“Go Along to Get Along” Republicans
There is a serious condition that has taken hold of the Republican Party and has nested itself and spread out from the National party apparatus and affected State Parties, candidates and voters.
The condition is called “Go Along to Get Along” and in order for this Party to survive, it must be defeated. This condition does not discriminate, it affects men and woman of any age, Moderates and Conservatives. Some of the affects are the need to be liked, to play nice and to know your role.
Leadership qualities are deeply affected, causing a lack of judgment, resulting in poor votes. Here in New Jersey, we have seen it way to often in to many people. The NJ GOP “leadership” years as the majority in the State Senate is a good example, where we saw capitulation and compromise that have yielded little help to New Jersey citizens.
The Senate Majority Leader became the Senate Minority Leader and the losses piled up. Losing breeds more losing, and incompetent leaders create incompetent followers. The idea that shaking hands, reaching across the aisle, (all to often to enable bad legislation proposed by Democrats), and kissing ass is the way to act, has led us to where we are today.
Compromising with Democrats on something that is really bad, and making it just a little bad, is not leadership and certainly not a reason to slap yourself on the back in self-congratulations. Lack of adherence to Conservative principles, losing the will to fight at all costs so one can be IN the game, rather then WIN the game, is unacceptable and that is the culture that needs to be changed.
While some others are whining about Conservatives having to much Attitude!, what we actually need is MORE Attitude!, not less. We need to take a stand on SOMETHING and fight it all the way through till the end.
Michelle Malkin understands exactly what I am talking about when she says:
Since when did it become the Republican Party’s top priority to “get things done”? History has shown us that “Get Things Done” is mindless liberal code for passing ineffective legislation and expanding government for government’s sake.
“Reaching across the political aisle” and “putting politics aside” always entail selling out the right and putting conservative principles aside. How about preventing the damage done by Democratic meddlers trying to get their “things done”? How about getting more things undone?
Doesn’t this exactly sound like what we have heard from New Jersey moderates lately or have read on lesser obscure supposedly “Republican” blogs that preach unity, coming together and the bigger tent theory in trying to “Save Jersey”, to “Just Go Along to Get Along“?
You can’t “Save Jersey” if you don’t believe in something or stand up for something and more importantly stand AGAINST something. And yes, I know it’s true that these types of people all of a sudden find some guts when they rail against Conservatives to complain how “mean” and close-minded we are. We have read it all, from the now-defunct moderate Red Jersey Bill Baroni fan-club blog, to the new Sophomoric equally stale version.
So, what do you say “Save Jersians”, ready to show some Attitude! and join with us?
Michael: Your piece is spot on. Congradulations on such a powerful post.
The fundamental issue that requires a political response today is the economy and financial crisis. The Democrats have been running unopposed on that issue, and that is why they won such a major victory in November. At the national level, Bush and McCain were worse than RINOs on this issue. They defended and advanced the Democratic position. And it is no different on the state level.
I am aware of no Republican leader anywhere in America who is saying what you quote from Michelle Malkin’s article. They all concede at the outset the argument that the government must “do something,” and the implicit premise that this crisis is somehow a failure of capitalism and the free market. Without challenging those premises, of course the Democratic calls for more regulation are going to carry the day.
RINOs that parrot the Democratic agenda ensure Democratic victories. Appeasement does not work.
We need to defend capitalism. We need to articulate free market solutions to a government created problem. That is the only way Republicans will ever regain a majority.
If our national leaders can do no better than blame the financial crisis on corporate greed and incompetence, we will continue to lose national elections, and deservedly so. The same holds for NJ politicians who are unable to explain to the public that high property taxes and sales taxes are driven by gigantic state budgets on social welfare spending.
Unity in today’s world means surrender to the Democrats. Only when we can articulate a defense of laissez faire capitalism will we get change we can believe in.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:47 amIn a 1975 speech, then former Governor Reagan said, “Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?… A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers.”
At one time, everyone knew Republicans were the party of limited government, more personal freedom, traditional family values, a strong military, upholding the Constitution and the rule of law. As long as republicans keep compromising and/or pandering, voters will remain apathetic and cynical about the so-called “two party system.”
January 28th, 2009 at 11:30 amWell said Di Marco. The fundamental difference of limited government vs. government controls is a winning issue for Republicans, if they would simply go back to those roots.
As long as the Republicans agree with the Democrats on the principle of extending the scope of government power, the growth of government will continue unabated.
Right now, the Democrats are winning by default because there is no effective (or even actual) opposition.
When two sides agree on fundamental principles, the more consistent one will always win. The Democrats are more consistent in their demands for increased government power than are Republicans. Under those terms of debate, the Democrats will always win in the long run.
January 28th, 2009 at 11:41 amOne other thing….our government was not set up to “get things done”. The separation of power between the various branches and levels of government was put in place for the purpose of impeding government. As Mr. Mazlish has stated on multiple occassions, when one turns to the government for help, then that government will have control over their lives.
I think all Republicans should ask themselves why did they join the Republican Party? (I hope their answer is not so they could get elected). Then they should take a lesson from someone that was not a Republican, nor an American for that matter:
“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
January 28th, 2009 at 12:17 pm- Winston Churchill, HarrowSchool, 29 October 1941.
From Malkin’s column at Townhall.com (http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2009/01/28/gop_time_to_get_things_undone), I love her twist on Barry Goldwater when she states:
“Obstructionism in the name of fiscal sanity is no vice. Panicked profligacy in the name of blind bipartisanship is no virtue.”
Our Republicans in the House showed that they understood that message yesterday. Let’s hope that the Senate will develop a backbone and also vote NO across the board.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:14 amDi Marco:
Voting no is the best thing the Republicans can do.
With certain exceptions, I think they should use the fillibuster sparingly. Any compromises reached in order to break a fillibuster will lead to the Republicans getting blamed as this crisis continues. If t he Republicans play no role and continue to offer positive alternatives, the Democrats alone will be judged by their continued failures.
Of course, we will need good leadership on the Right. FDR failed over and over again, yet the Left still bashes us over the head with the guy whose policies he continued, Herbert Hoover.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:39 amgood site, good work, thanks!!!
September 14th, 2009 at 7:12 amGreat site, thanks
September 19th, 2009 at 11:53 amvery nice site!!!
October 10th, 2009 at 10:23 pm