Let’s Rebuild the Right Way
Last night, Twitter went crazy when Joe Cao voted at the last minute for Pelosicare. People were outraged at his betrayal. I wasn’t one of them. I remembered that he’d voted against Cap and Tax and that he’s from an ultraliberal district. His district is as liberal as Pelosi’s district. It isn’t a matter of settling for a Dede Scozzafava in a red district. It’s a matter of settling for someone who’ll vote for John Boehner as Speaker in January, 2011.
Powerline’s John Hinderaker reminds us that it’s better to build the Republican Party by recruiting conservatives to be the core of the GOP rather than thinking about building a third party in this post:
In the meantime, let’s leave it with this: we were often critical of President George W. Bush. When he left office, I gave him a B- grade overall. But President Bush would have vetoed Pelosicare. This is the stark difference between our political parties: the Democrats are hell-bent on dismantling free enterprise and advancing government power over every aspect of our lives; the Republicans are not. Conservatives cannot afford to be neutral or indifferent as between the parties, nor can they afford the narcissism of third-party vanity campaigns. Conservatives must work every day to strengthen the Republican Party–it’s the only hope we have. And, yes, strengthening the party will sometimes mean drawing the line at a Dede Scozzafava. But purity is not our object here; victory is.
That’s the type of clear thinking that we need heading into 2010 and especially into 2012. There’s a far bigger adversary that needs fighting:
Obama and congressional Democrats could frustrate the emerging coalition by changing course, seeking a “reset” in relations with Republicans, and agreeing to bipartisan (and far less costly) deals on health care and other domestic policies. But they’re too stubbornly ideological for that. They’ve decided voters in Virginia and New Jersey were sending no message at all.
Instead, their response is: If you don’t like what we’re offering, we’ll give you more of it. Far more Americans oppose Obamacare than support it. Yet Democratic representative Gerald Connolly of Virginia said he “concluded” from last week’s election that “we’ve got to pass health care…[and] give Democrats something to be excited about.” It’s “a matter of tangibles being delivered,” said Democratic representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois.
Obama and congressional Democrats must be the GOP’s targets in 2010, NOT Joe Cao. If all we do is rid the GOP of Joe Cao, then 2011 still starts with Speaker Pelosi getting elected to another 2 year term as Speaker. NO THANKS!!!
Democrats are putting themselves in the public’s crosshairs with their irresponsible spending, this destructive Pelosicare bill and the job-killing Cap-And-Tax bill. Democorats have painted big red bullseyes on their chests. Contrary to conventional wisdom, though, those bullseyes aren’t just painted on the Blue Dog Democrats’ chests.
It’s my belief that a surprising number of hyperpartisan liberal Democrats will be unemployed a year from now, too. It’s my opinion because this year’s legislation, pushed through by Pelosi and Obama, is a crystallizing moment in American politics. People are appalled with the irresponsible priorities and spending that they’ve seen this year.
It’s my belief that 2010 will bring worse news for Democrats. That’s got to be our focus. That’s my belief because the focus will shift to the bad economy ant that the Democrats’ policies have made a bad economy worse. It’s one thing to be in charge of a sinking ship. It’s another thing to be seen as the captain who’s sinking the ship.
Let’s rally, people, to defeat Democrats, not Republicans. Do we really want to take the chance that we aren’t the majority party because we defeated Cao? If you want to defeat him, wait until we’ve got a sizable majority, not when we’re bordering on statistical irrelevance.
John’s idea of rebuilding the GOP with conservatives is a time-tested approach. As Fred Barnes points out, that’s what happened in 1978-80. It worked great once. Let’s follow that blueprint again. If we do, we’ll have plenty of reasons to sing Happy Days Are Here Again.
Technorati Tags: GOP, Rebuild The Party, Conservatism, Federalism, Joseph Cao, Majority Party, Election 2010
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
November 9th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
The GOP needs a national strategy, and while non-cooperation at all times and obstructionism some of the time is necessary, it won’t win in 2010 and 2012. We’ve got to stand for something and the current field of leading contenders are clueless. Who’s going to lead us? Romney? Palin? Pawlenty?
Winning back 20 seats in the House and 10 seats in the Senate will stop the Obama plan cold, but it won’t be enough momentum in and of itself. The GOP needs a complete makeover.
Let’s start with 2012 and work backward, using 2004 and 2008 as a model. All Obama had to do to win the 2008 election was to win every state Kerry won in 2004 and add either:
1. Florida
2. Ohio
3. North Carolina + 1 other state
4. Virginia + 1 other state
5. Colorado, New Mexico, and Iowa
Obama had the lead in New Mexico and Iowa from goal line to goal line, so Obama only had to win Colorado. Everything else (including all the other states, Indiana, Nevada, and almost Missouri was gravy).
From a prospective view, had McCain retained Ohio and won either Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania, it would have been difficult for Obama to win. In retrospect, he would have won anyway but other factors came into play.
The South used to be the Republican key to victory. Now the Midwest is the Demon Rat key to victory. Republicans MUST retake at least one major Midwest state in order to beat Obama. They must also take back either Colorado or Iowa.
In Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina, voter turnout by whites in favor of the GOP will ensure victory. The same demographic will negate the hispanic vote in Colorado and New Mexico. Republicans also have to worry about losing Missouri and Montana.
Now move back to 2010. To plant the seeds of victory for 2012, the GOP has to focus on these key states. Even if they don’t win House or Senate races, they have to make a good showing.
Healthcare, cap and trade, and the economy may be a big albatross around the neck of the Demon Rats in 2010, but the economy might show signs of life by then (due, of course, to none of their policies). Obamacare (even if passed tomorrow) won’t be effective until 2013 so people won’t know the mistake they’ve made until well after the 2012 election.
Obama will be a two-termer unless we find a heroic figure of equal communicative stature, even if Obama sucks as president. Most of all, we must win the hearts and minds of independent, white, middle-class voters in the Midwest. And we must RETAIN their votes into the future.
Illinois is beyond reach. Michigan is tough. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are the only hopes the GOP has. This pretty much means that Pawlenty must be on the ticket in 2012 either at the top or VP. Romney couldn’t sway Michigan before so it’s doubtful he’ll swing it in 2012. Who have we got from Pennsylvania? Nobody.
Palin is a darling. I love her. But she CANNOT WIN and she must not try. She can be a pivotal player in winning these Midwestern votes, but she doesn’t have the chops to be president. If I had a year and a half to school her in economics, the military, health care, the environment, and foreign policy… maybe. She doesn’t seem to be a quick study.
Huckabee is a great guy, but he doesn’t have the right stuff either. Jindal is dead on arrival. Crist is a turncoat.
There’s a fantastic Congressman - can’t remember his name. He’s young and vibrant, but needs some years of seasoning.
I’m afraid we’re stuck with My Hero, Zero for quite some time. On a positive note, when he’s done screwing things up, the American people will say, “We’ll never make THAT mistake again.”