It is the Republican Party that still supports the idea of American exceptionalism; a belief that immigrants apparently share or they wouldn't be here.
The news from Washington, DC this week has not been good for the President and his party. With his personal approval numbers dipping below 50 percent for the first time since his election, public support for his signature programs dwindling rapidly and a Blue Dog rebellion among Democrats in Congress, things are not going as planned for Barack Obama and friends.
Yet "independent" pollster John Zogby has seen fit to opine that it is the Republican Party that may be "teetering on the brink" of extinction, noting that they are "swimming against the tide of demography." Now I may not be an expert on the fine art of polling, but the fact that Nancy Pelosi et al, are trying to push through a vote on so-called healthcare reform before the August recess tells me that they fear hearing the wrath of the people when they descend from their ivory towers and return home.
Still, Zogby does have a point: the Republican Party, in its usual state of inexplicable inertia, has chosen to retreat and pander rather than to speak to its conservative base and to those who might otherwise be attracted to it. Instead of trying to draw Latinos and other immigrants to the party by trumpeting the differences between them and the Democrats, they merely show themselves to be weak and meek imitators of same. Add to this the media's long and constant disinformation campaign — that Republicans hate immigrants and minorities — and it must be acknowledged that a problem does exist.
So how can the Grand Old Party stem the tide and attract these burgeoning demographic groups? By getting someone — Sarah, are you listening? — to stand up and say something along the following to all Americans and in particular to those legally seeking to become citizens:
We welcome all you who have come to these blessed shores in search of a better way of life for you and for your posterity; you who seek the American dream. And guess what? We are the folks who can still see that dream and the ways in which it might yet be attained by those who desire it.
The Democrats have been engaged in the decades-old pursuit of trashing that dream here at home and around the world — indeed, our current President has made a cottage industry out of it. Yet still you come; so your beliefs must be more in line with those who share your dream rather than those who disparage it.
In seeking to undermine the America you came here to find, Democrats are in the process of nationalizing the industries that are the engine of our economic prosperity. Their attachment to socialism — a failed economic system that many of you fled from — is a malady that, if left unchecked, will take us all down. Not content only to go after the industries themselves, they have managed to create a culture that stifles initiative among our young people and others whom they need to keep as second-class citizens, and therefore welcome seekers of government largesse.
They are undermining our morals by insisting that there are no objective truths; that everyone should define right and wrong based on their own perceived victimhood; that the belief that America has been a force for good in the world is just so much hokum. The notion of personal responsibility that made this country good and great cannot survive without truths that are self-evident. It is the Republican Party that still supports the idea of American exceptionalism; a belief you apparently share or you wouldn't be here.
Similarly, those on the Left seek to use your children by keeping them immersed in a culture that you risked everything to escape, by encouraging them to live the rest of their lives on the outside of the American dream; still speaking the language of their past rather than achieving proficiency in the language of their future. Again, by keeping you and your children as victimized outsiders, they can keep you from assimilating into the kind of Americans who braved the oceans before you to make this country great.
American liberals have sought to remove God from our national identity; the God most of you Hispanics and Haitians still worship with reverence, awe and thanksgiving for your delivery from the poverty and despair of your homelands. They seek to limit the size of your population by encouraging you to deny your faith and join a party that openly and aggressively promotes the murder of your unborn children; an abominable sin that in itself should preclude your identification with them.
In short, the Democratic Party represents most everything that you are not; worse, they seek to destroy everything that you came here to find. Indeed, if left to their own devices they would turn America into the banana republics and third-world nations many of you happily left behind.
So be true to the dreams and aspirations that drew you to this beautiful and bounteous land. Side with the people who share those dreams and don't be afraid to shout with them from the rooftops, "May God continue to bless America."
This is exactly the challenge conservatives in general, and republicans in particular face. Socialism is socialism. There is no difference if you are ‘slouching’ or ‘sprinting’ toward it. If the only decision is how fast we get there voters might as well not even bother.
John McCain lost the general election for two reasons. First; American conservatives allowed the MSM to pick our candidate. They said; “He’s a maverick. He will ‘reach’ across the aisle. He can be counted upon to seriously consider all ideas.” The unspoken comment was “We’ll make mincemeat out of this clueless bastard. And without having to actually articulate anything.”
