Principles? We Don’t Need Our Stinking Principles
Posted by Andy on November 10th, 2008
Oh gee, I’m thrilled Tim Pawlenty is aiming to be part of the Republican rebuild….
But Pawlenty is concerned about the trouncing the GOP took nationally, especially in red states that turned blue.
“It’s time to turn the page,” he said. “Certainly we need to be true to our values and principles, but it opens the door to a discussion about how do you make the Republican Party more dynamic, energetic and successful going forward.”
Let me guess, ‘the era of small government is over’
We haven’t been conservatives! We haven’t had our conservative principles tried and rejected by the voters. We’ve had them rejected by politicians in office and strategists and pollsters in high paying GOP positions.
We will never be able to out bid the Democrats and win elections. Proof of that is Pawlenty’s failed barter with the Teacher’s Union. He upped education spending double digits and the teacher’s union still dropped a couple million defeating Republiocans, and guess what education spending is even further out of control and Republicans are on the verge of extinction in the state.
Tim pawlenty is the last person I want included in the national discussion over where the GOP goes from here. Why? Because he has helped turn Minnesota Blue. Oh yes, he has. He was elected in 2002 when we were a legitimate Purple state. And now? We’re a real blue state with the GOP on the verge of irrelevancy in the State Legislature. And all of that was while PAwlenty was the defacto Republican leader who defined the party and set the agenda.
It appears Pawlenty is aiming for a 2012 run to me. He’s already got people out there spinning his record as Governor (that’d be Ron Carey MNGOP Chair) and other trying to knock off the obvious frontrunner Sarah Palin (Vin Weber).
Anyways, if you think as I do, that the problem with the GOP and why voters are drifting away from it is that we have ignored our principles and not governed or legislated like the conservatives we claim to be, then you will want to get involved in the discussion over the party. The powerborkers are going to try to “fix” the party behind closed doors and if we let Pawlenty, Carey, and the other strategists get away with it, 2010 is going to be even uglier and the party will be even less conservative (if that is possible with out officially becoming Democrats).
If Pawlenty decides to run for another term as Governor, and that marker will be if Ron Carey runs for reelection as party chair, he will face a very serious challenge from the conservatives in Minnesota. It will be very tough for him this time around, unless of course Ron Carey sticks around to silence all opposition like he did in 2006 for Pawlenty.
If we’re going to get this party out of the gutter, the people who put us in it can’t be the ones diagnosising the ills and prescribing the reforms. The time for new blood in this party is now. Pawlenty can stick around and run if he wants, but the clingers on at the party who think he is a true principled conservative who cannot be questioned from the right are exactly the people who need to be sent packing.
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November 10th, 2008 at 9:19 am
[...] He upped education spending double digits and the teacher’s union still dropped a couple million defeating Republiocans, and guess what education spending is even further out of control and Republicans are on the verge of extinction in … More [...]
November 10th, 2008 at 11:08 am
If you do not want Pawlenty to set the direction of Republican party and be governor again, then find another legitimate candidate and start working now.
The correct time to complain and find a replacement for a parties candidates is now, years/months before the conventions.
I sure everyone who booed Norm at the convention felt good about themselves, as did the little Ron Paul revolt, but it was too late. They were already the party candidates.
If you want a different candidate for MN then do something now.
If Andy was chair since last governor election, it would not have made one difference.
He would still have been riding around in his Red truck putting the same amount of Pawlenty signs as he did before.
And would have been right there introducing Candidate Coleman and Candidate McCain.
Because unless someone finds a candidate to replace the elected official you want to replace - you can write as many posts and comments and it will not make any difference.
Don’t like Pawlenty - then find a replacement.
November 10th, 2008 at 11:16 am
“Powerborkers”? Your spelling is about as good as your analysis, but at least your spelling is humorous (or a Freudian slip).
Your problem is that Pawlenty and Carey ARE conservatives, it’s just they are focussed more on winning elections than on striving for some unobtainable perfection on AAA’s “true conservative” measuring stick.
