And what have we heard to rebut "Dingy Harry" Reid's continuing declaration that the war is lost, etc. by our representatives? I am still waiting. These guys should be embraced for "growing up" and seeing progress and the turn-around, particularly in al-Anbar province, which every soldier and Marine has been seeing for the first half of this year.

Unless we as conservatives find our tongues, articulate our vision and put it out there, day and night, in a way to educate and inspire our fellow Americans, who are really waiting for competent adult leadership, AND really fight for our beliefs and principles -- not hide from them -- then, as many have said, we will soon have to get used to the term, "Madame President."
-- D. Moroco
Colonel, USMCR (Ret.)
Quantico, Virginia

Quin Hillyer is bang on in his assessment. In the late '90s some analysts were predicting a conservative meltdown due to the machinations of Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan and paleoconservatives (the people who gave us the Clinton Presidency). George W. Bush was able to forestall that crisis by his extraordinary political victories in 2000, 2002 and 2004. The major political realignment that he and Karl Rove were working for seemed to be guaranteed. Sadly, some conservatives and the media's token "conservatives" joined Democrats and their media goons in making President Bush and the GOP their targets. The resulting conservative crackup breathed new life into the Democrat corpse resulting in a resurgent Democrat party with momentum headed into 2008 despite the most radical and unqualified candidates in that party's dysfunctional history.

Even if Ronald Reagan were a candidate in 2008 this group would be cutting his throat on issues like taxes (he raised them 7 times), immigration and borders (he laid the foundation for McCain Kennedy), federal spending and deficits (to defeat the Soviet Union he had the highest in modern history) and fighting terrorism (where he was marginally effective).

Hillary, Barack and their admirers like George Soros and Osama bin Laden will owe this group a major thank you if Democrats take total control of the Federal government in 2009. As for the conservative movement it is destined for the political wilderness unless we return to the pragmatic and big tent conservatism of Ronald Reagan where the 11th Commandment is respected if not honored.
-- Michael Tomlinson
Jacksonville, North Carolina

I must comment on two nonsensical articles from today's assortment of supposedly conservative thought pieces.

Quin Hillyer encourages us to "listen to Goldwater," to "grow up" and support whatever fine nominee issues forth from the Republican selection process. As I can actually remember watching that convention on TV as a politically interested teenager, let me suggest that some context is being dropped here. Goldwater was urging Republican unity in support of Tricky Dick Nixon, who embodied the mainstream values of the party, as conservatives worked to move the party to the right (successfully, as it turned out). Since the Reagan years, the Republican Party as taken on reform of the abortion disaster. Opposition to the murder of children in the womb (at least in most circumstances) has rightly become a defining characteristic of the party. Willingness to support Rudy Giuliani is a betrayal of a core conservative value that his predecessors made a major feature of the Republican ascendancy. I consider the toleration of abortion in the late 20th, and now early 21st, century a social issue on par with the foul enslavement of people in our earlier history. As a thought experiment, what would we think about a pro-slavery candidate for President in 1860 nominated by a party established to oppose that "peculiar institution"? This is not an issue of "he agrees with us on so much (itself a question in my mind about this backer of Mario Cuomo) so we can go along on abortion." Substitute slavery in 1860 for abortion and tell me that such a rationalization makes sense to you.

I also question whether Barry Goldwater could have held his nose for the John McCain of today. Here is an unreliable conservative on economic issues who has beat the drums for the greatest assault on political free speech since the Alien and Sedition Acts. The institutional advantages enjoyed by the left can only be overcome by grass roots opposition, opposition rendered far more difficult by the monstrosity of McCain-Feingold. Once the left closes the loop with the reintroduction of the "fairness doctrine," conservatives' ability to be heard will once again be restricted to its in-house media. Yeah, let's reward John McCain with our support as he participates in returning our influence to pre-1960.

What really slays me is the willingness of credulous conservatives to sign on to a "lesser of evils" argument as these same geniuses criticize and undermine George W. Reality check, guys and gals! Bush II has governed reasonably conservatively, as I have noted in past letters. He certainly compares well with Bush I. Who among the current leading lights of the nomination process, with the possible exception of Fred Thompson, would govern to the right of Bush I? Answer: None of them! With these characters, better we spend our resources in reestablishing the Republican brand in Congress, awaiting a candidate who would actually represent the Republican mainstream.

Then there's Michael Fumento's apology for the nanny state, "Obesity Is Contagious." I don't mind admitting that I am one of those obese ones, although I don't stuff my face with Twinkies or eat more than the normal three meals a day (it is true that I don't exercise any part of my body other than my brain). Yeah, I don't live a healthy lifestyle, which is my right.

Letter to the Editor

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