President’s rhetoric: CPR for the GOP
(but just because its heart is beating doesn’t mean it’s fit to win)
Observing the “a trace of a hint of a shadow of a smile” on the normally taciturn face of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s face as President Obama spoke to the nation about health care, George Will quipped that “the president’s rhetoric was becoming CPR for the Republican Party.“ (H/t: Instapundit.) Just as CPR helps restore the heart’s normal rhythm, the president’s rhetoric has helped bring the GOP back from the brink.
It hasn’t, however, given the party the strength it needs to become America’s majority party once again. Dan Riehl reminds us that to regain that status, it’s not enough to oppose the President’s statist proposals, we must also come up with new ideas on how we want to govern the country:
We need to start thinking seriously about what it is we would propose and push, not only tear down whatever opposition we realize we are up against. I watched the Left go a very long time seemingly without that mission. Even when Bush was in his second term, one it was always clear he would get to serve out – they continued to attack in ways that actually hurt them in the eyes of many moderates and centrists that exist. It wasn’t until Obama captured that energy and put it to positive use that they actually found themselves getting anywhere.
I’ve no desire to sink into the pit of anger and unhinged attacks they found themselves sinking and looking so ugly in for so long a time.
To prevent us from becoming like the angry left, Dan wants us to consider this question
So, how can we turn ourselves toward a more constructive direction, beginning to support and push the positive ideas, agendas and people that can deliver us the actual results we want and America needs?
To be sure, in the debate currently at hand, Republicans have put forward a variety of proposals for reforming health care. The idea is to come up with similar alternatives, free-market reforms, each time we oppose a Democratic initiative.
Not just to say, “No,” but also to offer what we would do instead. And to do what we can to make people aware of these alternatives.
Through his divisive rhetoric and statist proposals, President Obama has helped revive the GOP by giving Republicans a chance to stand up for free market principles when they oppose his policies. But, as House Republicans showed us in 1994, to recapture the majority, they need show what they’ll do when restored to the majority.
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I think conservatives in all 57 states were amazed that our young President got all weee weeeed up over Kahne West’s words. Such a clean articulate President calling West a jackass. I was surprised.
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — September 16, 2009 @ 12:38 pm - September 16, 2009
B Daniel the Democrats are all about the power and politics. During the difficult part of the Iraq war I said the terrorists and rebels would have rolled over far sooner had our leaders not enabled the bad guys to think they could win if they only held on a little longer. Our military had to put more troops indanger to finally over come the Democrat opposition. Now that the Dems are responsible for the “good war” in Afganistan….how’s that working out? During the dark days in Iraq the liberal Democrats played whack a mole. When Bush 43 asked for support they yelled…..”no, we want to fight the good war in Afganistan.”! Again how’s that working out for them? Capture OBL ? No hummm
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — September 16, 2009 @ 12:44 pm - September 16, 2009
Freedom. Freedom. Freedom. Tear down government, to give law-abiding people real freedom.
It’s called a principle. A zillion specific ideas may then be generated from it. E.g., permit (not force) interstate competition among insurance companies. The government has so many destructive regulations, lifting just about any of them would be a positive idea.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 16, 2009 @ 12:59 pm - September 16, 2009
‘To prevent us from becoming like the angry left,”
Is this a joke or something? You all (and I dont mean you personally Dan, but the conservative movement as a whole) have already equalled if not surpassed the loony left in the mindlessness, and the over-the-top nature of your rhetoric.
“So, how can we turn ourselves toward a more constructive direction, beginning to support and push the positive ideas, agendas and people that can deliver us the actual results we want and America needs?”
I find it stunning that one needs to even ask such a question. How do you start being constructive? Just do it. At least the question has a certain honesty to it – being constructive is something that you rightwingers have not a clue about how to do.
Comment by Tano — September 16, 2009 @ 1:21 pm - September 16, 2009
Start locally: Contact your state senator and represenative as well as the federal ones. Be active. City council, school boards etc. Understand that the means are more important than the ends. We can’t always control the ends, but making sure that the means are there to get our result is what’s important.
Organize where we can: Facebook, twitter, e-mail lists. face to face etc. We’re never going to get the Conservative Round Table on MSNBC. So we go around them.
