where have all the conservatives gone?
(posted 6/13/08)
Where have all the conservatives gone? At least in the G.O.P.? It's a little late, now. The die is cast, the match is on, and before I inflict more clichés, the torrent of Campaign 2008 has now begun.
So, the stage is set and the actors have been chosen. Barring unforeseen surprises at the Democratic National Convention, the field of three Democrats has been reduced to two -- B. Hussein Obama and John McCain. My friends and I commiserate over fragrant cigars and good Russian vodka over the fate of the once-mighty Republican Party, and we just shake our heads in utter disgust. I wonder what is left to say that hasn't been said already? We, who came of political age in that interim wilderness time of 1976 to 1980, when America foundered in the malaise of the Carter years, watched as our champion poised for the timeliest of entrances. A Hollywood screenwriter could not have prepared a more poignant script for the arrival of that one man who would almost single-handedly rescue this nation from the folly of wanton liberalism and small dreams.
I often endure sentimental pieces in Slate, Harpers, and other mainstreamed pieces of the political Left -- those pieces where self-styled grizzled veterans of the liberal establishment media recount their imagined participation in the 'heady' days of Haight-Ashbury and Woodstock. Some look back wistfully at the storming of the 1968 Democratic Party Convention in Chicago, or their drummed-up "invaluable" front-line service in the anti-war effort. Well, I suppose I do the same, phase forwarded say ten to fifteen years. I remember a revolution of our own, a revolution where one Ronald Wilson Reagan helped ordinary Americans remember the awesome greatness and exceptionalism of our favored land. He was the complete embodiment of the famous phrase from a former president’s inaugural speech, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Books can be and have been penned on the mighty accomplishments of President Reagan's eight years in office. I often describe those years as a Divinely-granted respite from the inexorable decay of a Great Republic. To what ends did President Reagan lead us? To name a few: destruction of the Brezhnev Doctrine with the eventual collapse of the Communist Empire, restoration of a robust economy, reduced taxes, reduced regulation, reinvestment and strengthening of the Free-World's arsenal of democracy, restoration of pride in our country, and sheer optimism... I won't belabor the point further. His policy initiatives were relatively few and not overly complex. Essentially, he understood that the greatness of America, a greatness that set it apart from all other peoples of the world, was the peoples' innate love and understanding of liberty. Government, albeit a necessary evil, was to be kept as small and defanged as possible, so that the productivity of a special people could once again be unleashed on the world's stage. It was no more difficult than that. Malaise? Carter wallowed in it, and blamed Americans for it. Reagan refused to even acknowledge the meaning of it. Therefore, to those within our own party who admonish unabashed defenders of the Reagan legacy like me with calls for moving beyond Reagan, you need to find another party.
I often feel ashamed when I reflect upon the optimism and love for the American people that Ronald Reagan possessed in spades. Even in the early stages of his long battle with Alzheimer's disease, he reminded us with a warm smile that our best days still lay ahead of us, not behind. I try to share the Gipper's optimism for our country, but it gets harder to do. Would he recognize today the political vehicle, the Republican Party, that vaulted him to the Oval Office? I don't think he would.
The President of Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus, totally understands this concept. He alone among world leaders has had the courage to call the man-made global warming hysteria for what it is: a world-wide Marxist effort to subdue private enterprise and curtail individual liberty. This kind of political courage should also come from our Republican leadership -- but sadly, we've become the party of accommodation and cowardly "me-too" pandering. President Reagan instinctively knew to steer clear of muddled, feel-good approaches that, not only were baseless, but were designed essentially to harm America. These are examples of what we expect from the rabid Left -- not the Republican Party. No, we don't expect you to be the reincarnation of Ronaldus Magnus. We do, though, expect sincerity when you claim to assume his mantle. All we are asking is that you hold true to those guiding principles you know in your heart he would follow. If you err, for goodness sake do so on the side of liberty.
Foundational, conservative American ideals work everywhere and every time they are tried. When the Iron Curtain fell from Europe, it didn't take the formerly enslaved Eastern European nations long to rediscover what America knew all along. Reduced government, lower taxes, and increased freedom equal prosperity and progress. When we mimic the rhetoric and policies of the party of socialism -- yes, I'm talking about the Democratic Party -- we are no better. In fact, we become worse because we supposedly KNOW better. We need a new champion to remind our people that their future is not bright because of what the federal government can do for them, but what they can do for themselves if government will get out of the way. Democrat Lite -- a third less socialist than our regular Democrat -- is not the way to inspire legions of Reagan Republicans and Democrats who once tasted the advancement of liberty in our own country.
Where, you may ask, is my indictment of B. Hussein Obama? Don't worry. I have a special place reserved for him in future Raptor Republic files. Just when I thought there was no way possible to be any more disingenuous or liberal/socialist/Marxist than John F. Kerry or Algore, it happened. B. Hussein Obama is sincere about one thing, though. He means what he says about "Change." Do Americans know what his idea of "change" is? Do they even care? If they care, are the spawn of government-controlled public schools able to comprehend the enormity of his idea of change? These are salient questions, no doubt. Incorrect answers to these questions could very well spell doom to the Great Republic as we know it. This is not sensationalized, polarized hyperbole, this is fact.
So, Senator McCain, like legions of Ronald Reagan conservatives -- Republican and Democrat -- I too will vote for you. I will hold the proverbial nose and touch the screen on the section with the 'R' on it. I won't like it. Your "maverick" reputation in the Senate all these years has not overly impressed me. Your idea of being a maverick has been to betray conservative ideals and cave to Democrat dogma, often for political expediency. Still, you've given some lip service and assurances that you will pursue at least a portion of a conservative agenda. Be true to your word. We, the millions of disheartened real Republicans are watching every move you make. We're counting on you to be that finger in the dike that prevents the deluge of socialism into our government and societal mainstream.
As for you, B. Hussein Obama, your ideological baggage could fill the Library of Congress plus the Smithsonian, or should I say, the ash heap of history. Your foreign policy and national defense naïveté is startling, even for a Democrat. Your domestic policy prescriptions are enough to make Vladimir Ilyich Lenin himself blush. And, don't even get me started on you and your wife's attitude toward the American experience. That's right. Mrs. B. Hussein Obama is fair game just like you. If she is on the campaign trail on your behalf, then she too becomes a legitimate target for political discussion and criticism. So, you can stop with the feigned, aggrieved whining. We're not impressed with your pathetic efforts at alpha-male posturing… Wait a minute, I promised to deal with you later. Oh, don't worry, I'll be back.
