I apologize for the length of this post, but I wanted to respond to a few of Norm’s points below because obviously he is not alone in this thinking, as Lighthorse Harry shockingly pointed out. Here is why I think that hoping a loss will purge the party of undesireable philosophies is misguided thinking.
First of all, last week I excoriated the religious conservatives (a group of which I count myself a member) who were threatening to bolt the party if Giuliani was nominated and labeled their efforts as "foolishness." On that, Norm agreed with me. However, I must now point out that the argument cuts both ways and applies equally to economic conservatives (of whom, again, I count myself a member) who go running for the exits every time anyone dares deviate from their particular doctrines of faith. Rather than accusing good conservatives of "selling out" and abandoning our Party whenever we come to the slightest disagreement, I believe we should at the very least act in the manner in which President Reagan advised when dealing with the Soviet Union: "Trust, but verify."
Please do read on...
Second, by virtue of our two-party system, either party, in order to win and govern effectively, must encompass a broad spectrum of views. As a result, in a healthy party, you will always have certain individuals whose views do not square with the majority of the Party base. While I certainly would rather we have a majority of officeholders in our Party reflect the views of the base, it will never be 100%. That said, I think that if our GOP candidates running this year are successful, then our delegation will be more conservative, not less. That, I think is reason to be optimistic that a Republican-held legislature will have more success holding the line on spending than we have in past years.
Third, losing will not necessarily mean that our Party will be forced back to its conservative, small-government roots, as Norm suggests. On the contrary, it is just as likely that a GOP loss would enable more moderate elements of the party to claim that the Party had gone too far right and argue that more moderate (read: big-government) Republicans should be courted. Certainly, one can look at the Byrd-era GOP and say that we had a dedicated group of individuals in the Party at that time, but what good did it do to have such a small group of dedicated Republicans? In fact, our Commonwealth is still recovering from the days of single-party rule. If one thinks that having Republicans returned to minority status is a good thing, I suggest they just take a look at the history books.
Finally, you cannot simply consider our party in a vacuum. It must, by virtue of our political system be compared to the alternative, i.e. the Democrats. I agree with Norm, and I think many others do as well, including many of our Party leaders, that the GOP-controlled legislature has not done an effective job of reigning in runaway government spending in the Commonwealth. I also agree that we made a huge mistake in allowing Governor Warner to push through the largest tax increase in the history of the Commonwealth. However, I do NOT agree that the proper solution is for Republicans to take one on the chin this November.
If that were to happen, I believe that it would only make a bad situation worse. As I said before, turning over control of the Virginia General Assembly to the Democrats, and teaming them up with our liberal Governor, would result in a marked change of course for our Commonwealth in a number of key policy areas, not the least of which would be a raft of new government programs and a bigger raft of new taxes to pay for them. As Lt. Gov. Bolling pointed out last night, the Democrats running for election this year are not conservative Byrd Democrats, they are far-left liberals cut from the Kerry-Kennedy cloth. Indeed, if one wants a state government that looks more like the Commonwealth of Massachussetts than the Commonwealth of Virginia, then I say go right ahead and vote for these Democrats, but I don‘t believe most Virginians want that.
In sum, I understand the frustration that many Republicans feel and which Norm expressed. I’m glad he expressed it too, because I think it is something that must be addressed in order to be fixed. I can assure you that our leaders feel it too. The solution, however, is not to abandon ship and hope the boat turns itself around. Rather, the solution is to get all hands on deck, identify those who are working to get us back on the right track and work together to turn things around.
As I said last night, now is not the time for a U-Turn. It’s time to forge ahead through rough waters and come out a better, stronger Party on the other side.
Forge on
At the end of my teaching time at West Point I wrote a letter to the to cadets in my mind that I had taught in the Class of 1984. I used to kid and call all of my students "True Believers". I told them that if they could "shoot for 100%, expect 80%, get 50%" - because that is the way it is in the Army. Things screw up - always. But, if they could do it day in, day out, every day after day - then they would make forward progress in their unit.
