Campaign Crawlers
DeMint Before Dinner
A conversation with the Senate’s top conservative on the rising conservative tide.
(Page 2 of 3)
TAS: And the last time I looked the number of people who self-identify as conservative exceeds the number who self-identify as Republicans.
JD: Right. And that gap has grown. Nothing has changed about the conservatives. But I think a lot of them thought the Republicans had abandoned their principles. We have a real opportunity this election if we put candidates out front that people can believe in. We’re looking for real change you can believe in. Now we’ve got change you can’t believe.
TAS: Does Marco Rubio qualify as a candidate conservative Republicans can believe in?
JD: Yes. He’s very genuine. He’s not just throwing red meat at a bunch of conservatives. He has a heart-felt message that’s inspiring. You just don’t see that in politics much anymore. There are a lot of one-liners and applause lines out there. But that’s not what Marco’s doing. He’s reminding people of America’s greatness, what a privilege it is in America to start with nothing but to be able to work and make something of yourself. I’ve seen him speak before folks who’ve been involved in the political process for a long time and he has them standing on their feet before he leaves. He appears to be the real deal.
I’m really encouraged because we have some new Republicans on the national stage like Marco Rubio who completely dispel a lot of stereotypes about Republicans. He’s not just an old white guy, or an old mean guy. He’s of Cuban descent. He’s young, well-spoken, and very sincere. He’s not just using political jargon. He’s talking American principles, and he’s connecting them to current issues. If we can find a few more candidates like this we can change the image of the party. And we can change its substance as well. It doesn’t take but a few pushing the right way to get the whole Senate to go right.
TAS: Two thousand ten looks good for the Republican Party and for conservatives. Is it too early to talk about 2012? It’s less than two years to the Iowa caucus. Who’ll be the conservative champion then?
JD: I believe as soon as this election is over in November we’ll probably know who our potential candidates are. I think a lot of them will come out and campaign for various candidates and give us some idea of what they are for and what they’re against.
TAS: Are you going to be in that mix?
JD: I don’t think so. I hope I can be part of helping to find somebody who can really change things. It’s going to be hard because we need someone who will tell Americans the truth. The truth is we can’t make any more promises that the federal government is going to do more for us. It will take a very talented person to say that the federal government has to do less rather than more. That’s not too far from the Churchill promise of nothing more than blood, sweat, and tears. It doesn’t have to sound that harsh, but the fact is we’re going to have to sacrifice to pull ourselves away from where we are. And I’m starting to think that Americans are ready for that now.
TAS: President Obama’s numbers keep dropping, both for him personally and for his policies. That’s good news for Republicans. But you can’t beat somebody with nobody. Do you expect somebody we haven’t even been thinking about to pop out of the woodwork to go with the names we already know?
JD: Possibly so. They’re some good names out there. Among others there’s Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana, who has demonstrated he can make tough decisions at the state level and manage a state in very difficult times. He certainly knows the national scene. And people like that who might not be as dynamic, but who might be much better candidates in 2012 because I think Americans are saying we tried dynamic and it hasn’t worked. Could we try boring? I think Americans are looking for a grownup who has proven he can manage things. You can’t lead with rhetoric, and that’s what we see being tried now in Washington. So we may see a different kind of candidate this time.
I think people will be looking outside of Washington. There are some bright House members like Mike Pence and others who have come up with good proposals. But I think there will be a lot of attention on governors who’ve been able to manage things. Young might not be good next time. We might be looking for some gray hair. We need to pull our party back to the main-stream, where America is, because our party has drifted way to the left. There’s nothing moderate about spending the country into oblivion. Being conservative is just remembering the things that work. The things that got us where we were as a nation, and which can take us back if we’ll let them. There’s nothing radical or far-right about that. We’re the mainstream. We embrace what a broad majority of Americans believe in and care about.
******
DeMint hit the same themes Saturday night before a very receptive dinner crowd of about 350 in Tampa. He beat up on what he calls a “radicalized” Washington Democratic Party for trying to expand government into every area of our lives. “This is what unrestrained Democratic Control looks like,” he said. But he also scalded Republicans in Congress who seem more interested in bringing home the bacon for their states or districts than in standing up for conservative principles.
“I didn’t go to Washington to make friends, and I haven’t been disappointed,” joked DeMint, who sometimes finds himself cross-wise with the Republican establishment. But he may soon be having more friends at work if he has correctly read the electorate’s mood this year. He says Americans appear ready to take their country back
About the Author
Larry Thornberry is a writer in Tampa.
