No Time For Republican Posing: Let America Choose

For all of my life, most of it in the face of a contrary communications domination, Republicans have fidgeted to strike a pose between a mass-culture tide of anti-American, anti-freedom, anti-dynamic statist centralization of power, and their feeble sentiment about the virtue and potential of fundamental American principle. At last, after decades of alternately steady and precipitous progress along this course, America now stands with a coagulating economy, perched on the precipice of financial calamity, with the erstwhile American standards of life, liberty and property, clearly up for grabs.

 

Short of a dramatic change of course, there is literally nothing remaining of essentially American values. Oh, you have the European standard of sexual and diversional liberty, at least what you can afford of it. But life, liberty and property are far from sacred. The first two are not ultimately yours to defer over and as health care regulations are imposed, the former will be less so. If the courts uphold the capacity of the US government to command your acquisition of a health insurance policy and the parameters of it, what really remains of Madison’s description of federal powers as “few and defined” and state powers as ”numerous and indefinite (Federalist #45)? If you will name a power that is reserved to the states (it’s hard to locate one that is exclusively so), what about it is out-of-bounds to the federal government besides its own disinterest to date, and why? How does the Tenth Amendment’s reservation of powers not Constitutionally delegated to the states being reserved to the states and the people, have any meaning at all? It doesn’t, and Madison’s words are only a historical artifact.

 

In short, the time for posturing and fidgeting is past. For one thing, though career politicians (especially those over 50) may not have absorbed it, the communications hegemony is no more. They have these new-fangled things called the Interwebs, pay-television, and talk-radio. In fact, the conservative breakout pioneer Rush Limbaugh, is a relative dinosaur in longevity though not in presence, now. And also, the enormity of the recent spending, the critical swelling of the federal debt, and the near-pervasive intrusions of government naifs into the conduct and control of private commerce, has prompted a movement among Americans to study and reconsider the values expressed in our founding documents, such as I have never seen in my lifetime. There is an enormous reaction to the overreach of this administration and Congress that Republicans would be fools not to embrace and respond to, though such foolishness would hardly be unprecedented.

 

A Glenn Beck televises information on the breadth and development of this constitutionally defiant propensities, in a format that is accessible and digestible for the typical American. There is today no place for anything but a clear and assertive plan to undo the the unconstitutional and damaging legislation that has been imposed and to resolutely execute such if they are given power. The federal tentacles should be withdrawn from private commerce in every area. They should campaign on the repeal of the health care law and replace it with efforts to remove obstacles to the exercise of the market and remand aid efforts to states and localities. I am actually for efforts to maximize the quality of health care and access to it. Federal impositions are an impediment to both.

 

The defense of and agenda for liberty and The Constitution must be clear and unambiguous. There is no place for calculating and compromise posturing, now. I have always despised the term “moderate” because you can’t moderate on convictions. Antonin Scalia has described a disadvantage he has on The Supreme Court by posing a potential discussion between two judges, where a very left-leaning one is talking to one who is less so. The far left one says he thinks the law or Constitution should be interpreted to say “x,” to which the other says, “I can’t go that far.” The first answers, “Well, can you go this far?” sliding the position a little closer. Scalia believe the law has an objective meaning that was intended by those who framed it. So, there’s no this far or that far to be negotiated. How much will you negotiate what is right? It’s a little like the old joke about the man who asks a woman if she will sleep with him for a million dollars. She thinks about it and agrees. Then he asks if she will sleep with him for ten dollars? She shrieks, NO! What kind of a woman do you think I am?!” He answers, “I thought we’d already determined that and were negotiating price.”

 

So, moderating is unprincipled, to me. We should be temperate in tone and demeanor. But, we should do that in defending the truth. The sites and stations I monitor have been indicating to me that the mood has been and still is trending Republican. But, I spoke with someone who is not so thoroughgoing a conservative as I am who cited well-known polling that indicates that there is still Democrat sentiment and Democrats will lose seats but still retain control of Congress. He even cited a particular race as about 189 degrees flipped from what I’ve heard. On a quick search, I couldn’t confirm this, but my friend was honest and dead serious. He lists (leans) in a conservative direction (as WF Buckley said of George W. Bush in 2000), but is suspicious of some Republicans’ motivations. To me, of course Republicans can be political operators, but I never could and never have supported a Democrat. However, if Republicans don’t campaign on the restoration and benefits of liberty and a plan that they will follow up on, they will stupidly blow a historic challenge and opportunity. If the people are offered that and reject it, they deserve what they get. Give them a stark choice, and let them choose!

Comments

Larry Perrault I had submitted this too early and corrections too late.

"How does the Tenth Amendment’s reservation of powers not Constitutionally delegated to the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT being reserved to the states"

"new-fangled things called the INTERNET..."... See More
"...breadth and development of THESE constitutionally defiant propensities..."
I was advised that the thesis that the Republican message should be principled, uncompromising and unambiguous, wasn't obvious enough.

And I wanted to add that, looking at the situation today, I see no option for the wavering champion Democrats to throw a roundhouse looping left hook in trying to tie Republicans corruptly to business (ironic in light of the government-corporate footsie of everything Obama and Democrats have done) if not an allegation and hammering of a message of outright scandal.

Republicans should say they are for liberty for EVERYONE and that they expect an attack but will march forward rather than flinch.
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