Nov 05 2008
Patience Folks, I Have Not Surrendered
Folks, I will be out in the coming days with a check list of things that Democrats cannot afford to do if they want to avoid another 1994. We all need time to absorb this election – do not fear! There is still a strong place for Conservatism In America, and a lot of things Liberals could do to destroy the opportunity just given to them.
over 51% of this nation just earned the opportunity to try and fix the malfeasance ineptitude and incompetence of the past eight years…it wasn’t given to them.
Norm,
You’re still an idiot. Of course the nation just gave the left an opportunity! What do you think I was talking about if not the election????
LOL!
norm, you have to remember that much of the Republican run was due to the last time the Democrats had a significant majority in both houses of Congress with a Democratic president. Think names like Jimmy Carter … Tip O’Neil … and the mess they made of our economy. Maybe they learned from it. We shall see.
AJ,
Check the numbers. We will not be seeing another 1994. While we will probably pick up a few seats, the numbers aren’t there to retake the house. Also, the next congress, the one in 2010, will redraw the electorate map. We will not have a repeat of 1994 in time to prevent a Tom Delay in Texas all over the country.
I have tried to say this, but this says it much better then I could. Please read.
Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.
AP
According to recent Gallup polls, the president’s average approval rating is below 30% — down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.
This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, “Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust.”
Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.
The president’s original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.
It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.
Yet it should seem obvious that many of our country’s current problems either existed long before Mr. Bush ever came to office, or are beyond his control. Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.
Like the president said in his 2004 victory speech, “We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America.”
To be sure, Mr. Bush is not completely alone. His low approval ratings put him in the good company of former Democratic President Harry S. Truman, whose own approval rating sank to 22% shortly before he left office. Despite Mr. Truman’s low numbers, a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll found that he was ranked the seventh most popular president in history.
Just as Americans have gained perspective on how challenging Truman’s presidency was in the wake of World War II, our country will recognize the hardship President Bush faced these past eight years — and how extraordinary it was that he accomplished what he did in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.
Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty — a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.
AJ
I came upon your site while surfing for election information over the last 2 months. It is uplifting to read your commentary, Yes there still is a strong place for conservatism in America, and GOOD TO KNOW level headed thinkers as yourself will represent the New Age of conservatism from here on out. -Tim
norm
your a punk and a child, I normally don’t like such harsh talk, but listening to brats like you blame every thing on Bush is pathetic. Guess what genius, Dems were in Congress the past two years and held the senate for a year in 2002. Oh and Clinton was president for 8 years as well. You and the rest of the little babies who fear any responsibility for anything can stick it. Dems had a huge hand in many of the events of the past 20 years, now you can’t hide anymore and your Bush derangement is gonna get real stupid real quick.
AJ:
I would like to thank you for keeping my hope alive even up to election day about pulling this one out. I also had another feeling that I talked about before and that was John McCain is Bob Dole Part II. He never seemed to really to have a message that connected with the people and like Bob Dole he picked a running mate that brought certain amount of excitement but could never carry the ticket over the hump. Finally, he ran with the same idea of trying to tar his opponent with all of his nasty doings which was not getting any traction thanks to a rather compliant and complict media. While offering nothing more than I am a War Hero that has been tested but beats me on how much of a difference I am from the slick saleman on the other ticket.
I can go forward with the knowledge that Democrats being who they are will hit the ground running with the same kind of hubris as in 1993. Though we will have to put up with a lot of BS, we need to look for the leaders that have the right ideas like they had in 1994 and give them the support that they need to start getting us out of this hole we have dug ourselves.
I may go through with my promise to go ex-patriate, unlike all of those hollywood types. can anybody recommend some good source of information on the pros and cons of doing this?
PJO,
Thanks. If the Dem Congress is any model there will be plenty of opportunity it two years. No Reps to blame now.
I think the GOP should announce a policy of “principled leadership.”
“We will vote ‘present’ on all legislation pending before the 111th Congress. Hey, it was good enough for Obama’s resume.”
cobalt,
I would prefer no votes, you watch and see, Dems are gonna bribe just enough republicans to get on board with their legislation as a way to provide political cover. The great fear of the Democrats is that they might somehow get held responsible for something.
PJO – the trick is picking the country. Canada has a point system, favoring under 60 with fertility potential. extra points for being bi-lingual in French. Alberta is hopping due to tar sands. I only checked out Norway and Sweden in 2004 (I am very heat intolerant and as ex-pat would be outside the social welfare system). Sweden is impossible. Norway is cool as long as you can afford to live there.
Despite what most of you think about Europe social welfare states, the people are much more secure and their government services work quite well in Scandinavia, Germany, and France, especially health care which is NOT nationalized like Britain.
Germany never had a real estate bubble due to shrinking population.
As to what next: watch how they re-shuffle Senate and House chairs first.
Haven’y you all noticed that Obama first adopted the Clinton economic team (he had none of his own as his campaign was NEVER about the economy). Then he picked Podesta for transition. Now Emmanuel for Chief of Staff. This is more than a trend. Who is the puppet-master? Daschle or Bill?
You all should work on redefining conservatism. Frum and Gingrich have made a good start . Look at how British Tories have re-invented themselves. Kick the Club of Growth out onto the unpaved streets.
McCain was on the right track: cut spending. stop linking health insurance to employment. more than one million manufacturing went to CANADA since 1998 to cut unit labor costs. Germany is still the #1 exporter of high value manufactured products even with the highest labor rates in the world.
Tom DeLay did more damage to the GOP than most realize. Karl Rove is much better as an analyst than politicizing domestic policy.
Redefine the converstaion to what should the Federal gov really be doing? The states? How much, how to pay. When the marginal tax rate was 70%, Reagan had a point. Below 40%, not so much of a problem IF gov is delivering the services efficiently.
It is interesting to note the number of Republicans returned to the House by California … every single one including, apparently, the seat vacated by a retiring GOP House member. The GOP didn’t lose a single seat from California.
I suppose what bothers me about this election was that Obama didn’t get any great surge of voters to the polls. In fact, FEWER people cast ballots in 2008 than in 2004. It looks like Republicans stayed home. To those Republicans that stayed home or decided not to cast a ballot for the Presidential ticket, I wish you would find another party. I am tired of the whining.
If you didn’t vote, then you truly are a RINO. Nothing could be a more accurate description.
LOOKY-LOOKY! Guess what just bobbled up to the top of Obama’s “pile”.
Iraq leader claims he helped Barack Obama seize the presidency
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/3388002/Iraq-leader-claims-he-helped-Barack-Obama-seize-the-presidency.html
Iraq’s prime minister Nouri al-Maliki has claimed privately that embracing Barack Obama’s plans to withdraw from Iraq was instrumental in securing the US presidency for the Democratic candidate.
Oopsie!
Oh, dare we say it? Dare we invoke the unspeakable?
Oh yea, oh yea, Obama bots! Here be all your, “chickens comin’ home to roost!”
Courtesy of Bob Parks “Black & Right”
http://www.black-and-right.com/
It is interesting to note the number of Republicans returned to the House by California … every single one including, apparently, the seat vacated by a retiring GOP House member. The GOP didn’t lose a single seat from California.
Nor will they ever gain a Congressional seat. California’s seats are gerrymandered to ensure maximum incumbent protection–the only action in any CA Congressional election is during the primaries, the winner of the “correct” nomination for that seat is guaranteed a win in the general.
Well, we also passed a measure this time to take redistricting out of the hands of the legislature. Never again will the legislature gerrymander their own districts.