Democrats versus Republicans

[poopdeckpappy]

I'll tell ya man, I can not and will not vote for someone who has walked and squawked like a liberal duck for the last 20 yrs and now tries to convince me he's a conservative.

And seeings that I'm not a Socialist or Maxist, I will most likely call in sick Nov 08

[sailaway21]

Valiente and others might find this essay on "change" of interest.
http://www.steynonline.com/content/view/928/26/

[sailaway21]

For those of a leftist bent, it'll come as no surprise that your faithful correspondant has had better days. Romney, the last real hope for conservatives, did less than poorly in the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses. Certain introspections are bound to occur.

The first thought is that the Republican party is possibly not nearly as conservative as one could wish. The second is that the three legs to the Republican stool are not necessarily all attached. How to explain Huckabee as other than a one leg Republican? Thompson was too laid back. Romney, and I don't really think his Mormonism played a role, is little known and I think that, along with allegations of flip-flops, played a large role in his poor showing to date. McCain is, at best, a three legged Republican put together with Elmer's glue. Why's he winning, seemingly coming out of nowhere?

I think a good measure of it is name recognition and attachment to the successes of the war. The Republican party seems to have an unwritten policy of paying your dues in a prior election before receiving your turn. Remember, Reagan challenged Ford in the 1974 election.

From conversations with various small businessmen, reliable Republican voters all, I was dismayed to see the lack of knowledge on the various canidates. Of course they've a business to run and maybe even a life, so staying abreast of such matters might be unreasonable. I see only name recognition and support for the war as the only issues that would provoke them to vote for a man likely to raise their taxes. I think the same name recognition issue plays out in the Democratic party as well. Obama is an exception because he has other recognition that trumps any other newcomer's; he's black. Were Obama the highly regarded Evan Bayh from Indiana, I suspect that he'd labor under the same lack of recognition that Romney does, and the Clinton machine would have dispatched him long ago.

I cannot get much excited about a McCain nomination. First, I'll expect that he'll lose. All the ballyhooed endorsements of him by so-called independants is going to dry up and blow away; they'll vote Democrat. I just listened to a cognitively disabled woman today on NPR state that she was a conservative but, when she found out about McCain's pro-life stance, she was going to vote Democrat. I know it was NPR and most everyone has telephone service, even long-distance service, today but she might actually have thought she was a conservative. It might not be a problem for her, but it sure is a problem for conservatives if that's the case. McCain's attraction to moderates means he's the "conservative" that liberal journalists like. that should tell you something because those journalists are not exactly enamored with the idea of a vibrant conservative movement. Their idea of a great Republican canidate is Democrat-Lite. Just a little bit less of "more".

The next little navigational obstruction on my screen is the fact that Obama tests out as the most reliably liberal Senator in that body, and that ain't chopped liver. So, I've already got the punch line to what could be worse than Hillary.

I just cannot see pulling the lever for McCain. I identify myself as conservative, not Republican. Once I get past McCain's position on the war, I find little to warm my heart. And note that I said the war, I'm as equally doubtful about his capabilities on the greater battle against Islamism as I am of his other policy deficiencies. Closing Gitmo for instance would enrich thousands of lawyers and hopelessly muddle the war on terror effort. Since the man has not held a privat sector job since highschool, I'm less than comfortable about his economic bona fides.

I may go to the polls in any event. There's the nasty little matter my RINO congressman, who happens to be one of the heirs to the Whirlpool fortune, and is a fairly reliable nitwit. He gratuitously made the first president Bush' life difficult over the Persian Gulf War and he's little more than a pork transportation specialist. I've rationalized his mostly illusionary good points for far too long and it's now time to broom him. I will willingly pull the lever for "anyone but" in that case, clearing the field for a more conservative canidate in two years.

The reason I see this election as good as any to do a little blood-letting in the Republican party is that, Republicans have not been acting like Republicans, let alone conservative Republicans. The 2006 election was the "hold the party together election", the "we'll do better next term election", and the "ou're not going to hold my record against me election". Well, for me, this is the throw the bums out election. The Gingrich revolution, the Compact with America, are all forgotten by these pork producers and I see nothing particularly wrong with a scorched earth policy regarding them. Yup, it's gonna have to get worse for it to get better. And it's going to be ugly.

My previous balm to my political soul, that Hillary would be a one term president, has encountered some head seas. If it's determined that the economy is in recession, was in recession, or goes into recession then Hillary is the beneficiary. She can ably milk the "look how bad it was when I got here" mantra for a second term if necessary to overcome what I feel will be disasterous policies. The prospect of eight years of her current opponent's politics of "change" leaves me with a back to the future scenario of the 1960's. See, it can always get worse.

Go ahead, tell me why I shouldn't be pessimistic. Any of you atheists want to debate "the perfectability of man"? I'm spoiling for a fight. (g)

[Stillraining]

your comments Sailaway

[chucklesR]

Sorry Sway,
Be afraid, be very afraid. Certainly be pessimistic.
It's either another Clinton 'realist' or an Obama 'dreamer' coming up.
To elect a truly conservative candidate requires either a majority of conservative voters or to front a candidate that is as realistic and charming as Reagan (or riding his coat tails).
None on the ballot this time around.

[camaraderie]

I am too bummed out to comment on this.

[sailaway21]

Yeah, me too. I'd go down with the ship but the lake is frozen. (g)

[bestfriend]

Where's Hoffa, I need a pick me up.

I was trying to hold out faith for the repubs, but after what you just said, and the penchant for americans to vote in the other party after an 8 year stint, i just don't know anymore.....

[camaraderie]

Sway, BF...these may help come November!

[bestfriend]

Is that for the stench, or to keep the water out of our noses when the ship sinks.