Attention Conservatives: Nice Guys Do Finish Last
A response to Adam Graham's argument that conservatives shouldn't play dirty.
“There is a time to submit to being slapped and there is a time to hit back twice so you will not be slapped again.” — Chin Ning-Chu
“There is such a gap between how one lives and how one ought to live that anyone who abandons what is done for what ought to be done learns his ruin rather than his preservation: for a man who wishes to profess goodness at all times will come to ruin among so many who are not good.” — Niccolo Machiavelli
Earlier this week, I wrote a piece for Pajamas Media called “The Right Needs to Play as Dirty as the Left.” The theme of that piece could be summed up in these two paragraphs:
Too often today, liberals are using below-the-belt tactics against conservatives and paying no price whatsoever. Meanwhile, those on the right like to pat themselves on the back for being above it all. This is like a boxer priding himself on never taking off his gloves while his opponent nearly beats him to death with his bare firsts. But in the end, there’s not much to be said for lovable losers. Conservatives should realize that fair play isn’t going to pay any dividends.
While we conservatives don’t have to stoop quite as low as the left has, we do need to start giving them a taste of their own medicine, if only to make them think twice about the way they’re treating our side.
Adam Graham wrote a piece in response entitled “No, The Right Doesn’t Need to Play as Dirty as the Left.” Since Mr. Graham’s piece did a great job of summing up the opinions of the people who believe the GOP shouldn’t sully its hands in the fight against the Left, I thought it was a good idea to respond. After all, this is a debate that we should have had in our party long ago. However, first it’s worth clarifying a couple of points:
When I speak of playing as dirty as the Left, I’m not talking about mere rhetoric. Although we haven’t gone quite as far off the rails as liberals, who habitually refer to everyone who disagrees with them on any issue as Nazis, theocrats, homophobes, and bigots, we do hit them hard. Unfortunately, our Republican representatives in D.C. haven’t quite ramped up to the necessary level of intensity when dealing with a power-drunk narcissist who seems to be alternately borrowing from the playbooks of FDR, Noam Chomsky, Saul Alinsky, and even Hugo Chavez. Being politicians, though, you can expect them to escalate their attacks once President Obama’s approval rating falls a little further.
Additionally, I don’t believe in “anything goes.” Conservatives do tend to be fundamentally moral in a way that liberals who drink deeply from the cup of politics are not. For example, the Right shouldn’t engage in the sort of grotesque abuse that is often leveled by liberals at female conservative bloggers. Nor do I think we should back the sort of wholesale voter fraud that ACORN is attempting to perpetrate. There are some lines that should not be crossed. That much we can agree on. But let’s get into some areas where Mr. Graham and I part company. First off, Mr. Graham states:
Conservatives are not liberals: … Culturally, conservatives are unable to play the same game as liberals, because we do not possess the same mentality. I would argue that conservatives have a greater sense of respect for authority, rules of civility, and fundamental order within society. This is so ingrained that in Boise, when social conservatives felt the need to practice civil disobedience over the removal of a Ten Commandments monument, it was arranged in advance with the police that only a small number of people would be arrested and they would go quietly. There was a strong feeling among Ten Commandments supporters that they didn’t want to give the police officers a hard time, because the police were only doing their job and enforcing the actions of a boneheaded city council.
It’s fascinating that Mr. Graham picks that example, not only because it was a failure, but also because of the obvious contrast that has so often been drawn between Christian and Muslim protests. Christians are mocked and laughed at with impunity in this country because most Christians don’t have the backbone to stand up for their faith. Maybe the truth hurts, but I suspect there are few Christians reading this who’d disagree. On the other hand, Muslims are treated with the utmost respect here in the U.S. and across the world. Part of that’s because there is a fear that if you insult Muslims, one of them might kill you. However, even if that weren’t the case, Muslims would be treated with much more respect because they take grave offense when someone insults their religion. If Christians felt the same way, 90% of black Americans would be voting for Republicans instead of Democrats, Barack Obama wouldn’t be invited to speak at Notre Dame, and that Ten Commandments monument would be sitting in that Boise park today.
I’d also add that sometimes, regrettably, the only way to preserve “respect for authority, rules of civility, and fundamental order within society” is to give the people who are ruining those things a taste of their own medicine.
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John Hawkins is a professional blogger who runs Conservative Grapevine and Right Wing News. He also writes a weekly column for Townhall.
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107 Comments
1. Richard Cook:Hawkins, Muslims are not treated with the utmost respect they are just feared and there is a work of difference between the two. Also why do you think if Christians reacted the same way as Muslims 90% of blacks would vots as Republicans. Really? Did you just pull this out of your butt or did you realy think about it? Do some research on Christian theology before you apply finger to keyboard.
May 8, 2009 - 1:43 am 2. Richard Cook:Meant to say “world of difference…”
May 8, 2009 - 1:44 am 3. typos_R_us:Adam isn’t the sharpest blade in the drawer. The fact is that all is fair in love, war and politics. So I question applying the concept of ‘dirty’ to politics.
May 8, 2009 - 2:37 am 4. Shef Rogers:Ever civilization tries to legislate morality. All fail.
It is a precursor to the fall of a civilization when it starts passing laws that will not be obeyed. Remember Hillery got caught 3 times breaking the campaign finance laws. Nothing happened, which means nobody is serious about the law.
Laws are meaningless without enforcement. Enforcement is meaningless without punishment. The whole thing is a joke, so of course nobody is paying it the slightest bit of attention.
Don’t worry, guys. Nobody outside the wacky little world of the far right would ever worry that you’re becoming too nice. In fact, the whole notion of Karl Rove’s demographic worrying about becoming infected with creeping niceness is hilarious.
May 8, 2009 - 2:48 am 5. Ozzie:“”"” George Bush promised a “new tone” and he delivered it. He probably took more unjustified abuse, slander, and hatred without complaint than any other man in American history. “”"”
This is the root cause behind our current situation. I think bush’s behavior was either the result of being crushed by all sides, or a pampered rich kid who couldn’t be bothered. His abandonment of the defense of anything good in US politics began the collapse of the Republicans as they all dove for the cover of “bringing home the bacon” as the only defense against withering attack. Bush was a bad president, sadly. Now matters are much worse.
I’m fully behind the author’s sentiment on ratcheting up the intensity.
May 8, 2009 - 3:30 am 6. JB:Excellent piece. Power is at stake in the politically sphere, the Left has long known that and people on the right like Graham have yet to see it. Bravo Hawkins on this piece. We must fight dirty if we’ve any intention of winning.
May 8, 2009 - 3:36 am 7. Ed Wallis:Good laugh, “Shef.” But don’t forget the true slime – err, I mean “face” – of your Party, like James Carville.
May 8, 2009 - 4:00 am 8. Phil Byler:I greatly appreciate the character of John McCain and George Bush. They are classy, highly moral adults whose hearts are in serving the country. But Mr. Hawkins is correct that to defeat the vicious, deceitful childish Left, we have to get in the arena and fight hard, giving it back to them.
May 8, 2009 - 4:32 am 9. David Thomson:“First of all, thank God for Ann Coulter. I may not agree with every single thing she’s said, but I agree with 95% of it.”
It’s the 5% that worries me. Ann Coulter far too often behaves like an idiot. And pragmatically speaking—her nonsense causes a lot of grief. John McCain and George W. Bush are politically correct whack jobs. They are most assuredly examples of what not to do. Still, I’m convinced that Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, or Fred Thompson were tough enough to defeat Barack Obama. We don’t need to be nasty to succeed. Rush Limbaugh is not vicious. We should follow his leadership. He knows where to draw the line.
May 8, 2009 - 4:45 am 10. Richard Cook:Mr. Rogers can’t describe the “Far Right”.
May 8, 2009 - 4:48 am 11. Mike2:Good article Mr. Hawkins. Your last two paragraphs said it all. To this very day I can’t understand why George Bush couldn’t realize that he was the spokesman of the Republican Party and if he didn’t stand up to the Democrats who would? Bill Clinton had no such problems being the head of the Democratic Party.
One thing can be said for the nasties on the left is that they have the fire in the belly and are true believers. I think that the reason that many so-called conservative leaders don’t stand up for true conservative values is because they really don’t believe in them and so just give lip service to get elected.
May 8, 2009 - 4:55 am 12. ChuckInAustin:Where has “reaching across the aisle” gotten the GOP? Gang of 14 compromises that depressed the Republican base (resulting in lost Senate and House seats) and got fewer judges confirmed than should have been. Maybe if the Republicans had more junkyard dogs in Washington, they’d still be the majority party. Memo to the GOP: next time you regain the House and Senate, DO SOMETHING; don’t just sit on your lead.
May 8, 2009 - 5:03 am 13. Steve:Most black people do not vote on political issues the way whites do.
Blacks vote for Democrats because their hatred of white people and their sense of entitlement has a home in the Democrat Party.
May 8, 2009 - 5:11 am 14. CharleSays:Hey, Shef, thanks for cruising by and proving Mr. Hawkins’ point–and if the comservative movement were to follow his advice and take off the gloves you would be crying like a little girl.