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Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 3.8.10 @ 6:27AM
Senator DeMint should quit wasting his time defending Lindsey Graham. Lindsey Graham is a lost cause dabbling his foot into politics like his weak sister, sidekick and friend Senator McCain.
Just last Sunday Lindsey Graham was highlighted for his efforts to close Guantanamo and bring the terrorists to American shores. In that sense he's just like the fruitcakes inside Eric Holder's Injustice Department.
http://thehill.com/homenews/se.....-tribunals
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday said he would need the military’s support to get Republicans in Congress to agree to shut down Guantanamo Bay prison, as a sort of quid pro quo for the White House ensuring military trials for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Alan Brooks| 3.8.10 @ 9:42AM
"The republican party had better get aboard with the Conservatives or they too will be toast come 2010 and 2012"
They will be toast; you'll need a 3rd party-- but you wont get round to it until it is too late.
Doctor Right| 3.8.10 @ 2:08PM
Graham is being blackmailed...It's been going on for quite some time.
Regardless, he has to go.
...And you know what I'm talking about.
Ret. Marine| 3.8.10 @ 7:05AM
Anyone advocating the closing down of the GITMO facility should be considered a traitor and a failure in the politic's of the American way. Who do these people think they represent, the American or the enemy? Just like mclame, this idiot thinks if we just give into the demands of the islamist, (dhimmi's attitude) somehow the rest of barbaric class will just so-love us. I think these "old guard" members are toast, crispy and black with the devil's heart. The republican party had better get aboard with the Conservatives or they too will be toast come 2010 and 2012.
I sincerly hope the Republican's continue with the theme of being conservative and mean it this time around, if not the party is history and should be re-named the Conservative party. Let the old guard die off in life and elections. This could be the best thing to happen in future elections. They are not on our side, they continue to go-with-the-flow trying to get everyone aboard and that makes no sense whatsoever. Being a Conservative and a republican are two things entirely different from one another. You are either for limited government, strong on defense and for personal freedoms, or you are against us. It's as simple as that.
What is especially tasty right now is the other side is having buyers remorse and the rest of our side is begining to notice, what a country.
rdman| 3.8.10 @ 5:56PM
Forget about "themes"... if the GOP is going to be a conservative party, dump Steele, an inside-the-beltway moderate (moderate at best)) RINO and elect a true Conservative to lead the GOP. Its as simple as that and that will make a huge difference!!
rdman| 3.8.10 @ 6:09PM
Think about it folks... who is out there right now who would immediately "light a fire" in the GOP across the nation...
Tim| 3.8.10 @ 7:27AM
Tea Party Rebels support Jim DeMint ,the next President of the United States.
Alan Brooks| 3.8.10 @ 3:15PM
Maybe in 2017.
RavenS2xs| 3.8.10 @ 7:35AM
Mr. DeMint says the Republicans have learned the right lessons from getting trounced? I think not. It's easy to talk a big talk when they don't have much to lose, however I think they will go back to their lib-lite ways as soon as they get any power. Case in point, Mr. DeMint's S 3048 Pilot Professionalism Assurance Act (Introduced in Senate). Thank god Mr. DeMint and the rest of the RINO's are there to make sure that us pilots are professional in the cockpit. All those years in the military and commercial aviation sure haven't taught me anything. Maybe after they are through micromanaging the cockpit then they could tell me how to fly the plane. This bill will be massively abused by the FAA and the Airlines. We need to watch how these monkeys vote and what bills they push before they can claim their conservative title. Apparently the concept of limited government still hasn't caught on with some of these guys yet. People who think that more regulations and a thicker FAR will prevent planes from crashing are kidding themselves.
Ken (Old Texican)| 3.8.10 @ 11:51AM
Raven,
8265Romeo here.
Some of you are professional...some ain't. Those guys who missed their destination airport BY AN HOUR... need a refresher course don't they?
(Actually, they should be put in jail.)
I've been a pilot since 1971. There are some serious stupids flying passengers these days.
AirBill| 3.8.10 @ 3:54PM
And how many times does an airliner overfly its destination airport? So much that we need an act of Congress to take care of it? Seems like there are more "stupids" posting on Web pages than there are flying passengers.
Left Seat FO| 3.9.10 @ 7:52PM
You get what you pay for.
Melvin| 3.8.10 @ 7:36AM
Liberals, Atheists Are More Highly Evolved?
