Take Back
To my farther right than me lately friends,
I’d just like you to think about the following. The Democrat’s major goal is to “take back” power. Period! They think that they own the halls of Congress and the State Legislatures, but have been blocked from participation. They think that they have to win control of them in order to have any chance of getting their views made into law. And if they do crack the Republicans’ armor and get back into power, lord knows they will.
So what I want conservatives to consider is this:
If the Democrats are so determined to take back power, they have a reason. That reason is that they want more more more spending, taxes, and social programs. The Dems feel that the thing that is stopping them from doing these things is the Republicans who have the power currently. They feel that right now, there isn’t enough of any of them. Oh, and the war on terror, cut and run, period.
Now I too agree that a more conservative leadership both locally and nationally would be ideal, but government is not the place for idealism anymore, and hasn’t been for about 200 years.
I know a lot of you hate the whole “If the Democrats get power back they can’t be trusted to ….” line, but that is the truth of it all. You’ll never be 100% happy with someone in office unless it is you in office. You have to hedge your bets, and give and take.
This I can tell you, the Democrats are intent on taking alright. Taking more money so they can spend it on a 100 new social programs just like the one or two that you are fed up with the Republicans over. Most elections are a 2 person race and you have to compare the two and pick the one who will do the least damage to your life, if that is the way you think of Government.
If the Democrats win in November, you will see major changes in government. I’m already tallying about $2 billion in new state spending if the Dems take the Governor’s seat, and that is only taking about half of what they desperately tried to get over the last 4 years.
Just keep in mind that all that animosity you have for the Republicans is trouble. Why? Because if you are so mad now, just wait until the Democrats get in there. They too are unhappy with Pawlenty’s increases to education, transportation, etc etc, but it isn’t because he did increase them. It is because he didn’t increase them enough!
All I am asking is that you do consider the alternative, and honestly answer if you will be happier with exponentially more of the same stuff you are currently complaining about.
Amen…
It seems so simple, yet so many are having trouble grasping it. I’m with you all the way.
At what point does accountability apply?
If there is anyone that has truly failed to meet your expectations, I don’t have a problem with opposition, so long as your expectations are realistic and they were really failed.
The biggest thing people need to remember is that some people did a good job, that job might have been though, stopping the Democrats from getting everything they want. Which by the way, is stuff that more than likely, you would hate.
I can only assume you are talking about Gov. Pawlenty. I don’t think we curmudgeons have a serious problem with anyone else, including Sen. Coleman.
I’d like to agree with you. I will indeed reconsider it many times before November. I voted for Paul Wellstone in 1990 because the incumbent Rudy Boschwitz had become insular and arrogant. I almost voted for Paul a second time in 1996, but Paul wouldn’t shut up, becoming just as arrogant as Boschwitz, who I reluctantly voted for that time. So if Hatch (Lourey?) overplays his hand, there’s hope for Pawlenty getting my vote.
Pawlenty, meanwhile, is in his own little world now with rising tax receipts, not listening to the base, pursuing a “DFL Lite” course. If I have that wrong, AAA, tell me where. If he’ll sign stadium bills and smoking bans, he’ll certainlly sign the opening gambit of Universal Health Care “for the children.” So would Hatch. So would Lourey. What’s the difference? That he’ll negotiate a better program? After he got rolled by Sen. Johnson last year? That doesn’t seem likely, either.
AAA, you have to give us something beyond “the other guy is worse” – that’s the DFL way. Give us some credible hope that the Pawlenty of 2005 will again find the courage of the Pawlenty of 2003.
R-Five, if you support conservative government and voted for Wellstone, then you are part of the problem. Don’t make the same mistake with Hatch.
I mean no offense, but this gripe with Pawlenty is very short-sighted. You’ve got to keep the bigger picture in mind (and forgive me if the following sounds harsh).
Politics is not a religion – at least not for us conservatives. It’s ok to vote for someone who doesn’t live up to all of your expectations.