May 8, 2009 - 5:15 am 15. BPT (Australia):Conservatives (across the world) are best when they fight like guard dogs. That’s how the GOP killed the slave movement, the Democrat’s pro-lynching laws, and so on. And, yes, that’s how they’ll win back America and overturn partial-birth abortion and pro-infanticide laws. Get in the ring.
May 8, 2009 - 5:18 am 16. Allie:John—
Love your articles. In case you care, I dissected the argument briefly here: http://truepoliticsusa.blogspot.com/2009/05/should-right-play-dirty.html. Adam has some strange misunderstandings about Saul Alinsky.
Rock on.
May 8, 2009 - 5:36 am 17. Ms. Attitude:The argument about being nice or mean is a waste of time.
May 8, 2009 - 5:42 am 18. Sam:Where do I sign up? I have thought this for years. I would go further even and advocate strict observance of the wisdom expressed in your Machiavelli quote. Democrats observe no legal constraints that do not suit them, from rampant organized voter fraud at the street level to blatant disregard of constitutionally dictated legislative procedure and process to thwart the will of the voters. Everything democrats do should viciously opposed and denounced both in the legislatures and on the streets. What the last 8 years have taught me is that there is no such thing as America, there is only power and money. The democrats never shrink from a tactic they deem advantageous to seizing back the reins, no matter how damaging they may be to national interests. Their lack of scruples has been rewarded and as we have seen already they are fully prepared to exploit the powers they have won. See the allocation of funds for the democrat voter fraud machine ACORN in the recently passed suicide pact called the ‘porkulus bill’ for example. How about a nationwide tax revolt organized and fully supported by the entire Republican party as step one. San Francisco has demonstrated the feasibility of defying federal laws on immigration and harboring illegal aliens. Following this lead Republican governors could protect state citizens from federal tax prosecutions. Step two would be to directly and explicitly challenge Obama’s legitimacy until he proves otherwise. The merits of the challenge are immaterial, what counts is establishing the reality by repetition of the assertion as fact. The Democrats exploited this tactic with regard to the motivations and execution of the Iraq war and the housing crisis to tremendous political advantage.
May 8, 2009 - 5:51 am 19. Juke:“Hawkins, Muslims are not treated with the utmost respect they are just feared…”
Right, its all those wonderful contributions to modern Western Civilizxtion they’ve given us….decapitation, homicide bombers, rioting over cartoons, murdering film makers, forced conversions, etc…
May 8, 2009 - 5:52 am 20. cedarhill:OK, the simple question is who will win in a dark alley when attacked – one that uses whatever is available up to and including a concealed gun or one that insists their attacker use the Queensberry Rules and expects not to be hit when they fall to one knee.
As John McCain would say, “My friend, we’ll getting the stuffing kicked out of us every day and gee, it really, really feels great since we’re so noble and all.”
May 8, 2009 - 6:04 am 21. mpgrunt787:There is a saying in the service that goes like this
May 8, 2009 - 6:05 am 22. sheesh:” If you ain’t cheatin’ then you ain’t trying”
13. Steve . . . “Blacks vote for Democrats because their hatred of white people and their sense of entitlement has a home in the Democrat Party.”
And white guys named Steve vote Republican because they jealous of black men’s weenuses. Wait, maybe I shuld let YOU decide why you vote. Yeah, that sounds like a better idea. Sorry, I momentarily lapsed into angry white dude mode . . . just a hangover from that tea party.
May 8, 2009 - 6:24 am 23. bill:Let’s start with Perez Hilton. Does anyone doubt that there are some pretty lurid pictures of him lurking out there? Not that he’s capable of feeling any shame, but the public will get a better idea of who he is.
May 8, 2009 - 6:27 am 24. Bilgeman:Mr. Hawkins:
“As to the perception that we’re hateful, a lot of Republicans need to get something through their heads: as long as you disagree with the Left on anything, they are going to call you hateful. They’re going to accuse you of hating black people, Hispanics, gays, women, and the poor. Then, to top it all off, they’ll say you want the sick and the old to die in the streets.”
There it is…free your mind and your @ss will follow.
#4 Shef:
“Don’t worry, guys. Nobody outside the wacky little world of the far right would ever worry that you’re becoming too nice. In fact, the whole notion of Karl Rove’s demographic worrying about becoming infected with creeping niceness is hilarious.”
Yes, very funny. Say…is that an Obama sticker on your hybrid?
Here’s your pink-slip, clear out your desk. You’re being downsized.
Ha-ha-ha!
May 8, 2009 - 6:36 am 25. Oldguy:You don’t scratch an Ox behind the ears to get his attention, you whack him with a 2by4.
May 8, 2009 - 6:47 am 26. Joe C.:Listening to the Media’s and Democrats’ advice to Republicans on how to win elections is like the Yankees listening to the Red Sox on who they should put in the line up to beat them. The Republican Party’s problem is 3 major things:
1. Not conservative enough in actions when the “compassionate conservatives” — i.e. moderate to liberal wings — took over, and basically ran the brand into electoral oblivion. Other than the tiny tax rate cuts of 2001-3 and 2 SCOTUS nominees as bones, the Bush years were an example of “moderates” leading, and look where we are today.
2. Wrong wedge issues (i.e. abortion, immigration, guns, gay marriage). Just because an issue has majority support doesn’t mean that it is a driver of electoral support. Just because most people favor a clean environment, it doesn’t translate to a Green Party tsunami. People vote their pocketbook (i.e. economy, jobs, taxes, energy) and national security, then education and health care, everything else are “tiebreakers.” Fashioning an electoral strategy on tiebreakers is party-cide.
3. Allowing the Democrats’ and Media’s anti-Republican, anti-conservative message go largely unanswered — being a “punching bag.” This was the real failure of the Bush years. Republicans are hampered by shame and conscience, which are foreign to leftists. Until the GOP stops taking a feather duster to a knife fight, and starts bloodying the battlefield with the other side, ideology won’t matter.
The Republican Party is the party of moderates, and that moderatism has been summarily rejected. Voters don’t want moderates regardless what they and the Media say. It was proven with the take over of the government by the Democrat Party and Obama. Are they a party of moderates? Hell no! They are the ultraleft. True moderates know that they don’t want other squishy moderates to lead, they need to have an identifiably clear choice.
May 8, 2009 - 7:03 am 27. ChipD:Bill Maher was right- conservatives are acting like the guy whose wife left him- they alternate between telling America how much they love her one moment, then curse her for being a whore and plotting revenge on her the next.
May 8, 2009 - 7:22 am 28. sheesh:23 bill . . . Why on earth do you care what Perez Hilton says or thinks? He’s a Hollywood freak who slammed a lying, hypocritical beauty bimbo. There are far more important things that Fox News wants you outraged about . . . mustard comes to mind.
May 8, 2009 - 7:26 am 29. Roland:Ah if only pistol duels were allowed to be brought back..heck I’d even take a sword fight. If someone disparaged you and challenged your honor you could settle it the gentlemanly way and challenge them to a duel.
These days conservatives not only will not challenge liberals they will give them a pistol and turn away and let the liberal shoot them in the back. I am frustrated by the lack of backbone exhibited by most conservatives both on the national scene and at the local level.
We have to understand that this IS a war of ideas and we cannot allow our voices to be drowned out. We must fight or our country will be changed permanently (for the worst).
May 8, 2009 - 7:58 am 30. Don:If memory serves me right, Ann Frank and six million Jews were nice too.
May 8, 2009 - 8:09 am 31. JohnK:The reason that Conservatives consistently lose is that they are willing to compromise on their principles.
And, when Conservatives compromise, they always move a bit more to the left.
But, because Liberals never compromise, there is never a move back toward the right.
So, Conservatives are always losing – a little bit at a time – with the inevitable result that they will ultimately completely dissapear.
May 8, 2009 - 8:27 am 32. Jack:Coulter has a lot in common with Perez Hilton. They do their own side more damage than good by giving ammo to their opponents. If you have great ideas and values, and you slap someone in the face while delivering them, you’ll still fail. That only gets people who already love you to giggle…it doesn’t win your argument. If Ann truly wants to push conservative ideals, she’s not going to get very far slinging insults and hyperbole. But then that points towards her being in this solely for selfish monetary reasons (which is fine, but don’t try to tell me that she really cares about the conservative movement).
And this is the problem with ‘playing dirty’. It isn’t about what you can do, it is about what works. And ratcheting up the nasty level isn’t going to draw people to you that you don’t already have. It’s kicking out the moderates all over again. The issue is that conservatives don’t have any power right now and unless they can get more support, that won’t change until the Dems screw up.
If your own ideas are so bad you can’t sell them, I guess you do have to focus on burning the competition down, but it would be nice (or, American) if we could get past all of the pettiness.
Jack
May 8, 2009 - 8:47 am 33. Don:Hum. Whatever happened to that statistical distribution called the reversion to the mean? Usually today’s flaming liberal will become tomorrow’s reactionary conservative; having babies usually does that.