Smarter people more inclined to nontraditional values, National Geographic study suggests.
Well...So much for the girls of Tahiti isn't it?
I remember when the National Geographic was a respected magazine. Now it has turned into the Huffington Post with pictures.
Just gives the Liberals more ammunition to say, that they are smarter than us Neanderthal
Conservatives.
Damn, I really used to like that magazine.
Pingback| 3.8.10 @ 8:16AM
DeMint Before Dinner | Republican Party of Door County links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Longplay| 3.8.10 @ 8:17AM
DeMint and Obama both say that Americans have to make sacrifices but there's an enormous difference between the two. Obama is coercing us to sacrifice the fruits of our labor to fund an intrusive form of government that destroys our liberty. DeMint's saying that the process of restoring our freedoms and reducing the size of government will produce hard times for awhile and for many. The latter type of sacrifice is one I think true Americans can bear because it offers true hope of a better future. Obama's promises offer only an enending equality of misery.
Michael L. Hauschild| 3.8.10 @ 8:18AM
The United States desperately needs two things; first a “Institute of Constitutional Learning” to send and groom candidates, and an “Old Politicians Home” with an insanity wing to send all the incumbent clowns that defend and propagate the status quo of their partners in crime. Say what you may but for defending Grahamnesty DeMint is now a discredited buffoon. To the dung heap with him, the redundancy challenged “tea party rebels” and those dysfunctional loons with a drawl and Ross Perot bumper stickers in the kitchen drawer.
George F.| 3.8.10 @ 12:25PM
You, sir, are a tad off base with your recipe for whom we should be getting rid of. There are lots of corruptocrats in congress that aren't on the right.
Cris Worth| 3.8.10 @ 8:27AM
Unbeatable GOP ticket in 2012:
Willard "Mitt" Romney (R-Mass., N.H., Mich., UT, Cal.) and Lindsey Grahamnesty (R, S.C.)
Tim| 3.8.10 @ 8:28AM
DeMint, a Republican in his first term, is the leader of a movement to pull the party in the opposite direction from Mr. Graham’s conciliatory approach. The political action committee he founded, called the Senate Conservatives Fund, backs only candidates who are rock-solid conservatives, and adherents to his views have led the efforts to censure Mr. Graham.
The two senators say they are friends whose differences are exaggerated by the news media, and DeMint has not personally criticized Mr. Graham or called for his censure.
But their contrasting strategies have brought home to South Carolina the struggle over the future of the Republican Party and have put them on opposite sides of important Senate primaries in states like Florida, where Mr. DeMint supports a vocal conservative, Marco Rubio, and Mr. Graham supports Gov. Charlie Crist.
In California, Mr. DeMint supports Chuck DeVore, in defiance of the national party leadership and Mr. Graham, who said he would campaign for Carly Fiorina.
Cris Worth| 3.8.10 @ 8:35AM
I'm suspicious of Palmetto State Republicans...Lindsey Grahamnesty, Mark "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" Sanford...Hmmm
loulou| 3.8.10 @ 10:46AM
Little Lindsey needs to switch to the Democrat Party. We don't need grovelling bootlickers like him.
DeMint was too generous to John Cornyn. Cornyn is nothing but a Kay Bailey in pants. Cornyn is clueless--Crist, Scozzafava, Fiorina. All RINOs.
Charles Stevens| 3.8.10 @ 10:36AM
Whether the GOP gets back in power or not, they will have the same systemic problem they always have: political dynamics are rigged against them from the outset, because the basic idea of Conservativism is to NOT be always changing the status quo as per progressivism. This means Conservatives are always playing defense, which is not the way to win. To paraphrase the IRA as applied to progressivism: "...remember we only have to be lucky once. You will have to be lucky always."
Copyleft| 3.8.10 @ 10:51AM
DeMint is, of course, DeRanged.
He supports mandatory school prayer and the outlawing of abortion in ALL CASES, including rape.
He tried to cripple attempts at corporate transparency and accountability, such as Sarbanes-Oxley.
He defied a federal ban on private meetings with the dictator of Honduras.
He famously declared that gay people shouldn't be allowed to work as schoolteachers... before backing away to a more "nuanced position" when his bigotry was exposed.
He opposed the Patient Protection Act, the Families in Bankruptcy Act, the Fraud Enforcement Act, the CHIP Reauthorization, and the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Every time he had a chance to support workers against corporate criminals, DeMint has done the opposite.