Come to think of it, your reading skills need work, too. What about “how do you make the Republican Party more dynamic, energetic and successful going forward.” do you want to disagree with? Is it the part where we try to actually make the party stronger, and win elections? Geez, we can’t even get beyond the circular firing squad which follows every election. Ready, shoot, aim…
November 10th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Very true, take Sue Jeffers for example. By the time she decided in 2006 to make a serious GOP effort, it was too late to make any traction in the race.
I would guess that if Pawlenty decides to run again in 2010, he won’t have any serious competition for the GOP nomination.
November 10th, 2008 at 11:38 am
From their records it is damn hard to ee they are conservative. It is under their “leadership” (keyword there folks) this state and the Republican party have gone from the verge of dominance to extinction.
Pawlenty is conservative on some issues, but the key ones that define the difference between the parties he is liberal lite and is killing the conservative movement. 10% state budget increases. Hello.
Unobtainable? Gee I’m thinking I really liked the Pawlenty of 2002. I wish I could see that Pawlenty again. Yeah the guy who believed we had a spending problem. Unfortunately the guy with that name after the 2004 session believed in fees, corporate welfare, and erasing property rights.
And why do you think I happen to be bringing this up. Maybe so we can have a real honest debate about the whole future of the party. Like whoever becomes Party Chair will basically decide if Pawlenty will be challenged or not. All Republicans need to be held accountable and I pray that someone serious steps forward. For the sake of conservatism. If Pawlenty runs unchallenged and no one serious takes over Party leadership to fix this party so we can get some Senate AND House seats back.
We can scrap the rebar and forget about having our own health care. It will be over.
November 10th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
If the next MNGOP party chair decides that it is more important to challenge our GOP candidate instead of the DFL candidate, the party is in trouble for sure. The party chair should remain neutral in intra-party challenges.
November 10th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
“The time for new blood in this party is now. Pawlenty can stick around and run if he wants, but the clingers on at the party who think he is a true principled conservative who cannot be questioned from the right are exactly the people who need to be sent packing.”
I couldn’t concur more! With all due respect, I’m glad to see you’ve come around. What this party needs is a good, old-fashioned, Stalinist purge! Time to do a little RINO huntin’ !
After the Juan McDemocrat fiasco, if you’re serious about getting real, Constitution-honoring, principled, uncompromising candidates elected, you may to check these guys out:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/
The R3voLution has just begun…!!
November 10th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Brent,
The Republican candidate has to challenge the DFL candidate not agree with then. That’s part of the whole problem we are facing right now.
Kberdahl,
I believe in a strong national defense. I just don’t think I would be welcome in the Ron Paul party. I agree with a lot, or rather the Paul people agree a lot with the real conservative movement, but unfortunately each side seems to have things they won’t bend on.
November 10th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
As someone who has been active in the GOP for more than 20 years, I would submit that the number of issues that you the Ron Paul supporters agree on are about 100x more than the number on which you disagree.
“I believe in a strong national defense.”
But I believe in the strongest possible national defense: I want every single, solitary citizen to be armed to the teeth (think “Switzerland”) to be able to defend ourselves primarily from the fascist, anti-Constitutionalist elements of the ever-expanding State(for example, the soon-to-be-mobilized brownshirts of the Obama Youth Corps).
Great blog, BTW.
November 10th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
“It is under their “leadership” (keyword there folks) this state and the Republican party have gone from the verge of dominance to extinction.”
There you go again, blaming leadership for the failings of the rank and file. Next thing you know you’ll be blaming Bush for this economic mess. And maybe for 9/11, for all I know. I don’t care if you find a better conservative to run for Governor, so long as they can get elected. We don’t need a Ron Paul-type candidate– so conservative he etches glass. Even Sue Jeffers, bless her, had a number of faults as a statewide candidate.
The point is that if you have a better candidate, trot them out here and let us all take a look. We might even like them. But don’t just tear down our leaders without having an excellent alternative. There are plenty of Democrats willing to do that for free, and they don’t need your help.