Alicia Preston has an Op-Ed in the UL today (“Another View — Alicia Preston: I’m finally #NowTrump because I’m #NeverHillary“) talking about why she will now vote for Donald Trump. In part, this caught my eye:
…I remembered two years ago how I tried to convince friends who were unhappy with Scott Brown as our nominee for U.S. Senate that they were wrong to support a third-party candidate or simply not vote; that the alternative was not better than Scott, and that no message is being sent, we’ll simply lose to the Democrats. (Which we did.)…
Well, if one puts winning as the only piece of the puzzle, being a Republican Republican for the sake of the Republican Party, well, she’s right and she makes the premise that if one is a Republican, only winning is important. Sorry, that doesn’t cut it because “Winning is only a precursor; what is most important is what you do afterwards” and what Alicia wants us to swallow is that anything is ok – that winning “flushes away” any Democrat-lite actions or totally ignoring the Republican platform altogether
Sidenote: Really? Ignoring that Republicans have instituted new taxes, bigger government, and Obamacare here in NH while making political speech harder here in NH, Alicia? That’s OK?
So as far as that “we’ll simply lose to the Democrats” part is concerned, it brings this back to mind:
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 under stand, 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.
They. Don’t. Care. People will work, and work hard, when they see results. Where do they see those “results” (being non-hyper media / political junkies like us)? In the media. And what do they see? Object lesson (again): Medicaid Expansion. Sure there are differences between the Dems and the Repubs – important ones, too.
Alicia, when Establishment Republicans actively contravene the principles and goal of the Republicans, why SHOULD I care about “The Party”? When they deliver results not observably different than the Democrats, why SHOULD I care about “The Party”? When I see the high appointed and elected officials and politicians refuse to listen to the base, why SHOULD I care about “The Party”? When they lie openly to my FACE about the future KNOWING they’ve already broken their word, why SHOULD I care?
Take your phrase of “friends who were unhappy with Scott Brown as our nominee for U.S. Senate” for instance – really dumb move. I remember that I posted that as his stay in the US Senate as Senator from one of the most liberal States in the Union (er, MA), his votes moved solidly from the Republican Party to supporting the Democrats. Not exactly in line with the Platform, was it? That is supposed to make me care?
During his campaigning here, he went Full Monty and tried to out-abortion Jeanne Shaheen. No, not in small ways, but huge TV ads. Not exactly in line with the Platform, was it? This was outright saying “it’s ok to murder unborn children” and voting for him would make me complicit in that evil? That is supposed to make me care?
And given his ambivalent history on the Second Amendment, how could I Trust him to vote the right way? That is supposed to make me care?
But this is supposed to be “good” for me? When the results of winning just outright suck?
No Alicia, my vote goes to someone I DON’T have to worry about. And if the Republicans want my vote, they are going to EARN it. And they do that by being Consistent, Principled, and do the things that inspire Trust.
Merely “winning” doesn’t make it – especially if it makes cringe later. Let the Party straighten itself out and police itself better and I might give its candidates a look.
But until then and for right now, I just wish there was a Constitution Party here in NH.
