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Monday, October 17, 2016

SALLY MORRIS: THE SORROWFUL HISTORY OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

The saga of how we came to the end of the line in the Republican Party is one which actually accelerated as the Democrats became more and more egregious.  In 2008 we elected a man who was known (by all those who wished to know) as a far-left-wing post-Democrat with ties to Saul Alinsky and Bill Ayers and who was an adherent of the obscene Rev. Wright.  Almost immediately, the summer following his inauguration in 2009, the citizenry began to take action to oppose programs and policies they felt threatened our Constitution and our economy as well.  This was the summer of the Tea Party movement.  Across the nation, in cities and small town halls and parks, patriotic citizens began to meet to express their concerns over their 2nd and 1st Amendment rights, about excessive spending, noting that we were exponentially increasing the public debt, demanding an audit of the Federal Reserve Bank, re-grouping to pose a serious challenge in 2010. 

The result was that 2010 witnessed a tidal wave of conservative resurgence.  Many of the household names of today’s Republican leadership came into office in this wave of backlash against federal overreach and the incredible weight of Democrat spending, not to mention a reaction against Obamacare. The trend continued in 2012 (and on into 2014), even though the hapless Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, failed to win the White House.  Republicans kept surging in the state contests, bringing forth at long last, a majority in the Senate as well as the House.

Why did Romney fail when so many others succeeded?  Romney was the wrong man to run against Obamacare – which was the defining issue of 2012.  People were just beginning to realize what a horrible mistake this program was and the Republican Machine forced Romney on us.  Many other candidates could have waged a good fight against Obama on this one issue, which was foremost in most active voters’ minds – Rick Santorum could have run on this, Ron Paul could have.  Even Newt Gingrich could have taken on the Obamacare monster.  Only Romney, of all the prospects could not.  And he was the one that Karl Rove and Reince Priebus and their gangsters in the RNC forced upon us.  Therefore Romney – who had invented Obamacare (and just called it “Romneycare”) had no platform on which to stand to fight against Obamacare, which was the one issue we all cared about.  This did not deter voters from supporting the down ticket and filling Congress with “conservatives”. 

But these “conservatives” fell far short of the mark.  They were all heavily influenced by Mitch McConnell in the Senate, who wanted nothing more than collegiality with Harry Reid and by John Boehner in the House, whose ambition every day was to be out golfing with Obama.  These two conspired day after day to “compromise” with the Democrats (who were now the minority) and carry Obama’s programs through Congress for him.  Finally, after enough of what could only be seen as manipulation and betrayal by these “leaders”, a revolt took root in the House – Boehner was seriously challenged again and this time he was ousted.  The replacement sent groans throughout the conservative base – Paul Ryan, Romney’s former running mate, the guy who was supposed to be a budget guru but who forced through Obama’s spending in defiance of the will of the conservatives in the House.  This began the serious disintegration of the leadership in the Republican Party.  It was further challenged by Ted Cruz in the Senate, defying Mitch McConnell and, when he learned about McConnell’s betrayal he called him a “liar”. 

This should have made Cruz the Man of the Hour with conservatives at home, but instead, they were becoming numbed to activities in Washington.  Many had no idea of Cruz’s courageous stand against this corruption within the Republican Party leadership.  It was enough, however, to cement the hatred for him in those ranks.  And the masses only knew he was a member of the despised Senate.

As this year’s election began to shape up, several candidates came forward.  Marco Rubio, a fair-haired child of the 2010 election, coming in to replace a corrupt old Republican crook, Charlie Christ, looked promising . . . except to those who knew his background and his pliability with regard to immigration – he sidled up to Democrat Chuck Schumer to “compromise” (himself) with regard to amnesty, the famous Gang of Eight, four of each party colluding to sell out the base.

Others came to the fore – Ben Carson, who for no good reason seemed to inspire enthusiasm.  He had no political record, so no voting record.  He had no program in mind.  Just words, and some of them sounding very confused.  He was a “Dr. Feel Good”, who was more interested in compromise than integrity and, like many from outside politics, completely unfamiliar with the meaning of the words in the Constitution.  His reaction to the George Zimmerman trial should have taken him out before he began – he thought Zimmerman should have been thrown under the bus without trial with a “light” sentence.  This, he reasoned, would give everyone something to be happy about.  Unless, of course, you were George Zimmerman, or someone who cared about our system of justice. . . or the family of Trayvon Martin.  This is senseless.

