Deep Conservative Thoughts

Kim du Toit
February 12, 2008
12:58 AM CDT

I hope the people concerned will forgive me for lifting large chunks of their writing and putting them here in one place, but it’s really the only way I can shine a spotlight on this stuff. First, from Mark Levin at Patriot Post:

I wanted to post a sober thought. If McCain is the Republican nominee, how will he position himself as a candidate? This weekend Obama already telegraphed the Democrat strategy by picking apart McCain’s inconsistencies on taxes and immigration. If McCain moves to the right during the general election to try to appeal to more conservatives, Obama will be able to portray him as a disingenuous flip-flopper. If McCain moves further left to try and blunt those charges, he will continue to alienate a portion of the base. What is he going to run on? If he runs on the surge, how many Democrats and Independents will that attract? Is he going to run against earmarks and for a balanced budget? I don’t think that’s going to resonate with too many voters. The Democrats will be talking about saving the poor, sick and elderly, in the tradition of FDR. McCain will be talking like Herbert Hoover. And since McCain is running on his personal story, let me suggest that neither McCain’s age nor temperament will be ignored by the Democrats. Do we ignore Obama’s age and Hillary’s temperament?… I don’t think John McCain can win in November because of his record, not “unfair criticism”, talk radio, or what have you.

Then we have the decidedly non-conservative but perceptive Howard Veit, who says:

Then we have the wet dreams of Republicans who fantasize that somehow the base will “come back;” will regain their senses, sober up and forgive and forget McCain-Feingold; Campaign Finance Reform; Illegal alien amnesty; anti-tax cuts, and a possible a “man made” global warming fanatic. The base will see that he’s only kidding, that he is really a conservative, blah blah blah. The drive will be on through every possible shill to get this base “back.”

All right, now let me widen the scope of this post a little. Also from Patriot Post, here’s William J. H. Boetcker:

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men’s initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

And here’s what is searing the souls of conservatives like me: while we absolutely detest McCain, and even though we know that his political philosophy is not always congruent with the above sentiments, the philosophies of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are in direct, 180-degree opposition to Boetcker.

In fact, if you substitute “can” for “cannot” in Boetcker’s statement (try it), you will have the Cliff Notes version of the policies and philosophies of both of the Democrat would-be nominees.

Think I’m joking? Here’s a pic (sent by several people, thankee) of the interior of one of Obama’s campaign offices:

...and you have to ask yourselves which future occupant of the Oval Office would get the support of these people:

And the Democratic candidates would set up an office in the White House for these people (not even McCain would do that… I think).

At the end of the day, it’s going to come to this.

On this website, we have supported our soldiers, even after death and injury. We ourselves have stayed in the homes of serving soldiers, and eaten their salt, as the expression goes.

By not voting Republican—even one as flawed as McCain—we will handing this country over to the peaceniks, and on this I am absolutely certain. The Democrat Party, in the shape of their current leadership, loathes and despises the military. While they talk in public about “bringing the troops home”, concern for the soldiers is not their primary, secondary, or even tertiary motive. We know that, they know that, and that’s the beginning and end of it.

Furthermore, if we wake up on November 5th to President-Elect Obama or President-Elect Clinton, and then we turn on the TV to see joyous street demonstrations all over the Arab world, how will we feel then?

And when, in 2009, President Obama/Clinton nominates some pinko jurist with a love for a Silly Putty Constitution (or maybe two pinko jurists), the Supreme Court will swing sharply Left, for decades.

There’s only one thing to do: elect McCain, and at the same time, elect conservative Republicans to Congress, in 2008, in 2010, and in 2012.

I know; McCain’s a total shit, and I loathe him. But in the end, I love my country more than I hate John McCain—and handing over the reins of power to the Left will, with absolute certainty, bring this country down—just as the Left has brought down Britain, France and the rest of Europe.

Not gonna happen. Not while I draw breath.

This is not the time to pout. This, my friends, is our last stand. If we don’t win this one, the job is going to be incalculably more difficult in the future, both for us and for our kids.

And forget that childish “vote from the rooftops” nonsense, and all the End Times fantasies. They are not going to happen.

Big Government is going to happen, under President Obama/Clinton. That is an absolute certainty.

--------------------------------------------

Note: I hit the “post button prematurely, before I’d finished this post, and my thoughts. This is the post I want out there, not the earlier wishy-washy one.

Comments

Bottom of Comments | Comment Form | Original Post

<Sigh>

I guess I’m gonna hold my nose, close my eyes, and vote for McStupid, if he’s the GOP nominee.....

Then go commune with a bottle of tequila, because beer or wine just won’t do it at that point.......

Kim, this truly SUCKS.     

The Termite | 2/12/2008 02:43 AM CDT | #112624


I suggest Grey Goose instead of tequila. These days, France is a much better friend to the USA than Mexico is, and they make a pretty good vodka.

rosignol | 2/12/2008 04:02 AM CDT | #112625


But in the end, I love my country more than I hate John McCain

Bam.

Right there is the stripped-bare version of why I’ll vote for that toad instead of sitting out.  Excellent.  Had you said that a few days ago, you could’ve saved Rachel Lucas hours and hours of posting…

Hurricane Mikey | 2/12/2008 04:08 AM CDT | #112626


My comment on another blog regarding the “suicide vote” is also appropriate here:
After a long weekend of introspection I’ve transcended my personal animosity toward McCain and will be grudgingly flipping the lever in his favor come November for one reason; Supreme Court Justices.
This one issue alone is too important to leave to the libtards. If you think the Republicans wouldn’t allow the appointment of a liberal justice I only have to offer the incomparable Ruth Bader Ginsburg as an example.
Basically, we’re fucked. But I cannot intentionally allow the future of our highest court (think second amendment ) rest in the hands of the Demonrats.

10/2/08 4:30 PM

AlphaDog | 2/12/2008 05:05 AM CDT | #112629


Yep, sometimes the lesser of two evils is the only choice available.  There are two ways to deal with this:
1)The childish way- hold your breath and turn blue, pick up your toys and go home, ect.  Doesn’t always work, you know- and oftens results in getting the greater of the two evils.
2) The adult way- make the least damaging choice, move on, and make sure to minimize the damage and work to prevent such choices in the future (if possible).

So let’s think about the upcoming congressional and senitorial primaries.  Let’s see if we can’t get a few real conservatives in.

Joe in PNG | 2/12/2008 06:09 AM CDT | #112633


Who is that woman behind the desk, under the “Che” flag? I’ve seen her lately in Hillary’s campaign, somewhere! Take a real close look for me!

mrchuck | 2/12/2008 06:54 AM CDT | #112642


There’s no guarantee of a Republican win, even if every McCain-hating conservative out there shows up (holding nose) and votes.  The electorate, already divided almost 50-50 for the last few election cycles, is trending Democrat as young new voters come into play.  It’s possible, then, that even the best-run Republican campaign ever might not be enough.

