This “imaginary” (cough, cough) is from a post I wrote a while ago and its theme is “You have made them not to care” – that when confronted with an ugly truth, some Establishment Republicans refused to face reality. I repost it for a reason:
Consistency also comes with listening. There is a large problem confronting the NH GOP – formerly dedicated Republicans, giving of their interest, time, and treasure, are just throwing in the towel. They are dropping out and tuning out. They no longer believe their efforts are worth it when these ‘individual contributors” look up at elected leaders and go “So, what’s the difference between the Parties? So, what difference am *I* making”? And for each question, one answer suffices for both: “er, not much”. So, they quit.
Yet, some in the Party can’t understand, grok it, and then act upon it. I tried to explain this to a female Republican of some note a bit ago:
Me: there are Republicans out there they are no longer voting nor donating to the Party. They’ve quit.
She: Well, why ARE they doing that?? Don’t they realize that this will allow Democrats to be elected?
Me: They no longer care
She: WHY don’t they care? Don’t they understand what this means for implemented policy, they are allowing Democrats to win??
Me: They realize that. They don’t care anymore.
She: They HAVE to care – Democrats will win if they just stay home. Don’t they realize that?
Me: You’re not listening to me, and haven’t been for a while. You have made them not care. Why SHOULD they care when Republicans do things at cross-purposes to what they say they stand for? Why should they support candidates that, in the end, don’t support their beliefs? When they don’t see their beliefs being advanced?
She: But Democrats will win?!?!?!
Me: Now you’re making me not care much. Whether you like it or not, whether you want to admit it or not (and I think you are at the point where you don’t want to SEE what they are saying), these people exist. They are dropping out, and you can’t seem face reality even when I put it in your face.
The long and short of it, you Republicans “of note”, the Establishment Republicans (or as I now say “Republican Republicans for the sake of the Party”), aren’t listening. They make it sound like they do, but they aren’t. How to tell? The voting data says the truth – these people have left. Stayed home. Sat on their hands. Kept their wallets shut. You may say what you want, but what the evidence says contradicts you. They are telling YOU their answer to your question of “where else will you go” – and now you aren’t listening to that answer either. Too bad.
You’ve told lots of folks: do it our way or go away. So, they’ve done what you’ve told them and have gone away. And now you don’t believe it. I’m telling you where they are going, and they are all telling you where to go, too.
But now they have come back, and boy, are they pissed! And now we know where they are going – supporting Trump, supporting Cruz, supporting Fiorina…those Presidential candidates perceived as being NOT-you. They have joined forces with someone that really doesn’t like any of you because they hope he will be the complete anti-Establishment. Not that this would be all that hard to do, all Trump will have to do is keep his word. That’s all – just do what he promises. And if he does, well, that will be far more than what a lot of Establishment Republicans have done for a long, long time. You had your chance, but you brought them upon yourselves by taking them for granted.
They are now paying you back. Congrats. After all, you actually had to earn this opprobrium.
I’ll be honest, there is a bit of fun in what I wrote. Let me be even more honest – I’d rather not have to be writing “you have made them not to care” – but only you elected officials and politicians can change that. Keeping your word would be a good start.