Now that the election is over, just how much of this ‘reaching’ and ‘consideration’ that the MSM supposedly cherished, is happening? What about seriously considering all ideas? No what we get from the majorities now is “We won! A poll was conducted in November and America wants our way of doing business.” Luckily for us; the democrats are squabbling over the spoils that is America like any other power hungry entity.
Barack Obama excoriated the Republican Party because George Bush left a $1 trillion deficit. Barack Obama’s administration is on a pace to ‘double down’ on that number by his second year in office.
The Black Caucus wants nationalized health care. The Blue Dogs want some fiscal responsibility in the bill. The Progressive Caucus doesn’t think the bill goes anywhere near far enough to ‘lock’ as many of the population as possible into government control. So they all point fingers at each other and fight. Nancy Pelosi, so tired of ‘herding cats’ trying to get this legislation passed is now disingenuously accusing the problems with the current system on ‘immoral’ insurance companies.
Conservatism works every time it’s tried. The MSM for years has tried to convince conservatives that they must move to the ‘mushy’ center to remain viable. If the choice is ‘liberal’ or ‘liberal light’ it becomes no choice at all and the base stays home.
This is a battle over political philosophy. What principles are we as a nation going to ascribe to? Are we going to entrench a philosophy that says “Kill the unborn for convenience; and while we’re at it, let’s institute a health care system with mandatory participation that decides who lives and for how long. Let’s adjust tax codes so no one gets to wealthy, we can’t have that. We must promote ‘sameness’ at all cost. We recognize that it is impossible to make everyone rich, but we can protect our own wealth, while at the same time, spread the misery so evenly that no one will notice. As long as everyone is ground under the same heel, the unwashed will continue to turn to us for their daily bread.”
Or are we going to entrench a philosophy that says; “This is the country of unlimited opportunity. We will give you the chance to experience all the success you can possibly handle. If you want to sit and watch television all day, so be it. But if you want to work 16 hours a day and earn a million dollars, well you can have that too. We will allow you to make your own life choices, but will expect you to live with the consequences of those choices. You won’t starve, or lack for ‘basic’ services. But do not expect the government to tax the balance of the working population because you believe you have a ‘right’ to some comfort you refuse to earn.
Looking at what has happened in the short time since November 2nd 2008 and the present, you can see that they’ve already over-reached. Democrats are trying to rend the fabric of the country before the mid-term elections as if they know in their hearts that come 2010 they are “D-E-D” dead!
We really need to take a page out of the liberal playbook. For decades while we’ve looked at this as a debate, they’ve treated it as a war. No one can possibly believe that when a liberal says; “We’re winning the war of ideas.” That they’re speaking euphemistically? They mean it! And we must also.
Regardless of what the MSM says we must pin them down, relentlessly ask the tough questions, and call them out when they fail to give straightforward answers. When they say “Health care is a right that all people should have.” Your only response should be “So how will you reduce cost? By measuring waistlines and placing people in ‘reeducation’ centers as they do in Japan? Or will you just medicate the elderly until they ‘slip’ away peacefully as they do in the Netherlands? Or maybe you’ll just drive every charitable Catholic Hospital in the country out of business by requiring them to perform abortions on demand or close? And once you close’em how many beds will we lose across the nation to support your gruesome philosophy?
I don’t care if it’s health care policy, environmental policy, foreign policy, or domestic policy. Hit them square in the nose each and every time. Shout down Chris Matthews just like he shouts down others. Point and laugh, and call Keith Olbermann out for the absolute moron that he is, just as they do Rush Limbaugh. Hammer Pelosi and Reid as the disenguiniuos, lying S.O.B.’s that they are. Constantly rub Barack Obama’s face in his broken promises much the same as you would a puppy that has ruined the rug.
If we really want to take this country in a different direction, confrontation is required. The attempt at ‘reasoned’ debate has led nowhere.
I personally, have made the commitment to run for County Office in 2012. We have democrats here that have held offices like city clerk and county assessor for so long, that in 2008 they ‘retired’ from that office in October, stayed off the payroll for 90 days to begin drawing that retirement. In the interm they won reelection because they were unopposed and are now drawing a retirement and a paycheck from the same position at the same time! And they are daring people to prove they cannot do this! WE have over 200 democrats in this state doing this! I’m mad as Hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!
We shouldn’t stand for this at any level!
That is what America stands for, a land where good people, who are really wanting to work can and will succeed. A land like this can only rcive from G-d its greatest blessings.