Some were longshots but did have good overall records, like Bobby Jindal.  Some were old cronies and elitist Republicans like Chris Christie, whose “bridgegate” scandal weighed against him even among Progressives, and John Kasich, governor of Ohio, another Progressive.  These two were important to the story because they provided an eGOP alternative to the feared and disliked prospect, Jeb Bush.  Bush was disliked mainly because he was part of the “entitled” class, the Bush “dynasty” that had everyone’s teeth on edge.  He was indelibly associated with the Progressives who had ruined the party for conservatives and displaced them.  He was part of an evil web in the eyes of many – part of the global elitist cabal, an anti-American sovereignty candidate.  This competition from the Progressive Left was most welcome. 

Then there was Rand Paul, who destroyed his credibility with many by endorsing Mitch McConnell, the hated Senate Minority Leader from his home state, instead of the up-and-coming conservative challenger, Matt Bevin.  This was pretty much unforgiveable.  He paid by being considered a light-weight and his libertarianism was tarnished.  The one real conservative with a voting record to match was Ted Cruz.  Cruz had an irritating way of “nice talk”, somewhat formal, over-gallant, perhaps, which seemed at odds with the steadfast defense of our Constitution and our fiscal survival that he exhibited in the Senate in very recent time.  He was known as a skilled debater and he could have provided us with a helluva debate cycle this year.  He was not vulnerable on either his public record or his private life, married to a successful businesswoman and father of two charming little girls, son of a devoted father with a story of courage and success of his own and a popular figure among conservatives in his own right. 

Then came Donald Trump.  Trump, a businessman and entrepreneur with interests in the entertainment and media industries as well as real estate and sundry other satellite businesses, declared his candidacy.  Trump had an advantage over all of the others in addition to the money he is at least supposed to have.  He had a presence in many household living rooms as the star of his television show, The Apprentice.  He was a media sensation.  His many other enterprises – many of which were abject failures – kept his name in lights.  Name recognition was almost 100% with Trump.  Where Cruz’s battles on serious matters foundational to our national survival were largely unknown by masses of people angry that someone else had taken charge while they sat on the couch with a remote in one hand and a bag of chips in the other, Trump’s dalliances with celebrities, pinup girls and tycoons were known to all and provided their entertainment.  His peculiar appearance was instantly recognizable.  All he did – all he had to do – was find out which way the wind blew and then sail with it.  Immigration was making people uneasy in the wake of terrorist attacks around the world and at home?  Well, make that YOUR issue.  Some vague idea of unhappiness over lost jobs?  Blame China and say you’ll Make America Great Again.  His whole act was to co-opt the conservative issues, misconstrue them, bobble along with raucous crowds of angry people (many of whom had never voted before) and bury the fact that he had for decades bankrolled the star villains in their little worlds – Nancy Pelosi, Planned Parenthood, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid.  It was like a consummate magic show.  People loved it.  They went out and got another tattoo to commemorate it, they bought the red hats, they hand painted their signs.

There is a danger in rushing to nominate or elect someone who is outside of the political world.  It might sound “healthy” to those who don’t think much about it.  After all, our founding fathers were not “professional” politicians, were they?  But they WERE.  They did not come from the silver crafting business like Paul Revere appeared to.  Revere was a revolutionary.  They did not come from the printing business like Benjamin Franklin.  Franklin was not so much a printer or publisher as he was a thinker and a writer.  His views on government were formed years before he became a public political figure.  All of these men were, of course, “citizen” politicians, but none of them had been born the day before.  They all had thought long years about how government should operate, what was not right with the colonial government.  None of them was a dilletante.  Even in the era of our own memory, Ronald Reagan was not “just” an actor and film star – he spent years studying American politics and economics, coming to our attention in 1964, 16 years before he ran for President, and during that time he was consistent.  He had a proven record as the Governor of California.  Reagan, as Governor, was a known quantity politically.

