Unfortunately, certain Republicans in the House of Representatives thought that you and I do not spend enough on utilities and voted with the majority to dip into your wallet. It is my hope that the eight voting for the bill will face serious primary opposition and be removed from office next time around.

The eight who voted to raise the consumer’s cost of energy:

Mary Bono Mack (R CA)
Michael Castle (R DE)
Mark Kirk (R IL)
Leonard Lance (R NJ)
Frank LoBiondo (R NJ)
John McHugh (R NY)
Dave Reichert (R WA)
Christopher Smith (R NJ)

In party politics we as individuals must realize that we will never have a perfect candidate—one who is supported by all of the party. Compromise is essential in politics, even on the choice of a candidate. In deciding whom to support we take many things into account and their position on issues are only part of the equation. We must also keep in mind that, at least on the federal level, no single candidate will ever accomplish anything. The lone wolf is the most ineffective member of Congress. Change comes from majorities. If the majority will be freedom loving then it may be necessary to tolerate a few RINOs so long as the majority is large enough to counter their foolish votes. Unfortunately, with the last Republican majority this concept caused trouble. First, the majority was slim enough that liberal Republicans often obliterated the advantage of the majority by voting with the opposition. Second, once the ratio of conservatives, moderates and liberals in the majority tips from one to the other you may have the same party in charge, but an entirely different agenda.

The Republican party leadership must realize that the base will not support a liberal or moderate majority, even a Republican one. As conservatives and libertarians we must support candidates who believe in the maximum of freedom, even if at times it means our party loses.

We ordain the Constitution to protect our liberty.
We permit the government to wield our power.
We create parties to express our voice.

The GOP got the mistaken idea that the members of the party exist to keep them in office and power. They forgot that the liberties, the power and the voice are ours. They are simply one of several tools. Like any tool, it is of value so long as it performs its function, other wise it is discarded.

I attended a meeting of a local Republican organization and heard a speech from the county Chairman of the party. Out of respect I will neither say what group nor identify the person. The problem was not the speaker nor the venue but the substance of what was said. Seldom have so many words been spoken with so little being said. The entire time was spent on a litany of charges against Barack Obama with the occasional back-handed jab at the Clintons; all of which were the same old screeds bouncing around the internet. While many of these charges are serious and should be investigated, this chance to motivate the grassroots was wasted with pointless tirades. There was nothing of substance to show what the party should do or what the GOP had to offer. This speech made me wonder if the GOP is reverting back to opposition party mentality as the anti-Obama party: “vote for us because we are not Barack Obama.” We saw this before when Bob Dole ran as the moral antithesis of Bill “Where’s my cigar” Clinton. This tactic never succeeds and if the GOP is going to adopt it then yet another election cycle will be lost.

Conservatives and libertarians in the GOP must lay out a plan. Running against Barack Obama will fail, while a workable plan with a definite direction is the road to success.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk4Ekbpn_Pc

I was a bit shocked when Governor Palin was chosen as the running mate. I hoped this could turn things around, but felt it was the death knell of the McCain campaign. Governor Palin is a great governor, a smart conservative and a wise politician who was eviscerated by the media and the self proclaimed defenders of women. I was alarmed at her pick, because a candidate picks a running mate to make up for personal shortcomings or to open up other regions of the country. For example, Kennedy picked LBJ to run with him in 1960 to make him more attractive in the south. Obama chose Biden because of his own lack of experience. John McCain, instead of bringing in someone to help win new areas, had to bring in someone to help win his own base. Over the course of his career, he has so alienated himself from the Republican party that there had been serious speculation after 2000 that he might defect to the Democratic party.

The Republicans loss had two side. On one you had Obama, the historical candidate—masses couldn’t wait to say they’d voted for the first black president. On the other side the actions of George Bush, a misguided GOP congress and the maverick John McCain left conservatives adrift without a party.

Today, the GOP Chairman announced the creation of the Center for Republican Renewal. The Center is supposed to promote the parties core principles, which sounds good until Chairman Duncan says the Center will be dedicated to “identifying the most inventive and effective ideas and policies across America.”

It is my hope that the Center for Republican Renewal will be an honest effort to return the party to the days of limited government and fiscal responsibility. If the chairman means to take the party further along its route into the darkness then it should learn to enjoy its position on the political periphery. The GOP had eight years of trying to win the populist vote. The populists didn’t trust them and the conservative base had no reason to support them. More of the same will lead to more of the same.