As President Obama exploits the ongoing financial crisis in an effort to socialize America (government-owned banks and industry, nationalized health care and centrally-planned energy and economic policy) as much as possible before anyone can do anything about it, you might think that Republican politicians would be focused on combating the destruction of the American way of life and our standard of living.
Instead, the GOP’s leaders have gathered together their most well-known clucking hens and presidential candidate rejects to tell conservatives that they need to abandon cherished and time-tested principles in favor of a new set of values — let’s call it Obama-lite with details to come.
The so-called “National Council for a New America” was announced by Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) on April 30. The “council” part of NCNA appears to be led by the very Capitol Hill Republicans who have served the rest of us so ineffectively-to-disastrously that we are now at the mercy of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid hydra. These Keystone Cop legislators include: Reps. John Boehner, Cantor, Mike Pence, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, John Carter, Pete Sessions, David Dreier, Kevin McCarthy, and Roy Blunt; and Sens. Mitch McConnell, Jon Kyl, Lamar Alexander, John Cornyn, and John Thune. While Rep. Pence and Sen. Cornyn are good conservatives, in the context of NCNA, they are little more than window dressing or “beards.”
The NCNA has a platform that differs from the hydras only in that it is the lite version of “leave no government program behind.” Though the NCNAs couldn’t defeat Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, perhaps two of the most unpopular Congressional leaders ever, or Barack Obama, the least-experienced-and-most-socialist major party presidential candidate of all time, they think they’re up to fixing the economy, healthcare, education, energy, and national security through more government. Let’s look at what NCNA says about energy, one of this blog’s main issues:
American families and businesses cannot afford an energy policy where we are held hostage by foreign oil cartels and dictators. As a nation, we can no longer send billions of dollars overseas each year, often to countries that help fund our enemies. We must implement a comprehensive energy policy that includes traditional fuels, alternative energy, and conservation resulting in affordable, reliable domestic energy. Such a policy will stabilize costs for families and businesses while at the same time creating much-needed jobs here at home.
If the NCNAs knew anything about energy they’d know that we’re not being held hostage by “foreign oil cartels and dictators” — we’re being held hostage by domestic rent-seeking energy cartels and green dictators. We don’t need a “comprehensive policy” that interferes destructively with free markets. Rather, we need open energy markets that are able to choose workable energy solutions and deliver them at competitive prices. Free market prosperity creates good jobs — pork-barreling congressmen create non-productve bureaucracy. We don’t send money to fund our enemies. We buy oil on the open market. It’s called trade. BTW, our “enemies” will get our money anyway — through Chinese oil purchases.
NCNA is sending out a “national panel of experts” on a listening tour of the nation. On the panel are former presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Mitt Romney, and potential future presidential candidates Jeb Bush, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Louisana Gov. Bobby Jindal. While Gov. Barbour is a good conservative caught in a bad organization, Bush and Jindal leave much to be desired.
Although Rep. Cantor told the Washington Times that
“The Republican Party is founded on some common-sense conservative principles that are as effective today as they’ve always been. We just need to make sure we’re listening to the people,”
“Expert panelist” Jeb Bush told the Times,
… that it’s time for the Republican Party to give up its “nostalgia” for the heyday of the Reagan era and look forward, even if it means stealing the winning strategy deployed by Democrats in the 2008 election.
And what would strategy that be, Jeb? Having John McCain win the Democratic presidential nomination? Oh and thanks, Jeb, for working to block oil drilling off the Florida coast. How’s that going to get us out of the grip of OPEC and oil dictators like Hugo Chavez?
Speaking of McCain, let’s not forget that he was one of the early Republican proponents of global warming alarmism. Remember McCain-Lieberman? McCain thinks that the worst tha can happen by going green is that we’ll leave future generations a cleaner planet. Sorry, John, if the greens run the world, we’ll all be poorer and the planet will be dirtier.
I almost lost my dinner at the March National Republican Congressional Committee soiree when keynote speaker Jindal spoke rapturously of reaching the nirvana of green energy or some such nonsense. It’s not surprising that Jindal and the NCNA members don’t know what they’re talking about — none have ever been leaders on energy issues.
Rather than forgetting about Ronald Reagan, we need to remember his fervent anti-communism now more than ever. The hydra has already hung the sharp left. We need someone who can grab the wheel and make a U-turn.
This is actually a response to your second comment that replied to my comment.
I agree that Palin lacks on things, but I think she’s a true conservative. That’s what fired up the base. I think we need someone like her but with a deeper understanding of the economy and of foreign policy. However, the Republican’s are going to continue to prop up the McCain types and leave us without a decent choice in the primaries. I feel completely without recourse or representation.
There are several supporters of the Libertarian party here that are calling conservatives idiots because they don’t switch and support the libertarian candidates.
Come on, guys. Being against big government and having some conservative values doesn’t make the Libertarian party a “perfect” choice for conservatives. Libertarians have some extreme views that I find dispicable. Isolationism is by far the worst.
