From Erick Erickson at Redstate – he points out what a lot of us are thinking, that the fundamental transformation has taken root and a big part of it is the turning upside down and inside out of both our public policy (which WILL be enforced as YOUR new private morals (and what you have now be damned) as well as our public officials no longer just giving lip service to the Constitution (re: their oaths) but racing past ignoring it to now trying to get rid of it. His thoughts, in part (reformatted, emphasis mine):
For those of us of faith, it appears society has collectively lost its mind. Madness has set in. Yes, in fact, we see what Paul warns of in Romans 1. The people have been handed over to themselves and we are caught in the middle. It is a wildfire of the mind and society. A lot of you want to check out of it. You want to take refuge, hide, and protect your families. You want to go for the Benedictine Model that Rod Dreher hints at — take shelter in the monastery and wait for the fire to burn itself out.
I actually think the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday hurts the Republicans in 2016. I think a lot of people whose votes they need will throw up their hands and walk away. They see a lot of Republican politicians declaring it time to move on. They see 300 Republicans, a lot of them from George W. Bush’s administration, supporting the decision. These cultural conservatives think it is time to get out of Dodge while the getting is good. The 300 Republicans who wanted this case to go away as a political issue, might find that the base they have relied on goes away with it. They will not expand their base with black and hispanic voters as small government, cultural liberals. They will lose more of their base as they move away from cultural conservatism altogether.
Just like I have said, but mine was shorter: if you will not fight for me, why should I fight for you? If you will not stand by me and my beliefs, why should I spend my time, talents, and money defending you?
He is right – when people cast their precious votes…
Sidenote: I used to think it was the last vestige of American citizenship and even that may be lost with one of the OTHER decisions of the Supremes that said that at voter registration in Arizona, proof of citizenship cannot be demanded – leaving the door open for a lot of illegal voting).
So those 300 Republican leaders, including NH GOP Committeewoman Juliana Bergeron, decided to disengage from the Culture War – “sure, make homosexual marriage legal so we can win on less stuff”. They, given all the evidence surrounding them that the Left’s Culture War HAS change the battlefield, that every Cultural War win is creating more fiscal costs, still think that this Is A Good Idea. After all, either they are just all stupid and near-sighted, or they wish to further earn their Junior Democrat titles.
For there will be not much left for them to fight for – for if they continue to play tic-tac-toe, the Dems are steamrolling with their three dimensional chess games. These Republican Elites must truly believe that we are going to continue on with them on their charade of “Success!” even as we see the smoky ruins of the culture around us. What used to be bad is now exalted, what used to be good is now despised, what used to be useful as traditions because they WORKED and binded us together are now being used to segregate us apart. Why bother with conservative values when the public morality no longer believes that accomplishment and reward comes from determination and instead, knows that Big Daddy Government will take care of me because it is going to take what it wants from those that have been Alinsky’d and demonized.
This is all the reason why I am re-examining my self-asked question “Why I should remain a Republican? Do their actions support their beliefs? Can I TRUST them?”. Thus far, the answers tilt no, no, and NO. Sure, there are a few principled ones that deserve my support but when I see the LEADERS following the Democrats (after all, didn’t the Republicans RAISE the NH budget because they believe their is more $$ to spend – just not as much as the Democrats. Doug Scamman MUST have been so upset – the NH Republican Senators RAISED the amount spent on “social issues” (but proving me right once again). DEMOCRAT social issues, I might add. Incoherence is not a reason to remain.
“They will lose more of their base as they move away from cultural conservatism altogether”
Most of us in this nexus are thinking “If I vote for the Republicans again”:
- Will it make a difference?
- Can I depend on them to actually do what the Platform says?
- Will it make a difference and achieve my goals and beliefs? Will it result in the change *I* want in the town / county / NH / Country?
- Can I depend upon them to actually face up that the Culture DOES matter?
- Will it make a difference and achieve my goals and beliefs? Or will they continue to retreat from the Culture Wars?
- Can I depend upon them to FIGHT hard, even if it means losing? Or will they fold like a cheap suit like Indiana Government Mike Pence did at the first sight of the Left’s howling?
- Will it make a difference and achieve my goals and beliefs? Will they keep their promises no matter what?
- Do they desire the affections of the media more than Conservatives?
- Will it make a difference and achieve my goals and beliefs? Will they honor their oath to uphold the Constitution, in letter and spirit?
- As Erick points out, can they even do election math?
- Will it make a difference and achieve my goals and beliefs? Or just some politician’s?
- Is their intent, their only intent, is just to get the W with my vote? Am I a sucker for falling for it?
- Will it make a difference and fulfill that phrase that resonates so well (H/T: Rick Perry): My goal is to make Washington as inconsequential to your daily life as possible
- Will it make a difference and they would actually take back their elected responsibilities and THEY make the hard decisions and the
I could keep going as there are plenty of questions. The problem is, what is the Republican answers and the prove they would actually end up with “Yes!” answers?
There’s a bit more over at the link.
