Resolved: 2009 Will Be a Better Year for the GOP
It is the season for New Year’s resolutions. In keeping with the tendency to turn resolutions into advice columns I’ll join the brigades of advice-givers and offer some guidance for those both in and outside of the Beltway.
For my fellow pundits, everyone enjoys a good take-down of an intellectual opponent, but when it devolves into “Blogger A is all wrong about his criticism of Blogger B’s take on the fight between Bloggers C and D,” just stop. Really, no one other than Bloggers A-D is following. More importantly, there’s a world out there of events, politicians, legislation, and campaigns. That’s where the action is. The danger to the right blogosphere is that is becomes a closed circle of inside gossip, increasingly irrelevant to the political and intellectual life of the country.
For the RNC chairman candidates and the voting members of the RNC, remember how the Republicans lost the White House and control of the Congress. The voters don’t like Republicans much these days (and that includes conservative voters). Who is going to be a positive, effective, and articulate leader of the minority party? If none of the current crop of candidates fits the bill go draft someone who won’t embarrass Republicans on Meet The Press, doesn’t think Twitter is a bird, and understands that a majority party means getting more, not fewer, adherents to your cause.
For the Senate Republicans, choose the battles wisely. If there are one or two cabinet nominees whose public character and current legal predicaments are troublesome (you know who they are), grill them at the confirmation hearings and make the case against their confirmation. But the other guys won and the vast majority of the nominees deserve a swift and courteous confirmation hearing. Likewise on legislation, the filibuster can only be used for the big stuff — card check, for example — when the Republicans have the better of the issue and a hope of prevailing. So the rest of the time the most the Senate Republicans can do is offer alternatives, warn against the foolishness of the majority, and fight to investigate wrongdoing and abuse.
For the 2012 presidential candidates, just pipe down. Go do your job if you have one or, if you don’t, be a constructive force to reform and revitalize the party. But no one really wants to see you lurking around coffee shops in New Hampshire or attending prayer breakfasts in Iowa. There is no such thing as “inevitability,” so save your money and frequent flyer miles until 2011.
“For conservatives, resist the urge to scream “But he was against that in the campaign!” each time President Obama embraces a center-right position”
I personally promise never to cheap shot Barack Obama. We should do everything possible to encourage his embrace of center-right positions. There is even a good chance that he will truly convert away from the immature leftist views of his early adult years. Obama, after all, said something interesting about the unrest in Israel. He admitted that he too would militarily respond towards those threatening his two daughters. This is a sign of intellectual growth. Let’s hope for more of the same.
Republicans also deserved to lose in 2008. I have come to realize that it is better to place one’s bets on Obama than the perhaps psychologically unbalanced “maverick” John McCain. We must find candidates who truly believe in the values of Ronald Reagan—and can clearly explain them to the American people. McCain and his ilk must be marginalized.
In my opinion we should not get discontented from American President.
Bare in mind: institution of Presidency is FAR greater then any occupant of the seat.
Obama surely understand that his personal success is only possibly under the condition of our NATIONAL success.
He is young enough to use the modern world informational vehicles- the internet
He can go out there and find truth for himself without even asking advisers their opinion
His team even before the elections included people who
He promised internet neutrality and got support from Lawrence Lesig(google him)
Also there is this opinion here coming from rather conservative source:
Obama on the economy was just his demonstration of a much better articulation and understanding of the economy than McCain displayed throughout the campaign.
When you look at policy, a lot of things get said and to get elected, there are all kinds of constituents on both sides that are a little bit more on the nutty side. So you have to take that with who are the economic advisors, what is the kind of overall message that’s going to make.
I think that with Obama what gave me confidence was that his economic advisors were Paul Volcker, who was a good Fed Chairman, in my opinion. Warren Buffet, who I think is generally an excellent guy. I don’t actually agree with as much of his economic policies, but I think that he, in terms of understanding the economy is very good.
On the other end you had McCain’s economic team, which was Carly Fiorini, who most of us in Silicon Valley know as probably the worst CEO in technology history. You’ve got Phil Gramm, who I think made a huge, huge mistake in advocating the non-regulation of CDS or the complete just ignoring it, which has caused a lot of bad side effects.
So on those you say, “Well, how are they going to govern”? That gave me more confidence in Obama, in general. I’m certainly anti-taxes or anti-higher taxes. I don’t think they help, and I think that point is exactly right. I think that the increase that he proposed, and I think that he’s likely to get to given his economic team, is likely to be not that damaging. So that combination is what led me to that conclusion.
http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=8E8A21BF-6D12-4BD1-B7B9-C00CD3547C90
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I want America to succeed so i want Obama presidency to be a successful one
Also we should remember:
USA prestige suddenly went up through the sky in the World after African American got elected
We should capitalize on that.
Polls in Russia showed that Obama rating is higher then the kremlin’s
Guys, just this fact is bigger then anything since Clinton ruined image of USA by going into Yugoslavia
Yes, 2009 will be better… after 2008, it’s not like it can get THAT much worse.
Kabud writes:
“..institution of Presidency is FAR greater then any occupant of the seat..
..Polls in Russia showed that Obama rating is higher then the kremlin’s..
..Guys, just this fact is bigger then anything since Clinton ruined image of USA by going into Yugoslavia”
Kabud, old buddy, “then” –> “than”..
(Sorry to nit-pick.)