May 8, 2009 - 8:56 am 34. Jack:#26 Joe C – I think you are absolutely right on the wedge issues, but that points the party needing to focus on fiscal conservativism rather than social conservatism. The social issues get folks wound up, but it doesn’t bring in the votes like money does. The problem is the past 8 years doesn’t give solid ground for making an argument of “we are better with money”. And the republicans have essentially given up the field of battle politically and are just hoping the dems fail so they may look better by comparison.
The republican party is looking for all party members to agree on every issue. They need to determine which issues are critical and work on those first. (i.e. I’d love to help you fix this economy and massive debt but I think civil unions are just fine, so no one wants me in the party).
Jack
May 8, 2009 - 9:07 am 35. iconoclast:John
I agree with nearly all of what you write. My only disagreement is to think that employing the no-holds-barred confrontation is somehow “dirty” or “nasty”. It isn’t. Political power is not gained by adhering to high school debate tactics. It is gained by destroying your opponents completely, then salting the earth above their bodies so they never grow again. The left understands this completely and has followed these tactics for decades in their relentless goal of altering the USA.
Conservatives have become the wimps; not the lefties. We need to begin to take back our institutions and return to Constitutional thinking. Reduce federal power and increase states’ sovereignty. Create our own enemies list and start personally destroying each and every one of them. Employ economic warfare against corporations that support the Left. In our personal lives, refuse to allow lefty lies to go unanswered. Assist in destroying the lives of our local lefty politicians.
We do have something worth fighting for: the individual freedom and liberty (real liberalism) that made the USA a beacon for civilization.
May 8, 2009 - 9:39 am 36. KZ:Only in a nation of weaklings and fools would such a debate even occur. Serious people will do what’s needed to win.
May 8, 2009 - 9:52 am 37. Don Rhudy:Conservatives—and all Genuine Americans, as opposed to Counterfeit Americans such as those who call themselves Democrats, Liberals, Progressives, and Socialists—need to fight dirtier. If you want to win and keep Freedom and avoid Tyranny, there ought to be no bounds to what you are willing to do.
May 8, 2009 - 9:56 am 38. AlanABQ:OK, what exactly has Coulter done to deserve the abuse from both sides she recieves? I know she’s made some remarks that are seen as insensitive, but you’d be hard pressed NOT to find sheer hatred in print from the MSM, especially since 2000. It’s really a damn shame that Coulter has the brass to do what most of the GOP “leadership” no longer has the stomach for.
As for Mr. Graham’s rebuttal, what did he suggest we do instead? I don’t remember what, if anything, he said should be done; I do believe that waiting for the left to come to their senses would be a long wait indeed. I’m not a big fan of just letting the chips fall where they may (ChipD notwithstanding; he fell intellectually a long time ago).
The reason that the left is able to propagate their folly- despite all their inaccuracies & flat-out lies – successfully is due in large part to the fact that they mobilize, and they do so regularly. It’s fair to say that the media bias helps their cause célèbres immensely, but that’s only half of the story.
I’m sure it helps in their mass mobile campaigns when the majority of them seem to be unencumbered by jobs or parental responsibility, but even if sometimes those restraints were in place, they mobilize their squeaky wheel machine nonetheless. And when that happens, they intimidate others physically and politically.
If there are those who are afraid of getting beaten down for standing up for classical liberal values, then they are essentially beaten before they walk out their doors. Fighting means getting your hands dirty, getting bloodied, sometimes losing, but always persevering. And this isn’t just some war of words, either. This is a fight for the soul & spirit of the USA.
It’s been said that “history is written by the victors”. I have an idea what & by whom I want my future generations to read about what really went on from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century. The progressive propaganda machine that we know as Hollywood, modern “academic historians” and the MSM have all been rewriting history to blur the lines between historical fact and ideological manipulation of the facts.
They should know about Guantanamo, who was detained there, and why. They should also know about FDR’s Executive Order 9066 (go ahead; look it up).
They should know that J. E. Hoover was the hardened, anti-communist head of the FBI. They should not be force-fed the hateful lies that he was a cross-dressing crypto-nazi closet homosexual.
They should know that Joeseph McCarthy was an unrelenting communist outer who was at times overzealous. They should also be asked whether he was right about the subject of his investigations or not.
They should know that MLK, Jr. was indeed a Republican, and was killed for embodying all that the Republican philosophy stood for from its inception. They should know that Malcolm X (nee Little) became a great man after breaking from Elija Muhammed, and was killed for going against the status quo.
They should know without any doubt about which political party stood in the way of nearly all civil rights efforts, created & maintained the KKK, referred to Stalin as “Uncle Joe”, and to this day support eugenic policies. (Hint: it wasn’t the Republican party)
May 8, 2009 - 10:43 am 39. J. Rockford:“Jack: Coulter has a lot in common with Perez Hilton.”
Ann Coulter has nothing in common with the scumbag Perez Hilton. Having read most of her books, I believe the secret to her success — as John Hawkins says, the single most popular conservative columnist in America — is that she is a great writer and speaker. She makes it interesting. She is effective. She makes her points by describing the facts in an interesting way combined with a large dose of humor. She makes it funny which is good because without her humor, the stories about how liberals are destroying our country and way of life would be too depressing. The humor goes right over the heads of most liberals. Her books must drive the left-wing elite absolutely insane. But all they can do is call her a liar or attack her personnally — like Jack does. They can’t argue the facts. Yes, she is well compensated for her skill, talent and efforts. And that is wrong why?
May 8, 2009 - 10:46 am 40. J. Rockford:Sheesh: “He’s a Hollywood freak who slammed a lying, hypocritical beauty bimbo”
So brave of you to disparage anonymously a young woman you don’t know. In what way did she lie? In what way was she hypocritical? How do you know she is stupid? The only part you got right is that she is beautiful.
If you are so brave, let’s hear you disparage Perez Hilton. Why is he a freak? Do you have a problem with homosexuals?
May 8, 2009 - 10:51 am 41. The Famous Mo:Wow, Hawkins…given the ridiculous number of trolls hitting this post, I’d say you’ve struck paydirt! Bravo!
For too long the GOP has allowed the Dems and the MSM to dictate to us. How stupid is it to allow your opponent to tell you what to do? Almost as stupid as allowing your opponents to infiltrate your team. Powell has lost any shred of respect he earned in the first gulf war by pissing and moaning about the direction the GOP should head, while endorsing a Democrat for President. Specter never deserved ANY respect; he is an opportunist and cares not one whit for the trust placed in him by everyone who voted for him. As far as I am concerned, switching parties in mid-term should require a special election, to see if his constituents would still support him.
D-bags like this should be allowed a say, but should NEVER be represented as a significant voice in the GOP.
May 8, 2009 - 11:00 am 42. Trainwreck:By not fighting and standing up for themselves and their party, the republicans allow their enemies to define them. When no WMD’s were found in Iraq, Bush never leveled with the American people, never explained how the intelligence was on his side, nor that most democrats were onboard with his decision to invade. Instead, he let his enemies deliver the narrative, “Bush lied, people died”. Likewise, McCain defended Obozo, saying that he would make an “excellent president” (so why bother voting for McCain?), and never allowed anyone to attack Obozo. He even threw a radio talk show supporter under the bus for using Obozo’s middle name!
Recently, in an interview with Steele, a newsman said the republican convention looked like a Nazi Rally. Steele had absolutely no backbone to object that that slanderous statement. Imagine if a newsman said an Obama event looked like a race riot…how soon before he’d be fired? This is why I have no hope that republicans can win an election. THey have lost their spine. It’s like that book entitled “crazies to the left of me, wimps to the right of me”. So here we are, stuck in the middle with nowhere to turn as America heads off a cliff.
May 8, 2009 - 11:02 am 43. JGreer:The point vs. counterpoint of Hawkins and Graham is insightful. And I believe both have valid arguments. But neither has the final solution.
Conservatives can certainly learn from the lefties, but I do not think we can, nor should choose, to emulate them. Conservatives have different values and principals and our approach should seek to maximize on those. I’ll use another sports analogy. Just as a run-based football team doesn’t set aside their game and attempt to magically morph into a west coast offense when they struggle, neither should conservatives. We don’t have the players or the practice to pull it off. It doesn’t maximize our strengths. This I agree with Graham.
However I agree with Hawkins that we need to sharpen our game. We cannot simply shrug-off the media or colleges as a lost cause. We need a strategy to operate in these hostile environments. Use the lefts’ own bile against them. Bait them with opportunities to demonstrate their thuggish roots and then be sure a camera is there to splash it all over the TV (or the internet if the media doesn’t cooperate.)
Another important aspect to the conservative come-back is highlighted in this article.
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lscott/2009/05/06/conservatives-need-to-fire-the-marketing-department/
We cannot, and should not, attempt to copy the left’s marketing campaign, but we do need an effective one of our own. We need to stop being naive about this and get down to business. Marketing doesn’t need to be negative, deceitful, or hostile. But it needs to attract eyeballs. It needs to prioritize the issues that attract the broader voting base. It needs to highlight where we trounce the lefties.