Even if we get a viable third party similar to the Republicans but only more to the right and closer to Reagan values, there is still a major hurdle to cross. Voting on a conservative third party ticket splits the conservative vote and gaurantees a liberal victory. That’s exactly how Bill Clinton got elected. Talk all you want, but voting third party does kill a conservative chance at victory.
I think we should reform the voting system. I think you should be able to record two votes in a three man race. Kind of make it a tournament in one step. If your number one vote gets the least amount of votes, your second vote takes over with a second candidate. This would release people from the “wasted” vote because their vote would still count on the remaining two candidates.
If people wanted to vote for Bob Barr, let’s say, and were afraid of splitting the conservative vote…no more. If Bob Barr finishes third, then all of his votes get switched to their second choice…more than likely the conservative. It could also work the other way around. If the Republican takes third place, their second votes are more than likely going to be the Libertarian party…if they are willing to accept isolationism, which I am not. I would have to see a better third party first.
Dang it…typo. I said..
“OK, let me rephrase what I said about there not being any conservative parties left. There aren’t any VIABLE third parties left !! ”
I meant to say their aren’t any VIABLE conservative parties left….referring to the Libertarians.
Simpleton? OK, let me rephrase what I said about there not being any conservative parties left. There aren’t any VIABLE third parties left !!
Being against big government doesn’t make you a sane conservative. There’s a lot more to being conservative than individual freedom. Anarchy is not one of them.
Ron Paul is a wacko. You can’t just list off a few of his political beliefs and call him “exactly” what we conservatives want. Let’s see….
Ron Paul wants to return to the gold standard. Uh….won’t ever happen, and only an idiot thinks it will.
He’s opposed to the war in Iraq. OK, fine, but his reason is because he’s opposed to ANY military involvement outside of our borders. Isolationism never works in an international economy…period.
Ron Paul wants to eliminate the FBI. Hmmm, let’s just get rid of an important federal crimes investigation organization. Bad idea. NEXT !!!
He wants to eliminate the DEA and legalize illegal drugs. OK, a lot of people are for that, but I personally am NOT. Whether someone gets their drugs legally or not, it still mushes their brain and they become wards of the state. Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean a business will hire you with it in your system. Drugies become a burdon to society.
Ron Paul wants to end Social Security. Hey, that’s fine and dandy for the rich guy. But for the people that struggle and can’t save money for retirement it’s a different story. If you end Social Security you will wind up with 80 year olds with no money, no job, and homeless….by the tens of thousands. Oh, yeah….good idea. NEXT !!
Should I go on?
But, hey, since he’s for small government and anarchy I should vote for him.
Who’s the simpleton? You are.
Republicans and conservatives aren’t the same thing? You don’t say? You’re a real genius. What gave you the first clue?
First off, you’re the one that’s crying because the conservative base won’t join ranks with your candidate, Ron Paul. If he was a viable candidate maybe we would, but he’s a wacko on too many issues.
I personally want another party formed that represents the conservative base. The Republicans now are like the old Democrats, and the Democrats are far leftists. We conservatives are screaming for the Republicans to return to their previous conservative values and behavior, but the politicians are ignoring us. They insist that the party has to be moderate, and that McCain lost because he wasn’t moderate enough. I respect McCain for his service and his foriegn policy stance, but on social issues I want to throw him in with the sharks (Democrats). If the Republicans insist on being right wing Democrats, then I’m done with them. That’s why they are losing. I was a registered Republican, but now I’m a registered Independent.
Problem is, who do we go to? There aren’t any viable third parties. You may think we are crying, but we aren’t. We just want a representative party…not a joke like McCain and the pretend conservatives on Capitol Hill right now.
So, if you’re so intelligent, then why is your candidate that represents your values never on top? Just because you think your guy is so great, obviously the rest of us don’t.
So I’m going to go one by one and demonstrate my exhasperation with this post and the ensuing comments:
You said:
“There are no conservative parties any more”
Hilarious! What exhaustive research led you to this conclusion? It apparently didn’t lead you to the following:
Libertarian Party wwww.lp.org
Constitution Party http://www.constitutionparty.com/
Get a clue. These parties have been around for decades. You have just been too much of a simpleton to search beyond TV commercials to find someone to represent you on the major issues that impact your well being. And that’s pretty sad.
Have you considered that perhaps Republicans are moving left because their constituents have adopted the ignorance of the left?
You had one. His name was Bob Barr. He ran as a Libertarian in 2008. His platform was fiscal conservatism, domestic coal and oil production, domestic manufacturing, smaller government and lower taxes. He also came out and blatantly decreed that the idea of manmade Global Warming was complete crap.
Come election Day he earned 300,000 votes, while Juan McRINO earned 50 million, one of which I’m guessing was yours.
Newsflash. Republican does not mean conservative any more. Quit wishing it did and vote for a REAL conservative if that’s what you want. There are other parties and other candidates and many share your view. If you’re capable of considering more than a whopping 2 options at a time, you might realize that what you wanted was there all along. And I sincerely hope that you do, because this country is on an express train to Screwed if you all keep voting for the same two parties much longer.
