If you're like me, you just avoid certain columnists so you don't have to feel your head starting to explode as you read them. Frank Rich is one of those for me. But I ventured there today and he didn't disappoint.
As we know by now, the GOP candidate in NY-23 has dropped out of the race. As we also know (and was written about on this site a few days ago), she wasn't exactly a model conservative, and I think it's a good thing she's out of the race to give the true conservative a real shot at victory. But Rich's take is that this all boils down to the hijacking of the GOP by the 'Stalin' wing of the GOP, and that the right has devolved into a 'wacky, paranoid cult' headed by the likes of Glenn Beck.
I figured what would happen is the media would make this into a 'GOP turns back on candidate because she's pro-choice and pro-gay marriage,' tsk-tsking all the way, and omit some of her other liberal positions. But Rich takes it to another level.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
7 comments:
It is a sad case of wishful thinking on Mr. Rich's part.
Wishing that this election and the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia were not going to be referenda on Barack Obama and the Democrats.
The Republican party cannot win with country club moderates, Republicans who otherwise would be Democrats but find that party a little too plebeian for their liking. Conservatives need to do a couple of things before midterm elections. First, let's purge the party of the moderates. Don't throw them out but isolate them. Tell them they will get no party support whatsoever unless they mend their ways. Next, get a leader and a message. In '94 we had Newt and the Contract with America and conservatives won BIG!
As far as Mr. Rich goes, he should stick to reviewing "Guys and Dolls", getting his backstage passes and hitting on the prettiest of the male cast members.
"The biggest local employer is the pork-dependent military base, Fort Drum."
Pretty ignorant statement. Approriated funds for posts (not "base" as the author states -- those are for the Navy and Air Force) are provided for Operations and Maintenance costs (a prescribed amount based on number of units assigned to the post), and garrison funding costs (again, based on the number of buildings, mess halls, motor pools, etc, needed to support the units and Soldiers).
Pretty laughable to say Fort Drum is "pork-dependent," since the Soldiers there in the 10th Mountain Division have been deployed iso OIF and OEF since 9/11.
"The Republican party cannot win with country club moderates"...
I'm sure anyone who believes the earth is 6000 years old and dinosaurs existed side by side with man would agree with you.
You're wrong though.
Regardless of the bantering, the GOP needs to be concerned with one telling statistic -- In the latest Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll, only 17 percent of Americans identify themselves as Republicans (as opposed to 30 percent for the Democrats, and 44 for independents).
The GOP does need to grow, but party labels are less important than winning elections. I think the GOP will win elections by continuing to provided a low taxes, small government, individual freedom based argument--and by moderating a bit on some of the lightening rod social issues. Moderating a bit. Not repudiating.
WHAT PERCENTAGE IDENTIFY AS CONSERVATIVE?
Post a Comment