‘Nice guys finish last, but the good guys always win.’ A phrase I use a lot when coaching my team to be tough but honest managers. I think this would a good mantra to use within the conservative ranks.
May 8, 2009 - 11:44 am 44. Blackwell:This retarded debate is what happens when one side realizes the sterility of its ideas.
Neither the British nor the US became nazis to defeat Hitler. The goal is to win votes from people looking for a decent candidate, not join bar room brawls with Code Pink, shoutdowns with bearded campus leftists or shoving pies into faces.
The people mouthing “nice guys finish last” are the very people that got the GOP into this mess. They can’t think of a decent way to appeal to voters.
The GOP’s Wall Street branch wants to be left alone so it can be corrupt and make money like they did from 2004 to 2006. They don’t even like people so that’s no surprise.
The social branch stands with arms folded like spoiled babies, insisting that candidates endorse a reversal of Roe v Wade and hostility to gay marriage–and damn the other issues like defense, spending and the collapse of our schools and states under the weight of union work rules and pensions. (I am talking to you Chuck Pelto).
The Paleolithic branch insists that no conservative can ethically be interested in schools, highways, hospitals or underworked professors of queer theory on campuses with exploding college tuition–oh no–we have to sit astride history yelling “stop!”
The GOP’s dysfunctional groups neeeds to come to terms with what liberty means; it does not mean imposing your religious views on everyone else. Or selling out Main Street for Wall Street. It does not mean unquestioned support for the explosion of no knock raids across the US that are killing innocent people, undermining respect for the police and militarizing the local cops into small armies that can’t resist chances to use all that nifty gear.
Nor does good government mean allowing highways, hospitals and schools to disintegrate under the name of “limited government”. The GOP could target exploding tuition (rollbacks–spend some of that endowment, have professors teach more, shed the “studies” courses and departments to make basic college more affordable); they could end the practice of sneing every non violent parole vioaltor to prison (make ‘em work at some repellent job instead); we have kids at risk in cities and blundering foster care that need help–they are a lot more important than a gay guy getting married).
The GOP needs to become engagged again in the United States. Its leaders–as they call themselves–need to get out of D.C. and into the country. Its no accident that the two GOP presidential candidates that had the best feel for the country–Nixon and RR–were outsiders when they came to D.C. (Nixion had been gone for 8 years). The current roster of GOP candidates are the same old story: they have nothing new, and no track record of supporting the old principles that worked. No one believes any of them when they say they are against deficit spending. Not after the Bush deficits. No one believes them when they say they are against corruption: not after the Bush years.
The GOP was undone not by by republican principles, but by unprincipled republicans. It needs to stop flirting with the idea of acting like thugs and return to what worked.
May 8, 2009 - 12:07 pm 45. charm:Republicans do need to stand up for what they believe. They don’t need to do the name calling, demonization, distortion and deception that dems repeatedly engage in. They could simply respond by first bringing the audience’s attention to the manipulative Alinsky technique the dem just employed and then make their point using facts. Republicans can stop answering setup questions like, “Why don’t you want blacks to succeed?” They can steer the interview by first pointing out, then describing what the questioner is trying do, ie, demonize them so they have no credibility. They can then describe conservative policies that help all people. Contrast that with the self-serving behavior of dems who blame others when it is their own policies that keep blacks poor, uneducated and dependent on them so they can be assured of their vote. Use the DC school voucher policy as an example.
It doesn’t have to be hateful it just has to be confrontive, strong and unflinching with a dash or two of humour and ridicule.
May 8, 2009 - 1:54 pm 46. sheesh:44 Blackwell . . . You’re the smartest Republican here . . . by miles.
May 8, 2009 - 2:15 pm 47. AThinkingPerson:I think we should take full advantage of the situation Nancy Pelosi has found herself in. She blatantly lied about knowing the facts about waterboarding and NOW the CIA has called her bluff and outed her as the liar she truly is.
Congressional Ethics Investigation?
May 8, 2009 - 2:16 pm 48. Kelly:I’m not sure we’ll need to be anything but ourselves to win after what Obama has done to ruin our country.
May 8, 2009 - 3:38 pm 49. AJB:Yeah, having the balls to call people “faggots” and “ragheads.” God bless her.
May 8, 2009 - 5:16 pm 50. Kralizec:Blackwell, #44, said, “Neither the British nor the US became [N]azis to defeat Hitler.” The British and the Americans incinerated entire cities in order to defeat the Germans. True, they spared the Germans the awful train ride and the gas; they just blew them up or burned them alive in their own cities. The Allies took horrifying actions to win their war then, and I not only approve their actions, but consider them a model for the proper conduct of wars against their worst enemies now.
May 8, 2009 - 5:29 pm 51. shoey:did any of you go to a Tea Party, all the GOP has to do is be like them, happy warriors
May 8, 2009 - 5:42 pm 52. Cory:Republicans in politics are like Democrats during war. Both refuse to do what it takes to win. Both think that being nice and appeasing the enemy is the way to go. Democrats cannot properly defend our country for this reason and and Republicans will not make political progress as long as they cower in fear.
May 8, 2009 - 5:45 pm 53. shoey:the Left are the Angry warriors, we have to be the Happy warriors
May 8, 2009 - 5:47 pm 54. rk:I’d like conservatives to clean up their language. The word socialism is a pretty word that sounds interesting in this day of social networking sites
Lets call it what is really is: Clientelism. Or in other words stealing from your non-clients and giving the spoils to you clients. How about Liberalism fails because they run out of other peoples money?
Republican’s must be thoroughly familiar with Alinsky and the Social Justice movement. And with community development. Again from Wikipedia:
“Community development practitioners are involved in organizing meetings and conducting searches within a community to identify problems, identify assets, locate resources, analyze local power structures, assess human needs, and investigate other concerns that comprise the community’s character (case study).”
May 8, 2009 - 5:48 pm 55. shoey:if our sons and daughters, nephews and nieces can do it over in the Middle East, then it’s our responsiblity to do it here.
May 8, 2009 - 5:49 pm 56. The Fop:Liberals are emboldened to fight dirty because the modern day Democrat party fights dirty and sets an example for all liberals to follow. They’ve spent the past 35 years promoting a very successful propaganda campaign aimed at dividing America into two groups…..all the intelligent, enlightened, kind hearted people who supposedly embrace all the social movements of the 1960s (liberals), and all the ignorant, backwards, hateful people who supposedly want to send us back to the days of slavery, chastity belts, etc, etc (conservatives).
In order for conservatives to effectively fight back, the Republican party has to set the example. There are conservative media watchdog groups like Newsbusters and Brent Bozell’s group (I forget the name) that painstakingly monitor liberal media bias. When was the last time you heard a Republican politician quote some of these group’s statistics in a high profile speech or interview?
The Republican party out to be out there hammering away at the fact that the media/academia/entertainment industry are completely controlled by liberals who do everything in their power to bombard people’s senses with liberal messages 24/7/365. But all they ever do is make a few sarcastic remarks about the NY Times every other Chinese New Year.
I can’t think of a better example of Republican wussiness than the fact that not one prominent Republican has given a major speech pointing the finger for this economic crisis at the Community Reinvestment Act and all the Dem politicians who supported it. No, they’re too terrified of being called racists and reinforcing all the propaganda that they’ve allowed themselves to be subjected to.
The bottom line is that the American people like our two party system. And if Ann Coulter and Tom Tancredo were the Republican presidential ticket for 2012, 2016, and 2020, eventually they’d win.
From what I can see, Dick Cheney is the only guy in the whole party with any balls. That’s why liberals hate him so much. He’s not intimidated by them. We could use a whole party of Dick Cheney’s, or better yet, a whole entire country of Dick Cheney’s. You may say I’m dreamer, but I’m not the only one.
May 8, 2009 - 5:52 pm 57. shoey:what will they have risked and scarificed their lives for if not freedom, tell me that is not what Obama is really taking from us, convince me that any of them from either party really gives a rat’s ass about the future of those good young ppl.
May 8, 2009 - 5:53 pm 58. Bilgeman:#47 ATP:
“Congressional Ethics Investigation?”
In THIS Congress?
They’d make her Speaker-For-Life and Maximum Leader.
May 8, 2009 - 5:54 pm 59. Bilgeman:$44 Blackwell:
“You’re the smartest Republican here . . . by miles.”-the grodious blog-slave.
This endorsement should worry you, chum.
May 8, 2009 - 5:55 pm 60. Rachel Peepers:Adam Graham is so out of touch with the reality of politics, (ie, how Republicans should comport themselves
vis a vie Democrats) that I can’t believe we need someone to point it out.
Yet, evidently we do. Enter John Hawkins stage right.
The fact is, the party that’s being led by such a poke of incompetence so as not to even know its minions have ordered the equivalent of a bombing run on the Hudson River deserves to be hammered with every weapon in our freedom-defending arsenal.
From ridicule to tea parties, to shoe and pie throwing events to satire to insolence, to arrogance, to accusations to intimidatingly pernicious rumors to fact based roundhouse rights. Like the right to life.