Concerning Supreme Court Justices, the most likely retirements on the Court are all on the liberal side: Stevens, Ginsburg, and Souter.  Any replacements of these by a Dem President would only preserve the status quo that is currently in favor of the conservative justices.

Summary: It’s best if we keep the White House, of course. If we lose it, the next president will be limited in the damage (s)he can do in four years, by which time we should be ready to take the White House back.

Rhus Radicans | 2/12/2008 07:15 AM CDT | #112644


I still don’t know if I am convinced to vote for McCain, and I certainly don’t consider myself as a child picking up my ball and going home if I decide to withhold my vote. There is a lot of time and a lot of work to do on the local level before I make my decision. Your argument for Supreme Court nominees is compelling, and may just be the factor that makes me hold my nose and vote.

McCain is a truly foul candidate on many fronts, not the least of which is McCain Feingold, for which he should have been impeached. His votes against tax cuts, his wanting to shut down Guantanimo, his apoplectic response to waterboarding, his views on immigration and what to do with the current crop of criminal aliens in country, his saying Alito is “too conservative” a judge, and his willingness to stick it up the asses of conservatives at every turn make him a very difficult candidate for me to vote for.

It is all well and good to say vote for him and then clean up the mess later, but how many times have we heard that line? What will it take to send a message to the turds in the RNC? If we continue to accept mediocrity, then that is all that will be offered. I am working at the local level to recruit and support candidates for our State legislature. It might not be much, but it has to start somewhere. I encourage conservatives everywhere to do the same. I will certainly take your comments into consideration when I decide whether or not to vote for bastard McCain, but the jury is still out for me.

coalyard | 2/12/2008 07:19 AM CDT | #112645


McCain as an individual is a douche but the people in both the Clinton and Obama organizations are the enemy.

I’ll be about a hundred yards from the voting boths renting out Hazmat suits and the use of a pressure shower.

toad | 2/12/2008 07:25 AM CDT | #112647


HURRAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kim, THANK YOU! I mean that, sincerely and truly.
GOD, I KNOW what you mean about McCain; he IS the best of a BAD LOT, but he IS the best we have left. Fred would have been a DAMN GOOD President, if he had REALLY had the FIRE in his belly to WANT the job, and to GO AFTER 1600 Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, these days, a ‘Jack Ryan’ candidate CAN NOT GET ELECTED; if you don’t CHASE that HOUSE, you can’t get selected to live there! Oh well.
Of the candidates left in the race (and it IS a Horse Race - look at the Horses asses left running!), McCain is the best one on the GOP side of the contest.
Of the two on the DemCong side, which is MUCH WORSE, only Obama-lama-ding-dong is fit to even wear a U.S. flag - and the BS about his Islamic allegiance, with it’s Snopes.com reference, has been debunked BY SNOPES.COM! He’s still a jackass DemCong Ivory-Tower dreamer, but he’s NOT a Fifth-Columnist (just sadly head-in-the-clouds). Too bad; with a HARD DOSE of reality, he might not be a bad guy in 1600. BUT, there you go; over in the DemCong party, he’ll NEVER GET that Hard Dose!

Anyway, I’m glad YOU’VE decided to go ahead and vote McCain. NOT because of McCain, but because of the alternative of NOT VOTING.
And again, for those readers here who STILL want to go sit in the corner and sulk;
Grow UP! Or take your toys and go home.

The Mad Yank | 2/12/2008 07:36 AM CDT | #112650


You know, Kim, that would make a pretty good bumper sticker....

Mike of the Duelling Pistols | 2/12/2008 07:38 AM CDT | #112651


McCain is a truly foul candidate on many fronts, not the least of which is McCain Feingold, for which he should have been impeached. His votes against tax cuts, his wanting to shut down Guantanimo, his apoplectic response to waterboarding, his views on immigration and what to do with the current crop of criminal aliens in country, his saying Alito is “too conservative” a judge, and his willingness to stick it up the asses of conservatives at every turn make him a very difficult candidate for me to vote for.

Yes, he’s wrong on those issues, but are Hillary / Obama any better on those issues?  I don’t think so.

There are, however, issues where McCain is clearly better on than the D’s.  That’s why he’ll get my vote.

VariableFeedback | 2/12/2008 07:42 AM CDT | #112653


If you don’t vote, you don’t get to bitch.  But we get to bitch at you for the next 4 (probably 8 years).  Think about that.  EIGHT YEARS of liberal control of the oval office.  Probably at least 4 years of Congressional control and maybe as many as 4 replacement Justices.

For those who somehow DELUDE themselves that not voting ISN’T taking their ball and going home.  That is exactly what you are doing.  Much of the rest of the world would die trying to have the opportunity to vote between these dunderhead.  At least they would have a say in their government.  Think Cuba.  Think inner tubes and 1957 Chevy Belair BOATS.  Think half of Africa.  Think Vietnam.  Think North Korea. Think about how much better even HILLARY is compared to Castro or any of those other nimrods.  Then bring your ball back over to the game, before the game moves on without you.

Precision | 2/12/2008 07:48 AM CDT | #112656


And here we are with the lesser of two evils thing again. Very well put, Kim, as usual. Continuing to vote against someone, rather than for someone. However, if we continue to slog against the left maybe we can eventually get someone worth a tinkers fart.

cmblake6 | 2/12/2008 08:21 AM CDT | #112658


I too, am leaning toward voting for McCain as much as it pains me. I look at it this way, if either of the dems get elected we would have to fight them tooth and nail on everything coming down from on high. With McCain, we can concentrate on a handful of positions that are distasteful, to say the least, to conservatives.
We stopped amnesty once with an open border president, we can do it again.
Just my reasoning, YMMV.

Redeard | 2/12/2008 08:26 AM CDT | #112660


Kim:  Mark Levin?  Are you kidding me?   

The man is a hysterical blowhard.  Have you ever listened to his radio show?  He rants and raves like a lunatic.  G. Gordon Liddy and Michael Savage sound reasonable and level- headed compared to Levin. 

There are lots of reasons to dislike McCain but Mark Levin’s analysis has about as much credibility as something coming from Romney cheerleaders like Hugh Hewitt or KJ Lopez.

Staff Martin | 2/12/2008 08:41 AM CDT | #112665


Kim I love you, you know that. But I am in disagreement. Every election we are told how this is the most important election and that is why we should hold our nose and pull the lever for a Republican who is just as conservative as a Dem 4 years ago. This is the problem, by voting for scum, we annoint this scum as what we Republicans want. We did it for Bush Sr., Dole, Bush Jr., and now Juan McCain. We are reaping what we have sown because we are now a party without principles, who will vote for any liberal lying piece of shit sent our way. The threat of well you better vote for him because if not the other side/boogie man will win.

