Haley Barbour is saying that a few "stupid comments" from recent GOP candidates Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock cost the GOP the Presidential election in 2012. I couldn't disagree more! If a few stupid comments by candidates or elected officials could sway elections, then the Democrats would be losing elections all the time! Need I remind you of Democrat Congressman Hank Johnson saying Guam would tip over due to overpopulation! Doesn't anyone remember Anthony Weiner and "Weinergate"? What about the multitude of tax evasion issues that so many Democrats seem to have, from Timothy Geithner to Rahm Emmanuel!
The issue that Republicans and Conservatives have with the media and public perception isn't saying stupid things! The problem is that the media will replay every dumb thing that a conservative says, and will even edit video and statements to make GOP candidates officials appear ridiculous. The main stream media and late night talk shows take pleasure in finding anything that makes a candidate seem foolish, naive or uninformed. How many times did we see Governor Palin saying she could see Russia from her front door, or that she couldn't name a magazine she reads for Katie Couric? I remember seeing former Senator Scott Brown's half-naked body pictures all over the internet and news (not a bad memory, I might add)! Who could forget the 2012 GOP Primary Debates when Texas Governor Rick Perry had is "Oops!" moment? Even though Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney did a good job at avoiding a verbal misstep, the media still played his comments about "binders full of women" over and over!
So what do conservatives and GOP candidates and elected officials need to do to combat the obvious media bias? Don't play into the media's memes, for one! Stick together even when you disagree! This is what the liberals and Democrats do, and they do it expertly! They will deflect and defend always. Conservatives can't even ignore misstatements and disagreements with eachother on Twitter (See #TGDN) or in a grassroots organization (see FreedomWorks)! Even at the very basic levels, we seem to be incapable of defending eachother or ourselves! Many GOP leaders were more than eager to throw Governor Palin under the bus for Senator John McCain's loss in 2008, and have not welcomed her back into the party since!
The Grand Old Party has become the party of compromise and moderation, and has left their conservative values and principles in the past. Republicans have turned into the Democrat Party of the 80s! They are a lost party, unable to stick to a coherent message. The GOP is trying to moderate to win over the liberal media and independent voters, and in case they haven't noticed - IT ISN'T WORKING!!!! In the meantime, they are isolating their conservative base by voting against their principles.
I am not interested in voting for Republicans who continue to compromise their values for the sake of getting something done in DC! It is okay to refuse to compromise on something when you believe it is the wrong thing to do for the country. If the GOP really believes in the legislation they continue to vote for, we are truly without conservative representation in our Federal Government. Fiscal conservatives need a voice in our nation's capital, and if the GOP refuses to be that voice, then we need a new party!
I agree with you completely.
ReplyDeleteI would only add a couple of things.
As most Conservatives will acknowledge, both parties have been infiltrated by Progressives interested in one thing - power (money). The Democratic Party has been completely overrun (Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen are a couple of the exceptions). The Republican Party still has a chance, as this is where the internal rangling is occurring between the Conservative base and the Progressive leadership.
I still believe the best way to win this struggle is to purge the Party of Progressives - no simple feat as we have found. If we were to turn to a third party I believe the Democrats would continue in power for at least 2 to 3 election cycles (12+ years) as the new party built all the necessary internal logistics and infrastructure. The electoral college is simply not setup for more than two parties, and we simply cannot give additional ground to the Dems for 12+ years.
Near all off-year elections are dominated by the party out of power. The elections of 2010 were probably one of the most extreme swings ever - all propelled by the Tea Party movement.
The Conservatives had a lot of momentum coming off the 2010 elections. (Your group deserves a lot of credit. Thank you for your leadership and dedication.) Many ran for office and most won. Local politics started to have a distinctly Conservative flavor. But neither the elites in the Republican Party nor Liberal controlled organizations are going to "give in" to Conservatives without a fight.
It is and will continue to be a bloody battle in which we engage - not for the faint of heart. I once had hopes for the RNC when Michael Steele was leading, but he succumbed to the Progressive buzz saw, too. The Republican National Convention was a disaster for Conservatives. But even at a relatively low level (the Fort Bend Republican Party and the Katy ISD School Board) have we seen how ruthless the established leadership can be. I'm surprised Sharon Roberts and Bill Proctor haven't written a books about their experiences.
The Tea Party believers have been horribly demoralized in the recent election. Many believed that this election was the last chance for the country to avoid becoming completely like Europe (or worse). I tend to agree. I had hoped that Jim DeMint would be able to pull off a miracle by flipping the Senate with Conservatives.
My "hope meter" is bouncing off of zero. There is just not very much working in our favor. I still support true Conservatives and Conservative groups with my money, but while I still have SOME hope, I am busy preparing for the worst - a severe economic meltdown and continued erosion of my Constitutional rights.
What we need is another Rick Santelli moment!