On one hand, you could say Republicans held our own, since the balance of power is basically unchanged (White House, Senate and House remain in the same hands), but Republicans had to get control of all three in order to be able to repeal ObamaCareand other Obama assaults on the American way of life.
Short of that, new entitlements will become entrenched, trillions of dollars in new debt will continue to pile up and threaten America’s fiscal viability, and with Barack Obama’s proclivity to legislate through executive order and department regulation, America remains in the Leftist crosshairs for another four years.
So why did the Republican Party and especially conservatives lose? Yes, the Obama Administration’s Ministry of Public Enlightenment (aka the “mainstream” media) lied and propagandized in favor of the most liberal option available. Yes, the rest of the Left also lied, demonized and smeared anything with an “R” after its name–especially conservatives. Yes, a great number of Americans were tuned out and ignorant beyond belief about the issues and the candidates, as well as what America is all about.
Yes, all of these things are true, and all of them are a factor. But there is a bigger, more important reason, and we must come to terms with it if we don’t want to repeat this loss again in the future.
Why the loss? We were handed a crap sandwich of a GOP nominee by the “mainstream” media and the GOP establishment, and left with little to work with.
The GOP establishment also engineered its own defeat by cutting loose some of its nominees that it found “embarrassing” for their commitment to Republican values. I’m thinking specifically of Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock. Yes, Akin repeated something he had been told that lacked credibility which allowed lying liberals to paint him as something he clearly was not. And yes, Mourdock said something which, along the same lines, was easy for lying liberals and a duplicitous Leftist media to distort. But instead of standing with these candidates and staunchly defending them (as they certainly would have, had these candidates been RINOs), they joined in the liberal ridicule and tried to force their own candidates out of the race.
Candidates like Mourdock and Akin also weren’t helped by the atmosphere of a depressed GOP voter base, thanks to the liberal-with-an-”R”-after-his-name the GOP establishment forced on us. Though Massachusetts is admittedly very liberal to begin with, how do you explain a “fake Native American” dufus like Elizabeth Warren winning over Scott Brown? (well, that and the fact that after the Tea Party helped Brown win, he stabbed them in the back like a typical RINO.) Having had to fight our own party establishment for the past two years has left a lot of Tea Party people tired and fed up, and I believe it showed on an election night very different from the one in 2010.
So where do we go from here?
It may very well be true that we have reached a tipping point in the American republic, and that we are no longer a people who cherish freedom more than the illusion of security. Despite the fact that Mitt Romney was a truly pathetic representative of Republican values, Barack Obama is such an extreme, anti-American Leftist that the choice should have nevertheless been very clear to every American, except perhaps the most extremely Koolaid-stupified. Are those everyday Americans who aren’t sold out to Marxist class envy and greed still sold on it enough that they are more interested in riding the gravy train than the freedom train? There is certainly some evidence to support this contention.
Is America on the decline? Probably. It seems to be the sad product of human nature that great civilizations reach a point of success that fosters laziness, complacency and apathy in many of the people. This in turn produces a downturn in the moral fiber of the society, as well as its vigor. Things then devolve to a state of selfishness, entitlement and corruption. Finally, the civilization loses its strength and freedom altogether. There is great evidence that America is the victim of her own incredible success.
Can an American decline be turned around? Maybe. The Bible provides illustrations of revitalization and renewal, and such periods have also been seen in Greek and Roman cultures. It can happen, but often it does not. It certainly won’t happen on its own, and even conservatives and Christians commit themselves to doing all they can to turn things around, the odds are probably not in our favor; selfishness and moral corruption tend to produce a formidable snowball effect.
Both the Bible and secular history are full of examples where evil triumphed–and often triumphed for a very, very long time. This world in which we live is under the curse of sin, and has been temporarily handed over to the Father of Lies and his hate-filled agenda of destruction. God never promised that, in this temporal existence, good would always win out, or even win out most of the time. In fact, Jesus told us to expect trials, trouble, suffering and injustice. The first 200 or so years of America’s history, with its unparalleled justice and prosperity, are an aberration on tapestry of history and the world today.
Regardless of whether a majority of Americans really are on the take in exchange for their freedom, our job as conservatives and Christians remains essentially the same.
First, we keep on keeping on. Liberals–both in the Democrat Party and the “Republican” Party–will undoubtedly be nasty and try to demoralize us in any way they can. Ignore them. Conservatives and Christians, you have a job to do, and it doesn’t change whether you win or lose the current battle, nor does it change whether you’re happy or sad.