There is no way I will vote for McCain, my principles will not allow such a vote. I am tired of the slide. I am tired of the liberalization of the GOP. I am tired of being a conservative and having no representation and having the GOP tell me that I need to vote for someone with whom I almost totally disagree with. It is time for us to say enough is enough. It is a line in the sand moment for me. I have been pushed this far, no further. I will no longer support a liberal wishy-washy candidate. I as a free conservative man make my stand, if that means the other party wins so be it. I will not further erode my principles for some RINO for whom the constitution means nothing. With the other party I know what I am getting. I am tired of GOP candidates whom wipe their ass with the most beloved document in America. I am tired of the reaching across the isle if the only reaching happens to pass constitution destroying liberal trash legislation (McCain/Feingold, McCain/Kennedy). Enough is enough and a vote for McCain is a vote the continued destruction of the GOP as a party that is conservative and a bulwark against the socialism of the Dems.

Armed to the Teeth | 2/12/2008 08:45 AM CDT | #112666


http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8UODA4G0&show_article=1

We cannot afford four years of weakness in the face of growing threats.  Who do you want facing Putin, the Chinese, the Islamofascists… the NORKS? 

When push comes to shove all of the stuff that stacks up against McCain is domestic infighting over who struck John (in the case of McCain his personal grudges are very much at issue.)

Kim knows what I feel about McCain… I don’t loathe him… BUT I DON"T LIKE HIM much either… Politics and government are not hearts and flowers and what I wish to my toes would be true…

It is about cold hard facts.... and the cold hard facts are that the PRIMARY and most important job of the President of the United States is the HEAD OF STATE and COMMANDER IN CHIEF…

1) You cannot punish your way to winning… if you keep beating a dog, the dog will either die or turn on you.

2) In 2006 disgusted Conservatives stayed home.  We got a Dem Congress… What happened?  GOP congressmen began to resign or refuse to run in droves… Now the job of taking back Congress is infinitely harder… and still the calls are for more punishment…

3) McCain is the dog biting back, hard.  The Republican Establishment is rapidly losing any interest in dealing with the increasingly marginalized far Right.  Evangelicals are voting for Democrats because like Huck… they are fundamentally Pro-life Dems… The “Base” is beginning to hold its meetings in phone booths…

Meanwhile the wild critters are threatening the sandbox.  I have my priorities.  Sandbox first… then I worry about how much sand I get and why. 

I will hold my nose and vote for McCain because I know that Putin and the Islamofascists are orbiting.... It is time to vote to live to fight another day.

r/TMF

The Mighty Fahvaag | 2/12/2008 09:31 AM CDT | #112674


There are lots of reasons to dislike McCain but Mark Levin’s analysis has about as much credibility as something coming from Romney cheerleaders...

“Even a blind pig will occasionally find a truffle.” In this case, Levin’s analysis is faultless.

Kim du Toit | 2/12/2008 09:54 AM CDT | #112679


But in the end, I love my country more than I hate John McCain

Indeed. Took you long enough. I’ve been trying (badly) to say that for some time now. But then I’m not really a conservative, I only have certain conservative tendencies.

Greg | 2/12/2008 09:55 AM CDT | #112681


There’s only one thing to do: elect McCain

...and if as I do you live in a district where four neighbors out of five are metro/mezzo/mesosexual transplanted New York Democrats?  You’re asking me to endorse the RNC’s non-solution to the problem of encroaching government?  Why keep them in the dark? 

If there exists no electable person who embodies the principles of the Republican Party then the Republican Party no longer exists and something to perform its function must be newly created.  As it is now, the GOP has made the transition from being merely an inflamed appendix to being a septic one.  Time for surgery.

elect conservative Republicans to Congress, in 2008, in 2010, and in 2012.

...and you can vote for such, when you can find one, without needing to vote for McCain.

..

..

stencil | 2/12/2008 10:04 AM CDT | #112682


“Every election we are told how this is the most important election and that is why we should hold our nose and pull the lever for a Republican who is just as conservative as a Dem 4 years ago. This is the problem, by voting for scum, we annoint this scum as what we Republicans want.”

ATTT, my dear friend: I know this, and you are absolutely correct.

However, I would like to make one observation, drawn from history (as we conservatives are so wont to do).

In 1933, the elections in Germany produced the lowest vote totals of any election held since 1918. Even so, the Nazis were unable to claim a majority of the vote; but because a number of centrist voters had stayed at home for this election, the Nazis were able to form a coalition government—and we all know how that turned out, eventually.

I don’t remember the exact number, but it was a few, maybe as little as ten thousand voters who, by not showing up at the polls, allowed the Nazis to get their fingernails on the levers of power.

Ten thousand Republican voters staying away from the Florida polling booths would have given the 2000 elections to Gore; ten thousand Republican voters staying away from Ohio polling booths would have given the 2004 elections to Kerry.

Here’s the thought I’d like to leave you with: maybe we conservatives are in the distinct minority in this country. In that case, we have no choice but to elect the lesser of two evils.

Doing nothing, because we can’t get it all (or even 75% of it all), will just hand the country over to the socialists.

McCain is a turd in many respects, and the worst Republican candidate in decades.

But he’s not a socialist, and anyone who thinks that he’s even close to the Statist Clinton or the dreamy liberal Obama is incorrect.

I can’t do it. I just cannot do nothing while the socialists take over thecountry.

Kim du Toit | 2/12/2008 10:06 AM CDT | #112683


I’m with ArmedToTheTeeth on this one.  I simply cannot continue to take an active part in the ongoing perversion of conservative principals.  The blatant liberalizing and dilluting of the RNC will have to catch a ride on someone else’s conscience.  I can not vote for McCain. 

And none of the puerile name-calling by the capitulating masses are going to make me change my mind.

I am prepared to (and can) deal with the consequences of my (clear) conscience.  YMMV.

Bart | 2/12/2008 10:18 AM CDT | #112690


Think we will get a “Spanish attack”? Pre- election terrorist attempt to influence the vote? If we do, it will change the balance a lot. In that circumstance, Americans will call for blood.  I would bet the reaction here would be 180 degrees from Spain.

Raven | 2/12/2008 10:32 AM CDT | #112693


Raven,

More to the point: if we get a Democrat president, there will be an orchestrated bloodbath in Iraq—because the Iraqis will think we’re about to cut and run, and they’ll start supporting AQ again, out of pure fear.

Kim du Toit | 2/12/2008 10:48 AM CDT | #112698


So....... let me get this straight: McCain is a turd, but he’s OUR turd. That about sum it up? Well...... I, for my part, am in the habit of flushing my turds. And I think it’s a moot point. Turds don’t get elected. Liars, Idiots and Charlatans, yes, but ugly, stinking, OBVIOUS turds, no. Hils (fellow turd) is the only Dem that McCain has a chance at beating. Obama will be the Dem noninee.

