As usual, once Democrats aren't in power, it's time to get along and compromise, it's time to be civil. But when they are in power, we're told that "elections have consequences, and I won." Or how about this lack of civility, directed at Sarah Palin, "You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig." Or how about, "So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy towards people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." All three of these quotes are from Barrack Obama before or shortly after his election to the White House. (1)
I don't believe I'm alone in noticing that when the Republicans are in power, Democrats want to "compromise" and "get along," but when Democrats are in power they say "we won and we're instituting our policies." The reality of this situation is that Democrats want to get their way no matter what happens. They want to either get half of what they want or all of what they want at all times. Even when Republicans control both the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch, they want Republicans to give them something. I for one am sick and tired of it.
I'm far from the first person to make the comparison between these situations and the old Peanuts cartoons (2):
Boy, this one really NAILS what the Democrats (Lucy) keeps doing to the Republicans (Charlie Brown). I'm not making a statement on a cartoon's politics, just extending the analogy. But the GOP keeps thinking that if they just compromise enough with Democrats when we're in power, they will extend the same to us when they are in power. (Pssst: Ain't gonna happen.) See, for all my discrepancies with Liberals, they do understand one thing about politics: IT'S A COMPETITON. A competition of ideas! Now it is the same Liberals who lie to us and tell us they want to "get along" while stabbing us in the front whenever they need to do so to win an election. They will slander Republicans by trying to blame a Conservative for a shooting performed by a non-political madman, compare Republicans to Hitler and the Nazis, then cry foul when Republicans legitimately call Obama a Socialist.
Why, oh why do Conservatives and Republicans continue to play this game? I think it often has far more to do with what well-meaning Liberals who we know in our own lives think than anything. I have several Liberal friends and at least one person who I considered to be one of my mentors growing up (my childhood pastor) who fit this bill. These individuals do not compare Republicans to Nazis. They actually behave civilly. But since they get their news from CNN or MSNBC, they get the edited version of rhetoric where they don't hear Democrats slandering Republicans while hearing edited quotes from Republicans which are cut down to seem as bad as possible and Democrats are edited to sound as good as possible.
So to these well-meaning Liberals, Democrats seem soft and cuddly while Republicans are made to seem as cuddly as a porcupine in a snow bank. These individuals often are blissfully unaware of the results of Liberal policies, preferring to instead look at the good intentions. When a Conservative friend tries to tell them what's really going on, they claim incivility, quote a bumper sticker slogan (they likely keep 6-12 on the back of their Prius for easy access), and blast Republicans as evil. It's not hard to know why...they are sheltered in a Liberal cocoon of imaginary niceness and rainbows. Meanwhile, you as a Conservative, armed with facts and logic, are left frustrated and concerned that this friend will think less of you. So you agree with the "we need to work together and compromise" rhetoric and back off on your values.
The dirty little secret is that this compromise stuff is a bunch of baloney. Democrats only want Republicans to compromise when the GOP is in power, while wanting to ram through their agenda when Democrats are in power. The result is that Democrats get 50-100% of their agenda passed and Republicans get 0-50% of their agenda passed. The best the GOP gets is equal to the worst Democrats get. Liberal college professors like using phrases like "chill effect on free speech" directed at Conservatives, but it seems to me that the only chill effect I've ever noticed is CHILLING CONSERVATIVES! Whether it is through political correctness or "getting along," our values are silenced while Liberals maintain their right to say and do whatever the heck they want with zero restrictions.
Rush Limbaugh (3) has often blamed this issue on elected Conservatives wanting to be accepted within the Beltway. While I agree with Maha Rushie to a degree on this, I believe the issue is even more insidious than Beltway politics. It is extended to us, the regular Joe Six-Pack Conservative, through well-meaning, gentle and friendly Liberals who we count amongst our friends. (Once again, these average Liberals are usually unaware that they are being manipulated by the media. They are good people with good hearts.) It's the puppet masters in Washington who are manipulating the good intentions of these Liberals to help defeat Conservatism.
The time has come for Conservatives to tell these "civility and compromise" types to go pound sand. Politics is a competition...a competition of ideas! I'm fine with respect, and quite frankly I believe that Conservatives HAVE FULFILLED THIS EXPECTATION. We fight for ideas. We do not need to apologize or change our tone. To say that Conservatives attacking Liberal ideals is uncivil is akin to saying "The Steelers have a stronger running game than the Packers" in regards to Sunday's Super Bowl is uncivil. It's not. It's an honest assessment of strengths and weaknesses.
So where is the line? Here it is: Conservatives calling Obama "a socialist," which is accurate based upon Obama's policies is reasonable. According to Obama's books, one of his primary goals is to redistribute the wealth. That is what socialism is. Calling George W. Bush "Hitler" is baseless name calling. The difference? Obama's policies are legitimately in line with Socialism. Modern, European Socialism to be exact. (Not to be confused with 30's and 40's National Socialism. More on that shortly.)
Liberals calling George W. Bush a Nazi is unreasonable. George W. Bush's policies were not in line with the National Socialist (Nazi) Party and most certainly did not include such policies as social purity. Bush did not take over massive parts of the private sector like Hitler did. Bush did not invade nations to expand his country's territory. (Iraq and Afghanistan were invaded, yes, but rule of those nations has been handed over to the people of those nations. They are not territories of the United States. HUGE DIFFERENCE.) For the record, even though Obama IS legitimately a socialist and the official name of the Nazi Party is "National Socialist," Barrack Obama's policies are also not in line with Hitler's Nazi Socialism. In other words, Barrack Obama IS NOT a Nazi either.
I challenge you to come up with even a tithe of the uncivil rhetoric which is perpetrated by Democrats coming out of the mouths of MAINSTREAM Republicans. (For those of you from Palm Beach County, FL, that's 10 %.) David Duke does not count. People in elected office. Oh, and put it in context please. You won't be able to. Radio host Sean Hannity (4) has continued to ask Liberals who call him to name EVEN ONE example and they have yet to be able to give such an example. (I won't claim you can't find one or two examples, but can you find 10% as many as you can find from Democrats? Doubtful.) Conservatives are not uncivil. Elected Liberals are uncivil (note...ELECTED).
Compromise? Liberal policies damage America economically and morally. How do you compromise with poison in your dinner? If someone wants you to put one gram of arsenic into your dinner, do you say "I'll compromise and put half a gram into my dinner?" NO! You fight consuming poison! History has proven that Liberal economic policy is poisonous to the economy. If you believe that abortion is murdering an unborn child, how can you "compromise" and say it's ok to murder that unborn child if it is in the first trimester? Reason and morality would say that if that unborn child is human, its life must be protected. Period. No compromise on protecting life.
So what the heck is the answer? Simple. Politics needs to follow the example of sports. COMPETE. Let our ideas and your ideas stand on their merits between the judges of this competiton: the American people. The point system? Votes.
It does require that the Liberals play fair. You Liberals will have to actually present your REAL goals and policies. I'm sure it will work well...ask Walter Mondale how well promising to raise taxes does in front of the electorate. But hey, if you ACTUALLY get elected on your ideals, Democrats, you could govern on those policies and NOT lose 70 seats in an election between the House and Senate.
Or are you afraid of a fair (political) fight?
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(1) Barrack Obama Quotes - www.allgreatquotes.com
(2) "Peanuts" by Charles Schulz
(3) The Rush H. Limbaugh Show Homepage
(4) Sean Hannity - The Sean Hannity Show Homepage
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