Moving Forward, Part I

Last night, I vented. Tonight, I offer a plan to move conservatism forward. I’ve been up and down the blogosphere today and I’ve seen alot of posts using the term first principles. That’s a good place to start but I’ll attempt to put some meat on that framework.

1. We can’t move forward until ‘We The Activists’ tell RINO’s that we’re fine with a big tentbut we won’t tolerate their compromising away the most important issues of the conservative movement, specifically judges, national security, taxes, fiscal sanity and reform.

When John McCain and John Warner ‘negotiated’ (gave away is more accurate) away the hammer of the Constitutional Option with Robert Byrd’s band of liberals, they essentially told those of us who’ve fought the good fight for originalist judges that we weren’t important. McCain’s main considerations were the media’s adoration. Of course, he officially said that senatorial comity was the reason. Instead of victory, McCain ‘delivered’ a single day’s positive press from the Fossilized Media. Big deal.

Unlike showboats like McCain and Graham, we don’t live for the media’s adoration. We’d rather do what’s right than compromise our core principles. By contrast, McCain and Graham treat true conservatism like it’s the plague. Certainly, they’re free to make that choice. That said, it’s our choice to end McCain’s and Graham’s careers before they ruin the GOP further. Their actions sent the message that they weren’t interested in a famous Reaganism, that “It’s amazing what can be accomplished if we don’t care who gets the credit.” These showboats’ actions said that it was every man for themselves.

McCain threw the Constitution under the proverbial bus when he pushed BCRA through. That’s unforgiveable and unpardonable by itself. It got worse when he put together the Gang of 14. Again, he said that the Constitution didn’t mean what it said. (Keep that in mind when McCain announces his presidential bid. Does anyone think that he’d nominate true conservatives like Alito and Roberts? Don’t bet on it.) Instead, McCain’s actions essentially said that the minority party had the right to do the unconstitutional.

Another RINO that needs to ‘get religion’ immediately is Chuck Hagel. He’s acted like the Democrats’ foreign policy pronouncements were words from God’s mouth. By voting with them on the Phase II Intelligence report’s headlines, he gave the Democrats all the ammo they needed in terms of political cover. The headlines, you’ll recall, said one thing; the key findings another thing entirely.

2. It’s vital that we regain a sense of teamwork based on a coherent, appealing vision of where America needs to go next. An important part of that means a House and Senate leadership team that are unabashed conservatives who will fight for the things that made our movement the dominant force in American politics. Another important part to the leadership puzzle must be installing people who can clearly communicate why we believe what we believe. It isn’t good enough to say “I’m for this” or “I’m against that.” If someone vying for a Senate or House leadership position can’t clearly answer the why questions that the media will throw at them, then they aren’t leadership material.

One person that I’d strongly recommend for a leadership position is Michele Bachmann. She’s a great communicator and she’s unapologetically conservative. She also has the rare gift of answering questions on point, not in some roundabout, evasive way. That’s why she’s got such a strong connection with voters.

3. We need to pick some fights on the most important issues of the day.

The first fight I’d pick is on national security. I’m hearing that the Democrats are thinking of ways of gutting the Patriot Act. It’s important that President Bush knows that ‘We the Activists’ will fight with him if the Pelosi puppets attempt to gut the Patriot Act. It’s important that conservatives everywhere bone up on who’s behind the gutting of this crucial anti-terrorism tool. It’s time that we exposed CAIR’s and like-minded terrorist-supporting groups’ agendas. Most conservatives know what CAIR and UFPJ, the Tides Center and other far left groups are about. When that debate starts, conservatives everywhere must get the facts out to everyone.

That means calling into radio talk shows. That means writing letters to the editor. That means telling friends and co-workers what CAIR and other subversive groups don’t want the public to know. That means using every means possible, not just the blogosphere, to get the information out.

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Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

7 Responses to “Moving Forward, Part I”

  1. Let Freedom Ring » Blog Archive » Moving Forward, Part I Says:

    [...] Cross-posted at California Conservative Categories: The Constitution, Midterm Elections, Presidential Elections, National Security, SCOTUS, House of Representatives, Intel, Conservatism, Media Bias | [...]

  2. Brown Sludge » It Was A Win For Conservatives Too Says:

    [...] Currently, Gary is pretty P.O’d that things worked out the way they did on Tuesday. I can by this post  tell he’s harboring more than a little resentment that things shook out they way they did. [...]

  3. Carlos Says:

    Moving forward, huh? Well, with the results of the elections in, it’s just like you to buck the trends.

    I’m old enough I may or may not see the disaster on the way. Unfortunately, my children and grandchildren will suffer the results of insipid stupidity brought on by voters’ inability to distinguish between ivory tower blathering and harsh reality.

    We as a nation (and especially as conservatives) got what we deserved with GW, and we get what we as a nation deserve now.

  4. propensity Says:

    now that the dems control the senate, isn’t a good thing that the gang of 14 preserved the filibuster?

  5. BillyJoeJimBob Says:

    I kept telling you guys that none of the things you kept harping on was more important than the failure of the party to uphold conservative values (small govt, fiscal responsibility, integrity, etc) but you kept telling me i was full of it. Now that the R’s have lost, ooooh, look how many people are aping these same points and saying ‘we didn’t lose because of iraq, we lost because we didn’t live up to our core values’. maybe next time you’ll pay attention when teacher smacks your knuckles.

    Hey Carlos, nice way to speak to the electorate. Hope they pick up on your disdain and make the R’s job even harder next time. Maybe by then the R’s will deserve a win.

  6. Carlos Says:

    BJJB,

    My dear old drunk Hungarian uncle used to say that 99% of the people are stupid and 99% of the rest act that way.

    Now, I don’t quite see it that way, but to stay home to punish the R’s for having lost their core values and to have become greedy and in some cases immoral jerks just doesn’t make sense to me, ’cause the donkeys have the same problems (although I’m not sure what their core values are).

    Maybe a groundswell starting now, telling both parties we’re “mad as hell and ain’t gonna take it no more” is what is needed, that if they vote for defeat in Iraq/Iran/Syria, if they vote for defeat to Vicente and the lawbreaking illegals streaming into our country, if they vote for defeat of our economy by raising taxes, we will, as the most significant voting bloc in the nation, fill the ballots with people who will draw us back from the precipace of ignominy, and get us headed back to the greatness our Founding Fathers couldn’t even imagine.

    If a movement like that started, I would close my business and go to work full-time for it because, as I see it, it’s the only way we will reverse course. Shore ’nuff ain’t gonna be “let’s reason together” (read: I’m willin’ to give up what principles I have to make you happy) GW! The guy has turned on those who got him in the WH to begin with, and with the future at stake, that kind of compromise just don’t cut it.

  7. Belle Says:

    It is really difficult for me to watch the dismantling of this country by “its sons and daughters,” who have more money than commonsense! But….I am not giving up! I am doing my little bit by bringing to the attention of my friends and family, any articles/commentaries that I find with cogent ideas for preserving the country.

    I most likely will never give another cent to anything or any person calling itself or him/herself a “politician.” I will give to “leaders,” if the gene pool of those has not been bred out.

    I am proposing that political positions once again become part time, and those involved in it, find gainful employment the other part of the time (less time to make mischief while doing “the people’s business, and more than likely more time spent really doing things for the people)! Any politician making $50,000 per year (above their stated salaries) while engaged in “the people’s business,” should be investigated by a credible outside source (if one can be found).

    There…the beginning of a platform for reform, and I am not even charging for it!

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