Take Kathleen Parker, Please! And anyone else who agrees with her....While her name is not familiar yet, get used to her, she was just named Republican of the Year by the OLM. In a Column entitled "Giving Up on God" that appeared in the Washington Post, Parker wrote:
As Republicans sort out the reasons for their defeat, they likely will overlook or dismiss the gorilla in the pulpit.
Three little letters, great big problem: G-O-D.
I'm bathing in holy water as I type.
To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ails the erstwhile conservative party and will continue to afflict and marginalize its constituents if reckoning doesn't soon cometh.
Simply put: Armband religion is killing the Republican Party. And, the truth -- as long as we're setting ourselves free -- is that if one were to eavesdrop on private conversations among the party intelligentsia, one would hear precisely that.
The choir has become absurdly off-key, and many Republicans know it.
But they need those votes!
So it has been for the Grand Old Party since the 1980s or so, as it has become increasingly beholden to an element that used to be relegated to wooden crates on street corners.
Short break as writer ties blindfold and smokes her last cigarette.
Which is to say, the GOP has surrendered its high ground to its lowest brows. In the process, the party has alienated its non-base constituents, including other people of faith (those who prefer a more private approach to worship), as well as secularists and conservative-leaning Democrats who otherwise might be tempted to cross the aisle.
There seems to be an increase in the use of labels in Politics. Where there used to be Republicans and Democrats, there are now Libertarians, Constitutionalists, Conservatives, Moderate Republicans, Neo-Conservatives, Moderate Democrats, Liberals and Socialists. Let's not forget the Independent-Right leaning or the Independent-Left Leaning. People have not changed, just the labels have. Take me, for instance, I didn't find out that I was a Conservative until college. I knew I was a Republican, I didn't know you needed to add the Conservative part. To me Conservative-Republican sounded redundant. Oh How I miss Reagan.
While I was ready another blog the other day, I came across a link to Yourmorals.org, a fascinating site where you can "Test your Morals" and find out just how you compare to other Republicans and Democrats on some major issues. Turns out I'm even more Conservative than I thought, I'm pretty sure I'm now officially a Right-Wing Nut Job on the scale. To be honest I kind of sensed that about myself anyway. I've always recognized Ann Coulter's Genius.
I must admit I've also got a Political Crush on Jonah Goldberg as of late as well. His book "Liberal Fascism" is a must read for anyone who wants confirmation of your fears about the "New Thought Police" first identified by Tammy Bruce. Goldberg made the good list this week again, with his very public response to Kathleen Parker, by saying, "Quit it. Kathleen"in his column at the National Review
I don't know what's more grating, the quasi-bigotry that has you calling religious Christians low brows, gorillas and oogedy-boogedy types or the bravery-on-the-cheap as you salute -- in that winsome way -- your own courage for saying what (according to you) needs to be said. Please stop bragging about how courageous you are for weathering a storm of nasty email you invite on yourself by dancing to a liberal tune. You aren't special for getting nasty email, from the right or the left. You aren't a martyr smoking your last cigarette. You're just another columnist, talented and charming to be sure, but just another columnist. You are not Joan of the Op-Ed Page. Perhaps the typical Washington Post reader (or editor) doesn't understand that. But you should, and most conservatives familiar with these issues can see through what you're doing.
Take That, Ms. Parker.
Online columns are not the only place these internal 'bitch slaps' are being exchanged. As Alexander Burns is reporting over at Politco, the Republican 'thinkers' at the National Review Insitute traded barbs including "Liberal" and "Cancer". You can guess which faction each represents.
Over at the RNC, the battle for the Chairmanship has begun between Michael Steele and Katon Dawson who have 'officially' announced their candidacy. Other names are still being thrown around including Duncan Hunter a darling among many conservatives. Let me tell you what I like about Michael Steele, a legitimate conservative voice, he's witty, photogenic, comfortable giving National interviews and already has his own Website promoting his effort. Since the Chairman's job is basically to market the GOP to the public, it's important that person know how to get a message out in the "new media" as well as the OLM. On the issues and the strategy, Steele seems to get it.
Steele wrote "Listen.Adapt.Be Positive" in the Wall Street Journal....
Republicans once said that the opportunities this nation has to offer rest not in government but rather in the hands of individuals. Over the past decade or so, however, we Republicans lost our way. The disparity between our rhetoric and our action grew until our credibility snapped. It wasn't the fault of our ideals. It was the failure of our leadership..
Over time, our principles morphed into baser motives. Continued political dominance grew more important to those who led us than the noble vision most of us originally signed on for. And to maintain power we turned to the controls of government -- we became the party of big government. We behaved like Democrats
Steele goes on to say that we need to talk more about what we stand for and less about what we oppose. I tend to agree with him. Having said that, those that no longer Stand for the Platform and Principles of the Republican Party can go. We don't need to become more liberal in order to win elections. We've always won when we stood by our Conservative ideals rather than abandoned them. Obama didn't win by running as the most Liberal Senator in Congress in the national election as he did in the Primaries. In the National election he made promises of "Tax Cuts for 95%" of Americans, even though he has Never previously supported a Tax Cut in his very short career, Americans liked the way it sounded. Hint: It sounded Conservative.
It's not just the RINO's that are crying for more "moderation", the Liberals also think the Repbulican's should move left.Mort Kondrake is just the latest member of the OLM to give advice to Republicans. He suggests that the Republicans need to stop letting Conservative Talk Show hosts set our Agenda, as though they have been up unto this point. Clearly Mort doesn't tune in to Rush or Sean very often. Forgetting the ridiculousness of the premise...Why would any Republican want advice from a Liberal? Are we supposed to believe that Kondrake really has our party's best interest at heart. Never, Never Trust a Liberal. In fact I think we should do the opposite of what Kondrake is suggesting, it's time for the GOP to make a Hard Right.
It's time we separated the Wheat from the Chafe. For those "moderates" that want us to move to the center...take a look at the results from Nov 4th, How did that work out for you? John McCain was the perfect "moderate republican" candidate, always willing to "Reach across the Aisle" to work with the Democrats. I think it was Margaret Thatcher who said "if you stand in the middle of the Road, you get hit by a Car." We've been hit twice now, it's time to get out of the Middle of the Road and back on the side of Conservatism.
