R.I.P. G.O.P.
Yesterday my wife asked me, "What is the Republican party going to do with a corrupt crook at the head of the ticket?" My initial response was "I don't think Trump is a crook. He will likely win the nomination legally; the party has little choice but to get behind him and hope he wins. The sad thing is that if Hillary wins the nomination both parties will have a 'corrupt person at the head of the ticket." The conversation has gotten me thinking about what the Trump nomination means for the G.O.P.
My entire adult life Republican consultants, commentators and pundits have espoused a political strategy of reaching "across the aisle," and bringing democrats and independents into the party. Candidates should tailor their message to independents (by not being too conservative). The country is "left of center,"they say. "We need someone who can bring more people into the party by negotiating with the other side 'to get things done.' " Who fits that profile better than master negotiator, Donald Trump, the current presumptive nominee of the Republican party? Why are some in the party upset about Trump? He is exactly the candidate the experts and consultants have said they have needed since 1964 yet they despise him. They despise him because he is not an insider.
The G.O.P needed to nominate one of the outsider candidates, in order, to win the 2016 election. Trump, although a Republican represents, the values beliefs and attitudes of those whom this party has scorned, but they have needed to get elected. Whether he wins or loses a Trump nomination marks the end of the G.O.P as it has been constituted since 1964. R.I.P G.O.P! The strategy of the Republican Party since the 1964 Presidential loss has been on a collision course with reality. It has been a strategy of attempting to appease your opponents in order to "win them over." In politics as in relationship appeaser are losers, because those who seek to destroy will use your good intentions to further their bad ones. Whether you like his bellicosity or not, Trump has demonstrated that politics is war and must be fought in a scorched earth fashion. "A thousand points of light, peace with honor, compassionate conservatism" are red herrings. While those who throw around the words claim to be conservative, their actions belie their words. Most Americans are angry that our liberties, paid for in blood, our economy, our opportunity are our constitution is being ravaged, and that the Republican party has been complicit.
When Speaker of the House Paul Ryan forgoes endorsing the Republican front runner for the nomination he shows himself to be, as many have suspected, the quintessential R.I.N.O. In 2012 one month before Gov Mitt Romney announced Ryan as his running mate he showed his true colors. In an interview with conservative scholar, Mark Levin, he promised that if he were re- elected to the House most of Obamacare would be overturned. 85% of Obamacare was regulatory and could be defunded through the legislative procedure known as reconciliation without winning the 2012 Presidential election. His lose of the Vice Presidency should not have mattered. Where was his promise to the voters of Wisconsin after his re-election? The fact is he had no intention of seeing Obamacare stopped even though he was elected to do just that. When Senator Marco Rubio leads a fight for comprehensive immigration reform, says publicly that Obama care cannot be stopped unless the Republican party has control of all three branches it becomes clear why his Presidential bid was impotent. He is clueless about what American voters want.
In the 2010 midterm elections after reconciliation was used to pass Obamacare the Republicans won the greatest congressional landslide since 1920, but that is only part of the story. The Republican party for the first time in its history defeated democrats in local elections like animal control officer, and sheriff. Due to a peaceful political movement the TEA party millions of disenfranchised Republican voters, new independents and Reagan democrats entered the electoral process and voted Republican. The party gained control of 31 state legislatures and 38 state houses. The greatest electoral victory in history, and had the opportunity to dominate US politics for a century. Instead Republican leader after leader disparaged the TEA partiers, the RNC disparaged candidates who were challenging "old guard liberal republicans" like Mike Scott of Delaware. In 2012 Romney and Ryan were ahead in the race, their chances were bolstered by the first televised debates. Unbelievably, the pundits and prognosticators, advised him to be conciliatory in the last two debates. He lost both. Following that he and his Vice Presidential nominee backed off of several of their promises and began saying that if elected they would work to "reach across the aisle and bring people together." Conservatives had been afraid of Romney's liberal record in Massachusetts, and most informed conservatives were afraid of Ryan's duplicity. The Republican bases stayed home. Obama was re-elected.
Although Romney lost in 2012, the prior midterm elections had been so large that democratic victories failed to turn both house back to them. The Obama agenda continued. Congress continued investigations of IRS and Benghazi but pledged not to shut down the government, stand in the way of debt ceiling increases, and promised neither to defund anything nor would they consider impeachment. They surrendered the powers the Constitution gives to the minority parties, and became nothing more than an advisory body.
The senate approved the Presidents bad judicial and cabinet appointees. Then in 2014 the Republican leadership announced they had gotten the message. They claimed to be willing to support conservative causes on the one hand, yet the RNC supported the "go along to get along candidates" like Thad Cochran and John Mc Cain. Once again the voters gave the Republicans an electoral mandate.
