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The GOP In Reflection:

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Bloviating Zeppelin: The GOP In Reflection:

Bloviating Zeppelin

(in-ep-toc'-ra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

The GOP In Reflection:


Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States, passed away on June 5th of 2004. This past week, Tuesday, February 6th, would have been Reagan's 96th birthday.

And I still miss him. Perhaps I miss my youth; I was a young man with a beautiful young wife and my entire future ahead of me. Then and now, however, I realize that I never before or since felt as good about my country and as assured of its direction and the strength and goodness of our leadership than under Reagan's guiding hand.

In my prior post I wrote, in response to a comment from Jenn:

Jenn: can I confess something? Until he passed away in 2004, in the back of my mind I was still comforted by his presence in my world. Of course I understood that he was stricken by Alzheimers and I read the occasional article about he and Nancy or perhaps the kids, and about his condition. Yet, the mere thought of him still living was still comforting. I found myself remarkably, absolutely stricken by his passing, almost like he was a member of my own family.

He was a politician; I never knew him and he never knew me. He had no idea I existed. Yet his death struck me almost as significantly as the passing of my own mother in 2002. How completely an oddity is that? -- and it has always bothered me in some shadowy fashion.

Every word is true. But further: not only do I miss the leadership of Ronald Reagan, I also miss the simpler times, the unity of the GOP. And it's gotten me to thinking even more.

Those of us on the Right side of the aisle are still looking, perhaps fruitlessly, for our next Ronald Reagan; likely we shall never find another and we should amend our minds to this.

But should we give up our Conservative values despite the fact that the GOP now appear to be a collective of seemingly-capitulist poll responders and wind sensors? If The Pledge did not occur would the GOP have taken any kind of a collective stance against the resolutions to condemn Bush's addition of troops in Iraq?

I was taken to task recently for my sense of what has happened to the Republican Party and that I am apparently not a blind cheerleader for same or an apologist for President Bush but, considering the recent past and the tenure of the times how can I be such? As I have written time and again I shall be the first in line to praise when it is deserved, and also present to point out faults when they occur (see this post about Palestine). Everything is not all wine and roses.

And we will NOT get where we need to be as a party, in a fashion to honor our Conservative roots, unless we are willing to recognize and acknowledge our faults and, moreover, discern and decide to CORRECT these faults and place ourselves on the proper track.

But what IS that proper track?

Have we actually lost our way and forgotten what it is that we who vote Republican embrace?

I thought: I have an idea of what the GOP should stand for. I believe I know what it is that I should stand for as a Conservative. But can I actually find something that clearly states and makes clear the GOP Platform?

What do we as Republicans stand for, anyway? Do we even know? Can I find our platform?

Trust me: I have the temerity to posit the very next obvious question: if we can't find and identify our platform, the basis for our very existence, we are in a whole very lot of trouble.

So I went on a journey through the internet. I knew I had to start with the Main GOP website first. What is the GOP website? It is here; GOP.com. At this site I found these three bullet points:

  • Winning the war on terror;
  • Keeping our economy strong;
  • Building an innovation economy to compete in the world.

I didn't find our platform immediately. I had to look into "About The GOP" and then found it under "Party Platform." What is our party platform? Go here for the PDF file. In essence the 2004 platform bullets down to:

  • Winning the war on terror;
  • Ushering in an ownership era;
  • Building an innovate, globally competitive economy;
  • Strengthening our communities;
  • Protecting our families;

And therein it ends. Am I missing something?

Whatever happened to the following:

  • Smaller government?
  • Fewer taxes?
  • Adoption and abstinence?
  • Affirmative civil rights access without set-asides or preference?
  • "Marriage" is for heterosexual couples only; there can be otherwise "civil unions?"
  • The best way to deter crime is to support current laws on the books and support a proper death penalty?
  • School choice, vouchers, home schooling, voluntary prayer in school?
  • No Kyoto Protocol; voluntary emissions and public compliance?
  • Concerted efforts to locate and source energy sources on US soil?
  • Private property ownership is fundamental to this nation?
  • Continued sovereignty for the United States and self determinance absent the UN?
  • Clear deliniation between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches; SCOTUS judges who know their jobs and are strict Constitutionalist constructionists?
  • No further gun control limitations?
  • Stand firm against WMD proliferation?
  • Proactive fronts on the soil of OTHER nations against further events on OUR soil?
  • Profiling, wiretapping, using common sense in recognition of our TRUE enemies?
  • SURVIVAL OF THE UNITED STATES FIRST AND FOREMOST!
  • A strong and expanded military capable of global land, sea and air mastery?
  • LIMITED IMMIGRATION! Only lawful immigrants, controlled by THIS NATION, via tightly controlled borders both north and south?
  • Move welfare recipients OFF the welfare rolls?
  • Independence in all facets: energy, production, individual?
  • Promotion of the good of Christian religious tenets?

Oh no. I didn't see those bullet points on our own website.

WHY WERE THESE THINGS MISSING?

And why are we even remotely attempting to be all things to all persons despite the history of this tactic resulting in abysmal failure?

So what does the GOP need to succeed?

Would it surprise you to learn that it needs to do no more than embrace the basics of its creation? -- i.e. the points I've enumerated above?




For those Bush and GOP Apologists: where am I wrong?


BZ

6 Comments:

Blogger Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Ooops. No comments. Struck a vein evidently. Good.

BZ

Sun Feb 11, 07:44:00 PM PST  
Blogger Dionne said...

I printed out your list and went through the 92 pages of the platform and the majority of your list was in there. I remember when I first started paying attention to politics a family watch group did a one page sheet on both the Democrat and the Republican party platforms picking out the important stuff. The regular platforms are really long so you have to look through them.