But, if you want the pendulum of government to swing right, you must vote for the candidate that can most help move it right AND who is electable. Voting to “punish†a Republican candidate moves this pendulum leftward.
Remember, in 1992 many Republicans wanted to punish President Bush 41 by voting for Perot or staying home. This gave us Clinton. True, after two years of Clinton, we also earned Republican majorities in the Senate and in the House. But also true, after 8 years of Clinton, Al Qaeda got stronger and bolder, and have now cost us nearly 6 thousand lives. I’m inclined to think that Bush 41 would have nipped this Al Qaeda bud real quick after the first WTC bombing in 1993.
On the local front, it is silly and shortsighted to blame Pawlenty for the more moderate governance that we had in Minnesota during the last two years. Congress has a role to play here too.
Pawlenty may be governor, but he isn’t king. To govern conservatively, he needs conservative support in Congress. As does President Bush. No single leader – president or governor – can govern conservatively across the board with a moderate or liberal congress.
Even President Reagan failed to govern spending conservatively. But, we admire him for governing the important things conservatively. Reagan spawned the economic growth that continues today and, almost single handedly, won the cold war.
Like Reagan, Pawlenty has governed conservatively on the important things – $4billion deficit eliminated without a tax hike, shall issue gun permits, woman’s right to know, etc. Let there be no doubt that Hatch can erase these advances.
!!THE FOLLOWING IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND!!
During Pawlenty’s first two years, he enjoyed a 28 seat majority in the House. During the last two years that majority fell to a slim 2 seats. Funny thing about slim majorities. They have a way of empowering the moderate few in the majority party.
Just like the RINO’s in the U.S. Senate can slow down the conservative movement, so can a few less-than-conservative Republicans in the Minnesota House. GOVERNOR PAWLENTY HAS BEEN FORCED TO NEGOCIATE BILLS LESS CONSERVATIVE THAN HE WOULD PREFER BECAUSE FEWER CONSERVATIVES ARE IN THE HOUSE – PERIOD.
Sitting on your hands this election cycle because Pawlenty couldn’t move mountains alone is a coward’s bottle of rum. It may feel good going down and it may even lead to an elevated sense of gravitas, but in the morning all these gains go down the toilet. Voting for Hatch out of spite or to send a message may feel good to you, but lefties will get the last laugh – with more of your income.
If you want a conservative government in Minnesota, you’ve got to re-elect Pawlenty and give him more conservative votes in the House and in the Senate – PERIOD. Anything less is manna for the lefties altar.
One more thing just in case I wasn’t clear in my last comment.
If you want Governor Pawlenty of 2003, elect the 2003 Republican majority in the House of Representatives (28 seats for those not keeping score).
Hey G-Man!!!! Can I get you to email that last bit to a couple of dear friends (Savage Republican and Amendment X) as well as the Logical Husband???? I have tried and tried to tell them, but….
Kevin – as far as accountability goes, that is why you have to get involved in the process and change things from within. Sitting on the sidelines complaining about how bad the pols are won’t fix things. Write letters, make phone calls and do what you can to get those that share your ideas to do the same. I’ve lost track of how many letters I have written to Senators Coleman and Dayton and Congressman Kline on issues. I have my state reps on speed dial and I know they read the letters I have written to our local papers because they have commented on them to me when we meet in social situations. TELL THEM WHAT YOU ARE THINKING!
My biggest issue right now is high fuel costs. There have been a couple of key votes in Congress where I did not agree with the votes of Congressman Kennedy on the issue. I wrote a letter to him, expressing my opinion and then I added that due to the high gas prices I would not be able to afford to drive into St Paul to help with the campaign (I had volunteered months before). I said I would help as I could closer to home, but that they should not even bother to contact me to come prepare mailings etc because I can’t afford the gas. That does not mean that I will vote for A-Klo because I know that her stand on the issue is worse than his, but it is my stab at accountability.