After the 2014 election the President traded Beau Bergdahl for five enemy combatants. Attempted to interfere with the Israeli elections to assure the defeat of Prime Minister Benjamin Netinyahu. When he was re-elected he treat the allies leader impertinently. Obama negotiated an agreement with Iran allowing them unlimited access to nuclear weapons. This was the Republican parties greatest opportunity to stop Obama's abuse of power. The Constitution requires a two thirds vote of the Senate to approve a treaty. Obama did not have that. Even democrat stalwarts like Diane Finstein, Menedez, and Chuck Shumer were opposing the deal. Under the rules Obama would have lost this vote, but have no fear the GOP is here.
The Senate passed the Corker amendment to an authorization bill allowing the deal to the bill to only be defeated if 2/3 of the Senate voted against it. Where previously it had taken 2/3 of the Senate to pass the bill, it would now only take 1/3 of the Senate to pass the bill, not even a majority. Of course, the Congress had no authority to pass a procedure to allow the President to "work around the Constitution," but that is what they did. The Corker Amendment passed 98-1. Only Senator Tom Cotton voted against it. Each of the committed conservative Senators who would later run for President Cruz, Rubio, Paul voted for it. Cruz still bruised from his previous stands against the Republican party, sent out a statement of regret explaining that the democrats would use parliamentary procedure to bring the treaty to the floor anyway, and nothing could be done about it. Every Republican, except Tom Cotton, had betrayed the voters who had elected them. Obama had gotten the Iran deal done, because of the Republicans rather than in spite of them. At that point the Republican party lost all credibility with their voters.
No Republican who had put his or her name on that bill could assure voters of their commitment to the Constitution. This was the nadir of the Republican party. At the time when Kate Schively was killed, the attacks in Paris occurred at a period when the President should have been a lame duck party leaders surrendered. It was suicide for anyone seeking the Presidency. The symbol (R) next to a candidates name was taken to meant they could not be trusted.
Since the base of the Republican party, the independents, and the Reagan democrats had no one to trust. They were looking for someone with no ties to either party to help them. Most Americans are not political ideologues, they neither understand nor care about "conservative, liberal, democrat, republican." Most Americans feel their way of living, and their liberty is being destroyed by this administration. It was the perfect opportunity for a new party to arise, or for an outsider to come into the Republican party.
Enter Donald Trump whom the experts said would never win the Republican nomination. "Why he's not conservative enough," his opponents said. None of the Senators who opposed him had stood firm for their principles, even Cruz had surrendered on Iran. "Why he is mean spirited and says nasty things?" say many. Those critics fail to realize that we live in a world where freedom of speech and religion are under assault. You can't even joke without being called a racist. While few of us like trumps statements about Megan Kelly, or his making fun of a disabled reporter, we wanted someone who would not be afraid to speak his mind. His acrimony and belligerence convinced people that he was willing to say even what was unpopular and socially unacceptable if he believed it to be true. What the Republican party failed to understand was Trump would have captured the voter that voted for him, whether he had run as an independent, a Republican or a Democrat.
If Trump wins the general which I now think he will (the success of Bernie Sanders on the democratic side gives credibility to my belief that Mrs. Clinton is unelectable) the Republican Party will be forced to reform. If he loses the Republican party will vanish into oblivion, and a new hopefully conservative party will arise. There are some observation that I would hope the Republican leadership, or leadership of the new conservative party will learn from Trump:
1. Favor-abilities are not as important as leadership. Trump abrasiveness, his crudeness does not matter to the voters. What they have voted for is his vision for American? People are not voting for someone to whom Santa Claus will deliver gifts on Christmas Eve. If niceness were important to the voters Harry Truman, LBJ nor Richard Nixon would have been elected. In a dangerous world people want someone who will stand up to thugs. The fact that Trump will throw a reporter out of news conference, call an opponent a pejorative term may not fit the media image of a President, but his bellicosity convinces voters that he won't back down.
2. Most voters are un-ideological. Trump is a populist. The average voter could care less about the political label socialist, democrat, republican, conservative. They care about someone who seems to identify with their problems and offer solutions. I question whether populist solutions will work, but the people just want someone to reverse the coarse of this nation. Few voters could define conservative, libertarian, populist, and fewer care. One of the reasons why Cruz lost was he continually promoted his conservatism, but he failed to give people a vision of how his leadership would solve the problem. Ronald Reagan seldom spoke of conservatism, he offered a vision of a city on a hill and of prosperity and strength. Many Republican leaders (Mc Connel and Ryan for example) are quick to grab the conservative label for a campaign, then run as far away and as fast as they can from Conservative principles once elected. That is why we have Trump at the head of the ticket.
3. The Republican party must re-invent itself. If Trump wins the party will have to ask questions about its identity and purpose. If he loses no Republican will ever be President again R.I.P G.O.P.
