So we are to compromise our Principles simply to get a "W", Doug Scamman? - Granite Grok

So we are to compromise our Principles simply to get a “W”, Doug Scamman?

In the UL today, ramifications of Walt Havenstein’s abortion equivocation on CloseUP were discussed with NH Rep Kathleen Souza saying “he’s toast” due to his pro-choice stance even as he claims he is pro-life personally; the “I was for it before I was against it” argument is not going to fly for those of us who believe that the Right To  Life IS a fundamental Principle that should trump any political win.  But then we come to Doug Scammon with whom I have had a row on this issue before and it looks like it isn’t stopping any time soon.

But a prominent New Hampshire Republican said the party lost the White House and U.S. Senate two years ago because of abortion.

The far-right Republicans don’t understand that winning is the most important part of an election,” said Doug Scamman, a former New Hampshire House speaker who called himself a pro-choice Republican. “If Republicans are going to win in the future, they’ve got to put that behind them.”

That first line is nonsense – abortion was only one of many issues that were at play and the deciding issue was not that but was the superb Democrate get out the vote ground game and his Establishment Republicans sucked at it.  They got more people out to vote and 5 million Republican voters sat on their hands.

Sidenote: and I do wonder if it was because of folks like Scammam telling other Republicans “shut up and vote for the Party regardless” that caused it?   I’m also willing to bet that if “Republican-Republicans-simply-for-the-sake-of-the-Party” like Scammon keep screaming that we have to give up on the social issues (gee, the Democrats seem to do VERY well on the social issues – how’s that fiscal frugality / limited government only mantra worked out so far, eh bucko?  Every time I look around, govt grows larger even when Rs are in charge – one major exception being under the Speakership of Bill O’Brien; DC is another case altogether) and keep shaming otherwise good Conservative folks because of their social beliefs, more will stay home simply because the Party, through people like Scammon, sends the message “We don’t want you“.

As to the second: “they’ve got to put that behind them” – right, for the sake of a political win, we are supposed to put our religious and philosophical groundings away in a closet (just like what Obama says when he talks about “freedom of worship” (and only at your house of worship)  instead of the expansive and in the public square “Freedom of expression)?  I’m sorry but that butts heads with EXACTLY what I have told him to his face:

Winning is only a precursor – what is important is what you do AFTERWARDS.  What is it that you will do after winning is what is of primary importance  – and that should be the values expressed in the Party Platform and the NH / US Constitutions.

He could (or would) only glare at me.  Gee, nice to know that believing and wishing to see those values re-instituted makes me a “far-right Republican”.  Nice to know from a guy that did the double cross and used the Democrats to gain the NH House Speakership.  Nice to know that my DUTY is to vote for people who will act and vote cross-wise to my values.

Screw that.  Hey Doug!  Remember this: if the Republican Party had done its job right, there never would have been a TEA Party that took on both Democrats AND Republicans for their failures.  You brought us upon yourself.

 

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