Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Seriously - Vote 'em out

The Czar of Muscovy brings The Smart about Christine O'Donnell's Senate campaign in Delaware, and makes a persuasive case that she's loonier than a Canadian Dollar. The Republican Party establishment seems to be having kittens over her win, to the delight of the Democratic Party establishment.

At the risk of causing our Autocrat's cold dread eye to be cast this way, the Borepatch take is that it doesn't matter. 'Puter makes a partial case for this:
Sure, loser Republican establishment candidates like Mike Castle in Delaware and Lisa Murkowski in Alaska are fighting rear guard actions against the party's nominees. This simply proves 'Puter's point that these people deserved to be fired. They lust for power for themselves, not for justice for their constituents.
I would go further. The problem, as I've said, is not the Democrats. The solution is not the Republicans.

The problem is an institutionalized Ruling Class that has increasing contempt for most of the voters in this country.

For all the Republican's talk this election cycle, they still don't Get It. Neither do the Democrats, but that problem's getting fixed no matter what in two months. Let's deal with the Democrats first, because they're easy; then we'll deal with Mike Castle and the Republican Establishment.

The Democrats are going to get pounded in November, and the pounding is going to be worse that anyone is saying right now. The electorate is in a foul mood, the economy continues to tank, and the Democrats - after a spending binge and power grab unprecedented in this Republic's history - won't even talk about their so-called "accomplishments." Democratic voters are demoralized, Republican voters are energized like we've never seen, and disgusted independents are breaking 2 to 1 for Republicans. This defeat will be historic in its proportions.

The defeat will make things much, much worse for the Democratic party. The party's trouble is that it pushed a very left-wing agenda (Obamacare, Cap and Trade, nationalizing the auto industry, huge pork spending to favored clients). The country as a whole is nowhere near accepting these policies, and the reaction is (a) energizing the opposition and (b) splitting off independent support.

However, perhaps two thirds of the Democratic seats are more or less safe, meaning that they are occupied by solid Pelosi-style left wingers. These people will be safe; moderate Democrats may cease to exist come November. The Democratic Party is fixin' to take a massive swing to the left, after an election where they get crushed for being too left wing. So there's no plausible comeback strategy that looks viable. Sic transit idiotes.

The Republicans are a different matter, and much more of a concern to us. What the Democrats lose, the Republicans will gain. The Republican Establishment will say it's because of their program. So what is their program? Basically, it's "Vote for us because we're (slightly) less reckless than the Democrats." Well, phooey to that.

The Republican Establishment is at war with the reform wing of the Republican Party, and with the Tea Parties. The only "program" worth the name is from Rand Paul, who has his finger on the pulse of the independent vote, but is pushing uphill against the old guard. Where's the new Contract With America? Where's the plan? Why should we vote for a bunch of Old Guard loser type like Mike Castle who's champing at the bit to push through Cap and Trade?



Watch this starting about 3:30 into the video. One of Castle's constituents says he should be voted out because of his support for Cap and Trade. The cheers from the crowd are deafening.

This is the sort of candidate that the Republican Establishment wants us to support? But more significantly, why then should we think that the Republican Party is less reckless in its spending than the Democrats? There's a very clear pattern that has emerged in the GOP's support for Castle, Murkowski, et al - support the Usual Suspects, protect their power and privilege, and pay lip service (if that) to actual fiscal reform.

Like I said, phooey.


This November will see the breaking of the Democratic Party, which is half the battle. But everything will come to naught if the Republican Old Guard is not also broken. There is quite frankly no evidence that they will change their old ways unless we break them. Christine O'Donnell may be crazy like a Cat Lady, but she serves the purpose of breaking them. She is particularly useful in this, because it sends the following message:

We'll vote for the Village Idiot before we'll vote for you lot.
Some will say that the Democratic Party is killing this country. I can't argue with that. However, the Republican Establishment is killing the country, too - just a little slower.

Think strategically, not tactically. If we are to die, it's better to go fast than slow. The proper response to the contempt being shown us by the Republican Party Old Guard - vote for us because we suck less than they do - is to return that contempt with interest. Vote 'em out, every Man Jack and Woman Jill. If they're an incumbent, get rid of them.

