I was at a meeting this afternoon…and let me add this - Granite Grok

I was at a meeting this afternoon…and let me add this

Stop

SHOT: but what about all the bad stuff we stopped? Doesn’t that mean anything to the “base”?

CHASER: Of course it does – but don’t tout your horn over it over and over.

Why?  We EXPECT that to be done – it should go almost without question. If those bad things were outside of the Platform or Constitutional bounds, it should be an automatic “You shall not pass” (H/T: Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail). It is a measure of quality against your Standard.  We know what that is – both are easily found.  We expect that you know them, that they guide you, and such elected politicians, when you swear your oath to defend it or campaign under that banner that they would be uppermost in your mind when contemplating whether to sign or veto.

We also look at it as a “tell” – it is one thing to have huge majorities of the other party in charge; in that case, sure, we’ll listen a little bit hard, nod our heads a bit more vertically, and perhaps give you a sympathetic eye. But it is expected still the same. Mention it, move on. If you don’t, it’s an insta-message that the stuff you said yes to is rather thin compared to expectations.

Sure, you say, that’s a no win situation.  Yup, agreed.  But remember this: YOU put yourself into that seat knowing the issues and know us.  As that Knight in the Holy Grail says: Choose wisely.

But when your party holds the majority, you don’t get a pass when you don’t.  WORSE is when your Party actively helps in passing that bad stuff and you put the lipstick on that pig.  Don’t DARE to tout that you stopped a tax at your level when quite recently your Party members led to write, debate, and then pass legislation to do EXACTLY that – one year after the other Party tried to do the same thing.  That’s rank hypocrisy and we, the base, don’t forget.

And if you have forgotten what that tax was, you know how to reach me – I’d be MORE than delighted to shed some illumination.

And I’ve got many, many more illustrations as well. So now you are in a sticky situation – who do you please and who do you anger, knowing that we know your number one job, from your position, is to get re-elected? Here’s a hint: make sure that your base echo the words of this guy:

Knight in the Holy Grail - choose wisely

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