4 things, none of which are likely, MUST happen for McCain to beat Obama come November:

1)McCain has to pin Obama down in a televised debate on the specifics of his “change”. Good luck with that, John.......  B. Hussein is an Idiot (or a Liar, depending on whether or not he actually believes his Socialist BS), but he is isn’t politically suicidal. He’ll ride that cult of personality all the way to the White House.

2)The MSM has to report those specifics. If Obama picked his nose and ate it during a nationally televised debate, you’d never hear about it from the MSM.

3)The American public has to stop watching American Idol/Biggest Loser/Deal or No Deal long enough to understand the implications of those specifics. Like they could understand them if they did....

4)Dems would have to turn out poorly on election day, and the Stoopid Party’s disgruntled factions would have to get out of their various snits and turn out well. The dems are showing up at caucuses and primaries in record numbers. A lot of Republicans (some of them on this site!)are talking about staying home or even voting for the DemCong, to teach the Republicans a lesson (Yeah, that worked SO well on ‘06!).

Methinks the dog has died......... it just doesn’t know it yet.

jimbob86 | 2/12/2008 11:11 AM CDT | #112706


Armedtotheteeth. How long do you think you could keep your screen name if Obama is elected and seeks registration of handguns and long guns to cut down on school and mall shootings?

Kim is right about the German 1933 election. There was a plurality and the Nazis, while leading in some provinces, did not lead in all, nor in the aggregate. Hitler became Chancellor because the President, a member of a different party made a deal with the party of the runners-up to form a government.

Germany still has F****d up elections. One does not elect an individual to the Bundesrat or whatever they call the equivalent of Parliament, one votes for a party and the seats are allocated based on overall percentages. The individual who takes a particular seat in Parliament is appointed off a list by the party boss.  It’s the same system in Italy where that porn actress went to Parliament.

Windy Wilson | 2/12/2008 11:20 AM CDT | #112709


I can’t do it. I just cannot do nothing while the socialists take over thecountry.

No one is asking that nothing be done, but you can do something without at the same time perpetuating the problem. The big problem is, you’re fighting two wars here, and losing both. Yes, the socialists are aiming at the country, but they’re also aiming at the republicans. It’s a brilliant and deadly strategy because we are focused on the country as a whole, and so the democrats put up increasingly insane candidates (did anyone 8 years ago think Hillary would have a snowball’s chance in hell? How about 20 years ago?) and those inside and influencing the republicans prop up candidates that are each time a little bit worse than the last. The end result time and time again is we pick the one that’s a little bit worse and thus play along with the game. The socialists win with every step to the left we take, and whether it’s baby steps at a time or giant leaps it doesn’t matter, they have all the time in the world (after all, we’re the ones working and paying for it).

A house divided can not stand, and the republican house is divided. We need to stop looking at each election as THE election and look to the larger plan. The shaping of this country won’t happen by wining every election. It will happen by influencing the minds of the people and to do that, we need to stop promoting and helping those that stand against us.

Look at the strategy the democrats have used to take power “Don’t look at us it’s all Bush’s fault” (never minding that they have control of congress and thus money, or that it’s their policies that got us there in the first place etc). We need to employ the same strategy, remove ourselves from the game of the enemy. Let them have the responsibility for failure. It will get worse before it gets better, but when the people come and say why are we so far in debt, with no money to pay for our promises and no way to fend off our enemies, then we can say “Don’t look at us, we didn’t cause this”.

In the end, you should vote for someone else. Write in if you have to, but vote for people who represent your views, and let the chips fall where they may. Then work on demonstrating to the people why what happened happened.

You can’t convince a GFW to like a gun while you mug them, and we won’t convince the country we’re right while voting in democrats in republican clothes.

tpmoney | 2/12/2008 11:29 AM CDT | #112712


Here’s the thought I’d like to leave you with: maybe we conservatives are in the distinct minority in this country. In that case, we have no choice but to elect the lesser of two evils.

This is the heart of the matter. We are on the losing side. Just look at the other comments about what everyone was going to do with their “stimulus check”. What a bunch of horse shyt. Its easy to proclaim your principles, but when the money is on the line, not one person said they were going to refuse the check. Why would we think the people that obama and hillery appeal to would do any different.

We can continue to think that if people just understood the message, conservatives would be swept into office, but we would be just as guilty as the obama dreamers. Apparently half the population doesn’t WANT to be responsible, they WANT to continue to act like children and believe fairy tales. Our best hope is to work for a conservative congress and live with what we can get elected for a president.

louis | 2/12/2008 11:35 AM CDT | #112714


And when, in 2009, President Obama/Clinton nominates some pinko jurist with a love for a Silly Putty Constitution (or maybe two pinko jurists), the Supreme Court will swing sharply Left, for decades.

This is the same mistake Hugh Hewitt made, and frankly it is mystifying.  You can only swing the Court sharply left if the new “pinko jurist(s)” are replacing non-pinko jurists.  The two Justices who seem most likely to retire in the next four years are Stevens and Ginsburg.  How does one get to the left of them?  Hence, how does the Court “swing?” The only “conservative” justice who seems even remotely in doubt is Kennedy.  Scalia is not going anywhere.

I intend to vote, but if the vote were today I wouldn’t be able to pull the lever for either “major-party” candidate (whoever that might be).  I don’t know of a minor-party candidate I could vote for, either, but it’s only February.  There’s always the write-in vote.  Whatever the case, I am not so easy a mark that I’ll vote for a great evil simply because I think it’s a lesser evil.  That’s not “taking my ball and going home;” that’s just basic integrity.

FWIW, I don’t think Hillary would be nearly as bad as Obama.  She’s a political hack, a disgusting human being, and utterly out of her mind on many issues (and then there’s Bill), but she has demonstrated occasional good sense on the War on Terrorism, which is why the MoveOn/DU/Kos types hate her so.  I am not so afraid of her that I’ll vote for a Constitution-shredding, terrorist-coddling, global-warming shill such as John McCain.  But maybe contra Obama; that’s a harder question.  Obama seems to have no redeeming traits, and there’s a war on.

What we need to do is vote on conscience, even if the concept confuses the hell out of nearly everyone in Washington.  But we must vote, if only because Congress matters.  Happily for me, my liberal “Republican” “Representative” is retiring, and two decent conservatives are wrestling for the Party endorsement.  Either way, I win!

Mike_MN | 2/12/2008 11:44 AM CDT | #112716


Kim, you summed it up perfectly:  I love my country more than I hate McCain.

I disagree, however, that this is our last stand.  This is only the current round in the ongoing slugfest between freedom and socialism.  Granted, if we give up now, the fight’s over, but if we stay at it, we’ll still be at this for a long time to come.

