It's their own damn fault

Jimmy Buffet's song Margaritaville ends with the realization "And I know it's my own damn fault." Unfortunately many Republicans can't reach this same conclusion. Victor Davis Hanson here sees the situation as it truly is -- not Bush's fault -- but their own damn fault. (hat tip Right Voices)

What mystifies is the paralysis of Republicans and their impotent protestations that “Bush did it”. The truth is that Congressional Republicans, responsible for turning principles into governance, deserve to lose—unless they craft clear positions that won’t be compromised and then offer them as alternative choices to the voters this fall.

Mr. Hanson does what the Republicans (or should I say Conservatives) need to do -- set out a plan, stick to it, and be proud of it:

Spending: a balanced budget, no exceptions. [snip]

The War: Afghanistan and Iraq have radically improved. Anti-war hype and slurs are a year out of date. We are finally on the edge of having done the impossible: removed the most odious regimes in the Middle East and fostered constitutional governments in their places. Spending on general defense and the war still run at only 4% of GDP, not high by historical levels. The reforming Petraeus army is stronger and wiser, despite the toll of war, for our ordeals in the Middle East. As troops slowly begin to come home next year, let everyone take credit for it.

Energy: Drill, explore, conserve.

Economy: We are in a natural down cycle, not the Great Depression—interest rates, unemployment, economic growth, and stock prices do not reflect a recession. Use this downturn as a warning not to spend what we don’t have when things rebound.

Immigration: Close the border, and then, and only then, argue over what’s next. Stop illegal entries, while we promote assimilation, the English language, integration, and education in American civics. Do that and most of our seemingly insurmountable problems will shrink as we endlessly bicker over amnesty, guest workers, and legal quotas. (continue reading at Pajamas Media)

Hanson concludes that the alternative is Obama, the antithesis of all that is Conservative. "In short, the Republicans’ problem? They forgot who they were and can’t explain what they might be. They need to go back to basics, adopt conservative principles to confront new challenges, and then find the most effective spokesmen they can to explain their positions—hourly."

Amen and Amen. In order for this to happen, somebody in Congress must stand up and take the lead. Please let it happen and let it happen soon. First, they have to admit out loud -- It's their own damn fault for not speaking out and standing up all along.

Other reading:
ACLU Defends Youthful Terrorists, Stop the ACLU
Has CAIR Violated Its Non-Profit Tax Status?, By Joe Kaufman, FrontPageMagazine.com
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Trackposted to Rosemary's Thoughts, third world county, McCain Blogs, DragonLady's World, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Cao's Blog, Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Comments

[Debbie]

Rosemary: I knew what you meant. I've heard talk about a Conservative party, but I'm not sure a third party is the answer. The ideal situation would be to get the Republicans turned back onto the right path.

[Rosemary]

Oh no! I meant to say it was NOT you and me who wrote those bills! Oops! ;)

[Rosemary]

SO TRUE. Go check out the American Conservative Party http://www.americanconservativeparty.org/ I have a picture for this site on my sidebar. It's about time we started using it.

Hey, it was YOU and ME who wrote those pork-filled bills! It wasn't us who wanted to give amnesty to over 30-40 MILLION people. No, we are the ones who shut the Congress down when they tried to get away with that one! I was so proud of us. ;) We can do this. Si se puedo! (LOL)

[Angel]

I agree..it is our own dang fault!

[David]

Hanson is dead wrong on free trade, because his treatment is to simplistic to recognize some very real needs of a supposedly democratic republic, e.g., what do we do with the vast "middle" when jobs for which their abilities suit them are exported? ANd what do we do when we realize that essentail security has been compromised by exporting manufacturing capabilities we need for our armed forces? Oh, there are many more holes in the free trade arguments (including some of the Founders' own arguments), but those alone will do.

Immigration? He neglects shutting down jobs and social services for ILLEGAL aliens (while promoting jobs and social services where they apply: to qualified LEGAL aliens and citizens ONLY). Bad form (and sloppy thinking), Hanson.

ANd energy. *sigh* Limiting his thinking to oil alone is simple too stupid for words. And limiting his oil thinking to simply "Drill, explore, conserve" is equally disappointing from someone who has the abilkity to think better than that. Heck, even if one were to limit ones thinking on energy to oil, encouraging a TDP plant in every little (and big) burg for local manufacturing of oil from waste products (including raw sewage!) while offering clean water as a byproduct would put a big dent in our foreign oil needs.

And, sorry, but I can "blame Bush" for his continued handholding with the Saudis (while they continue to export their cult of hate) and his established record of being lapdog to successive Mexican presidents to the extent that he would suppress enforcement of our immigration laws and lie (yes LIE) about his amnesty plan for illegal aliens.

For those things alone, despite his record in Afganistan, I think Bush has failed to faithfully execute his office (don't--DO NOT--praise Bush for Iraq. Sending Bremmer to wreak havoc earns him eternal disapprobation there, IMO. The initial effort was legally and even probably morally and strategically justified, but his mismanagement--insane screwup!--in letting Bremmer play the ass is inexcusable. At least Petraeus is finally doing sensible things. Finally.)

Yes, I can "blame Bush" (after all, in doing so I also blkame myself for having voted for him twice), because he has utterly failed in his critial task of securing our borders, at the very least, when all he need have done is simply demand enforcement the laws that are already on the books, instead of hampering any effort to do so.

He pledged to fulfill the duties of his office and has reneged on that pledge... to our faces with his "no amnesty" lie. Fooled me twice; shame on me. (Of course *sigh* he was still the lesser of two evils. Twice. *arghhhh!*)

Most of all, Hanson poohs the scrooch with,

"If Republicans could adopt such a simple message, stick to it, and find the most articulate spokespeople, they could still win."

And where in these (dys)United States can we find such a spokesperson? And how in the world could we get rank and file repugnicant's to elevate such a person to the position where he could be heard? Fred Thompson articulated Hanson's points in much more detail and with much more authority and depth and the re[ugnican't rank and file spoke: "We don't want someone who reflects our (falsely) professed values, because the Mass Media Podpeople's Hivemind tells us so, and we're too weak sistered to stand up and demand 'our' politicians reflect our (falsely) professed values."

Here's yet another reminder of why Hanson's fatuous comment is pure swamp gas:

“In a democracy (”rule by mob”), those who refuse to learn from history are usually in the majority and dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance.”-third world county’s corollary of Santayana’s Axiom