Republicans had best look to their own party as much of the problem, as it is hard to find any that are all that different than Democrats. A few notables, yes. The party as a whole? No. If you want to do well, you have to stand up for what you believe, say why and give the voters a choice, not a coin toss decision. Until then there is no real place to go with the R party.
On Obama I will praise him when I think he does well, criticize him when I think he does not and continue to explain each position I take. Just like I did with this last President. I do not expect miracles, just someone who will do their job. Someone Upon the Hill had better learn what those are one of these days…
2008: A YEAR THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY:
But there is hope for 2009, including a video reminder of how to bring in the new year.
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-hope-for-future.html
ajacksonian writes:
“Republicans had best look to their own party as much of the problem, as it is hard to find any that are all that different than Democrats. A few notables, yes. The party as a whole? No. If you want to do well, you have to stand up for what you believe..”
Exactly! I received a call from a solicitor for the RNC asking for a contribution. She talked about how “we had just lost a close one in November and we’d be ready to fight in the future” with my (and my money’s) help, etc.
I told her I wasn’t prepared to contribute until they took steps to revamp the leadership — say, choose Michael Steele as chairman — but she droned on an on.
The point really is not that she didn’t pay attention (she was probably just a hireling) but it was the tone of the message: business as usual; just adjust a few things here and there and we’d be fine. It missed the point.
*sigh*
I guess you had to have been there.
Anyway, a very happy New Year to everyone.
How could it be much worse? Gee, saying a prediction like that is a no brainer isn’t it?
Let’s see – we had John McCain, whom half the party said was Democrat Light, the other said was Bush 3 — er, it was Dems that said that.
Now we have all of media hawking books and DVDs of this Obama fellow, as if trying to defend in their own minds [and all of us they lied to] all the crazy things they led everyone on about him.
We’re supposed to all come together now. With W. Bush it was slam o rama from day 1
Now we can tell minority boys though, they tell us, “you can do anything!” Oh yeah… if you get Chicago machine dream political force behind you and billions in donations globally, on Oprahs hot list, and a media frenzy going like no other. Meantime we tell little Rebublican girls I guess… What are we supposed to tell them? Don’t even try, they slam you down and lie about you and denigrate your family, give you all the dirty tricks and tough questions they can pull out – calling that fair, but not saying anything TRUE about your opponent?
What is moderation? You have to screen it or need me to modify it? Love this site by the way! My actual name is David Hill – Tacoma, WA
Do I need to change that? Is HiHu okay?
We need a new party. One without what we now call RINOs, one without the Dem lights, one without the ivy-league network that is screwing up everything while furiously redistributing our money to each other. One without the dead-enders who insist we must be more like the Democrats. We need a new, different party. It will take time but nothing will change until it is up and running.
With bailouts of the UAW and other felonious activity by the Dumocrats, clearly “Change” has been thrown out and you can bet that “Hope” isn’t far behind. And the main puppet hasn’t even been installed yet. Going to be a drastic six years. (Two for recovery).
I think something big is going to need to happen to galvanize conservative voters and unite conservative ideals.
There are so many people I have talked to who want freedom from government, which is SUPPOSED to be a conservative pillar. However with he outgoing administrations lack of communication with the american public, and rampant dis-information spread by todays society, people think that the democratic party is the party of freedom.
A merge of the Republican and Libertarian party’s needs to happen, they need to glaze over what they hate about each other and unify under their common cause, because it is that cause that appeals to the massive majority of Americans. If not a merge then at least form a new party consisting of members of both.
The message is simple, Show the Democrats as Nanny-Staters, willing to take individual freedoms, show how money is wasted in government. Show their socialist tendency’s, and explain why those tendency’s do not work.
It’s so nice and easy for those who visit forums/blogs like this to state, we need a new party, we need something big to happen, and so on. Yet, the overwhelming majority of Americans out there continue their daily lives never really taking time to consider what’s really going on. Ask any “average” American why he/she voted for Obama and I’ll guarantee you you’ll not get the same answer from any of them. Ask any of them, what was it that Obama stood on, or what was McCain’s main issues? Mostly you’ll get a rehash of what was presented on the evening news. Or, the majority of answers I received, I’m not really sure but, I know I wanted change.
Obviously, the latest economic mess has caught a lot of people’s attentions. And, some are actually starting to pay attention. Until a large majority of the public starts letting their thoughts be known to D.C., nothing will be changed. America is starting to wake up, but, I’m afraid we still have a long way to go. Apathy is a death sentence that is a strangle hold on this country that needs to go. Only time can bring this about. Yet, many are asking, are we out of time????
NOTHING will improve for Republicans until they come out of their hypocritical, self-righteous, intolerant HOLE.
dont hold your breath.
HIHU,
You said it all. Good post, I too throw out all and I mean all the requests for donations to the GOP after the showing of the last election. It takes the stroke of a pen to change things and the rinos have yet to figure that out.
I want all Congressional Republicans to start embracing Reagan Conservatism and to aggressively take EVERY opportunity to TEACH Conservatism and explain Conservative, free market solutions.
I’m demanding it:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/we-demand-true-conservative-leadership.html
If the Republicans are to stay politically relevant over the course of the next two or four years and want to avoid the same trap democrats fell into after Bush was elected, they must do more than simply act as obstructionists to the Liberal agenda. They must provide substantive, innovative and principled alternatives, which are rooted in free market and individualistic principles – like this one (“The Greening of Social Security” – http://thescholarsforum.org/)