My entire adult life Republican consultants, commentators and pundits have espoused a political strategy of reaching "across the aisle," and bringing democrats and independents into the party. Candidates should tailor their message to independents (by not being too conservative). The country is "left of center,"they say. "We need someone who can bring more people into the party by negotiating with the other side 'to get things done.' " Who fits that profile better than master negotiator, Donald Trump, the current presumptive nominee of the Republican party? Why are some in the party upset about Trump? He is exactly the candidate the experts and consultants have said they have needed since 1964 yet they despise him. They despise him because he is not an insider.
The G.O.P needed to nominate one of the outsider candidates, in order, to win the 2016 election. Trump, although a Republican represents, the values beliefs and attitudes of those whom this party has scorned, but they have needed to get elected. Whether he wins or loses a Trump nomination marks the end of the G.O.P as it has been constituted since 1964. R.I.P G.O.P! The strategy of the Republican Party since the 1964 Presidential loss has been on a collision course with reality. It has been a strategy of attempting to appease your opponents in order to "win them over." In politics as in relationship appeaser are losers, because those who seek to destroy will use your good intentions to further their bad ones. Whether you like his bellicosity or not, Trump has demonstrated that politics is war and must be fought in a scorched earth fashion. "A thousand points of light, peace with honor, compassionate conservatism" are red herrings. While those who throw around the words claim to be conservative, their actions belie their words. Most Americans are angry that our liberties, paid for in blood, our economy, our opportunity are our constitution is being ravaged, and that the Republican party has been complicit.
Most Americans are angry that our liberties, paid for in blood, our economy, our opportunity are our constitution is being ravaged, and that the Republican party has been complicit.
When Speaker of the House Paul Ryan forgoes endorsing the Republican front runner for the nomination he shows himself to be, as many have suspected, the quintessential R.I.N.O. In 2012 one month before Gov Mitt Romney announced Ryan as his running mate he showed his true colors. In an interview with conservative scholar, Mark Levin, he promised that if he were re- elected to the House most of Obamacare would be overturned. 85% of Obamacare was regulatory and could be defunded through the legislative procedure known as reconciliation without winning the 2012 Presidential election. His lose of the Vice Presidency should not have mattered. Where was his promise to the voters of Wisconsin after his re-election? The fact is he had no intention of seeing Obamacare stopped even though he was elected to do just that. When Senator Marco Rubio leads a fight for comprehensive immigration reform, says publicly that Obama care cannot be stopped unless the Republican party has control of all three branches it becomes clear why his Presidential bid was impotent. He is clueless about what American voters want.
In the 2010 midterm elections after reconciliation was used to pass Obamacare the Republicans won the greatest congressional landslide since 1920, but that is only part of the story. The Republican party for the first time in its history defeated democrats in local elections like animal control officer, and sheriff. Due to a peaceful political movement the TEA party millions of disenfranchised Republican voters, new independents and Reagan democrats entered the electoral process and voted Republican. The party gained control of 31 state legislatures and 38 state houses. The greatest electoral victory in history, and had the opportunity to dominate US politics for a century. Instead Republican leader after leader disparaged the TEA partiers, the RNC disparaged candidates who were challenging "old guard liberal republicans" like Mike Scott of Delaware. In 2012 Romney and Ryan were ahead in the race, their chances were bolstered by the first televised debates. Unbelievably, the pundits and prognosticators, advised him to be conciliatory in the last two debates. He lost both. Following that he and his Vice Presidential nominee backed off of several of their promises and began saying that if elected they would work to "reach across the aisle and bring people together." Conservatives had been afraid of Romney's liberal record in Massachusetts, and most informed conservatives were afraid of Ryan's duplicity. The Republican bases stayed home. Obama was re-elected.
Although Romney lost in 2012, the prior midterm elections had been so large that democratic victories failed to turn both house back to them. The Obama agenda continued. Congress continued investigations of IRS and Benghazi but pledged not to shut down the government, stand in the way of debt ceiling increases, and promised neither to defund anything nor would they consider impeachment. They surrendered the powers the Constitution gives to the minority parties, and became nothing more than an advisory body.
They surrendered the powers the Constitution gives to the minority parties, and became nothing more than an advisory body.
The senate approved the Presidents bad judicial and cabinet appointees. Then in 2014 the Republican leadership announced they had gotten the message. They claimed to be willing to support conservative causes on the one hand, yet the RNC supported the "go along to get along candidates" like Thad Cochran and John Mc Cain. Once again the voters gave the Republicans an electoral mandate.