In fact, this Demagogue, who came to power by arousing the emotions, passions and prejudices of the lame minded Democratic populous, has already overstayed his welcome. At least as far as Rachel is concerned.
Oblather and his freedom-phoebic followers; the prolific pukes whose linchpin of belief is the right to slaughter the unborn to the tune of 1.4 million per annum,
must be stopped like you’d stop a runaway train headed for a washed out bridge. We need to avert, in other words, national disaster.
If abortion doesn’t bother O’blather heads, then what about Late term abortion?
Cracked the crackpot-in chief, Hapless Harry Reid, when asked about abortion after a few drinks with friends at DC’s Bar Rouge: “The more the merrier”
Morally corrupt, bankrupt, slightly insane gender F Democratic party FemBots (as Imus puts it, “Nappy-haired hoes) snort like feral oinkers, “The goverment can’t tell us what to do with our bodies.”
The government can’t tell you what to do with your body? Do you really think that?
My good women, there is no sense to that statement. The government says a woman can’t desecrate her body with an abortion after the first trimester. Isn’t that telling you what you can do with your body?
Rachel Peepers feels no compunction not to tell Obeanball, (who hangs out with John Edwards at his home basketball court along with a coterie of a generic brand of Barackian socialist pustules) where to go. A short walk off a long pier is perfectly acceptable.
But these cowards aren’t here for any day of Rachel organized reconing. They’re here to stuff as much money in their pockets, and as much socialist propaganda into our collective minds as possible while they reconfigure this country till it morphs into some kind of Europfacist Puke-O-state.
But their fecalistic based agenda doesn’t stop there.
Slaughtering the unborn at a faster rate than the Nazis exterminated the Jews isn’t enough. They’ve got this first 10 amendment attack down to the littliest details.
They want to tell you who to listen to (not Rush). What you should think about yourselves (cowards). How much money you should make (not over $250,000). What your dreams should be (not the American kind). What guns you may own (nothing military style) {what the heck does that mean?} Only waster pistols?
Where your tax money should go? (Millions to earmarks and Accorn {which has been charged with stealing votes in the last Presidential election}.
Who you should consider to be likely terrorists ( heroic returning GI’s).
What kind of pals you should have (unrepetent domestic terrorists like B. Ayers and B. Dorn. preferable.)
Whether you can have everything from a tooth filled to heart bypass surgery (government rationed healthcare).
And government rationed gasoline isn’t far behind.
From drilling teeth, it’s just a short transitional phrase for socialistic-worshipping-America-blaming-Zerobamina to arrive at oil rationing, which we’re headed for like that runaway train, because Obama lied about agreeing to drill offshore.
Meaning Obama-land will be dependent on foreign oil long after the 53 or so percent of obamanuts who voted for him realize what a cataclysmic mistake they made.
I haven’t even talked about Obama’s masterplan to bankrupt the U.S. by 2016, and simultaneously admit the U.S. has fallen way behind in hi-tech weaponry. Which is when he announces huge global-concessions to China and Russia regarding influence and control.
With the Democratic Party leading us down the path of national neutering, Adam Graham missives about the wisdom of the Republican Party not going over the nasty line.
Well, buster, Rachel is drawing a line in the sand. And the Democratic party is about an inch and a half from crossing it.
People, it’s time to stand up for what you believe in. Or fall on your butts. If I need to break a nail or two to take back my country, I will. Who else out there is ready to get their hands a little dirty?
Cleaning up this Obama-mess won’t be easy. But our founding fathers’ journey was no walk in the park, either.
May 8, 2009 - 5:59 pm 61. Kralizec:John Hawkins said, “On the other hand, Muslims are treated with the utmost respect here in the U.S. and across the world. Part of that’s because there is a fear that if you insult Muslims, one of them might kill you.” It seems worth considering that, for the maintenance of this reputation and it effects, it suffices that only one of them might kill you, and that he only might do so. They ever never succeeded in killing one of the great among the Americans, but neither have they needed such a victory. They are always feared by great and small because just at times, just one of them just might kill just you.
May 8, 2009 - 6:07 pm 62. Better ideas:Going after reporters’ personal lives is an incredibly stupid idea that’s also counter-productive. The better way to do things is to show how a *specific* reporter is lying or misleading and to do it in a level-headed way. The “specific” part means that you don’t just say “NBC” is lying, you highlight the name of the specific reporter. “Level-headed” means not in the snarky blog style, but in a logical manner that will force those reading – no matter their ideology – to conclude that the reporter isn’t trustworthy.
I’ve done that with several reporters, and I do things in such a way that those who want background information on that reporter will be able to find it. If more people did that – or helped me do it – then fewer reporters would lie and mislead.
See my name’s link for more highly effective techniques.
May 8, 2009 - 6:10 pm 63. Sarah Burnett:I have decided to OUT every person who is locally charged with such things as obstructing free speech, etc. (Especially college freaks who try to shut down speakers. If they want to be obstructive, fine. Now they will become infamous for it.) Been posting their names to blogs, tweets, everything else I can think of. This way when they go to look for jobs, voila!
If the left likes scorched earth policy, fine. We can do that too.
May 8, 2009 - 6:25 pm 64. gus3:When the expectations of your conduct become a weapon of your opponent, it is time to leave those expectations behind.
May 8, 2009 - 6:50 pm 65. essucht:” Here’s your pink-slip, clear out your desk. You’re being downsized.
Ha-ha-ha!”
It is interesting that as the left has continued to exclude conservatives from the institutions of power in our nation there is one area that they are generally not in control of…as you point out most liberals in private sector are working for conservatives.
It would be an interesting response to use the Left’s tactics against them where we are strong and, how should we put it, consider the “temperament” of those SUV driving Obots we all work with. And I would say that it is only “fair” that those who voted for O-cesstion and O-flation in the end are the first to make “sacrifices” in these trying times.
May 8, 2009 - 7:32 pm 66. michael f:JOE C # 26….YOU SAID IT ALL….NOW IF THE SILENT MAJORITY WILL ACT…PLEASE
May 8, 2009 - 7:46 pm 67. Jack:#56 The Fop
“pointing the finger for this economic crisis at the Community Reinvestment Act and all the Dem politicians who supported it”
Aside from pointing out that Republicans modified this bill several times over the years (note modified, not killed), I think this kind of topic is another failed donkey wheel we keep turning. The hue and cry didn’t start until well after the bubble had burst and it implies that something that is now claimed to be the biggest blunder in economic history wasn’t solved by the Republicans in 30 years of intense concern. It either shows incompetence or that it really wasn’t a big concern for them either until it became politically valuable.
Jack
May 8, 2009 - 8:14 pm 68. Bill:“…borrowing from the playbooks of FDR, Noam Chomsky, Saul Alinsky, and even Hugo Chavez”
You left out the big one: Benito Mussolini. It’s his playbook the Big O is following.
May 8, 2009 - 8:23 pm 69. steveg:I never thought being mean or nasty like Howard Dean would win elections. I was wrong. I’m getting on up there in the years, and it would appear, I still have a lot to learn about life. Mr. Dean, who calls the GOP, “the white christian party”, in a disparaging way (BTW, Isn’t Dean a white christian). (Well, right back at you Mr. Dean). Let’s start calling Democrat’s, the homosexual, atheist party. You think that will get the MSM’s attention, and shake things up a little bit?
My biggest concern at being in the gutter with the Democrats is how the MSM will portray us. If conservatives on a college campus were to stop a liberal from speaking, or throw a pie in his/her face, it would be headline news for three days. The mainstream media is out to get us, and we will only be giving them ammunition.
Until we have a coherent voice on our political team, that will stand up to the Democrats, and their willing accomplices in the media, we will remain insignificant.
May 8, 2009 - 8:58 pm 70. litebulb:People this is not rocket science, the best way to fight the lib’s is with your DOLLARS. We need to make it clear to businesses, that we will not use their services or buy their products if they keep advertising with the haters of America (CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NY Times, Washington Post, Etc). Newspapers are going broke due to their blatant liberal bias. I stopped buying the Chicago Tribune after they endorsed the “ONE” and don’t support Hollywood liberals by going to see their movies. These folks all love making money, becoming very rich in the greatest country on earth in the process, yet they can’t stand their own country. Liberalism is a MENTAL DISORDER. Please Google “Yuri Bezmenov”, a former KGB defector, see what the KGB think of what they call these “USEFUL IDIOTS”. They are the first to be eliminated under Socialism, Marxism and Communism. Look at the auto companies (Chrysler/GM) since the “ONE” has taken over those companies, we got 2 in bankruptcy, a dozens of plant closings and lost thousands of well paying jobs or what about the $260,000.00 fly over in NY, a very nice picture that could have been Photoshop for zero. We won’t even get our bailout money back now from the new Government Motors. When it’s not your money; it’s very easy to spend it. Let your DOLLARS do your talking. Wake up America and let’s vote all these politicians out of office.
May 8, 2009 - 10:44 pm 71. terlizzi999:I do believe its beyond time for conservatives to take their gloves off..or as far as we can get away with.. I often wonder how much the left would huff and puff if conservatives would interupt seminars on left leaning campuses by left leaning useful idiots akin to what goes unpunished on nearly all capuses across the nation…my guess is they would go nutz…just saying…….
