The New Republican Paradigm: When Libs Attack

A short second-hand anecdote involving RNC Chair Micheal Steele. Given his obvious media strategy, I don't believe it violates any confidences to share in general terms.

A Republican was having a discussion with him on New Media and the risks for the GOP if it were to ever become more involved with open communication formats - places offering the ability to comment, etc.

In short, someone was talking about the down side, as in, you know the opposition will always show up and plant uncivil comments. They'll pose as Republicans and attempt to have conversations that are supportive of the Klan, etc, and so on.

To paraphrase Steele's response, these people threw Oreo cookies at me when I was running for the governorship in Maryland. Do you really think I'm going to allow them to lecture me on racism?

In the car this afternoon I heard a theme often repeated by Rush. I see it's tangential to this Mark Steyn column today, as well.

The media would like the American Right to be represented by the likes of Bob Dole and John McCain, decent old sticks who know how to give dignified concession speeches. Last time round, we went along with their recommendation. If you want to get rave reviews for losing gracefully, that's the way to go.

What the Left, along with the media, want and need are the apologists, the hand wringers and the back peddlers extraordinaire, those Republicans who would just as soon bash or purge one of their own for fear of some bad press. Of course, the bad press always comes anyway. It's not a winner's game they play. It's a losing gambit every time. Still they persist. Republicans need to learn this lesson quickly if they want to capitalize fully on the electoral possibilities presented by 2010.

People who look and sound like losers, or like they are running away, never win. That's true for any game, including politics. I'm not advocating going over the top, or being outrageous just to outrage. This is about standing up for and saying what you believe in and not wasting your time defending against partisan attacks by denying what you are not.

The Left uses it to put the Right on defense, to keep it off-balance, or from ever making its own points. Enough of that. It's time for the GOP to show some strength. When they poke you, poke them back, but with a sharper stick; then sharpen the stick before they come back, because they will. So what?

Enough of the cowards, hand wringers and the lame apologists who never do get to make clear that for which they do purportedly stand. They're always too busy fretting over what the media, or the opposition might say. Republicans need to show some strength. They need to plant their feet firmly upon what it is they are supposed to represent: individual freedom, smaller government and lower taxes in general terms.

If they can't or won't do that and do it boldly and unafraid, they have no hope of regaining power over anything anytime soon. While they might not be an ideal party - none ever is, btw - right now they're what we have that can push back against Obama and make it count when the 2010 mid-terms roll around.

It's time to take stock of the situation, realize the tremendously undemocratic changes the contemporary Democrat Party would make in America if it's allowed to - and begin to fight back. And we need to fight back hard, with rules and assumptions based upon what we think, not what some media, or opposition hack wants us to think.

Most of them can barely think for themselves, only a foolish Republican would permit them to continue thinking for the GOP. Bring it on needs to be the order of the day, not can't we please all just try and get along.

Liberals never get along unless they are getting their own way. And the stakes for America are far too high right now to let that continue to happen. We have to do everything we can to put a stop to it, and the sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Comments

[serfer62]

Use the primaries where your vote has more weight. Vote for the contender for either a fresh face or scare the crap out of the entrenched.

Do NOT send money to DC but rather direct to your choice reguardless of loacation...ie. Chris Simcox to oust that idiot McNasty.

[JPP]

I hope this isn’t too strong but this man, Hussein bin Obama, needs to be removed from office, under the charge of being unfit to the US President.

Hussein bin Obama has Marxist and Islamic tendencies and sympathies. He has anti-Americanism in his DNA. He is anti-free market, anti-business. The economy is worsening under his anti-business, pro-big government philosophy.
He chronically insults the USA and the American people.

He needs to go.

[AJsDaddie]

Dan, this is a great idea. But I think I'm probably not alone in wondering how to get involved before the election. How do we get people interested in running? I live in one of the biggest, bluest counties, and when I drive by the local Republican Party office, it's always closed.

What should I do?

[richard mcenroe]

Well, somebody needs to lecture Michael Steele on racism. As he demonstrated on BET, he is completely ignorant of the GOP's record on race relations in this country, starting with, you know, FREEING THE FREAKING SLAVES.

