I am a confirmed pessimist. I was sure that the Republicans would screw this up before November. You know something ? They may pull this off, after all. Not because they are Republicans, of course. They have just enough sense to get out of the way of a movement with little precedent in this country’s history. John Fund gets it.
In the past, more secular Tea Party types might not have showed up at a religiously-themed event like “Restoring Honor.” Similarly, many of the devoutly religious people I met at Saturday’s rally probably would in the past have shunned an explicitly political event such as Friday night’s Freedom Works meeting. But I kept bumping into the same people at both gatherings.
“I happen to be opposed to gay marriage, but our peril is so great that goes on the back burner,” Debbie Johnson of Georgia told me on Saturday. Bruce Majors, a gay real-estate agent from Washington D.C., had a different take. He told me earlier this year that he felt perfectly comfortable working with the Tea Party on bringing the size of government under control. “We’re both about freedom and we have a common short-term goal,” he said. Indeed, in Washington this past weekend the more libertarian and the more socially conservative elements of the Tea Party seemed to get along just fine.
I still think there is time to screw it up but the force of history seems to be too powerful. I posted before on John Boehner’s talk on economics that could not have been better. Many of us have thought for years that a real experiment with socialist policies might have a salutary effect on those who are vague liberals but not hard left ideologues. The problem was that it would be too dangerous to the country. Well, it happened !
I was one of the 300,000-500,000 (along with my wife) who attended Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor event.
I’ve also taken part in “Tea Party” Rallies in the past.
In the ’90’s and early ’00’s I was very active volunteering my time, skills, and efforts to my county Republican Committee, but by the mid ’00’s I was no longer active and in early ’06 I took the step of re-registering as a Democrat so as to make the ultimate statement that the GOP had betrayed me and my ideals.
The GOP had done that once before – during the presidency of George H.W. Bush. Remember “read my lips”? Remember how Bush Sr. betrayed the Kurds?
I was a Perotista back in ’92. I voted for him knowing full well that by doing so I was “taking a vote away” from Pappy Bush.
In ’96 I was a Forbes man who also wished Pat Buchanan well. In the end, though, I voted for Dole. I simply felt that Clinton was unfit to remain in office.
My point? Many (perhaps most!) thoughtful, sincere conservatives… constitutionalists… libertarians… traditionalists… hold as much – perhaps more – contempt for “establishment” Republicans – for the RNC – as we do for Democrats.
Boehner hasn’t done bad; I’ll admit that. I still don’t trust the son of a gun, but he’s done a fairly good job at keeping his caucus together and matching words to deeds.
McConnell on the other hand…
If Mitch McConnell had one ounce of decency, honor, or even true loyalty to Republican Party above self he’d pledge to step down as Republican Senate Leader after the election – come what may.
I may not agree with Jim DeMint on everything (for example, foreign policy and social policy), but DeMint is the guy who won’t promptly “negotiate away” the electoral gains of November come 2011/2012.
Heck… back to Boehner… while compared to McConnell he’s been a shining light, it sure as heck wouldn’t hurt the GOP for Boehner to voluntarily give way to someone like Paul Ryan.
Anyway… that’s my two cents worth.
BILL
Boehner has never taken an earmark. That’s a big plus. I agree on McConnell. Nobody was worse than Dole. Republicans seem to grow these people like weeds. I also think Gingrich was a disaster as Speaker. Read Bob Novak’s book, “Prince of Darkness.” Hugh Hewitt has talked to Washington insiders and is worried they don’t “get it.” I am, too.
We can only see how successfully a peaceful revolution can occur. The French thought their revolution was over in 1789 but the aristocracy would not accept it. We might be in a similar situation. I don’t see Obama accepting the people’s will willingly. Nor do I see some of his associates accepting demotion to having to get a real job.
“Boehner has never taken an earmark. That’s a big plus.”
Why?
Seriously… why?
Only half playing devil’s advocate, allow me to ask, isn’t the “earmarking” process a means of providing a useful and fairly easily understood “guide” to how one’s representative is directing federal funds?
Now don’t get me wrong, as a matter of “good politics” I’m thrilled to death that the GOP (the “lesser evil” to the Democrat Party) is largely forsaking earmarking, but as a strict “policy” issue… it’s not a biggie on my list of reforms.
As to Gingrich… yeah… agreed… Gingrich is tainted. I don’t trust him. I haven’t for some time.
Back to Boehner, though… I stand by my previous comment that Boehner would do our nation the greatest favor by announcing now that if the GOP takes back the House in November, he’ll renounce the norm of the pursuit of personal power in deference to what’s good for the nation – namely, getting someone in the Speaker’s Chair who has no taint of past RINO congresses connected to him.
Did Boehner vote for TARP? Yes. That’s all you really need to know, Doc. Boehner is tainted. So is Eric Cantor. I don’t know about you, Doc, but I judge a person on what he’s actually done, not on rhetoric.
No one is indefensible. Certainly Boehner isn’t. If he wants to earn back my trust, let him do so via showing selflessness and humility. Give Ryan or one of the other “new guns” a chance to show what they can do if given the Speakership.
BILL