Socialists are used to having to fight the long fight - it took them all of the 20th century to make the progress they have.  We won’t win with one big Hail Mary pass; sometimes we are going to have to accept setbacks and/or standing still temporarily.  But giving up means they win.

Aaron_N | 2/12/2008 12:11 PM CDT | #112722


My two questions are as follows:

1) How do we expect to get good Conservative candidates when we consistently “hold our nose” and swallow what we are being fed?

2) How does one get that taste out of one’s mouth?

V/R
Larry P. Card
Franklinton NC

Larry | 2/12/2008 12:18 PM CDT | #112724


In the end, you should vote for someone else. Write in if you have to, but vote for people who represent your views, and let the chips fall where they may. Then work on demonstrating to the people why what happened happened.

It comes down to the Hierarchy of Needs.  Foundation layer is security of the nation.  Without that, it doesn’t matter if you can find or afford food.  It doesn’t matter how much is stolen from your wallet or stuffed into it.  You’re dead so it is moot.

What matters most is the War on Terror and continuing to prosecute that war until we’ve ended the threat of it and come home WINNERS.

Three months after the wars were declared the Communists Democrats started running the Vietnam playbook.  Nothing changed.  They ran this exactly the way they did then… they presented the war as divisive, and unnecessarily killing Americans in a war that wasn’t ours.  They talked of how we were just as bad as the enemy.

In the end, just like now, conservatives threw their hands up.  They were tired of the arguments and just wanted to end the war, not as much to end the war, but to end the discussion of the war.

So, how’d that work out?

The Killing Fields… millions and millions slaughtered, our military shamed and sent home to a country that spat on them and didn’t give them the heroes welcome they deserved, and a signal to the world that the way to beat America is to out live their patience.

I will not do that again.  I will be patient.  I will fight this war and stand behind our troops who are fighting it until the last man… I will forsake all other issues and even principles, if required, because telling the world that we won’t finish what we start, that we can be defeated by atrophy and impatience, is not the signal to continue to send.

The terrorists were emboldened by our failures in Vietnam, again by our failures under Carter, and again by our failures under Clinton, who was too impotent to take any action.

I will not run their fucking Vietnam playbook AGAIN.  If that means we have to elect McCain so that we can continue the WoT until it is WON, so be it.

When Bush prepared us for this war he told us ALL of this.  Some weren’t listening.  Some were listening half-hearted, not really clear on what he was saying. He told us it would be a long war, but some folks took that to mean 3 months instead of 1.  He meant YEARS, DECADES.  We have to reform the Middle East.  Some people didn’t sign on for that--they really don’t know what it means, even today.

I do.  I know what it means.  It means that we have to rebuild the breeding ground that gives the world anarchists and have that breeding ground deliver happy and bored working stiffs.  It means we have to reform Islam and segregate the moderates from the extremists.

Some people don’t want to do that--they don’t think it is possible.

I DO think it is possible or I would never have signed on to the war in the first place.  It isn’t possible in 8 years or even 12.  It will take decades, but it must be done or the only other option will be to turn the Middle East into a sea of glass… and no sane person would choose that.

The message is clear:  Reform in the Middle East will be a requirement.  Every man must change.  Their entire culture must change, just as we changed Japan’s culture.  We must also revise our position in the world and undo the Carter and Clinton years that tarnished America’s reputation in the world and made us out to be cowards, and the belief that we’ll give up eventually, so just lay low until then.

McCain gets that.  He may not get anything else, mores the pity, but he does get that.

That is the ONLY thing important in the world.  If we’re dead or our cities are being bombed or attacked on a regular basis, the economic impacts of 9/11 will be minuscule in comparison, so the economy doesn’t matter.  Our rights will be meaningless because Americans will be terrified and stifled, and thousands more will be dead, so our rights won’t matter either.

This is the part of the playbook where the Democrats tell us that the above is just fear mongering… that there is no real threat, that the terrorists are just misunderstood and they aren’t really interested in bringing about an Islamic Caliphate… that this is just an ideological war, having nothing do with old fashioned ideas like a domino effect or a war for the hearts and minds.

I’ve heard that all before.  1970s it was.

NOT AGAIN.

Connie du Toit | 2/12/2008 12:23 PM CDT | #112726


Indeed there is a threat from without. But that threat can’t effectively be fought while enemies within seek to destroy the very foundation of the castle. If america loses the WOT it will not be because she couldn’t shoulder the burden and last the time, it will be because her people focused too much on being her sword and shield that they forgot a sword and shield is worthless without a mind and a heart.

As you said, the WOT will be a long time, decades. Given the path our country is taking internally do you believe that on our current course the resolve and foundation of this country will last decades?

Please understand that I am not discounting the importance of the WOT, but suggesting that we are becoming single minded in that focus. The UK isn’t losing to fascist because their cities are burning or because they are withdrawing troops. They’re losing because their own politicians consider Sharia law to be “OK” and consider the possibility of changing the rules to allow doctors following such law to not scrub properly. The rot from within is worse than the disease without, and I fear our country is headed in much the same direction.

tpmoney | 2/12/2008 12:37 PM CDT | #112728


tpmoney- And how is electing Socialists going to help with that, exactly?

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that, because you can’t fix every problem at once that you shouldn’t start fixing the ones you *can* fix.

Greg | 2/12/2008 12:49 PM CDT | #112731


That is also true, TP, but the Brits surrendered to the Socialists after WWII when they socialized their industries.  They were in a much more difficult position than we are, even today, so the comparisons are apt, but the starting points are different.  Churchill was a horrid domestic leader, but a top notch war leader.  The Brits still have marketing campaigns that make Thatcher’s policies out to be the scarier (just watch the hideous film “Vendetta” where it is a leader like Thatcher that is the embodiment of evil, NOT the socialists).

People keep thinking that fascism is more dangerous than socialism, when they’re sisters, not opposites… and for death tolls, the socialists win hands down.

This is not dissimilar to what we’re facing… since they perceived Thatcher to be a surrender monkey to principle they got who?  Our equivalent of Clinton… Tony Blair.  Oh, that worked out SO much better.

As I’ve said before, maybe this is because folks don’t understand quantitative analysis.  If Clinton or Obama wins, the message delivered won’t be that the country wants MORE conservative. It will be that they want MORE socialist.  He who wins sends the message, not the guy who loses.  If middle can’t win then it will go more LEFT, not RIGHT.  If you always choose the least socialist, the incrementalism direction is to least-socialist, not more.

If McCain loses, the country will BE more left and will continue in that direction, because that is the only message delivered with a vote.

Do you really want Janet Reno back?  Do you want Madelyn Allbright at state? Richard Riley in Education?  Donna Shalala in HHS? [shudders]

Connie du Toit | 2/12/2008 01:03 PM CDT | #112734


Great post, Kim.
Makes it easier to justify paying off my NRA Easy-pay Life membership instead of buying another lead launcher.