May 8, 2009 - 11:35 pm 72. Bill Clinton:I gotta hand it Graham. He is just about 95% “right” in his arguments, without a doubt.
May 9, 2009 - 12:01 am 73. bloodyspartan:NICE GUYS FINISH LAST, when They Finish!
May 9, 2009 - 12:42 am 74. Bilgeman:#69 steveg:
” Let’s start calling Democrat’s, the homosexual, atheist,[UNEMPLOYED PERSONS'], party.”
FTFY
May 9, 2009 - 12:56 am 75. tomllewis:Your article rings so true with me. I was Jim Tedisco’s Finance Chairman in the recent NY20 loss. Our team raised $1.4 million in 8 weeks, much of it raised from out of the District. The most frequent comment/complaint I heard was from Republicans complaining about how Tedisco’s campaign ads were too negative. And many of these were from people who were volunteering their time and writing me checks.
It soon became quite apparent to me that Republicans hated it when the Republican ran negative ads, while Democrats were quite pleased with the much more negative ads being run by the Democrats. Dems were quite comfortable saying: go get those evil Republicans and rip them into little shreds, while Republicans were just appalled that we would stoop so low as to use the same tactics.
But here’s the really hard part: a large number of Republicans (call then RINO’s) actually DIDN’T VOTE FOR TEDISCO, because of the ads. And again … this is from some people who had actually donated money because they didn’t want the Dem to win. Go Figure!
Now there are other quite distinct reasons why Tedisco lost, but that doesn’t take away from the above observation.
May 9, 2009 - 2:06 am 76. dirk:We’re coming for you crazy libs. 2010 ain’t gonna be pretty.
May 9, 2009 - 4:16 am 77. syn:When the serfs living in Big Brother’s slave-plantation reach the point of utter misery, the serfs away turn to Conservatives to free them from their suffering.
The problem has always been that the serfs never seem to understand what brought them to their knees begging their slave-master for goodies only to end up empty handed; serfs never seem to realize that the slave-master promises to spread the wealth just to get elected then once in power will keep the wealth for themselves.
Serfs are always angry at Conservatives because we never bow to the slave-masters running the plantation and the serfs resent this individual streak until the point serfdom suffering become so pronounce the serfs beg Conservatives to come to the rescue.
May 9, 2009 - 4:26 am 78. mrunpc:TO SHEESH:
Do yourself a favor Commielib. Shut off SNL, where you obviously get ALL of your “news” and parrot lines, get up off your fat a** and call your local kindergarten. Then ask them if they have room in their US History and economics class.
Next, google “The 45 Stated Communist Goals” and read the list and ask yourself just which United Stated political party it represents.
Lastly, take a long hard look in the mirror (if you can stand it) and ask yourself just WHO and WHAT it is you’re looking at!
May 9, 2009 - 5:04 am 79. moonbat monitor:John, you’re right. I’ve had enough of the milquetoast conservatives that would rather have their asses kicked than take the gloves off and fight. It’s a dog-eat-dog type of fight, and in the end, no one cares about a noble loser. And the winner gets to make the rules. We conservatives need someone like a Jon Stewart on in primetime. Or a character assassin like Olbermann. We also need to make waves in the MSM, as bad as it sounds. All I know is this – playing by the rules got us nothing but a lying sack of shit like Pelosi for SOH, and a president that has never even ran a hotdog stand. But at least he has the balls to strike back when he’s attacked, unlike our previous Republican in office. Conservatives need to quit being p*****s. Stop standing by idly with your thumbs up you a**es while 30 little college-aged snots shout down someone invited to speak on a campus. Start fighting back for god’s sake!
May 9, 2009 - 5:07 am 80. don L:The weapon that conservatives have in their arsenal, that liberals are completely unfamilar with is…ta ta! “The Truth.” They need not (and should not) fight dirty, but fight they should; boldly, creatively, incessantly, and like wise serpents, learn to deliver the truth effectively for a change – knowing it does little good where the game is about influencing the great unlearned masses of lemmings.
May 9, 2009 - 5:15 am 81. young dempsey:I think Sheesh was one of Clinton’s black ops guys—you know, the ones who asked women how their cats were doing and whatnot.
May 9, 2009 - 6:10 am 82. Dan.:My wife and I are constantly annoyed that the Republican leadership in the house, senate, state level, or out-of-office rarely seem to answer Pelosi or Reid commentary that’s blatantly erroneous, wrong, deceitful, or just a plain-faced lie. And rarely do we see the Republican Leadership be the FIRST to speak out on a topic — when we see them they’re normally RESPONDING to others’ comments.
We don’t see Leadership in the Republican leadership.
And that goes back to at least the Watergate hearings and the Church commission.
May 9, 2009 - 6:25 am 83. Larry:The one thing I like most about this site is that the Lefties never disappoint me. Their nastiness and stupidities are boundless.
May 9, 2009 - 7:25 am 84. G Alston:#69 — Let’s start calling Democrat’s, the homosexual, atheist party. You think that will get the MSM’s attention, and shake things up a little bit?
It will mark conservatives forevermore as homophobic bible thumpers looking for targets to spew hatred at.
May 9, 2009 - 7:44 am 85. Bilgeman:#75 tomlewis:
“But here’s the really hard part: a large number of Republicans (call then RINO’s) actually DIDN’T VOTE FOR TEDISCO, because of the ads. And again … this is from some people who had actually donated money because they didn’t want the Dem to win. Go Figure!”
Well…there’s a “moderate” for ya. Figures that he or she can write a check, and then sit on their @ss, because they’ve “bought” the election.
Did you assign these non-voting donors in your district to the “SmackTard Donor” rolls?
They could conceivably come in very handy.
I don’t know your boy’s history within his district, and I frankly want no part of Noo Yawk state politics, but running against the Dem machine there and doing as well as you apparently did is nothing to be ashamed of.
May 9, 2009 - 7:54 am 86. Bilgeman:#82 Dan:
“My wife and I are constantly annoyed that the Republican leadership in the house, senate, state level, or out-of-office rarely seem to answer Pelosi or Reid commentary that’s blatantly erroneous, wrong, deceitful, or just a plain-faced lie.”
I would like to think that this is the “Give ‘em enough rope and they’ll hang themselves” strategery.
It should work fine, as long as we can hold our breath for 3 heartbeats longer than they can.
May 9, 2009 - 7:57 am 87. steveg:#70 litebulb….I have been doing what you suggested for years, more need to follow suit. We need to bring down the MSM a peg or two, by all means.
This weeks Times magazine has on their cover, an elephant, and in headlines “The GOP, an endangered species?”. Isn’t it is nice they took a week off from putting their Left-wing ‘Messiah’ on the cover.
Left-wing rags are a dime a dozen, and if we all do our part, we can put half of them out of business.
May 9, 2009 - 8:18 am 88. sheesh:#69 steveg . . . ” Let’s start calling Democrat’s, the homosexual, atheist,[UNEMPLOYED PERSONS'], party.”
Start? So, do you think more Democrats or Republicans are unemployed? (Careful!)
And the Republicans . . . the angry old uneducated white guy party. Odd thing, that’s pretty much how you present yourself these days. Why you choose to do that is a mystery (everywhere except Kentucky). Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fine strategy, and I think it would have worked lat time if it hadn’t failed, so you got that going for you.
Just organize a couple more Tea Parties and maybe a Gun Toter Marches on Washington, have Eric Canter sponsor a bill to make Ruby Ridge a national park. that oughta do it . . . permanent conservative exile. Come on, you can do it if you all pull together as a team.
May 9, 2009 - 8:39 am 89. steveg:#67 Jack…I agree with your statement, but you have to admit, if the GOP had attempted to put an end to the CRA while in power, the Dems, and their willing accomplices in the ‘Bohemian Cult Triangle’ would have destroyed them, and called them every nasty name in the liberal lexicon.
I can still remember someone associated with the Bush administration suggesting that taxpayer subsidizes PBS was too biased, and we needed to balance out the programming. This was dismissed entirely, shortly after the uproar from the media. The GOP is fearful of the MSM, and have been so for a long time.
May 9, 2009 - 9:01 am 90. typos_R_us:Not sure it really matters how anybody plays.
May 9, 2009 - 9:12 am 91. steveg:Republicans got tossed out because they had their hands on the wheel and their feet on the pedals when the economy ran into the ditch. THAT is why the voters decided somebody else might be a better choice to get the economy back on the road. If the Socialists can do that, then they will remain in possession of the wheel and pedals. If they can,’t, they won’t.
Nothing to do with nice or nasty.
The inside the beltway crowd won’t face that fact because it would mean that they aren’t as important as they think they are. Imagine that! So the wanna-be power brokers, who couldn’t get elected dog catcher in a one dog town, try to convince themselves and others that is is some other issue, one THEY control that matters.
Nasty or Nice sounds like a media issue, since the MSM still sets the tone even if it no longer has an iron grip on what issues get air time. Peering deeply into the tea leaves, I would say that the MSM is maneuvering for a government bail out.