A Republican Party that loses "safe" seats this November because of this contempt will be shocked into a realignment towards the center of gravity of the body politic. And that will open up room for the reform we'll need to fix things. Voting (R) this November hurts that.


Eyes on the prize, folks. Think Long Game, not short; strategic, not tactical. Our children's future depends on it.

8 comments:

Mark Alger said...

I don't think so. I don't think the party institution is capable of learning.

I rather anticipate what will happen will resemble the paradigm shift from Whig to Republican between 1856-1860. There will be a new party -- call it the Liberty Party -- and the Republicans will be left sprawled in the dust going "Wha' hoppen?"

M

Paladin said...

Borepatch - YES! I could not agree more if I tried to. I think the message is being sent to entrenched, squishy Republicans that the torches and pitchforks can show up on their doorstep just as easily as they did for liberals.

"moderate Democrats may cease to exist come November"

I'm thinkin' maybe there never were "moderate democrats" - not in practice, anyway. Far left democrats voted happily for Obama's agenda. "Moderate" Democrats voted for the same stuff - only wrung their hands about it before, during, and after the fact.

I mean really... what's the difference? If you're going to crap down my neck it doesn't make it better to know you waffled back and forth before doing so.

A said...

I agree that both main stream parties consist of corrupted old guard elitist that are so separated from reality that they don't have a clue about what true leadership represents. They are just stereotypical politicians looking out for themselves at cost of our liberty.

I personally have tried to vote for candidates outside mainstream party constraints in the primary elections.

Unfortunately as the November elections draw near those choices become much more limited. I surely can't vote for candidates that will continue to push our country farther to the left and to the socialist place of no return.

So then I'm left with choosing the lesser of evils in many of the congressional and senate races.

In reality it appears we will have a lame duck president and the obstructionist opposition where little is being accomplished over the next election cycle.

The fast or slow death analogy is one I will definitely save for when the call of uprising and revolution begins. If we are to die, I personally believe we should die fighting for what is right in overt action against our oppressors.

I know most refuse to even ponder such a radical and pessimistic view as a call to revolution, but using just little common sense and rational deduction from the obvious evidence constantly building as a unavoidable mountain points us directly down that path in the not so distant future if real change does come quickly and with great earnest in our government.

If it comes down to choosing chaos or tyranny, then I will personally choose short term chaos over tyranny as the path back to a truly representational republic and civility.

SiGraybeard said...

I was expecting you to say, "The dinosaurs smell change on the air and roar their defiance" at least weeks. :-D

I think we agree the Christine O'Donnell and other Tea Party candidate winners are good examples of the Ruling Class being smacked down by the Country Class, in Codevilla's language. I heard Michael Steel, RNC Chairman, on the radio with Sean Hannity, pledging to support O'Donnell and the others. It sounded like he understood he's as good as gone unless he gets with the reform movement.

On the other hand, Charlie Rangel won his primary, so the disgust with the current Ruling Class is not as widespread as we might hope.

SiGraybeard said...

Something got lost in my last comment.

It was supposed to say it's the best time to use that quote in weeks.

Six said...

I remain unconvinced that she will lose the general election, but come what may, at least the republican establishment is getting the message.
No More RINOs. That is not a request.

Lissa said...

Please, please let it be so.

For Teh Children. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I must disagree. You state that the Democrats are not the problem. Well, they are the problem. The economy started sliding just after they took the house - under George W. Bush. They have been in charge ever since, and things have gotten worse ever since.

Democrats - at least some of them - ARE the problem.

I am as disappointed with SOME Republicans as anyone, and I am pleased that a few RINO's are being fired this year. But the majority party in the house controls all spending bills, and there hasn't been anything the R's could do about it for the last 3 years. It might have helped if there were a few less RINO's (and a few more real repubs) in the senate to make a filibuster threat at least credible. That day will come.

I am pleased that you have added the following clarification - which I agree with completely:

The problem is an institutionalized Ruling Class that has increasing contempt for most of the voters in this country.

To which I might add "Especially the Democrats and RINO's"