As I was browsing through some of my normal morning reading, I came across two articles that piqued my interest. One is short and the other is long and both speak about different topics, but they both finish up by asking the same question, albeit in different ways. What if the Republicans win big in November and beyond? What happens then?
The first of those articles comes from John at The Current, in which he asks if our government has the consent of the governed. All of the article is well worth reading, but the last paragraph really stuck out to me.
So this November we have a few options. The first is slowing our slide to bankruptcy by removing those in power who have supported this stormy climate of out of control spending and government expansion. This will not be a quick fix, but it does buy us time. The people are correct when they say the problems in Washington are rooted deep. I believe it will take four to six elections cycles to get a majority of constitutionally minded people in office both on the national and state levels. This is not a sprint but a marathon. The second thing we need to do is critically examine the people we are giving our consent to govern. And the best way is their voting records on both a local and if required national level. We can no longer take for granted that the people we are electing have the best interest of the people and our country in mind. Emotional appeal cannot sway our logic. We must separate facts from emotion and vote based on the facts. And lastly we must stay engaged. Staying engaged exercises the mind, body, and spirit and keeps us sharp. Because there will always be some force hiding in the shadows waiting for us to nod off again so they can steal away our liberties and steer us down a path towards tyranny.
The second of the articles is short and simple, from The McCarville Report, in which he has a single quote from one of the most respected pollsters in the business, Scott Rasmussen. This quote was in conjunction with a poll that shows the elections in November may be the third election in a row where the party in power is voted against.
“This will be the third straight election in which people vote against the party in power. The GOP will benefit from that this year, but 75 percent of Republicans say their representatives in Congress are out of touch with the party base. Should they win big this November, they will have to move quickly to prove they’ve learned lessons from the Bush years.” ~ Pollster Scott Rasmussen
Both of these speak volumes to what may happen on and after November 2. If the Republicans win big on that date, as many expect them to do, they can not sit back on their laurels and twiddle their
thumbs. Instead, they will be required to move forward and begin straightening out the mess our country is currently in.
As much as I like and admire George W. Bush, this mess started during his administration. Some of it was his fault and some of it was the fault of the Republicans who failed to follow the conservative ideals on which they were elected. Thus, we had several years of fiscal irresponsibility from both sides of the aisle. That trend has continued since the Democrats came to power and it now stands a good chance of doing a great deal more damage, since the onset of their spending habits.
If the Republicans win in November, they must stand their ground and put a stop to the aforementioned habits, from both sides of the political spectrum. Their responsibility is to stand firm on the ideals that they have been campaigning on, as they apply for the jobs in Congress. Our responsibility is to make sure they do. That may sound harsh, but if we are to succeed in pulling our country away from the precipice it is now on, that is how it has to be.
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Thursday, April 25, 2013 -- What It Means To Compromise
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Thanks for the link Larry. I do believe we can no longer just go to the polls and vote for a candidate based on party affiliation or because they had the best campaign ad that appealed to our emotional side.
We need to prepare, do our research, and go to the polls in a business type mindset; and the business is restoring our republic. We need to understand the issues and not be afraid to face the truth. You do a great job here when it comes to familiarizing people with the issues. Sometimes the truth can be painful, but ignoring it is undoubtedly worse. Thanks for the great post my friend.
“We need to prepare, do our research, and go to the polls in a business type mindset;” If only we could get people to actually consider issues and research them I find so many people my age (I’m in college) who base their votes on totally absurd things. “I saw Jon Stewart say…” What? voting based on what a comedian said? AAAUUUGGHHH! Or “I feel like we need to vote for…” Feel? Feelings have nothing to do with it. Feelings are for relationships and massages, keep your feelings out of politics. Politics are about issues, facts, real-life repercussions, etc. NOT Feelings! I’m done ranting now… sorry.
Well said, Mark and so true. I have never been able to understand how some people make up their minds on whom to vote for. If they could just see and understand how important the issues really are, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess now.
Thanks, John. This was one of those posts that just about wrote itself. I was reading your article and then read the quote from Scott Rasmussen and it really struck a chord. I don’t expect the Republican leadership to be reading my little piece of the web, but if they were to run across it in their browsing, I hope they realize we mean to be taken seriously in November.
The problem will be Obama will blame them for everything as he will have a foil. The more the GOP stands their ground the more they will be called obstructionists. In some ways it would be better if the Dems retained control of Congress so they could stew in their own juices.
There is that, Harrison and it is already been happening. No matter what their reasoning is for saying no to the President and his policies, they are painted as the party of no. Even if they have good and sound reasons, the mainstream media usually jumps right in the middle of them, right after Obama cuts loose with both barrels. Although thinking of them in power for another two years nearly makes me ill. I am not sure we can afford that.
It seems that when one party is in the minority they rail against spending and big government only to fall into the same trap when they regain power. Often it feels as if the only time the minority party cares about smaller government is when the opposition is leading the country.
I held my nose and voted for John McCain because I feared Barack Obama–and my fears have been confirmed–but never again will I vote for a person that I do not believe represents my views. As John said above, party affiliation means nothing anymore, we must vote for the candidate with whom we most agree.
If Republicans gain control of the Congress they must know that we are watching them and they must not revert to policies of the past. If they do they should be prepared to be voted out in the next election.
I feel the same way, Steve. I voted for McCain and I do not regret that vote, but we could and should have put forth a much better candidate.
If the Republicans win in November, they have to realize we are serious about this. They must be held accountable for how they conduct the business of America.
I don’t regret the vote either, I just wish that we had chosen a better candidate and a true conservative. Maybe Republicans have learned their lesson after the defeat of John McCain.
This is a complex one, and each person has added something valuable. A GOP win will stall Obama until he can be voted out, nothing more. They would need veto proof majorities to really undo anything. They will have to pick and choose their battles, and refuse to give Obama a single bit of his agenda. We will need to be both patient, and vigilant. We will need to remind them to mind their promises, and not have unrealistic expectations. Being the party of “no” will become a way of life.
The GOP has much to prove. They let us down for most of the past decade. They didn’t do anything to prevent the current recession, even though the Bush administration raised the warning MANY times. They grew government, they spent too much, and they didn’t police their own. While none of their “crimes” hold a candle to what Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are doing now, they failed to live up to the ideas the got them elected. That must change, or the GOP will end up on the trash heap of history.
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