After the 2014 election the President traded Beau Bergdahl for five enemy combatants. Attempted to interfere with the Israeli elections to assure the defeat of Prime Minister Benjamin Netinyahu. When he was re-elected he treat the allies leader impertinently. Obama negotiated an agreement with Iran allowing them unlimited access to nuclear weapons. This was the Republican parties greatest opportunity to stop Obama's abuse of power. The Constitution requires a two thirds vote of the Senate to approve a treaty. Obama did not have that. Even democrat stalwarts like Diane Finstein, Menedez, and Chuck Shumer were opposing the deal. Under the rules Obama would have lost this vote, but have no fear the GOP is here.
The Senate passed the Corker amendment to an authorization bill allowing the deal to the bill to only be defeated if 2/3 of the Senate voted against it. Where previously it had taken 2/3 of the Senate to pass the bill, it would now only take 1/3 of the Senate to pass the bill, not even a majority. Of course, the Congress had no authority to pass a procedure to allow the President to "work around the Constitution," but that is what they did. The Corker Amendment passed 98-1. Only Senator Tom Cotton voted against it. Each of the committed conservative Senators who would later run for President Cruz, Rubio, Paul voted for it. Cruz still bruised from his previous stands against the Republican party, sent out a statement of regret explaining that the democrats would use parliamentary procedure to bring the treaty to the floor anyway, and nothing could be done about it. Every Republican, except Tom Cotton, had betrayed the voters who had elected them. Obama had gotten the Iran deal done, because of the Republicans rather than in spite of them. At that point the Republican party lost all credibility with their voters.
Every Republican, except Tom Cotton, had betrayed the voters who had elected them. Obama had gotten the Iran deal done, because of the Republicans rather than in spite of them.
No Republican who had put his or her name on that bill could assure voters of their commitment to the Constitution. This was the nadir of the Republican party. At the time when Kate Schively was killed, the attacks in Paris occurred at a period when the President should have been a lame duck party leaders surrendered. It was suicide for anyone seeking the Presidency. The symbol (R) next to a candidates name was taken to meant they could not be trusted.
Since the base of the Republican party, the independents, and the Reagan democrats had no one to trust. They were looking for someone with no ties to either party to help them. Most Americans are not political ideologues, they neither understand nor care about "conservative, liberal, democrat, republican." Most Americans feel their way of living, and their liberty is being destroyed by this administration. It was the perfect opportunity for a new party to arise, or for an outsider to come into the Republican party.
Enter Donald Trump whom the experts said would never win the Republican nomination. "Why he's not conservative enough," his opponents said. None of the Senators who opposed him had stood firm for their principles, even Cruz had surrendered on Iran. "Why he is mean spirited and says nasty things?" say many. Those critics fail to realize that we live in a world where freedom of speech and religion are under assault. You can't even joke without being called a racist. While few of us like trumps statements about Megan Kelly, or his making fun of a disabled reporter, we wanted someone who would not be afraid to speak his mind. His acrimony and belligerence convinced people that he was willing to say even what was unpopular and socially unacceptable if he believed it to be true. What the Republican party failed to understand was Trump would have captured the voter that voted for him, whether he had run as an independent, a Republican or a Democrat.
If Trump wins the general which I now think he will (the success of Bernie Sanders on the democratic side gives credibility to my belief that Mrs. Clinton is unelectable) the Republican Party will be forced to reform. If he loses the Republican party will vanish into oblivion, and a new hopefully conservative party will arise. There are some observation that I would hope the Republican leadership, or leadership of the new conservative party will learn from Trump:
1. Favor-abilities are not as important as leadership. Trump abrasiveness, his crudeness does not matter to the voters. What they have voted for is his vision for American? People are not voting for someone to whom Santa Claus will deliver gifts on Christmas Eve. If niceness were important to the voters Harry Truman, LBJ nor Richard Nixon would have been elected. In a dangerous world people want someone who will stand up to thugs. The fact that Trump will throw a reporter out of news conference, call an opponent a pejorative term may not fit the media image of a President, but his bellicosity convinces voters that he won't back down.
2. Most voters are un-ideological. Trump is a populist. The average voter could care less about the political label socialist, democrat, republican, conservative. They care about someone who seems to identify with their problems and offer solutions. I question whether populist solutions will work, but the people just want someone to reverse the coarse of this nation. Few voters could define conservative, libertarian, populist, and fewer care. One of the reasons why Cruz lost was he continually promoted his conservatism, but he failed to give people a vision of how his leadership would solve the problem. Ronald Reagan seldom spoke of conservatism, he offered a vision of a city on a hill and of prosperity and strength. Many Republican leaders (Mc Connel and Ryan for example) are quick to grab the conservative label for a campaign, then run as far away and as fast as they can from Conservative principles once elected. That is why we have Trump at the head of the ticket.
3. The Republican party must re-invent itself. If Trump wins the party will have to ask questions about its identity and purpose. If he loses no Republican will ever be President again R.I.P G.O.P.
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