Educate and articulate. As much fun as it is to show (again and again) that Tano, gillie, tp, et. al dont’ have a clue or ideas, it serves a purpose. We disassemble their arguements with facts, not emotions.
Unite around the common goals first: none of us agree 100% (We’re not all democrats after all
) But we can unit on the common grounds (free markets, smaller government, Tano’s an idiot, etc) and work towards realization of those goals.
Be polite and active. When someone you disagree with does something right, let them know. Dennis Kusinnich (D-mars) is a blowhard, but he did vote against censuring Joe Wilson. If you agree with it, let him know. it lets our represenatives know we’re watching them and evaluating what they do, not if there’s a D or an R behind their name.
Comment by The_Livewire — September 16, 2009 @ 1:39 pm - September 16, 2009
I forgot. Keep the pressure on, trust but verify.
ACORN annouced Monday that O’Keefe and Giles has tried to scam ACORN offices and failed, in New York. After the video aired Tuesday that statement went down the memory hole. Don’t let them get away with it.
Comment by The_Livewire — September 16, 2009 @ 1:41 pm - September 16, 2009
Is this a joke or something? You all (and I dont mean you personally Dan, but the conservative movement as a whole) have already equalled if not surpassed the loony left in the mindlessness, and the over-the-top nature of your rhetoric.
No, but that asinine comment is. Nobody on the right could ever DREAM of equaling or surpassing the pathologically insane poo flingers over at KOShole or Dirty Underwear. I guarantee each one has one hand on their keyboard and the other buried deep in their diapers.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — September 16, 2009 @ 3:00 pm - September 16, 2009
OK. I’m a dreamer, but here it goes.
Forget abortion.
Forget gay marriage.
Forget unwinnable foreign conflicts (I know I’ll get flack for this one).
Forget family values (so the left can stop calling you hypocrites when someone strays)
Focus on one thing above all else – Sound Fiscal Policy!!!! That means cutting the budget of all depts, including military and intelligence. The mantra must be “Do more with less”!
Above all – be honest, frankfully honest. Betcha that would resonate.
Comment by Sonicfrog — September 16, 2009 @ 3:59 pm - September 16, 2009
TGC,
Thanks for that delightfully self-refuting argument!
Comment by Tano — September 16, 2009 @ 5:21 pm - September 16, 2009
Not even REMOTELY close!
Has anyone on the right written a bestselling book, produced an off broadway play or a major motion picture calling for the assassination of the Democrat president?
The left did ALL those things…and they all SOLD too.
Has anyone from the right hung a Democrat politician from a noose?
Nope, but the left has.
Burned our troops or our president in effigy?
Nope, but the left has.
Has anyone from the right held protests in which they destroy private property, start fires and break laws?
Nope, but the left has.
Criticized the president in front of large audiences overseas?
Nope, but the left regularly did.
Call for our troops to kill their superior officers?
Nope, but the left has.
Smear and tell blatant lies about our troops, about our commanders, and our intelligence officials in order to score political points?
Nope, but the left, including their politicians have.
leak top secret national security documents to the press, resulting in the deaths of American troops in order to score political points?
Nope, but the lefts politicians regularly did.
Viciously attack the family and children of their political opponents including retarded children?
Nope, but the left has made an INDUSTRY out of it.
and ON and ON and ON!
Comment by American Elephant — September 16, 2009 @ 5:33 pm - September 16, 2009
Oh and lets not forget about union brownshirt thugs beating up people who dare disagree with them!
Comment by American Elephant — September 16, 2009 @ 5:36 pm - September 16, 2009
Most of the violence at the Town Halls was committed by SEIU thugs. Did they switch sides?
Comment by thestraightaussie — September 16, 2009 @ 6:42 pm - September 16, 2009
No, they’ve always been on the left
Comment by American Elephant — September 16, 2009 @ 7:37 pm - September 16, 2009
[...] The trend lines for the GOP among independents provide a sign of hope for the party, but not yet where they need to be if the party wants to recapture the congressional majority next year (which, I believe, remains within the realm of possibility). The key issue for Republicans, as shown in that Gallup poll cited above, is why those independents leaning to the GOP have not yet declared themselves Republicans. (Maybe it’s only a question of time. Maybe it’s ideas.) [...]
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