So it is for Republicans nationally, state-wide and locally. Keep pushing. Compromise as a practice of good governance and move on - forward.
Losing COULD be good, but not this time.
First, for me your post was short. I guess that's why nobody reads my blog :-)
I am not a fan of purges. I don't like how conservatives sometimes go after pretty good moderates over one or two votes, as it just stirs emnity in the party and enables democrats to step up. Plus, we have solid conservatives who are to the right of their districts, and sometimes the moderates attack back. It won't do us much good to replace a few moderates with conservatives if in exchange we lose several conservatives to democrats.
That said, sometimes we need to purge to SAVE the party. For example, what is the biggest single issue being used against republicans in this race? Is it conservatives beating moderates in the primary? no. Is it conservatives chasing moderates out? No. Is it one of the "conservative" laws we passed, like the marriage amendment, or ending the death tax? No.
No, we are being beat up for voting to establish new taxing authorities in NoVa and Hamptom, and for the Abuser Fee funding scheme for new roads. Neither of those were "conservative" ideas (The abuser fees don't bother me so long as they are changed BACK to cover all drivers, but it wouldn't be MY choice).
This was the work of the moderates, mostly in the Senate, who said they were doing it to "save" the party. Instead, they have given the opposition a talking point.
Anyway, I sure hope Republicans can get out the word on all the accomplishments of the last couple of years. It's impressive. Virginia is actually running great, and it's because of Republican leadership. We have a great message to sell, and I hope we can cut through the left's rhetoric, and the media bias, to remind voters of how good things are here because of us.
I take no joy in calling for
I take no joy in calling for a GOP defeat this November, just as I did in advocating a GOP congressional loss last November. As you say, a party cannot be considered in a vacuum, and the Democratic alternative is hardly one that makes me feel any better about the prospects for the principles in which I believe.
But asking me to believe that the Republicans might find a way to implement conservative ideas, if only given another chance, is asking for something more than a leap of faith. It's also asking me to ignore the record.
That record had a very strong, very promising beginning. The accomplishments party leaders are now touting are significant and even fundamental. But as I noted in my screed, many of those victories came long ago. And not insignificantly, they came when the party was in the legislative minority, but could count on the guidance and support of a Republican in the governor's mansion.
They came at a time when the party was still having to sell itself to Virginians. They had to have ideas -- strong ideas, bold ideas, ones that were transforming and fundamental. They also had a set goal -- to win a majority, and through that majority, to achieve their other goals.
They have been given that opportunity. But they frittered it away in 2004, and compounded the loss last year. I can forgive many things, and overlook many more. But when a party opts for expediency over principle it undermines the very reasons people flocked to its banner in the first place.
Or look at it this way: The GOP cultivated a distinct brand image...small government, institutional reform, low taxes, less regulation, greater personal responsibility and preferring market solutions to government interference. That brand sold and sold well. It swept away the ragged remains of Byrdism and exposed the left's intellectual bankruptcy.
But in the last three years, the brand has been tarnished. It's no longer a big seller. And the idea pipeline has been starved (though not destroyed). It's been replaced by the sole desire to retain power for its own sake, and they are campaigning on the notion that if only given another chance, they will do better next time.
It's the complaint of an errant child. That's why I say it's time for discipline...remove his toys for a time, and force him to think about his mistakes so he won't make them again. Then give him the chance to succeed once more.
Difficult
I am not nearly as eloquent as Norm, Old Zach or James but...
From someone who has only recently taken an more active interest in politics I can tell you that to accept defeat in any way shape or form would be a bad thing. It can be, if nothing else, demoralizing to those who may be moderate, or even sitting on the fence.
I have found myself getting more and more frustrated at our Party, because of the seemingly endless supply of members who seem intent on shooting us in the foot on a regular basis.
I believe we need to sit down after this election cycle, and make sure we are all on the same sheet of music. We don't all have to sing the same parts... but the sum of the parts need to make a singular whole or front.
Losing would not be good. But there are some, in my opinion, who are currently sitting, who need to re-evaluate their positions along with the Party as a whole and make sure we can present a united front to move forward.
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