Don’t just CHANGE senators. CHANGE the mind-set.
The spouse of a prominent NCGOP activist — who also is a top party activist — posted a comment on our Facebook page that started off like this: “I don’t ever agree with anything that appears on this site.[…]”
Again, that’s not a liberal or a partisan Democrat. This is coming from someone who has a significant level of influence within our state’s Republican Party. This site regularly advocates FOR limited government and rails AGAINST government overreach. We’re all about cutting taxes AND spending. Those positions are right in line with the Republican platform. And this player in our state GOP can’t bring herself to agree with that.
The on-going US Senate race in North Carolina is really roiling Tar Heel conservatives. The GOP is offering up a nominee who has a record of crony capitalism — government subsidy of private business — and some gun control. He presided over an explosion of government spending in Raleigh, while proclaiming himself the leader of a conservative revolution. He’s made no effort to reach out to Tea Party, mainline conservatives. He’s made no effort to seriously demonstrate an intention to stand by the GOP platform — should be be elected to the US Senate. And we’re being told that we need to fall in line with a nominee who has shown a complete disdain for the principles we hold dear that brought many of us into the Republican Party.
Angelo Codevilla put out a great book about four years ago talking about how the two major political parties have morphed into simply two slightly different flavors of statism. Does he have a point? Let’s see.
Republicans had majorities on Capitol Hill from January 1995 to January 2007. In 1995, federal government outlays stood at $2.25 trillion. By 2007, government outlays stood at $3.067 trillion. Again, this was a period when there were GOP majorities in BOTH chambers on Capitol Hill. The alleged party of limited government was in charge of approving ALL federal government spending. 
From January 2001 to January 2007, Republicans controlled The White House AND Congress. You would have thought this to be an incredible opportunity to usher in a new era of limited government and American revival. In 2001, government outlays stood at $2.047 trillion. By 2007, government outlays were at $3.067 trillion.
Let’s look at federal debt. According to the US Treasury, the debt stood at $5.674 trillion in 2000. By 2008, the debt had grown to $10.028 trillion. Again, this was done with Republican majorities controlling the federal purse strings.
We hear a lot of campaign rhetoric blasting the Democrats as the big spenders. It looks like we’ve got two rival clubs fighting over who gets their hands on our money. Are we really expected to believe things are going to get better by simply trading Harry Reid for Mitch McConnell?
We got promised a repeal of ObamaCare in 2010. Now, we’re being told repealing ObamaCare is “impossible,” and that we’re going to have to settle for “replacing” — whatever THAT is. We’re also being told that — while big government is still ravaging our economy — we need to focus on giving a pass to a bunch of illegal aliens.
Both major parties can be blamed for jacking up federal spending AND the debt AND basically putting us in this screwed-up mess. What are conservative-minded voters to do?
We take control of the GOP and return it to an honest-to-goodness conservative party. Or we start our own. We put heat on our elected officials. They MUST back up conservative campaign rhetoric with conservative action when they get to DC. Or they’re FIRED — just like all of those “little people” who have been down-sized thanks to the current economic mess perpetuated and nurtured by the DC ruling class.
Don’t follow like sheep. Make them earn your respect AND your vote.
I agree, excellent post. *tips cap*
“This is coming from someone who has a significant level of influence within our state’s Republican Party”
– We’ve seen enough crony capitalism and warped ideas about the proper role of government here in NC, from both parties, that sadly that’s not all too surprising. 🙁
I’m not sure how someone can argue on one hand that these candidates should be held accountable, have “pressure” applied, and “fire them!” otherwise…. but then on the other hand, go ahead and vote for ’em regardless, based on party designation and whatever “oh noes, Harry Reid” bogyman of the day is. That just doesnt make sense to me, no matter how bad Harry Reid is (and he’s pretty much bottom of the barrel).
Trading Reid for McConnell isnt a “win”… it’s a short term, superficial distinction. If anything it’s a clear “lose” – it’s an act that quite clearly and boldly states to the people in charge that No, they “dont” have to respect (or even consider) you at all – Why should they? They already own your vote. And why would next time around be any different? If they throw enough money in early, all they have to do is get that primary, and off to the races once again. That’s a much easier fight for them.
You’ve got to wonder some about a Senate candidate whose strongest argument is apparently “I’m only pretty bad, the other guys are worse”.
I’m sure if “teams” are what you’re into, it’s a clear thing… but I dont think we live in that kinda two-sided political world anymore. *shrug* As outlined here, we’ve had glimpses into what “establishment” GOP ownership looks like before, and I’m not optimistic about where a lot of these current guy’s heads and hearts are at.
Changing the mind-set in DC would be a really nice change of pace, though 🙂
The party loyalty that matters in this election is the loyalty of GOP candidates to GOP principles as set out in our platform. If a candidate cannot demonstrate this most basic level of party loyalty, should he really expect GOP voters to be loyal to him just because he has an ”R” by his name?
We cannot lose our resolve now. We have it within our grasp to deny this seat to Karl Rove for the next six years. Hopefully by the time this seat is in play again Karl will be retired to his ranch in Montana. Just a few more days and we can show the world that Karl Rove has no power in North Carolina. We must stand tall and united against Karl!
It’s do-able. I know one unquestionably conservative leader at the State level who opined recently to me that Tillis wasn’t going to get across the finish line because of his own pigheadedness in coming to the table with conservatives and his completely miserable campaign messaging. She also told me that there’s no question Burr is running again. I tend to believe that because there’s no apparent effort underway to anoint a successor to Burr, although one of you may know something I don’t, Thus, when Tillis goes down, Burr (and Rove and McConnell) is going to get a message from conservatives. Whether he listens or not is another matter.
The answer is…….. we have to do the work between elections. It starts at the precinct level. Year after year, we don’t get the work done, and then complain about who’s in charge of the GOP, who our choices are in the primary, and then our choices in the general. Your in a sinking boat. Your choice to bail water is a 1 gallon bucket with 4 holes, or a 5 gallon bucket with 4 holes. Are you gonna choose a bucket, or complain about the choices till you sink. Probably should’ve made sure you had a better bucket before you set sail. Go ahead and be proud of yourself for your stand. I’m sure our children will understand why we didn’t do every thing possible to slow this mess down. The real work, for us, starts the day after the election.
Very interesting.About as useful as a “fart in a whirlwind.”That ship sailed a long time ago and there is no turning back on any level.Not even the smallest city or town government.You can rail all you want about small government but it is a fantasy.We live in a global world now that is becoming increasingly dangerous daily with a population of citizens that demand safety,healthcare,security,a high standard of living and you better give it to them.Thom Tillis is not the problem.The problem is society.You think you are going to change that.
All big government politicians are part of the problem. If you read the polls, voters are already heavily against Obamacare and growing more so daily. It is mindless to wave a white flag on things like that. We need more Ted Cruz’s and fewer Lindsay Graham’s,
If that’s the society society wants, that’s fine – their mistake. As they say, you can only lead the horse to the water, you can’t make it drink.
But, no reason I can see to actually participate in that kind of foolishness, let alone actively help it along, all while trying to pretend that’s not really what I’m doing. Continue to present to me two big-party crony capitalist big government candidates, I’ll continue to say, “no thank you” 🙂
Change the mindset? I don’t think so. If Hagan can be reelected then it shows that people are not all that concerned with what the Obama administration has been doing. If they were they would rise up and get rid of Hagan at any cost. Reelecting Hagan will reinforce the Obama policies. How can it not?