Can it happen here in NH? NY-23. Part 1
Filed under "Rebuilding the GOP".
Before his inauguration, Obama famously said that "we are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America"; his very liberal crowd erupted in cheers. Few conservatives (or moderates, for that matter) heard that at the time; if they did, it was passed off as mere campaign rhetoric. Since the inauguration, Obama has shown that his words have meanings - he told us what he was going to do, and then has set to do exactly that with great speed, force, and intimidation. He is in the process of taking over the capitalist system: national ownership of the top tiers of our banking system via the TARP funds, outright or effective ownership ownership of the domestic car manufacturing, has nationalized the college loan industry (and is making a play to take over the online education system), and others. The energy and healthcare industries are in play right now and it is not sure that our traditional form of government or economy will survive - the relationship of the Government to its fiscal/economic entities and its citizens is INDEED in the process of a radical transformation. From an email I received a little while ago (H/T: Jane):
Heard this morning on Glenn Beck radio show...here are the approximate percentages cited by Michele Bachmann...
- Government currently runs 30% of the private sector
- With health care, that will be 48%
- With cap and trade, that will bump it up to 56%
When the government manages 56% of the GDP that is not a capitalist society for sure.
And then this summer, the outrage became manifest and the TEA Parties kicked in. One can't even say that these were grassroots driven at first - many were started by formerly "politically apathetic" folks that said "I'm angry as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" - and refused to take it as they did see their country being radically transformed without their consent - and certainly without input.
Is anyone on the Right surprised that there has been an almost instantaneous uprising of sentiment of anger? While much of it has been towards the Socialist leaning Democrats (Obama, chiefly among them but joined by much of the very Left leaning Democrat leadership), the Republican Party and its leadership has also taken it on the chin for its "dereliction of duty". What the GOP has seemed yet to figure out that the TEA Party participants, although Republican leaning and in many cases, involving leadership at the local levels (but whom have DELIBERATELY cast off their "Republican" hats while working within the TEA Party organizing movement), is also in the target crosshairs for devolving from long held principles over the last few year.
The very public ire is whipping both parties for what is seen as an abandonment of cherished traditions, cherished philosophies, and either an outright ignoring or an orchestrated attack on previously cherished Constitutional limitations of power. We are a free people - or have been. Will it continue?
It is only lately that the Republicans are starting to find "religion" and going back to their roots - sometimes during that walk back having to traverse a gauntlet of brand spanking new activists excoriating them during their "perp walk".
So, with that LLLOOONNNGGG windup - where am I going with this? Well, as I have said on the show and written here on the 'Grok, Obama and his ilk have compressed the political air in the political equivalent of a diesel engine cylinder and the high temperature from that pressue has sparked (i.e., the TEA Parties and a renewed vigor of the Republican Party.
We now have a race that encompasses all of that energy in a single Congressional district in NY - #23. The question will be - who will be the winner? The Liberal Democrat willing to assist Obama? Will it be the VERY Liberal Republican (who is to the left of the Democrat) who has been annointed by the local GOP and DC based GOP leadership and who has announced support for pretty much the Democrat agenda? Or will it be a staunch Republican, who has been forced out of the Republican party and now running with the Constitution Party?
The GOP and the NH GOP) has to ask itself:
- is it willing to simply get an R elected (even as there is much discussion that she may switch parties once elected) that will vote AGAINST the Party on many issues) rather than a solid conservative that would support the Platform?
- Are they willing to risk losing by winning by continuing this push this polarization by going against the national sentiment by financially supporting this Liberal Republican?
In other words - is the GOP starting to push another Arlen Spector over the line simply to lose while winning? Heck, what political force is going to win there - and can this same scenario be repeated here in NH?
My thoughts are that there is a tremendous battle going on between the GOP Leadership and the grassroots; the former from both within NY and from DC, and the latter being the conservatives on the ground. This has now been seen, and other grassroots activists from around the nation now just starting build support for the locals via that disruptive tool called the Internet - built by engineers, as it turns out, in an effort of keeping communications alive during a time of war (how apropo!). Why do I bring engineers into this?
Present NH Republican Chair, former Gov Sununu, an MIT trained engineer, once remarked on our radio show that he wished all of the newly elected folk here in NH would be conservative engineers as conservatives knew the right philosophy to employ and engineers were taught how to fix things right. So, what's he going to do here in NH? What are the lessons to be learned by watching NY-23 from the confines of NH? And are the national Republican entities (NRSC and the NRCC for the Senate and Congress respectively) going to continue to "distort the local marketplace" like Obama's socialist / centralized Government is trying to do?
More in another post, as this has gone way long (and I haven't even mentioned the protagonists!). That said - this battle, writ small, could be a proxy for the heart, and the near future direction of the Party. We've had our little taste of this in the US Senate race when a candidate can't or refused to answer a simple question (here) and another one answered it (here, with a couple more candidates to come).
What's at stake here:
- Are the Party Platforms and philosophies worth the paper they are written on?
- Will the Party pander to the donors (often, the "country clubbers") or the workers?
- Will the Party be willing to alienate the millions of newly awakened activists who could have been willing allies?
Is the Party still willing to make the bet, after the horrible results overall in the last few elections, that they can elongate the Republican tent on the Liberal /moderate end and still not watch huge numbers of Conservatives will not exit from the Right side of that same tent?
Or are they making a play for the Moderates in the Middle and simply ignore the TEA Party types who aren't in the Middle? The former mere vote - when they do actually vote. The latter have shown a willingness to get off their butts and DO stuff - is the Party willing to reject that to win a few elections here and there?
And if so, what will be the larger win - or loss?
I will say one thing right now - the 'Grok will continue on its path of supporting conservatives (or those who may not be conservatives but who are willing to support a conservative philosophy the majority of the time, especially on the Big Ticket Items). And we will hold them to account.
Account. Accountability. Words that politicians hate. Good for us, though!
Good for ALL of us...