Everyone:
From what I know of the locations of the frequent contributors to this site, most of us are not in battleground states.  For those of you who are not, your donation may well mean more than your vote (the new proportional electoral allocations in some states notwithstanding).  I urge you in the strongest possible terms to donate to McCain’s campaign, or to any embattled Republican incumbent in Congress.

If we lose this, it may not be because the much-vaunted ‘base’ stays home in November.  I fear that many conservatives will still hold their noses and *vote* McCain, but won’t donate or volunteer for the campaign.  THAT could be the margin of victory right there.

Gino | 2/12/2008 02:11 PM CDT | #112742


Look at the strategy the democrats have used to take power “Don’t look at us it’s all Bush’s fault” (never minding that they have control of congress and thus money, or that it’s their policies that got us there in the first place etc). We need to employ the same strategy, remove ourselves from the game of the enemy. Let them have the responsibility for failure. It will get worse before it gets better, but when the people come and say why are we so far in debt, with no money to pay for our promises and no way to fend off our enemies, then we can say “Don’t look at us, we didn’t cause this”.

How will we get the word out when the leftists control the news media? We have to convince others of this; we are merely prattling among ourselves.  I work on my brothers and sisters-in-law, but it is a hard fight, as I don’t see them all the time, nor is it always appropriate to talk politics.  I’m working mainly on the WOT with them.

We have to vote so as to slow the sinking of the ship as much as possible. We can’t give up bailing, even though it seems hopeless and the ship doesn’t go where we want it. The goal is to stop the sinking, and we can’t do it sitting on our hands.
Bail now, steer later.

Windy Wilson | 2/12/2008 02:27 PM CDT | #112746


Well I’m still voting for Huckabee at the current time, as the foulest thing about him is tax hikes. If high taxes are what I have to pay to keep my country, then so be it. At least with Huck we’ll still HAVE our country. I also have to admit that his idea of a Fair Tax is a better choice than what we have now.

I refuse to vote Socialist, no matter what letter is beside their name. It’s hard to take the advice to vote McCain (Socialist) when the authors had the “like it or leave” attitude about Drop-Out-Fred.

Fred has caused me to vow to never contribute to another political campaign. After enduring personal hardships by forwarding hard-earned money to the campaign of the only one who was capable of doing some good with it and watching him just cash in and drop the hell out… fuck ‘em all.

“If McCain wins, the country will BE more left and will continue in that direction, because that is the only message delivered with a vote.”

That quote fits just as well…

Aric | 2/12/2008 02:30 PM CDT | #112747


tpmoney- And how is electing Socialists going to help with that, exactly?

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that, because you can’t fix every problem at once that you shouldn’t start fixing the ones you *can* fix.

The question is, what problem are you fixing by electing McCain? The ever continuous march to the left? If anything, you’re only slowing it. The fact that the republican party can’t nominate a real republican? Quite the contrary, you would send the message that McCain and his ilk are the sort of folks we want in office. Electing McCain seems to be the equivalent breaking your fingers to that you don’t feel the pain from your headache anymore. Sure the pain in your head is mitigated, but it still didn’t solve or treat the problem and creates more problems on top of it.

As I’ve said before, maybe this is because folks don’t understand quantitative analysis.  If Clinton or Obama wins, the message delivered won’t be that the country wants MORE conservative. It will be that they want MORE socialist.

So america has twice elected Bush, the republican nominee, in your opinion, has this sent the message and moved the country to the right? Is McCain, the nomination of the republican party to replace Bush, further to the right? Is he a step in the right direction (no pun intended)? And not is he a step in the right direction relative to Hilary, but is he a step in the right direction relative to Bush?

He who wins sends the message, not the guy who loses.  If middle can’t win then it will go more LEFT, not RIGHT.  If you always choose the least socialist, the incrementalism direction is to least-socialist, not more.

The losers send messages too. Obama is where he his in part because the democrats leaned from Kerry that wooden personalities don’t win votes. The critical question is, what message will be sent if McCain wins, and what message will be sent if he loses?

Again, if your strategy is overarching change, McCain is a bad thing. You’ve already acknowledged he would be bad for this country (just not as bad as Hilary) but because of that, he will be bad for future efforts. In 4 years, when everyone is looking at all the stuff that went wrong, they will see the R next to McCain’s name, not the fact that his R has about as much meaning as the People’s Republic part of China.

I fear that the election of McCain would, instead of helping the cause, guarantee that his presidency would be followed with 8 years of Obama or his ilk. This country has already had 8 years of bad republican leadership, another 4 years I think would be more damaging than a lot of people think. I see this election not as a choice between 4 years of McCain or 4 years of Hilary, but between 8 years of Hillary or 4 years of McCain + 8 years of Hillary.

tpmoney | 2/12/2008 02:44 PM CDT | #112749


I’m not sure you’ve been paying attention. Electing McCain ensures that the WoT continues, rather than ending in “last helicopter out of Saigon"-style defeat, followed by butchery of millions of first allies, then potentially friendly innocents.

Exactly how many times are you willing to teach the world that the US cannot by trusted, that our first instinct is to betray their friends and second is to appease our enemies, before we find that we *have* no friends, only enemies (it pays better and is safer) and that all our power is essentially useless because it provides us no deterrence, no leverage, no influence (everyone knows we can’t or won’t use it)?

Once was nearly fatal, and we’re still dealing with the aftermath. Twice? I don’t want to *think* about a second time.

Greg | 2/12/2008 03:08 PM CDT | #112758


And I’m not sure how ‘overarching’ change is easier with a Democrat in the White House, unless you’re entertaining ‘reset button’-style fantasies.

Sure electing Hillary President may be the fastest and surest way to discredit her forever. Kind of like LBJ. Except that, even as hated as LBJ was, by *everyone* Right or Left, so much so that a sitting President decided not to run for re-election, we STILL haven’t cleaned up after his fucking Great Society catastropy. What Hillary will do while in office seems likely to be even worse, and would of course be even harder to clean up.

It’s too high a price to pay to be able to say “told you so”.

Greg | 2/12/2008 03:16 PM CDT | #112760


We’ve already lost.  Our choices are going to be a pro-war, pro-illegal immigration, anti-free speech liberal and an anti-war liberal.  That’s not good enough.  Let it BURN, do you hear me?  I’m voting for Hillary.  I want to make damned sure that the Dems get full blame for what happens in the next 5 years.  I want Hillary to screw this country up so badly that it teaches this county a lesson it will take 20 years for our short attention spans to forget.  BURN!

