Best insult I ever had. And we need to quit trying to burn down the village to save it.
From Sibby on-line:
When it comes to the Republican Party he is a team player, but when it comes to the conservative team…he refuses to help.
I have to say that this is the first occasion I’ve ever been called “a team player for the GOP.” And as an insult? Best one I’ve ever had.
As for the rest, despite Jethro Clampett’s assertions (and best efforts to expand his team beyond the three members of the SDCAC) I can’t say that there is what anyone would define as a conservative team. And I don’t know that there should be.
There’s a conservative ideology, and those that subscribe to it, such as myself. On this website, the SDWC espouses a conservative ideology. Bob Ellis espouses it over at Dakota Voice. Gideon Oakes is one of the newest to the blogosphere to espouse that ideology, and there are several others.
I’m not sure what Sibby’s espousing, (or dribbling from his chin as he barfs back Rush) but if he wants to call it conservatism, so be it.
We write from our hearts because we believe that solutions for governance coming from a conservative point of view best address our current needs, as well as helping us to chart a course for the future of our society. But when there are those advocating for a’ a conservative team‘ separate from the GOP – then we need to recognize that it’s a problem.
There are those (such as the prince of the Ozarks) who are convinced that there needs to be conservative organizations separate from the Republican party poking at it, and tearing it apart in order to act to change it. Well, there was something like that once. We called it the Mainstream Coalition. It made a little noise, had a couple of articles written about it, killed a few of the member’s election hopes, and then dwindled away into impotence and the obscurity of time.
It too was another organization that thought that you had to destroy the Republican party in order to save it for their ideological view. And the Mainstreamers, just like their counterpart, the SDCAC (and/or any other group that may come along), they’re wrong. Utterly and completely wrong.
There’s a better way. And I, along with others, a perfect example of why.
When I started this little website, one of the reasons I started it was to act as an agent of communication for GOP activists. Some cheered, others said “what in the heck is he doing..?” One of the early opportunities to use as that agent of comminication was when the party was faced with a crisis as some were advocating stripping the precinct committeepeople out of the State Convention process.
We put our foot down, drew a deep line in the sand, and made sure everyone knew we weren’t going to stand for it.
Let me tell you, there were those not happy about the little effort. But by the other token, those opposing the effort were as much a part of the GOP as those that were leading it.
Through a group of people working within the party, we activated and informed dozens of county chairpeople, and other Central Committee members. We got on the phones, we kept it in the middle of the public eye, and put the pressure on. And at the end of the process, we absolutely smashed the effort, and changed the mindset of the GOP on the issue. And the neat thing? We didn’t need to form some outside organization to attack it. We managed to do it within the party. We showed up, did the work, and were able to steer the GOP down a better path.
The Republican party is made up of those from all walks of life. Well-to-do, poor, public sector employee, private businessman, Catholic, Evangelical, white, black, red, yellow, etcetera. We’re hard core conservative, and very liberal, and any flavor inbetween. Some are pro-life, some pro-choice, and some wish it wasn’t on the ballot to decide. Some believe in God, and some believe in UFO’s. And I could go on with any possible dichotomy you can imagine.
The point is, that party is made up of the people who join it, and it’s course is charted solely by it’s members. And when I say that, I mean those members who bother to show up, do the work, and to convince the majority that they’re right.
When there are groups formed who try to tear apart the party, they deprive us of their viewpoint and counsel within the GOP. They deprive the party of their activism and effort. They weaken our chances at the ballot box. The only thing they manage to accomplish is to elect Democrats. They don’t make us better, and we need to be smart enough to avoid that trap.
This election, we need to work on building our Republican community as a whole – not burning down the parts we don’t like. Because at the end of the day, all you’re left with is a blackened shell looking enviously at the new capitol next door that the Democrats built.
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Comments
I don’t oppose intra-party fights – as long as it’s actually intra-party, and not outside groups trying to tear it down.
I agree whole-heartedly with MHS. There is nothing better for a party to have lively family debates on direction. But they then have to remember when a direction is picked that the family is united. I consider myself pretty conservative and many consider me too conservative. But, that doesn’t mean that I will not unite behind the collective wisdom of the party. I am a team Republican and proud of it. And I’m proud to be on your team Pat.
I don’t agree, Cory… I mean, PP. I’m tired of this kumbayaish B.S., and so is the real party base.
Pat, the general public sees us as a neutered version of the Democrat party. Do you know how many times I’ve heard in the last few years, “I don’t even care about voting, because both parties are the same.” That’s the general concensus. That’s not just something Gideon Oakes is making up.
I’ve said it time and time before. People don’t respect you if you never take a stand on anything!
We’re going to lose seats this year. Not because we didn’t play in the sandbox nicely together, but because we didn’t inspire the core Republican base to get out and vote. Lord knows the opposition will be out! Why? Because they at least stand for something.
Grow some, Repubs!
Pat, you’ve got to realize we’re on the same side here, bud. What we’re having is a debate of priorities. Your priority, which is a very valid one, is victory for the (R)’s. My priority is rebuilding the conservative movement to get the Republican party back to its roots: back to Reagan, back to Goldwater even.
Nobody’s advocating a third party, and I’m getting damn tired of people using liberal rhetoric to portray us as doing so. What liberal rhetoric, you ask? Bang bang bang on us the conservatives all day, but when we even think of banging back, “it’s tearing the party apart!” That’s the Cory Heidelberger doctrine.
Pat, it’s called the big tent. However, pay close attention to how often I am attacked by those who consider me a moderate Repub, or Omigod, a liberal. The tent gets smaller by the day.
Gid –
I was referring to the SDCAC when I was talking about a conservative organization, not the association of conservative bloggers.
Otherwise, like it or not, our concerns about whether our candidates are conservative enough need to be raised in the primary election, not the general.
Because after the primary is said and done, if we aren’t electing “R’s,” there’s the distinct danger that we may be reminded how much we don’t like being in the minority in the legislature. When you’re on a life raft, you don’t start asking about ideology. You talk about survival.
Back in the dark days of the GOP Senate Minority which current SDDP ED Rick Hauffe engineered back in the 90s, I can tell you there was much less debate over who was conservative and who was liberal. It was more “Good God, we need to put our differences aside and band together to stop this crap coming out of the Dem Caucus.”
As much as you might not care for some of the Republicans on the ballot, I can tell you that the Democratic alternatives are more often much worse.
We are THREE SEATS AWAY from being the minority party in the State Senate. THREE SEATS from Scott Heidepreim being Majority Leader. Three Seats from Nancy Turbak Berry being chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Three Seats away from Frank Kloucek being the head of Senate Ag & Natural Resources. Three Seats away from Sandy Jerstad being chair of Senate Education.
As the Village idiot from Mitchell might say, THIS is speaking truth to power.
Nice post. The reason sparking the post is questionable (unless maybe you can get the listing on the old Freeman ranch in MT and convince Sloppy to buy it as a shrine?) but the thoughts are perfect.
I, for one, am a great fan of inter-party ideology fights, tough primaries and rowdy conventions. It creates a healthy, functioning party; a spirited public debate and policymaking done in the light of day. In short, democracy.