Jim Geraghty suggests that the RNC and the NRCC should ask Dede Scozzafava for their money back.
This goes well beyond any reasonable difference on policy. There’s room in the party for pro-choice Republicans and pro-gay-marriage Republicans and maybe even the odd pro-card-check Republican.
She also supports the stimulus, and has ties to ACORN, and is reportedly wishy-washy on Obamacare. Geraghty continues,
But not this kind of arrogance, this kind of clumsy dishonesty, this kind of reckless hostility to a reporter and a publication that need not be an enemy.
Well, arrogance, clumsy dishonesty and reckless hostility don’t help, but weren’t there ample policy reasons not to support her long before then? How are Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe working out for us? The tent was big enough for Arlen Specter until he MovedOn(tm). John McCain launched a massive attack on free speech and on our borders and was rewarded with the presidential nomination.
Just how much room is there in the GOP tent? At what point do you say, you’ve gone too far, you’re not one of us?
The GOP website does a good job of listing accomplishments – most of which would be quite a surprise to the rank and file Democrats who are absolutely convinced that their party is the racially progressive party and the GOP are Klansmen sans sheets. And their “What We Believe” page is a nice summary – a bit dumbed down, to be sure, but good enough for a quick introductory read. But I had to dig pretty deep to find the party platform. And to be honest, as I read it, it seemed clear to me that many Republican public servants haven’t read it recently either – especially that “reforming government” section.
If every Republican went home to his district and aggressively preached on the ideals of the party platform, and explained to voters how these ideals, when implemented, would cause tangible improvements in their lives, the country would look very different today.
For example, imagine a town hall where a Republican spoke the truth about global warming and had a Q and A session to explain how cap and tax is going to make the cost of living incredibly high and do real damage to people’s lifestyles.
Imagine a town hall where a Republican spoke the truth about welfare reform and entitlements. Imagine if he took the time to explain how hurtful they are, how far more black children lived in poverty before the welfore reforms (and will again, now that Obama has essentially struck them down) and how there is No. Such. Thing. as “free government money.”
I don’t just mean engage with people in this way when campaigning. I mean at least once a month, fly home and more or less have a seminar expounding on some conservative ideal. Debate some liberal idiot college professor, have an event of some sort where the goal is to educate the populace, not pander to them. Be creative and verbally aggressive enough to get some media attention for this; say at least one thing that is anti-politically correct but will resonate with common sense, rank and file voters. Treat voters like adults, not children who need to be bought off with a shiny new toy every election season.
The trouble is, while there seems to be enough room in the tent for anyone who will swear fealty to the GOP and help it regain power, regardless of what they will do when they finally get in office. And there seems to be increasingly less room from people like me, who actually do believe that the history of the GOP is worth defending, and that the ideals, AS STATED, not as practiced, make it a worthwhile party.
Is it too much to ask that the people we let into the GOP tent actually stand on the party platform?
