Monday, March 09, 2015

WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION?!?!

I have to tell ya, enduring two solid months of proverbial pants-wetting of conservatives/tea partiers/WIBERTY! types makes me want to quit following politics altogether. And if parent company Salem Communications, the outfit which runs the station where I host a primarily political talk show, wants to establish an all-sports station then I'd jump ship in a heartbeat.

Ah, but who am I kidding? It wouldn't be but a few days of abstaining from politics before I'd start sounding like Michael Corleone in The Godfather: Part III  --- "Just when I thought I was out....they pull me back in."

Yes, Congressional Republicans have stumbled out of the gate. Whether it was the reelection of John Boehner as House Speaker (not a huge deal, in my mind), flubbing a pro-life legislation (something that should be a proverbial layup for the GOP) or the caving on DHS funding which was supposed to include a provision to thwart President Obama's executive amnesty, there hasn't been a lot of positives to point to if you're a Republican. But to demand once again that Boehner be removed as Speaker is an utter waste of energy. At this stage in the game it a) won't work and b) will only serve to provide irreversible damage to the GOP in 2016. Good luck maintaining a Congressional majority (to say nothing of winning the presidency) if that happens. 

Townhall's Kurt Schlichter has a message for those on the right who are ready to pack it in. 

No, the fight’s not over. So stop whining that you can’t go back to sitting on your rear end – we have a long campaign ahead. I know you’re tired. I know you’re frustrated. And I don’t care.

Some people want to throw in the towel just as we are approaching the knockout. News flash: Our opponents punch back. Time to take the hit and drive on.

We’re winning, only we haven’t won yet. So pick up your (figurative) weapons and follow me. The fight’s up ahead, and we’re going to keep moving to the sound of the guns.

Writer Brian Cates has the right idea. Jolted into action by Andrew Breitbart, as so many of us were, he watched conservatives win in 2010 and things marginally improve. Then 2012 moved us backwards. Then 2014 moved us forward again as we retook Congress. Then, last week, he watched Team Boehner and McConnell roll over on immigration funding after utterly botching their strategy in a manner that would make the French Army proud.

So, like all of us, he had reached a decision point. His options: Give up or fight on. In a brilliant series of tweets, collected here, he chose to fight on. (Hat Tip: Glenn Reynolds)

Yeah, the GOP stinks. Yeah, there is a contingent within the GOP that prioritizes its own power and position over conservatism. Well, welcome to human nature – a certain percentage of human beings simply suck. You can cry about it like Nancy Pelosi at a Bibi speech or you can man-up and deal.

The only viable strategy is this – complete the seizure of the GOP’s infrastructure, turn it completely conservative, and then go and defeat the liberals. And that’s hard. And that won’t happen overnight. And we’re going to be disappointed – probably a lot. But the alternative is to cede the country to the liberal fascists who want to force us to live in carbon-free huts, steal our sacred Constitutional rights, and peer into our bedrooms lest we commit felony cisnormativism.

I’m not willing to let that happen. What about you?

Mr. Schlichter made reference to the 2010 midterms where the GOP seized the U.S. House and put a significant dent in the Dems' large majority if the Senate. Undeniably, the new "Tea Party" movement was instrumental in helping the GOP have a great election night in '10. But I remember expressing concern that, in particular, the Tea Party movement (comprised of a good number of newbies to political activism) would feel a sense of accomplishment, a finality if you will because so many conservatives were elected. But the fact of the matter is the fight was merely beginning and that it would take sustained effort to make significant changes. That includes making sure your representatives constantly hear from you if you're disaffected. Oh and by the way, when I say "hear from you," it goes far beyond spouting utter nonsense B.S. on social media.

Schlichter, a military vet, wrapped up his piece in grand style.

I don’t want to hear about how hard this fight is. I don’t want to hear how sad you are. I want to hear how you went out and replaced that time-serving hack on your local GOP central committee.

Stop whining. Our country is at stake. This is going to be hard. Too bad. Now ruck up and move out.

Sir, yes sir!

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