Second, we continue the education of the general public that the Tea Party began in 2009. Since Barack Obama came to power in 2008 (along with a Democrat-controlled congress at that time), Americans have shown an interest in learning about our history, our founding ideals, and our founding documents like we have not seen in many generations. Obviously, not nearly enough have become educated about these things, but the renewed interest among our people is undeniable, and as more learn, more are able in turn to teach others, either with formal classes and seminars, or across the back yard fence or at the water cooler at work. Don’t keep the truth to yourself; spread it where ever you have the opportunity. The “mainstream” media and a Leftist public education system have nearly destroyed our people with propaganda and ignorance, but YOU can make a difference. As more Americans re-learn about our heritage of freedom, more will grow hungry for it, and the taste of unearned government-supplied freebies will grow bitter in their mouths.
We also clean up the Republican Party. Starting a third party is still a loser’s proposition unless things radically change in the near future. Our best hope is to get rid of all the pretenders and fake Republicans who are infesting our party with their corrosive liberalism. To do that, we’re going to have to be busy about that education effort–not just about American principles and history in general, but educating the public about the liberal record of the RINOs infesting our party. Show people how your city councilmen, school board members, legislators, governors, senators and congressmen have voted–and how those votes may depart from party platforms and American principles. Then recruit and equip candidates who will stand for what is right. Help them get elected…then hold their feet to the fire.
And we need to rid our party not just of rank and file RINOs, but the RINOs who are running legislatures, congress and the party organization itself. They make it clear they expect everyday Republicans to support the anti-Republican-values candidates they shove down our throats, but when we manage to field a conservative candidate in the general election despite their money and power, they actively work behind the scenes to defeat their “own” candidate (I put “own” in quotes, because they are more beholden to liberalism and maintaining power than they are to Republican values). We need to make sure they understand that we Republicans expect them to act like Republicans–and not only act like Republicans themselves, but to lead others in their caucus to act like Republicans also. If you’re going to be a leader within a party, it isn’t too much to ask that you be committed to ALL the values and goals of that party; neither is it too much to expect a leader in a party to LEAD others to achieve the party’s goals. We’ve been settling for too little for too long. If current leaders won’t lead to achieve the party’s goals, they need to get out of the way. If they won’t get out of the way, we need to get them out of the way.
We should already be looking for a real Republican to run as the 2016 GOP nominee. We don’t need any more of the past debacles of three or four conservative candidates that divide conservative support…while the liberal usurpers in our party unite behind one chosen RINO. We need to seek the best candidate possible early on, and do everything we can to make him/her THE candidate early on. In 2008, John McCain was the “last man standing” after all the conservatives were bashed and run down. We fought harder for a conservative choice in 2012, but in the end, the same became true of Mitt Romney, and it happened in large part because conservatives were divided in their support between Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum. Each of these were good candidates for their own particular reasons, but while we were divided four ways, the RINOS settled early on Mitt Romney, and stuck to their guns. We MUST learn from them if we are to field a conservative presidential candidate in 2012, because if RINOS haven’t learned the “RINO rule” (i.e. that RINO presidential candidates won’t cut the mustard) after three times (Dole, McCain, Romney), they are refusing to learn it. As evidence, instead of admitting that they sold out the American people and their own party’s documented values, the RINOs area already wailing that the party must pander even more to minorities and every group that might be on the take for freebies. My experience with RINOS has left me with absolute certainty that they don’t give a damn about Republican values, beyond their ability to manipulate them into a place at the table to divide the spoils.
I suppose conservatives and Christians have two basic choices: (1) give up and let America go to Hell in a handbasket–figuratively and literally, or (2) do everything we can to preserve this greatest political gift God has ever given to mankind.
Since God has never to my knowledge revoked the Great Commission or his command for his people to be salt and light in a decaying and dark world, I don’t really have a choice if I want to be obedient to my Lord. Besides, I’m going to be here until such time as God decides to call me home; I might as well be busy doing something useful rather than watching the wallpaper and paint peel off the wall of the American republic.
God never commanded me or anyone else to win against evil; just to stand against it. Succeed or fail, it won’t be easy…but then, nothing worthwhile ever is.
*** Bob Ellis*** is a political writer and activist, and publisher/owner of The American Clarion