When we consider a Ben Carson or a Donald Trump for the highest office in the land, we make a terrible mistake and lapse in judgment.  If Ben Carson or Donald Trump wished to go from their professions as doctor or media celebrity and golf course developer, they should start with Congress or perhaps their State House.  Why not a Governor Trump first?  Why not a Congressman Ben Carson first?  This way we would know how they would handle an issue as a governor or congressman – how would they administer, how would they vote on an important issue?  Neither of these men, as it turns out, was suited to handle the affairs of government.  Carson is known as a skilled surgeon but his talents in this arena do not translate to cogent political reasoning.  Trump has a checkered success built upon many fortunate events in his life, chiefly starting life with $14 million to build with.  None of his experience contributes anything to an ability to govern.  Had he served in a lesser office than that of President of the United States before now we might have known before he was nominated that he has had a very lurid lifestyle which could compromise his election, and if elected, his administration.

In all of this we have seen a growing angry mob chanting mindlessly for Trump to “Make America Great Again”.  They don’t know how he’ll do it and neither does he.  His ideas are not logical – you don’t create wealth in your country by imposing crippling tariffs on goods imported, or by imposing heavy, costly mandates on businesses, which is what his maternity leave, daycare and universal healthcare would do.  He has no grasp of foreign events, even current ones, and no sense of history at all.  His interests continue to focus on the shapes of beauty contestants, defending himself on petty charges, trying to plow under the more serious ones and constant whining about “rigging” not being treated “fairly”.  Most of us would like to be treated as “fairly” as Trump has been.  There was plenty of “rigging” at the RNC Convention that nominated him.

The destruction wrought – not by Trump – but by ignorant and angry people who were too lazy to learn anything about the candidates from whom they must choose – will be decades in repairing if, in fact, it can be repaired.  The worthless leadership of the Republican party, which feared the strength of character and resolve of a Ted Cruz more than they feared either a fool or a corrupt and treasonous Hillary Clinton, share the blame, but they existed only because we allowed them to exist and to function.  Every one of us who has ever voted for the lesser of evils – and I am among them, I regret to say - has brought us, inch by inch, to this point in our history, where we have no evils left to choose between but an accused rapist and defrauder of elderly “students” in a phony “university” scam - and a treasonous, thieving and depraved elitist.  It can’t get much worse than this.  It is our fault.  We should have, as Nancy Reagan once said, just said “no” to this years and years ago.  We should have said NO to the Bush family and NO to every turncoat we sent to Congress when we found out they were disloyal to us.   If we elected a Representative to Congress based on his conservative principles and we found that he had betrayed us and voted along with the liberals we should have had the resolve to vote him out of office at the very next election.  Instead, we compromised ourselves.  We have another opportunity here and I hope the people will recognize it and take it – instead of re-electing Kevin Cramer in North Dakota, for example, vote for the Libertarian at least. 

“Compromise” is not a pretty word.  The anger stimulated by the implacable attitude of the RNC will create a three-way split:  a divided Republican Party and a Third Party.  The Republican Party will have two warring factions – the eGOP elitists and the Alt-Right, nationalist/fascists.  They hate each other.  The Third Party might provide the only hope for survival and recovery – conscientious, thoughtful and principled conservatives who will work courageously and diligently for a resurrection of the constitutional republic our founders gave us.

The election of 2016 should have marked a return to these values and principles.  It was a perfect storm.  The Democrats had the worst candidate in many cycles, hated even by many in her own party.  The Republicans had a number of viable candidates, some to challenge the disgraced “establishment” personified by the Bush dynasty and one of whom was the “man of the hour” – someone who had dared to call the leadership out in its own den.  Instead of supporting him, the voters went a la carte, a little of this, a little of that, nuancing themselves into oblivion.  In the end, Cruz turned out to be a sham after all.  He does have a voting record to be proud of, but in the aftermath, instead of holding onto his principles and fundamental truth, to live and fight another day, he turned on himself, humiliating himself with a cowardly endorsement of the clown show that was Trump, thereby humiliating and mortifying his family and embarrassing his staunch supporters - for the approval of an evil, depraved and ugly liberal.  Cruz had to have been compromised from the beginning.  It turns out he was not the man after all.  There never was a man – just a cause and an opportunity. 

All the signs are there.  The Republican Party is no more.  There will be those who cling to the broken and rotting timbers of the wreckage, but it’s over.  It was time long ago to leave it to the ghouls and zombies and move ahead with a new start.

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