#88 Sheesh…How well educated are the urban Democrats living in the ghettos? (That is the Democrat party base). Will there always be enough free cheese to go around in order to assure their vote?
You remind me of the dopey, indoctrinated kids on the GE finance board. Spewing their left-wing garbage on a capitalist message board for GE stock, and they do not even own the stock. The smartest thing you can do for yourself, is get out of your parents basement, and get a job.
May 9, 2009 - 9:16 am 92. Anonymous:Conservative values and any influence over the direction of US are dead by 2010. Unless?
If we have any hope, our clarion call must be inclusive enough to gain as many of the liberal votes needed to regain a majority. With or without the GOP.
The call to arms then – maybe for the final time – must inculcate the mission and be worthy of everyone’s undivided attention; eg, of the utmost import no matter one’s political persuasion. Easy to understand, even translated to all the languages currently spoken in the US homeland. IE, it’s got to be a “Holy Sh*t, is this possible?” kind of message. For the Left, it should strike visceral fear, promising utter political annihilation. And more.
So, we need a clear mission that 99% of the immigrants (both legal and illegal) can buy into wholeheartedly. They’ll have no question about it. And, we need lots independents and libertarians and the Jewish vote, and single women and gays…and most African-Americans and many of all the other hyphenated American voters. Even some Muslims should harken to the call. What might that be?
Before we get to that, it is imperative for all the illegal immigrants to understand that our Gov’t cannot afford to pay them all. No matter who wins, They will be deported – our system will let them re-enter legally for the promise of prosperity – the Left’s system won’t. Only private enterprise can grow to fullfill their dreams and provide the sustainability to justify their legal emmigration here. They know why they left wherever it was. A vast majority don’t want to be re-enslaved.
Our planks need to be advantageous to the largest cross-section of citizens:
Plank – 90 days after taking power, a flat/fair tax, not to exceed 18% will be implemented (GOP has about 18 mos. to get it written)
Plank – energy independence…drilling will begin everywhere, RFPs will be issued for refinery construction, tax credits will be avialed for truckers converting LNG, a multi-billion competition will enacted for the purchase of 100 low-cost 10MW SMART nuclear power plants (500 more follow-on). Sales to US allies allowed. Etc. Funds diverted from other alternative energy projects.
Plank – revamp, recruit, re-equip defense.
Plank – close the borders to illegal entry – 6 months to lockdown.
Plank – 50,000 laws must be repealed, for every new law passed. (they’ve got more than a million to start with) – “simplification” as their primary job, rather than creating an ever larger legal burden on everybody to the exclusive benefit of their cronies / contributors, and the legal profession. And, as the lawmakers maintain: Ignorance of those 60,000 laws newly-enacted in 2008, or any of the millions of others already booked, is NO EXCUSE.
Plank – end frivolous lawsuits with a loser pays system (I know, we forego 99.99999% of the lawyers’ votes)
Plank – reinstate Enhanced Interrogation Techniques?
Obviously, more/other Planks will be needed.
The primary fight, it seems to me, is about the Rule of Law in the to-be-brought case of the Citizens vs. the Political Class. And clearly now, the Left (primarily, but Repubs as well) has broken our laws repeatedly. They’re habitual recidivists. And, “moderates” enable them. We need to capture the vote of everyone who still believes in the Rule of Law and is angry at our current condition, to garner the mandate necessary to fix the problem.
My slogan reads: You’re All Goin to Gitmo! Also serves as a chant, bumpersticker, poster, sign, banner, leaflet, headline…
Every elected politician that voted FOR the Stimulus Bill without reading it, broke the Law. To the loudest tune ever! Makes Bernie Madoff a beginner.
Their impeachment and prosecution is the only viable mission, worth undertaking. All of them in the dock, not individually. Since they’ve connived en masse, RICO applies. Televised from Cuba…what network won’t cover such? Should take years. (We don’t need to stoop to their ex post facto tactics either.) Sounds outragious, no? Well, this level of commitment would get that attention we seek, fer shure.
If this band of criminals doesn’t fear economic loss, complete destruction of their reputations and patronage networks and jail time at a minimum, we’re doomed. If all we do is unseat them from elected office, they just get to retire on our dime – lifetime pension, benefits AND protection. And, they get to run again? Jeez, where’s the fear factor therein? We’re payin’em to lie, cheat and steal from US.
This ain’t no political rivalry we’re talkin’ bout. We all must realize that if they succeed much further, our two-party system, personal liberty, free enterprise et al is gone down the memory hole. The situation becomes ever more irreversible. If the last 100 days doesn’t qualify as lawbreaking in the US, then nothing ever will. What temp does the water have to reach? Just preaching to the kulak choir; while reloading.
May 9, 2009 - 9:28 am 93. geoffgo:Conservative values and any influence over the future direction of US are dead by 2010. Unless?
If we have any hope, our clarion call must be inclusive enough to gain as many of the liberal votes needed to regain a majority. With or perhaps in spite of the GOP.
The call to arms then – maybe for the final time – must inculcate the mission and be worthy of everyone’s undivided attention; eg, of the utmost import no matter one’s political persuasion. Easy to understand, even translated to all the languages currently spoken in the US homeland. IE, it’s got to be a “It’s about time” kind of message. For the Left, it should strike visceral fear, promising utter political annihilation. And more.
So, we need a clear cut mission that 99% of the immigrants (both legal and illegal) can buy into wholeheartedly. They’ll have no question about it. And, we need lots of independents and libertarians and the Jewish vote, and single women and gays…and most African-Americans and many of all the other hyphenated American voters. Even some Muslims should harken to the call. What might that be?
Before we get to that, it is imperative for all the illegal immigrants to understand that our Gov’t cannot afford to pay them all. No matter who wins, they will be deported – our system will let them re-enter legally for the promise of prosperity – the Left’s system won’t. Only private enterprise can grow to fullfill their dreams and provide the sustainability to justify their legal emmigration here. They know why they left wherever it was, and a vast majority don’t want to be re-enslaved.
Our planks need to be advantageous to the largest cross-section of citizens: apolitical.
Plank – 90 days after taking power, a flat/fair tax, not to exceed 18% will be implemented (GOP has about 18 mos. to get it written)
Plank – energy independence…drilling will begin everywhere, RFPs will be issued for refinery construction, tax credits will be avialed for truckers converting LNG, a multi-billion competition will enacted for the purchase of 100 low-cost 10MW SMART nuclear power plants (500 more follow-on). Sales to US allies allowed. Etc. Funds diverted from other alternative energy projects.
Plank – revamp, recruit, re-equip defense.
Plank – close the borders to illegal entry – 6 months to lockdown.
Plank – 50,000 laws must be repealed, for each new law passed. (they’ve got more than a million to start with) – “simplification” as their primary job, rather than creating an ever larger legal burden on everybody to the exclusive benefit of their cronies/ contributors, and the legal profession. And, as the lawmakers maintain: Ignorance of those 60,000 laws newly-enacted in 2008, or any of the millions of others already booked, is NO EXCUSE.
Plank – end frivolous lawsuits with a loser pays system (I know, we forego 99.99999% of the lawyers’ votes)
Plank – reinstate Enhanced Interrogation Techniques? Perhaps for use at a reopened Gitmo.
Obviously, more/other Planks will be needed.
The primary fight, it seems to me, is about the Rule of Law in the to-be-brought suit of the Citizens vs. the Political Class. And clearly now, the Left (primarily, but Repubs as well) has broken our laws repeatedly. They’re habitual recidivists. And, “moderates” enable them. We need to capture the vote of everyone who still believes in the Rule of Law and is wary/angry at our current condition, in order to garner the mandate necessary to fix the problem.
My slogan reads: You’re All Goin to Gitmo! Also serves as a chant, bumpersticker, poster, sign, banner, leaflet, headline…
Every elected politician that voted FOR the Stimulus Bill without reading it, broke the Law. To the loudest tune ever! Makes Bernie I. Made. off. with. all. your. money. you. fools. look like a beginner.
Their impeachment and prosecution is the only viable mission, worth undertaking. All of them in the dock, not individually. Since they’ve connived en masse, RICO applies. Televised from Cuba…what network won’t cover such? Should take years. (We don’t need to stoop to their ex post facto tactics either.) Sounds outragious, no? Well, this level of commitment would get that attention we seek, fer shure.
If this band of criminals doesn’t fear economic loss, complete destruction of their reputations and patronage networks and jail time at a minimum, we’re doomed. If all we do is unseat them from elected office, they just get to retire on our dime – lifetime pension, benefits AND protection. And, they get to run again? Jeez, where’s the fear factor therein? We’re payin’em to lie, cheat and steal from US; $17K more this year.
This ain’t no political rivalry we’re talkin’ bout. We all must realize that if they succeed much further, our two-party system, personal liberty, free enterprise et al is gone down the memory hole. The situation becomes ever more irreversible. If the last 100 days doesn’t qualify as lawbreaking in the US, then nothing ever will. What temp does the water have to reach? Just preaching to the kulak choir; while reloading.
