Conservatives sitting out 2006 hurts the GOP’s right, not the RINOs
Jim Geraghty argues that while the frustration among conservatives who are contemplating sitting out the 2006 election in frustration over the inability of a Republican Congress to act like Republicans is understandable, it would be counterproductive to the conservative cause to do so. Going through a list of Senate and House races that are in play, he shows that, by and large, sitting out would replace a conservative with a liberal while leaving the "moderate" Republicans unscathed.
While there are plenty of Republicans I'd like to see lose, they're not the ones who are likely to. Conservatives will have to work to reelect the good ones and hope to wait out the RINOs and replace them when possible.
In the meantime, let's not punish the good ones while allowing the ones we're justly angry with to gain in influence in our party.
Why are so many conservatives hell-bent on cutting off their nose to spite their face? Are they really willing to throw away a decade’s worth of work and go back to square one?Unfortunately, he's right. By and large the RINOs come from safe districts while the conservative win the competitive districts. (Then the RINOs claim they have to be moderate to win re-election, despite having pretty much clincked by appearing with an R after their name om the ballot.)
We usually like looking at the Daily Kos crowd insisting for an immediate pullout of the troops or impeachment hearings right this second and we laugh at them for their ludicrously unrealistic expectations.
But apparently the Kos are not the only ones with an all-or-nothing mentality. Sometimes in life you have to use the West Coast offense, nickel and diming your way down the field instead of going for the long bomb. If I want a more conservative government, I get it by electing the more conservative of the two choices, even if he isn’t as conservative as I would like. I do not get it by sitting on the sidelines and pouting, and letting the less conservative guy take the reigns of power.
While there are plenty of Republicans I'd like to see lose, they're not the ones who are likely to. Conservatives will have to work to reelect the good ones and hope to wait out the RINOs and replace them when possible.
In the meantime, let's not punish the good ones while allowing the ones we're justly angry with to gain in influence in our party.
posted by Paul Smith Jr. at 9:50 AM
3 Comments:
Meanwhile, in Delaware, those looking for a strong Conservative could sit out the Congressional race and the Republican would still win handily.
frustration over the inability of a Republican Congress to act like Republicans
Actually, they are acting exactly like Republicans. Bush and Congress are filling out the picture and defining exactly what Republicans are.
What you are seeing in Washington is the end game of conservatism with its authoritarian roots exposed. Like most toxins conservatism in small doses can be shrugged off but when administered to all four branches of Government (I am including the military here) it is fatal.
Anon#2
Perhaps Paul should have rephrased that to read:
frustration over the inability of a Republican Congress to act like conservatives
Bush is, to the dismay and disappointment to many, many people a centrist at heart.
Conservatives don't generally spend themselves into the next four generations of taxpayers with social programs that at their inception are destined for bankrupcy and failure.
What you are seeing in Washington is the end game of conservatism with its authoritarian roots exposed. Like most toxins conservatism in small doses can be shrugged off but when administered to all four branches of Government (I am including the military here) it is fatal.
And for the above, I'm going to ask you to be more specific if you'd like any sort of response from me other than a general question regarding which brand of tin foil you prefer.
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