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Home Alone Conservatism

2.7.08 @ 12:01AM

HOME IS WHERE THE VOTES ARE
Re: Lisa Fabrizio's Not Staying Home:

Lisa Fabrizio's appeal to glum conservatives was quite exhilarating, if you're twelve. Otherwise, it was another tired attempt to keep the Republican base quiet with a reminder of how much worse things could be. But that stuff won't work this year.

I voted for Big Bush against my better judgment. I voted for Little Bush because he was not Al Gore, and then again because he wasn't married to Teresa Kerry. But that was the last time I'll settle for the least repulsive candidate on the ballot. Pounding the tin drum on behalf of some feckless wretch because he's better than Stalin and has deigned to address CPAC won't move me one inch.

McCain seems to be an accomplished liar; and I believe that what is called his "plain speaking" is evidence that he has a couple of screws loose. Huckabee is Slick Willie with a better haircut; he has the same smarmy presence that keeps your hand on your wallet until he's gone.

Romney seems no more dreadful than some previous chief executives, and if he runs against Hillary I may vote for him; I'd vote for the devil himself before I'd vote for Hillary. But if she runs against McCain I will vote Libertarian. Four years of Hillary will do the conservative movement far more good than eight years of McCain.

It's not a matter of running away because I can't get everything I want. It is a matter of standing fast in the hope of getting what we all need to survive. The old coalition cobbled together by Nixon and animated by Reagan has come apart. Each individual group must reevaluate its priorities, come to terms with the American electorate, and make the best deal possible. These last dismal eight years have squandered what may have been our last chance to prevent what now seems inevitable. But, in the event that it was not, Joe Hill summed it up nicely: "Don't mourn. Organize."
-- Edmund Dantes
Coshocton, Ohio

I'm not staying home, but sadly it appears that the prevailing temperament of the population in this election cycle is not favorable for the Republican Party. Many of the tenets of our party such as self reliance, personal responsibility, limited government, etc., simply do not resonate with a large segment of the population. The winning message seems to be: "Hi. I'm from the government and I'm here to help you." That is not the calling card of the Republican Party. Perhaps Bush's "Compassionate Conservatism" got us to this point but the Republican Party, as I know it, cannot hold true to its principles and still be competitive when the sentiment of the voting public tends toward government solutions. That's the domain of the other side.
-- J. Brick
Beaver Dam, Arizona

Lisa may not be staying home if this primary gives us Hillary and McCain in the general, but I will be. I consider choosing between Hillary and Hillary Light McCain not worth the effort it will take to get to the polls. I know what I will be getting with either one. It is a sad day for the Republican Party when its leadership lets a few northeastern and eastern liberal elites pick its nominee. Oh, well I can save some money this year because the RNC will not be getting any of it. Congratulations, RNC, you just gave us at least four years of Socialist rule. One can only hope the country survives it.
-- Jim Karr
Blue Springs, Missouri

Liza Fabrizio is urging us conservatives to suck it up and do our best to deny the White House to the Democrats. Sucking it up is what we did with the Bushes, Dole etc. -- this would be swallowing poison.

After all he has done to sell this country down the tubes (think Guantanamo; torture; gang of 14), as well as slandering Mitt Romney (with the complicity of the media), I cannot reward McCain with my vote.

I have not failed to vote since 1964 (and always for a Republican), but I agree with Ann Coulter: with a Dem we'll get all the bad judges, global warming guff, and bad legislation with none of the blame.

See you in '12.
-- James Sherlock
Waldwick, New Jersey

Why are Conservatives in such disarray? Part of the answer may be that they have been lulled into a malaise by the great wealth and power that the U.S. has accumulated. That we have fought a major war without any strain on the budget, reducing the deficit in fact, and have not been asked to sacrifice because our military volunteers and families did that for us, may have turned the attention of Conservatives toward lesser things. Consider that Congress is currently spending its workdays investigating baseball and that Republican Senator Specter thinks it time to investigate NFL football, foibles of a do-nothing Congress. Add to this the constant din of Liberals asking for more of the goodies to go to them rather than the war. Minds have turned away from the great problems the country faces into a sort of food fight and recitations of petty grievances. Conservatives have been ignoring the future, criticizing present events, and dreaming about the past. The past success that Conservatives have had were based on a commitment to the future. Facing the prospects of possible world wide war and a growing Socialist movement should be enough to revive Conservatives energies toward the future again.
-- Howard Lohmuller
Seabrook,Texas

I hear Republicans making the case for party loyalty. Where does that leave independent conservatives? If I had loyalty, I would be voting for the party I registered with three decades ago; thank you, but no.

I vote for the candidate and the issues. I have been voting Republican of late and I am going to vote for a senate candidate. However if McCain gets the nomination, my choices will be to write in Fred, skip that race or vote wacky third party.

Letter to the Editor

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