I understand your frustration with the Republican party not being perfect. But even our hero Ronald Reagan wasn't perfect. He was just as lax as Bush on immigration, maybe even more so. But if we had been upset with him over that we would've missed out on all the other good things he had to offer.

I think it is the same with Bush. The reason I am such an apologist for him is because of the war on terror. I know he has other weaknesses but that man has kept our country and my children safe and I know that couldn't be said had Gore or Kerry been at the helm.

We all have our different issues that are important to us. For me its social issues, judges and the war on terror--Bush is great on all of those. Like I have pointed out there are some really awful Republicans such as McCain, Hagel and others. But since we can't vote in their states we didn't have much of a say. And the reality is in certain liberal areas of the country you can't get genuine conservatives elected at this stage of the game.

I'm not sure what you're wanting. If you are wanting perfection you won't find that with any party. If you think the Republican party isn't for you maybe you should start checking out the Libertarian or Constitution parties.

I just know that I personally try to campaign, support and vote for the person who best represents my values and then hold their feet to the fire to make sure they stay true to what they ran on. I don't expect Hagel to be conservative because he didn't run on that platform. And the bottom line is sometimes you have to pick the lesser of 2 evils.

The other thing you need to keep in mind is that Reagan was an optimist. He looked for and saw the good in his party and the things he didn't like he tried to change but was aware he wouldn't be able to change it all.

Just my 2 cents!!

Sun Feb 11, 07:50:00 PM PST  
Blogger Dionne said...

Also, I have thought recently that maybe there are Republicans that don't like Bush as much as I don't like McCain. If that is the case I can see why they would be disillusioned and there isn't much that can be done about that.

And I was writing that first comment at the same time you wrote yours. It was just taking me awhile.

Sun Feb 11, 07:52:00 PM PST  
Blogger Bloviating Zeppelin said...

GREAT! You responded!
Your 2-cents! What I want is an ACKNOWLEDGMENT that the GOP has yet work to do, and that we must move on beyond Bush. No, we shall never find another Reagan again and we should get used to that fact. But we CANNOT move ahead and forward until we collectively recognize that all is not perfect, that our current administration possesses some serious and, perhaps, even some fatal flaws. And mostly some flaws that simply, to me, make no damned sense whatsoever.

That is GOOD that you support Bush because of his war on terror! Right on! But we must have an administration that has the ability to multi-task and multi-focus as well. Reagan and immigration? A moot point because that was not a bullet point of the time, and we were not being overflowed by illegal immigrants nor were USBP agents being shot at on our own soil, etc, etc.

Yes, LMC, I can understand your embrace of GWB because of your children and very little if anything can trump the incredible bond between and mother and her children. Understood indeed!

On the other hand, I readily acknowledge that I want the GOP party to win. And I want those who can communicate the resolution of the party, the commitment of the party, to the current and future minions. And yes, I finally get you to realize you ARE an "apologist" for Bush. But for your own good reasons!

My point is this: we must realize what we have, where we are, and where we NEED TO GO. We shall never have another RWR. But in order to move forward we must recognize our past in order to plan our future. GWB has been lightyears ahead of any other candidate and I would be the first to admit this! But I would be remiss if I didn't set my sights on something more, something greater than what we have now.

You and I, we both want the same thing, you realize? I'm not about taking you down or other GOP advocaters; I'm about realizing where we are, where we've been, where we need to go NOW!

We are advocating the same thing, in different ways. All I'm asking is the return to the basics, obviously, publicly, so that we can do what we know is Right on all levels.

BZ

Sun Feb 11, 08:34:00 PM PST  
Blogger Dionne said...

I'm not sure what you mean by finally getting me to admit I'm a Bush apologist. I have been accused of being a rabid Bushie among other things and I have always worn it as a badge of honor. I am loyal to Bush although I have always admitted his imperfections along with the imperfections of the GOP. I am not ashamed of that in the least no matter how low his poll ratings go or how many liberals gasp at that admission.

As for Reagan's stance on immigration I don't get how you sweep that aside for him but crucify Bush for it when it is the same thing.

As for making the Republican party better I'm all for that but I'm not sure how complaining about all their shortcomings accomplishes that. I think for the most part it all comes down to the primaries. Make sure you support the better conservative during the Republican primary. I would like to see you do something more constructive towards helping the Republican party. I would be more than willing to help with anything you come up with.

Sun Feb 11, 10:52:00 PM PST  
Blogger A Jacksonian said...

Well, Mr.Z, I am no Republican nor Democrat... but I do have questions for Presidential Candidates 50 of them. They are Policy oriented *not* program oriented... there are very, very few Policies left in the US Government, just lots of programs. I have had problems with those putting forth such things, but even more those that have taken the stance of giving up National Sovereignty on every basis from Left and Right. It is a bankrupt political class... an Elite so out of touch with America that it gets nose bleeds when it even thinks about the Nation.

Where was Reagan's axe that he would take to the budget? Especially to the useless Dept. of Education that was just standing up after Carter? That could have gone with nary a whimper... but that tentacle got firmly affixed as Big Government. Reagan ran from Beirut... three bombings against the US, two against the Embassy and one that killed US Marines went into the 'memory hole'. And the Marines wanted back *in* to give reprisals and dearly so and damn the cost. What would Hezbollah look like TODAY if he had done that then?

Reagan did save the might of the US Armed Forces by actually paying for them properly, I do give him that. Necessary to stand up against the USSR. But Lebanon? Not a Soviet Ally. There was zero chance of any conflict there spreading as witness the lack of same *since*.

No, there is no Foreign Policy nor Domestic Policy nor any policy at all to be had in any of the Political Elite today. Just programs to bribe the voters...those that they have not so disenchanted so as to discourage them *to* vote.

Fri Feb 16, 09:52:00 AM PST  

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