I. Will. Not. Vote. For. McCain.

Annoyed White Male | 2/12/2008 03:41 PM CDT | #112768


Annoyed,
It’s been just shy of 33 years since the fall of Saigon, and what do you think the short attention span set “remembers” about that?  Do you think they’re going to blame the Democrats in general, or Hillary in particular, if a Dem-orchestrated Iraq pullout goes sideways and becomes a killing fields redux?  It will be spun as an unfortunate but inevitable result of Bushitler and the Rethuglicans’ arrogant imperialist meddling in innocent, oppressed (by us), equally-as-valid societies.

Gino | 2/12/2008 04:30 PM CDT | #112778


I don’t know whether to pity you or despise you.

I *do* wish you’d grow up, it would make life so much easier for the rest of us. BTW, that nihilistic, filled-with-hatred and disgust schtick is a Leftist trademark. You sound like a Kos Kid.

Ed: Not you Gino, you just type too fast.

Greg | 2/12/2008 04:31 PM CDT | #112779


It’s been just shy of 33 years since the fall of Saigon, and what do you think the short attention span set “remembers” about that?

Yup. How the short-attention-span set apportions blame, the short version:

Bad stuff that is due to the actions of Republicans is the Republican’s fault.

Bad stuff that is due to the actions of Democrats is America‘s fault.

We get to choose between bad and worse this time around. I’m going to be voting for bad, and then working to ensure I have better choices next time around.

rosignol | 2/12/2008 05:09 PM CDT | #112787


And the sentiments of Annoyed White Male (#43) is the reason that we will have a demoncrat in the white house and both houses of congress. The republicrats have nobody to blame but themselves. Juan McAmnesty is gonna lose...and I mean LOSE BIG. Doesn’t matter if it is Hitlery or Obama...he doesn’t stand a chance.

Let me reiterate the depths of my loathing for this evil little man. I honestly cannot think of a worse candidate that the republicans have fielded for a presidential election...ever. I have made perfectly clear many times on these very pages just how much I despise this man. Romney wasn’t very good, Huckleberry is a joke (and not the funny ha ha kind), but John McStain takes the prize for worst candidate EVER. In an election season that the republicrats should win in a slam dunk, we, the American people, are going to lose. Let that sink in for a moment. The best the republicrats could field to keep the demoncrats at bay is one of them! And make no mistake, he is one of them, I don’t care who he gets to endorse him. Barely a republican and damn sure not conservative.

Now that we got that out of the way, and after reading the thread at Rachel Lucas’ website, I am going to admit that I was wrong. I was wrong to say that I will never vote for Juan McAmnesty. I hate saying it, but I WAS WRONG. I damn well hate John McStain, but I fuckin’ hate Hitlery AND Obama even more! And there’s the rub. As bad as I know McClown is I also realize that the other two socialist are even worse (if only by degrees). With McCain the American people might get an acceptable judicial nomination. With Hitlery of Obama we know damn well that they will be looking for someone that makes Ginsberg look like Scalia in comparison. With Hitlery and Obama we will get an across the board cut and run foriegn policy AND a closed GITMO. With McClown we will just get the closed GITMO and perhaps a little more reasonable foriegn policy. I likened the sugar coating of John McStain’s record to attract conservative voters to sugar coating a turd in order to convince people that it will taste good. Well, I STILL feel the same way. However, if the only available choices are shit covered in sugar or shit covered in rat poison, I’m afraid I’ll be dining on the sugar coated shit, thank you very much. Yeah, I know damn well that I ain’t gonna like it, but at least it won’t kill me.

Now, going back to why McStain is going to lose. The rest of the country (and especially the MSM) will view see the difference between the candidates as sugar coated shit and foie gras. Wanna guess which will be which? John McStain, darling of the media, maverick is soon to have his alliance with the MSM pulled out from under him leaving him to look like the mean spirited little bag of shit that he truly is. This really couldn’t have worked out better for the MSM that it already has. Neither Hitlery nor Obama will ever be forced to answer the hard questions and any missteps will be forgiven...instantly. Someone mentioned that Obama could get away with picking his nose and eating it on national TV...I’ll go one step farther...he could shit on the constitution and wipe his ass with the flag and not only get away with it, the media will do everything in their power to convince us that we didn’t really see it. And with that in mind, I will do my part and vote for the lesser of the evils we are confronted with. Yes, I understand that voting for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil. I get it. However it is still the lesser. Kinda like voting for a demon or Satan himself.

Oh, and one more thing. The RNC still doesn’t get it. They called me and asked me for more money..."to defeat Hitlery and the demoncrats in November.” I asked them how much it would cost to get a real republican candidate for president. They sounded confused, befuddled. I told them theat they are never to call me and ask for money again so long as they support anti-republican candidates. And I am not of the mind that the republicans did this to themselves. This is the work of some shitty little nowhere states and their non-republican voters that gave momentum to the bullshit express. My opinion is that ALL primaries should be held on the same day so that everyone has the same weight to their vote and that there is no such thing as momentum.

The Quiet Man | 2/12/2008 05:18 PM CDT | #112790


In the next decade you may be the last refuge for many of us....don’t surrender..vote republican..even if it hurts.

thud | 2/12/2008 05:29 PM CDT | #112795


Electing McCain ensures that the WoT continues, rather than ending in “last helicopter out of Saigon"-style defeat, followed by butchery of millions of first allies, then potentially friendly innocents.

If Obama were the alternative, you may have a point.  Otherwise, baloney.  Even if you can’t bear to watch Hillary closely enough to notice how she has voted when the chips were really down (and I can appreciate that problem), consider only how much the MoveOn/DU/Kos cranks hate her and you’ll know that she’s not one of them.  Obama worries me, but Hillary won’t abandon either Iraq or the War on Terrorism.  She’ll do some damnfool things, no doubt, and she’d suck on nearly every other issue, but so would McCain.  On both counts.

I *do* wish you’d grow up.... 

Translation: “Thank you, Sir, may I have another!” Such is the victimhood of a chronically-battered wife.  I’ve been battered enough by these jerks, and I’m out the door.  There’s more at stake than just the presidency (without a liberal Congress, government can’t grow), so I will vote, but if the choice is between Clinton and McCain, I choose “none of the above.”

Mike_MN | 2/12/2008 05:30 PM CDT | #112796


Gregg it’s not a question of easier, it’s a question of effective. The method of choosing the lesser of two evils has been the republican strategy for far too long and *it isn’t working*. The country continues to slide to the left and continues to embrace socialist ideas.

Rosingol, how do you plan to make for better choices next time? It appears to me that such a strategy hasn’t worked ever. Again I remind you that in 20 years this country has gone from Regan to Clinton Part II. Even worse, in those 20 years every bit of republican leadership that has been submitted before the country has failed so spectacularly that the country has shifted further to the left.