Sorry Steve, this is where you and I part company.
This article reminds me of a guy who hasn’t left his house in 30 years wearing a polyester shirt, watching a black and white TV, listening to a skipping record and all the while wishing his clothes were more comfortable, his TV had a better picture, and his music was clearer. All of these options are available to him, when he finally decides to leave the comfort of his home that is no longer comfortable. But until he does, he is just widening the distance between what he has and what he wants.
DROP THE PARTISAN LOYALTY
Every day I see thousands of articles by Republicans lamenting the fact that conservative principles have been abandoned. Meanwhile Bob Barr AND Ron Paul ran on the exact same platforms everyone seems to want. And what happened? Bob Barr got like 300000 votes, and Ron Paul never got close the the ticket that instead went to Juan McRINO, friend of illegals and enviro-wacks. So as I see it all the talk is crybaby bullshit. And I’m getting tired of so called Republicans playing this crying game. If you want a return to true conservative principles then vote for the people that promise them. If you instead insist on voting for any douche with an (R) next to his name (which is clearly what most of you ACTUALLY ARE DOING), then you’re going to get what you got. So you can save all the tears, typing, and bandwith that are being wasted crying to the rest of us about a situation that you created out of your own narrow mindedness.
I’m not wasting my time telling Jeb or Jindal anything. YOU all need to decide if you are “conservatives” or “republicans” because, NEWSFLASH, they are not the same thing anymore. Like it or not.
Superb rant. None of these Political hacks are interested in domestic energy production or the jobs, revenue etc it could create. Regardless of the letter after their name, they want the people subjugated. Freedom is just to dangerous a concept to be left to unsophisticated slobs like us.
I agree. The Republicans do not get it. We need conservatives who can simply tell people the truth about energy and the environment related to our incredible standard of living. Where are they? Who is John Galt.
Unfortunately Palin appears to be nothing more than McCain in a dress. She shows no understanding of the free market or individual liberty. I had high hopes for her since she didn’t sound like a typical weasel politician when she was picked for the VP slot. She fell in line very quickly.
If you really want to be disappointed listen to the former eBay CEO who wants to run for governor of California. Here’s a billionaire who built a business from nothing who only talks about “making government more efficient” and that she knows “how to run a large organization”. She’s Schwarzenegger in a dress.
The Republican Party can’t even admit that Bush was a terrible president even though he is directly responsible for a huge growth of government. If you strip the party of the Bushes, Rommeys, McCains, Ridges, Schwarzeneggers, Boehnors and Blunts, what’s left?
The Republican hierarchy won’t let that happen anyway because those men are the Republican hierarchy. They’ll use a scorched earth policy before they’ll give up control of the party. The only realistic choice is for the entire party to go the way of the Whigs.
Reagan was definitely a true conservative. I agree with what you say, but I think the move to the left has been more recently put in high gear. What amazes me is that McCain got creamed, and they still say that it’s because he wasn’t moderate enough. Bull hockey. The only jump start he had when he announced Palin, and the conservatives I talked to were all in favor of kicking McCain off the ticket. But…McCain believes it was Palin who held him back. What an idiot.
As the Democrats have moved far left, the Republicans jumped on the opportunity to move to the left also so they could steal some voters left behind by the libs. Now we have a very far left party and a darn near left party. There are no conservative parties any more. The Republicans assumed that they will continue to carry the true conservatives because we have no other choice unless we vote for hardcore left. Even though they offered us a pathetic near left candidate this last election and they got their asses mopped, they still insist on going further to the left because, let’s face it, conservatism is dead. I vote that we start a third party called the “True Conservatives” or something. I don’t think it would take long for the registered conservatives to switch parties and then the Republicans would actually be the dead ones (politically).
There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what Jeb Bush actually meant. He is not calling for us to abandon Reagan anymore than we would “abandon” Jefferson or Locke by articulating their beliefs but being forward looking. As for blocking off shore drilling down here-that’s messy local politics. I am confident he understands the need for more sensible energy policy nation wide. By group him together with people you wish to criticize, you miss the forest for the trees. Jeb Bush is ten times the Conservative that McCain ever was and is one of the best our side has got. I can’t say the same for his wishy washy replacement…
The Republicans think that they are on the road to a comeback with polls showing them leading Corzine in New Jersey and Paterson in New York, so what do they do – shift left to “pick up” a few more votes.
They don’t believe in limited government or capitalism and it’s doubtful that they ever did. Before anything else, the Republican Party has to go. They are hopelessly corrupt, power hungry little league Democrats.
Until there is something new, we are looking at fascism rising for the foreseeable future.
As Ayn Rand pointed out many times, no one can do as much damage to the cause of freedom and capitalism as those cringing, compromising “me-too-ers” — the Republicans — who purport to support both but inevitably wind up betraying each.