Posted by
Randy Starner on Saturday, November 08, 2008 12:00:00 AM
Conservatives have taken huge lumps this week. Ironically, the losers were actually moderates that can't command a conservative base. They can't convince a rudderless center. Apparently, their right-wing friends are scaring off liberals that would vote for them otherwise. Its time for re-organization.
Article 1: Every member of the McCain-Palin campaign that refuses to repudiate the gossip and gossips that are attempting to smear Sarah Palin post McCain's collosal defeat is presumed guilty until they take a side. Rick Davis' tepid response on FoxNews yesterday is not sufficient. McCain's silence is indication that he doesn't understand his own culpability. Karl Rove's protoge Steve Schmidt is quiet. Lindsey Graham hasn't weighed in. These people are losers. They want to protect their own career and credibility by ducking responsibility for running such a horrible campaign. Sarah Palin was the only bright spot in a campaign that lacked charisma, conviction, and compelling message. The rejected messenger was John McCain. Sarah Palin has a future, but, that future would not likely include the sniveling weasels spouting the malicious and petty gossip from the back (or front) bench. And it shouldn't. Let's get this battle over with. Tell us who's side you are on. Don't trust anyone that's silent again.
Article 2: Quick, name Republican Presidential losers since 1976. Gerald Ford, George HW Bush, Bob Dole, and John McCain. Notice any similarities? They were all somewhere between disagreement and disinterest when it came to advocating sound tax and spend policy. "VooDoo Economics", "Whip Inflation Now", "The Bush Tax Cuts disproportionately favor the Wealthy". Ring a bell? I'm more concerned with the second commonalitiy. Bush 1 ruined the career of Dan Quayle. Dole ruined the career of Jack Kemp. These people pacified us by picking true conservative running mates. They were incapable of defending these valiant warriors because they never understood, let alone believed in the ideology of private enterprise and other conservative agenda issues. Those that ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Liberals and Republican moderates would like nothing better than to pin the responsibility for the debacle known as the 2008 Republican Campaign on Ms. Palin. We cannot let it happen.
Article 3: The target year is 2010, not 2012. It is immediately incumbent on conservative leaders to define a consensus platform to rally Americans in the tradition of the Contract with America. The infrastructure for this campaign is available via the Newt Gingrich led American Solutions organization. Many are suggesting Newt Gingrich for 2012. No problem with that, but, personally, I don't think that is his best potential contribution. Next to the election of Ronald Reagan, the conservative sweep in 1994 via the Contract with America was the most important political event in modern conservative history. House Republicans governed more effectively during the Clinton years than they did during the Bush (GW) years. Go Figure. This is my humble attempt at a bold strategy to earn again the votes of a right leaning nation.
Gingrich needs to convince key leaders to unite under the banner of American Solutions. He should promise not to run for President, as an enticement to bring them together. These leaders would work together to build a bold agenda for 2010. This agenda would include major policy shifts in Energy, Taxes/Economics, Foreign/Military, Social Concerns, and more. The agenda should not compromise any person's conviction, but the goal should be policy choices that would garner solid popular majority support, if the American People could listen to a fair debate. Does anyone disagree that there is a consensus conservative policy prescription available in every one of these issues, if only it were advocated and articulated by someone that understood and believed? The dangers are over-reaching and lack of conviction. Once the new agenda is unwrapped, American Solutions would provide a Speaker's Bureau" of sorts to campaign for this agenda in House races across the country.
Who are the key leaders? Sarah Palin should be front and center on Energy. Mike Huckabee should be at the forefront on Social Issues. Mitt Romney provides credibility and a compelling defense of free market policy. Tommy Franks would be an amazing team member. Rudy Guiliani is a great asset in the area of crime policy and judicial issues. Let Bobby Jindal campaign for major reforms of government operations. Paul Ryan won a district in Wisconsin with 64% of the vote that was carried handily by Obama. He must be a part of our new leadership campaign. Any of these persons (and others) could choose to join the fray to replace Obama in 2012, but not before November of 2010.
We must not be hijacked by policies that will never be implimented, be it immigration, abortion, flat tax, fair tax, etc. There are many great people and ideas to be considered by leaders of various sub-movements. But, they must be effective in convincing far more Americans of the worth of their ideas before they should be granted planks in a national platform. This new platform must emphasize deliverables. If elected in a majority, those elected must deliver. Wouldn't that be something?