And you’re right, democrat failures get blamed on the country, republican failures get blamed on the republicans, but that’s because every time a democrat fails, it’s following on the heels of a spectacular republican failure, and so they point the blame at us, but when a republican fails, the republicans say “It’s because we don’t have a real republican, give us another chance with this guy”. The problem is, we’re the ones electing these people. If they aren’t real republicans, then why the hell are we electing them or even pretending they represent us. We are being played, and losing badly. We’re too busy thinking 3 moves ahead that we haven’t realized the enemy has every path mapped for the next 10 moves.

tpmoney | 2/12/2008 05:42 PM CDT | #112798


I know we aren’t really talking about this, but I think part of this problem would be reduced if we made some serious changes in the election process.

Anyone who currently holds a political office MUST resign prior to announcing candidacy for Presidency.  Actually, anyone running for a different office, must resign the one they currently hold to run for the new one.

No donations allowed, campaigns announced or ad campaigns before 01 July.

Primaries begin on 01 August and end by 15 September

Nomination conventions by Sept 31

Election in November.

Obviously my idea would need some fine tuning and weasel proofing, but the concept is:
a candidate must be willing to give up his current cushy job to run for the new one.
it would reduce (somewhat) the benefit of being on the stage and running
it would allow us to have an official actually working for his pay OR running for office

No war chest build up for years prior to the campaign.
hopefully more transparency in funds although this would probably cause greater assets to be donated to PAC’s and National Committees

July would be for raising money and getting out the message.
August and Sept would be for all the primaries, forcing candidates to spend time and money wisely
we would get a respite from 12-15 month long campaigns

2 weeks after the last primary the parties get their candidate and platform together, then have 5-6 weeks to get their message out for the national popular election.

In all likelihood, everyone would announce on 01 July and the nomination process would be decided by the end of August.  Instead of this current process of spending an entire year wasted doing nothing but campaigning, we would only waste 2 months. 

A quick short fight and hopefully money would be less of an issue as it is in long drawn out campaigns, although I see the possibility for money to become more of an issue.  Can’t win them all.

Precision | 2/12/2008 06:11 PM CDT | #112800


Normally, my vote is for whomever I think is going to bugger me with the smallest appendage.  This time there is no difference.  No matter who wins, I loose.  Thank you so very, very much for allowing me to have a choice of lubricants.

Not.  This.  Time.

If Hillary wins she and her Congress will begin their policies without delay.  Hopefully the shock will cause enough of backlash by 2010 that the Stupid Party will be able to regain control and prevent her from doing too much damage until she can be ousted in 2012.  I’ve surrendered ‘08.  My sights are on ‘10.

Annoyed White Male | 2/12/2008 06:22 PM CDT | #112802


Furthermore, if we wake up on November 5th to President-Elect Obama or President-Elect Clinton, and then we turn on the TV to see joyous street demonstrations all over the Arab world, how will we feel then?

We will feel like Germans in 1946.

Wild Eyed Charlie | 2/12/2008 06:30 PM CDT | #112804


Ten things To Do Before The Election:

1. Clean your rifle.

2. Clean your handgun.

3. Sharpen your knives.

4. Lay in stocks of water purification supplies, ammo, and food.

5. Make sure you vehicles’ gas tanks are always at least half full.

6. Make arrangements as to where you are going when the cities erupt into riots.

7. If at all possible, pre-position supplies at that location.

8. Buy, and take physical possession of, gold and silver.

9. If your loved ones don’t already know how, teach them to defend themselves. This will involve teaching a change in society’s normal rules of engagement, i.e. defend yourself AT ALL COSTS.

10 . KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT about your preparations.

Wild Eyed Charlie | 2/12/2008 06:34 PM CDT | #112805


I’m sorry , Kim, but I will not vote for the schmuck (which one you ask - take your pick).  The fact that we have McCain is an indication that this battle is already lost.  He has betrayed everyone except the troops.  Can they be far behind?  I think not.  We need to support conservative candidates in Congress, state, and local races now, as you mentioned.  Who would have forseen the Reagan days when Jimmy Carter had just been elected president?  That pendulum will swing again.  I just hope we all make it until then.

Tallis | 2/12/2008 07:23 PM CDT | #112811


I agree with larry.

Tallis | 2/12/2008 07:25 PM CDT | #112812


LONNNNNgggggg, term.  I’m just looking for time.  Time to beef up organizations within the party like the Club for Growth and to get something like it at the local level.  I’ve come to the conclusion that the time to kill off RINOS is before they can get to the national stage.  We need better background research done on these turkeys. 
The Club for Growth currently opposes the RINOs when they re-run for office and due to money and time restraints they can only selectively target. 

As one pundit put it, “There are six reasons that I’ll vote for (spit) McCain, they are all over 70 and are sitting on a bench.”

toad | 2/12/2008 07:50 PM CDT | #112817


Rosingol, how do you plan to make for better choices next time?

I’ve already sent the state Republican party an email asking for info on how to get involved- volunteering and the like. I’ll do enough of it to figure out how things really work and figure out if there’s a snowball’s chance of teaming up with like-minded types and getting the R’s back on track. If there isn’t, I’ll take what I’ve learned and see if that outfit Bill Quick is trying to get started is going anywhere.

But I don’t expect anything to come of it in the short term, so I’m going to be voting R* as a holding action in the meantime.

*except for the stinkers, obviously. Having an R after their name does not make any politician a saint.

rosignol | 2/12/2008 10:09 PM CDT | #112822


12 years of Bush hurt the conservative cause more than 8 years of Clinton ever did.  Bush has left the borders open, spent outrageous sums on the welfare state, and wasted our soldiers lives through idiotic rules of engagement in the politically correct war on terror(tm). 

The reason we keep being “Cornered” into voting against the Democrat nominee instead of being able to have a Republican nominee we can be proud of is that we allow ourselves to be “Cornered.” If this continues then within 20 years we’ll be voting for a “Republican” who makes LBJ look like Teddy Roosevelt. 

This year I’ll be voting “For” someone.  I’m not totally certain who I’ll write in yet, but I would vote for Ron Paul if he runs as an independent.

kingfisher | 2/13/2008 03:15 AM CDT | #112833


1) How do we expect to get good Conservative candidates when we consistently “hold our nose” and swallow what we are being fed?

Simple. Force the party to the Right BETWEEN ELECTIONS. When it comes time to do the voting, try to nominate the person who most closely matches your principles (I assume you do that in the primaries, I’m just stating steps here), and then vote for whomever winds up getting nominated.

It’s been mentioned here and elsewhere that the time to make the principled stand is at the Primaries, but even that is misleading. The time to REALLY influence the issue is before there even ARE Primaries. Talk to your neighbors and friends, write to Party officials and Congresscritters, write to the White House to hold the current incumbent’s feet to the fire. Just don’t wait until you see the whites of their eyes and then decide that they’re too jaundiced for you.

For those who ARE trying to make a difference, thank you. I wish I could do more myself, but I’m not in an area where there are that many people to convince, so most of my efforts have gone into keeping my Representative and Senators where we want them. If enough of us