Of the many ironies
accompanying President Obama's reign of error, few are more perplexing to
conservatives than the disunity and ineffectuality of the Republican
opposition.
From the beginning of
his first term, Obama has been fulfilling his promise to fundamentally
transform America -- albeit in a way he didn't fully disclose when he made the
pledge.
Indeed, Obama has proved
in every way imaginable how serious he was and remains about steering the
nation away from its founding principles. On a series of fronts, he has brought
about major policy changes that are leading to the financial bankruptcy and
accelerated decline of this great nation.
Though poll after poll
indicates that the American people are more conservative than liberal and
oppose, more than support, Obama's policy agenda, he has continued to escape
accountability for making major changes against the people's will and even won
re-election to a second term.
Republicans have been
wholly discombobulated by this phenomenon and divided as to how they should
combat it. From relatively early in Obama's first term to the present, a
faction of Republicans has urged restraint in opposing Obama, while another has
advocated a more vigorous opposition.
We've seen the same
dichotomy throughout virtually every budget battle, with one group urging the
GOP to take firmer positions against Obama's manifestly unreasonable budgets
and continuing resolutions and the other counseling caution, reasoning that it
makes little sense for Republicans to stridently oppose Obama on matters they
didn't have the votes to win because he would be able to demonize them as
obstructionists.
This internal split has
sometimes grown fierce, with the tea party and self-styled Reaganites charging
that the other group comprises establishment RINOs -- or Republicans in name
only. The latter group, in turn, often accuses the first of being extremist and
hotheaded flamethrowers.
Some on each side of the
divide see the disagreement as more a matter of tactics than substance, whereas
others adamantly disagree.
Personally, I do believe
some of the disagreement can be chalked up to tactics -- but far from all of
it. For example, many on the "establishment" side are all too willing
to adopt the language of Democrats in painting the tea party side as
narrow-minded and even hateful on matters from immigration to dependency
programs.
I find myself on the tea
party/Reaganite side of the argument but acknowledge we must find a way to
unite our party in order to recapture power and begin to roll back Obama's
destruction.
I don't believe that our
group is extreme or self-destructively strident. Rather, we believe we will be
likelier to achieve our ultimate goals if we more effectively oppose Obama by
using plain language to clearly articulate our conservative vision and not
candy-coating Obama's extreme views.
We must inspire
Americans to rally behind our agenda rather than always play defense, acting
ashamed of who we are and offering the voters little more than Democrat lite.
How far have we gotten
with the cautious approach, after all? Didn't many conservatives stay at home
in 2012 out of disillusionment with the party?
Obama and the Democrats
never scale back their policy demands. They never reach across the aisle in an
effort to compromise. They just get more and more militant, notwithstanding the
obvious causal relationship between their liberal policies and the miserable
state of the country and its ongoing decline.
I have no interest in
demonizing or impugning the motives of the "establishment" group, but
I think it's time that group opened up to the idea that in order to rebuild a
successful coalition, we have to enthusiastically and unapologetically embrace
principles the Republican Party has always professed to believe in.
We must confront Obama's
despicable arguments head-on, from his kooky environmental extremism and his
draconian, growth-smothering policies based on it to his incessant appeals to
race, gender and class warfare.
But that alone won't be
enough. We can't just defend ourselves against his arguments; we must relearn
how to make an affirmative case for conservative principles as if we truly
believe in them. We must not only squarely refute the Marxist lie that
conservatism is heartless but show that it is more compassionate because it
produces the most benefit for the most people.
We should never expect
to turn things around if we continue to hang our heads as if in shame about our
belief in limited government and the free market. We should present policies
across the board consistent with that philosophy.
History, logic and
common sense are on our side. Let's shed our fear and turn the tables on Obama
and his group of fellow destroyers and give the voters a reason -- a compelling
incentive -- to rally to our cause. Half-measures will only lead to further
incremental advancements for statism and our inability to turn things around
and get America back on track. Let's quit underestimating American voters --
especially conservatives, moderates and independents -- and give them good reasons
to vote for us. Source: GOP USA www.gopusa.com,
August 2, 2013 6:55 am
David Limbaugh is a
writer, author and attorney. His latest book, "The Great Destroyer,"
reached No. 2 on the New York Times best-seller list for nonfiction. Follow him
on Twitter @davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com. To read
features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the
Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
David Limbaugh, I'm glad you're on Blogspot too! And thanks for "The Great Destroyer."
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