AJs Daddie -- volunteer to open it.

[Dan Riehl]

"What should I do?"

Have to you tried the state organization? There may be another right next store. Or if you can manage it, perhaps you could get involved with the one you cite and start making it your own in a sense? Just some thoughts, anyway.

[Lala]

Send Steele this book

N THE MAIL: Bruce Bartlett sends a copy of his Wrong On Race: The Democratic Party’s Buried Past. He suggests it’s particularly relevant to today’s political discussions.

Posted at 11:00 am by Glenn Reynolds

[Reaganite Republican]

Right-on, Dan- I sure dont' understand those who let the left define us in terms beneficial to them.

And if any GOPer REALLY believes in minimalist governance, low taxes, free enterprise, and liberty... then they should be feeling pretty confident that Obama's policies -which run contrary to all we believe in- will be doing an epic face-plant soon enough... I sure don't feel much doubt that he's set himself up for a collosal failure.

Times is on our side, conservatives... stand tall, watch Obama self-destruct, then get out there and kick some ass... midterms are only 13 mos away.

[trentk269]

I'd like to see Republicans crib a sheet from Ronald Reagan. He was willing to take questions, he was prepared, and he was polite- but he never let those media types push him off message. I would suggest to Michael Steele or any state GOP group to start teaching and preaching this to candidates and future candidates. Candidates need to get a spine, be polite, but argue with strength from the working, taxpaying voter's perspective. The media has given itself a huge black eye by its treatment of Sarah Palin, and she came about as close to that communication ideal as I've seen in recent years.

Candidates need to learn how to answer the question, but talk around the biased and agenda driven media, directly to the people, patiently and consistently defining what they will do to fix the big problems created by the Democrats over the past few years. Nixon and Dubya never learned to do this, and it destroyed both of them. This is a learnable skill, and it should be a central theme in the GOP comeback in 2010 and 2012.

[Lisa Graas]

This is great advice for the GOP powers that be, Dan. I have some for the grassroots. If you're not a registered Republican, go register. Show up. Volunteer to work at the polls. Volunteer to be a delegate. Support delegates who will fight the good fight.......and keep holding the establishment's feet to the fire.

Otherwise, we could be toast.

[David R. Graham]

Strong concur!

@AJsDaddie: as others say, Do It, volunteer to open the office, etc. A ship under way has steerage, if it is on a wrong course it can correct because it is underway, its rudder grabs the water. A ship not under way has no steerage and is driven hither and thither by wind and tide. It cannot course correct. Move, therefore!

Of some significance is that the Greek compound word "apologia," from which English derives "apologist" and "apology," means exactly the opposite of hand-wringing, dithering, dissembling and saying one is sorry for anything at all.

Apo = before. Logos = Reason in the sense of Structure of Being, therefore, speech that is reasonable, conforming to the structure of the mind and the structure of reality, which are one and the same.

Apologetics is the gist of Logos Philosophy (Parmenides, Plotinus) and Logos Theology (Augustine, Bonaventure, Cusanus, Fiore, Tillich).

An apologist is one who stands before whomever they choose to come before and speaks the truth to them in reasonable terms (= conforming to the structure of being and the mind = logistically).

An apologist is one who makes a point or set of points with such convincing or overwhelming power, as indicated, as to carry the discussion forward, by consensus, in the direction they advocate.

Granted this actual meaning of the word apologist is not going to become standard usage any time soon. But that is what it means. An apologist is exactly the person and role you, Dan, are commending to conservatives and Republicans, all and sundry, and in fact fulfilling in their view by example.

As you know, common usage is not infrequently at odds with the actual meaning of the words employed (e.g., "gay" means insouciantly cheerful; it does not mean homosexual.) Regrettably, common usage today of the words "apology"/"apologist" illustrate the deleterious discrepancy between usage and meaning.

Notwithstanding, I am pleased and proud of the privilege to associate with a fellow apologist for reality and truth! :-) Carry on!

[SDN]

serfer62, your vote only has more weight if it's a closed primary. If it's an open primary, like most Republican primaries, your vote will be overwhelmed by Lefties crossing over to choose the weakest Republican they can. See John McCain, who was picked by exactly that process.