Burned Out On Bush?

Bruce Kesler at Democracy Project takes up the issue of conservatives backing away from Bush.

Several of my favorite bloggers, self-described conservatives of various stripes, properly respected stalwarts of reasonability and probity, have offered considered reasons to split with George Bush.

He references Mark Tapscott, Captains Quarters and Steven Bainbridge as examples. I'd encourage individuals thoughtful about their politics to click the links and read the posts, as each has responded to Kessler. He also mentions another post at The Anchoress. It's one I had already read and given some thought.

I’ve decided that if I’m going to keep blogging, I’m going to have to leave off writing or reading about politics for a little while, because it’s all making me sick.

What I have been considering is that many things, from nature to sports to media, and, yes, even politics, have seasons. And they have them for good reason. If we consider major events which have marked the Bush Presidency, there hasn't been much of an off season for some time, so to speak.

He entered office on the heels of a dot com crash and an additional stock market shrug immediately complicated by 9/11 and has continued on as our President through days of war, consistent and intense politicking by Democrat and Republican alike - and now the nation is boiling over in an immigration controversy. One could argue that if you put the last six years of our nation's history into perspective, they may well be the most significant and challenging in slightly more than fifty years.

Yet, if I look around the political landscape, I can't conclude that Bush himself has faltered, or at least faltered somehow more obviously than anything else. He even fought and won a difficult election somewhere in there along the way.

The immigration issue is where I had my split on Bush. No, I'm not happy with spending and government growth, but, as Mark Tapscott points out, the Congress is as much if not more pertinent in some ways than perhaps is Bush.

But it is not President Bush, it is the congressional wing of the GOP that is on the ballot and it is chiefly to them that I find myself no longer willing to extend the benefit of the doubt. This is for two reasons:

First, I am no longer convinced that it makes a sufficiently critical difference that the Bill Frists, Trent Lotts, Jerry Lewises and Bill Youngs are in control of Congress instead of Harry Reid, Teddy Kennedy or Nancy Pelosi.

There is a campaign season ahead - one which is going to require energy, action and a good deal of thought. Perhaps a bit of rest of sorts isn't a bad thing right now.

As conservatives, we could burn the field, waste the landscape which has actually brought us further along since Reagan in some major ways. As the Cold War ended, the War on Terror began and I suspect it was always there waiting, just as Africa awaits if and when the Middle East begins to settle down. Not even conservatives can afford to ignore events outside of our shores in today's increasingly globalized world. We may not have taken on the challenges or made the changes we most wanted, but certainly changes and challenges have been made and met, respectively. Did anyone actually believe our challenges would all be over by the middle of Bush's second term?

What we can do as we get ready for the campaign season ahead is contemplate how best to build upon what's been accomplished, as opposed to tearing it down. It is a new world in a very significant way. From Harriet Miers to, perhaps, now pork and immigration, our voices have been and are being heard. One could argue that because of new media the influence of some amalgamated voice of the people, people just like us, is being heard more clearly and forcefully by our politicians than it ever has been before.

Anger, frustration and dissatisfaction are emotions and they are sometimes difficult to tightly control. But allowing such things to color our actions might not be the wise choice. As we slide into summer, it might not be a bad time to become just a hair or two less politicized, take a sweet breath of warm air and prepare for a good fight in the fall. And what we should fight for are the conservative or libertarian ideas and ideals we honestly believe America needs.

To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, if we have to go into an election with the politicians we have, so be it. But we can at least take some solace in knowing that with a new media, they are going to have to listen to us.

The ideal strategy for some right now might be to reflect, consider, consolidate and even rest up a bit as we enter summer, ensuring that the Right voice, or voices are ready to be heard clearly and effectively from late summer through the Fall.

To everything there is a season, ... after all.

Comments

[Bryce]

From AP:

Thought you'd like this:

BOSTON - A plane carrying U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy from western Massachusetts to his home on the coast was struck by lightning Saturday and had to be diverted to New Haven, Conn., his spokeswoman said.

The eight-seat Cessna Citation 550 plane lost all electrical power, including communications, and the pilot had to fly the plane manually, according to spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner. No one was hurt.

Insert gods near miss joke here

[Dan]

Thought you'd like this

Frickin Kennedy, I bet he was wearing "rubber." ; )

[Bryce]

Even if the plane had crashed, I am sure Mr Kennedy would have survived and been found in the nearest bar.

[annie]

Am I missing something here??

How can it get any better by allowing a load of left wing liberals to get voted in.

You can't have real freedom without security.

With that crowd you'll ultimately have far less of both!!

[ustt]

didn't this kennedy have a broken back from a previous plane crash?

Also, mom always said "yur gonna get struck down by lightinin if you lie".....and I'm very pissed at him for several things he's done lately.........and in the past.......but now lately.

as far as burned out on bush.....I'm voting for Kinky Friedman......all the way to president.

[Concerned]

God must have a much more important mission for Mr. Kennedy. Perhaps this is just a reminder that he needs to get his wagon on the road.

[tester]

God does not miss.