So naturally, he's a hero to the fringe right. Which, by definition, makes him an enemy of REAL Americans.
Ken (Old Texican)| 3.8.10 @ 11:56AM
Heh!
Copyleft definition of Real American: "One who supported by the gubmint", as is copyleft.
HOO Haa!
Margie| 3.8.10 @ 12:34PM
CopyLeftistTalkingPoints,
I hope you are at least getting that government enforced minimum wage for your time here. I'm curious~do you also get a commission, say according to how many vehement rebuttals you get to your comments? Oops, no you wouldn't. Commission would be "unfair" to the rest of your self same buddies! Gotta have that level playing field, right?
davelnaf| 3.8.10 @ 10:53AM
Democrats are vigorously self-spinning themselves away from the likely consequences of voting for Obamacare. So, it's their funeral. But once republicans are in control of Congress and the WH in 2012 will they put end to the spending madness that has grown government so big it threatens our democracy? If they fail they will also go down like the democrats are going down. Then, what if the new parties that will occupy Congress after that also fail? Well, Congress is already enough of a horror story without going there.
RavenS2XS| 3.8.10 @ 11:50AM
Didn't the Republicans fail at making the government smaller, among other things, the last 8 years? Soo, now we give them another chance to disappoint us? I'm not convinced the Republicans have changed.
Ken (Old Texican)| 3.8.10 @ 12:01PM
Raven,
8265 Romeo back with you. See prior transmission above.
Answer here.
We gotta' get fresh Republicans. Turn right 180 degrees.
Sean| 3.8.10 @ 12:10PM
Take a look at Bunning in the Senate. Did you see how many Senators supported his stand? Not one.
George F.| 3.8.10 @ 12:45PM
We have to give the Repubs a chance because we can no longer vote for Socialist-Communist policies are are now the major push of the Dems.
Northern Rebel| 3.8.10 @ 11:45AM
It is people like that doddering old fool McCain, and his sycophant boyfriend Flimsy Graham, that got republicans in trouble in the first place.
In '94, we thought we'd won the hearts of Americans, and stoppoed teaching constitutional conservatism. We won't proceed, (notice I didn't use the word "progress") until Americans understand the difference between our beliefs and the socialist progressives.We are fortunate in this country, that we don't have to think about politics all the time, like you do in socialist, and fascist countries, so it is easy for the normal (notice I didn't say (average") Americans to disengage.
We have to fight harder to get our message out, because the drive by media are by and large mouthpieces for the socialist progressives.
Margie| 3.8.10 @ 12:42PM
Flimsy flim-flam Graham. An apt description. Too bad he doesn't care a wit about what the people think of him. I think the sooner he makes his jump to the Democrat party, the better. Why take years to do it like Specter? He should put the people out of their misery and make a clean break.
Northern Rebel| 3.8.10 @ 11:49AM
BTW C-Left, do you know any real Americans?
heh
Pingback| 3.8.10 @ 11:57AM
The American Spectator : DeMint Before Dinner links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 3.8.10 @ 11:58AM
African American art is on exhibit at Montclair museum | The African Art Store links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Ken (Old Texican)| 3.8.10 @ 12:05PM
Rebel,
heh...he might know his parents ...who finance him being able to be a loony whack job divorced from reality.
Northern Rebel| 3.8.10 @ 12:44PM
Ken:
He might know them, but if they are truly real Americans, he probably doesn't know WHERE TO FIND THEM! ;o)
Pingback| 3.8.10 @ 12:46PM
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Pingback| 3.8.10 @ 3:51PM
The American Spectator : DeMint Before Dinner links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 3.8.10 @ 3:51PM
The American Spectator : DeMint Before Dinner links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
John3| 3.8.10 @ 6:45PM
That's a great prescription for conservatives: limited government, a strong national defense, and family values.
Pingback| 3.8.10 @ 11:01PM
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Pat Noonan| 3.9.10 @ 7:55AM
Intellectual Ammo:
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Business Opportunity:Billboard Advertising System Ingame | Advertising Marketing Wisd links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
desuz| 3.24.10 @ 7:48AM
Are you kidding me!! DeMint for President!! He is a racist and does not care about anything but hating the President. The republican party will never get a vote from me again! They used to sit down and get things done but now all they do is say my way or the highway. Get with it! Your job is to work for all americans not just white racist!!!
سوريا | 6.25.11 @ 1:09AM
http://www.soryh.com