May 9, 2009 - 9:45 am 94. WhyamInotsurprised?:JeffGO – I like your planks with one exception.
Plank – reinstate EIT and reopen GITMO.
I think it is better to “reinstate EIT” and “Take no prisoners.” Leave them on the battlefield with one in the head!
May 9, 2009 - 10:24 am 95. Jack:#89 Steveg
Yep, there may well have been an insurmountable fight to try to kill it, but had anyone thought it important enough to make a sustained stink about, they’d have the high ground right now and it would be a slam dunk to the voter who listens to facts and not rhetoric and attacks.
But, since that sustained fight against it wasn’t there, Republicans who try to push this point now just look like they are grasping. This is why I don’t like the loose term of “fight dirty” because to too many people it means name calling and trying to get incriminating photos.
Rather, take a principled stand on something that has the facts to support you and look like the party of reason and learned judgment. Not the party of mudslinging, exclusion, and whining. After all, if you have convincing points to make, you don’t need to decide if you want to be inclusive or not…people will just agree with you.
What appears to be happening with Pelosi right now is a perfect example of what not to do. If you are against waterboarding, be against it. Don’t change your opinion as it becomes politically advantageous under the hopes that a secret document will remain secret. I have more respect for someone who takes a principled opinion I totally disagree with than I do for someone who simply agrees with me today because they want my vote. In that sense, the “exclusionary” right wing should be lauded for sticking to their guns/principles, but if they don’t have the numbers they are going to be tilting at windmills while the country goes on without them.
Simply put, pick your fights and don’t fall to the lowest common denominator because it makes you feel good in a schoolyard tussle kind of sense. Politics isn’t a game, nor should it be simply a means to a nice paycheck.
Jack
May 9, 2009 - 10:25 am 96. White Helmet:# 91
“#88 Sheesh…How well educated are the urban Democrats living in the ghettos? (That is the Democrat party base). Will there always be enough free cheese to go around in order to assure their vote?
You remind me of the dopey, indoctrinated kids on the GE finance board. Spewing their left-wing garbage on a capitalist message board for GE stock, and they do not even own the stock. The smartest thing you can do for yourself, is get out of your parents basement, and get a job.”
Boy, are you a crab today! After expelling gays, people in the ghettos, people that lost their jobs and people that don’t believe in an imaginary man (much less “god in three persons”), who else will you exclude from discussion?
You remind me of the man with the buzz cut and the key ring in the movie “Pump up The Volume.” No brain, no thought, no humanity–just a harassed underperforming man, biting at people on this site that can do more than spew bile.
Must be tough without chuck pelton to help you. Don’t worry: I am sure he’ll be along any minute with some military anecdote of interest to the buzz cut, cheap beer and towel snapping crowd.
Man I have to tell you, its tough being a republican sometimes with “allies” like you.
May 9, 2009 - 11:08 am 97. geoffgo:sorry bout the double post – no preview…argh
May 9, 2009 - 11:51 am 98. steveg:#96 White Helmet…You sound about as conservative or republican as Michael Moore. Actually, I detest anyone like the person you described me to be. I have no problem with gays or lesbians, but like many, I do have problems with militant homosexuals who attack people only because they have differing views. Does Miss California come to mind?
My view of the Democrat party is that they are not the least bit as moderate as they are being portrayed to be by the MSM. There are many in the Democrat party leadership that would implement all 10 planks of the communist manifesto if they were able. As far as I’m concerned, they have already fulfilled 5 of the 10 planks.
I was a liberal as a young man, and after 35 years of working hard, and being personally responsible, my views have changed. I am like Ronald Reagan, I did not leave the Democrat party, the Democrat party left me.
May 9, 2009 - 11:54 am 99. White Helmet:#98:
Yes Ms. Caifornia comes to mind, and with great gusto! I am not carrying a banner for the bloated, snarky Perez Hilton or his ilk. Nor for the demo party wild-eyes that think we’ve “had enough capitalism.” (I like Moore’s early movie about GM, and he is a technicalt excellent director, in the sense that Beria was good at his job too–but I despise what Moore stands for, his facile intellect and how he makes his movies (since the GM movie they’ve all been flatly dishonest). And he’s rather repellently… large too. I mean he’s gross looking. I’d hate to be nearby when his shirt pops a button…lose an eye.
But don’t be angry or bitter. Don’t exclude. And personally, sheesh’s comments make me laugh and should make you laugh too. Reminds me of the old harvard and National Lampoons when we were smoking joints and drinking cheap beer in college (if you know how far back that goes you can hardly tell me to get out of my parent’s basement can you?). People that talk or write that that are priceless. I too have worked very hard for decades, voted almost exclusively republican, and am greatly disturbed by the left’s severance from what was “loyal opposition” since the 60’s. (I told you I was over 30). But the republicans have failed badly–real badly and that party needs a lot of work. In the meantime, people like sheesh will be smart enough to see what’s happening and will help us all. Trust me. (OK well at least hear me out). That’s one reason he’s on this blog: he enjoys taunting people from time to time, and it makes me laugh when I read it, but if he didn’t believe some of this, he wouldn’t be here. He is exactly the kind of person that the republicans ought to be sweeping into the party on broad themes that few reasonable people would oppose.
May 9, 2009 - 12:39 pm 100. sheesh:96. White Helmet . . . Free cheese? I can get free cheese? Where?
May 9, 2009 - 2:39 pm 101. Jack:#98 SteveG
As you have no love for the militant gay, I have no love for the militant Christian. Both social extremes do more harm than good and make those in the middle feel creepy about the side they are just off center from.
My sincere hope is that after all of the self analysis, there becomes a loud voice for the fiscal right AND social middle in the Republican party.
Jack
May 9, 2009 - 3:52 pm 102. Flapjawman:HEY
we need to start working on the agenda:
QUIT calling us ‘Conservatives’and start using the term ‘Real American’.
Why, do you ask? Well, we need to begin our agenda by taking back definitions, thereby taking back the political battleground. Have no illusions, it will take time.
May 10, 2009 - 4:02 am 103. Flapjawman:Here is what i propose (instead of crying into my milk and rubbing my hands):
Phase 1: get more Real Americans to start teaching in Grade School
Phase 2: (dog gone return button there)
May 10, 2009 - 4:15 am 104. Oldguy:get Real Americans elected into local offices such as Judges and County Recorder.
Phase 3:
Keep Tea Parties rolling. Eventually, even the NKVD-controlled media can’t silence the people.
Phase 4:
do little things. Put small stickers up in public restrooms calling for saving America, Responsibility, the Constitution, etc. (sounds like all those Communist subversion notes all over the place? Sure does, alright)
Phase 5:
Sieze tenure professorships, and start replacing the Marxixts.
Phase 6:
Ridicule Marxism, EVERYWHERE… use tactics such as Ann Coulter did with her comeback recently (paraphrased here: she got asked on a some talk show if she would like to be waterboarded since she does not see anything wrong with it) She responded: Do you want to be aborted, since you so lovingly support abortion?
Phase 7:
Travel abroad and spread the Real American Message: We live free, we have a constitution, we enjoy economic and social mobility. (don’t think this would resonate? Try a little story to tell your European friends – How do Europeans treat waiters and waitresses? Oh, that’s right…with a touch of condencending contempt… In America we say “Sir” to a waiter or “maam”to a waitress!)
These are simple steps…so QUIT talking as START doing, folks.
I AM myself: I blog on Leftwinger sites (get censored a lot, btw), I print off little snarky posters and tape them up on campuses or elsewhere…eventually the message is going to sink in!
I don’t care what Republican is in the White house, they always fail to clean house. A Democrat would upon taking office, fire everyone above G-8 pay grade in all U.S. agencys. Have you noticed that the Demos. haven’t done a lot of replacing lately? It’s because these soft Republicans leave the status-Quo in all these agencys.
May 10, 2009 - 6:39 am 105. Tennwriter:Shoey and Charm, very good indeed.
To those who want to concentrate on a few issues. NO.
Across the Board Conservatism is where we’re going.
Geoffgo, you’ve got a lot of good points. Not enough Across the Board, but its a good start. You demonstrate that Boldness in Action makes possible Hope in Words. You sound like a Happy Warrior, and we need that.
To the RINOs who want to give up winning issues like abortion, border control, creationism, anti-global warming, defense of marriage, and all the rest of what makes possible the R’s to actually win….I have no rude words today. You’re welcome in the Party. Its a Conservative Party, and you’re welcome to bring whatever you have of conservatism to the party, and leave the rest at home.
See? Not rude at all.
May 10, 2009 - 11:16 am 106. elvis:We have an obligation to slam these people for their evil intent, their bloated arrogance, and their bigotry.Trying to remain above the fray has only kept us out of it!
May 11, 2009 - 1:31 pm 107. Ytzik:Because the Right have to forget the trendy “turn the other cheek” and go back to basics: the very jewish “an eye for an eye”. Want to be nice?
Jun 27, 2009 - 12:19 pmOk, but be nice to whom deserve it, that’s really american, no niceness for free!