Part two of Gamecock’s election post-mortem shows GOP the way back to the majority
Originally published by Mike DeVine, Legal Editor for The Minority Report
[Part one of our Election 2008 post-mortem, rejected the notion of a “secular American majority”. I agree with Dave Sage that culture drives politics; that America has been growing more secular; and that America desperately needs a new Great Awakening outside of politics. However, Republicans are not yet Daniel in a pagan Lions Den. Part two builds on that theme, as well as how we can win back republicans that bolted the party or sat out this election; as well as win over conservative democrats and many secular voters.]
I knew McCain was going to lose when I received an “Obama saves the GOP” e-mail on the Saturday before Election Day from my friend Don Scoggins, the leader of the Frederick Douglass (below) Society, and one of my personal conservative heroes. Don, a conservative black Republican, helped shape my post-2000 conversion to the GOP and has been an inspiration to me, especially as regards my efforts to reach out to minorities with the conservative message.
In explaining his decision to vote for the Democrat, Don expressed an understandable pride in Obama’s skills and symbolic value in affirming a culmination of the Civil Rights Movement. But primarily, Scoggins was voting against a McCain and a GOP that had lost their way.
At first I was shocked, but a week after the election I started to understand how Obama could save us.
Ironically, the saving will not be had by following Frederick Douglass’s “leave us alone” admonition to President Lincoln. Rather, a conservative resurrection can be built upon, now “all in” on the America Project, minority communities more receptive to the conservative message given conclusive proof that they can rise to any height in America, just like whites, on merit. We must take this message into every congressional district as well as State and Local races. We must recruit Blacks and Hispanics in districts where none immediately come forward, just as we do in majority white districts, and we must choose candidates that can win.
Obama’s third world-like crowds are dispersing back to the real world.
All Americans, too many of whom are ignorant of what disaster liberal government wrought in the 70s and the Reagan conservative anecdote of the 80s, are about to get re-educated in the looming recession born of Fannie Mae government distortion of the free market and Obama and the Democrats’ anti-Free wealth creation Market in favor of spreading your hard earned wealth to others agenda.
Republicans have been held accountable for happenings on their watch over the past decade as they became Democrat-lite. Now, Democrats will be held accountable like they haven’t been since 1994 and 1980.
Americans will be repelled by toys and peanut butter sandwich sharing before Kindergarten sex-ed. They will not confuse compulsion by government with the message of Jesus, like Obama has. They will not share Obama’s aversion to digging into the ground and ocean floor for coal and oil, as well as refinery nuclear power plant foundations for good wages. They will not be amused by energy “price lessons” from the chauffer-driven President, no matter his pigmentation. No, Americans want wealth creating jobs and they want to decide to whom they will spread it. They will not be content with Obama’s minimalist view.
They will want to return to American exceptionalism.
The re-education in the failures of liberal economic policies is underway. Minds will be concentrated, and it is vital that we have energetic new leadership in place to put it all in perspective and be the alternative.
We have leaders that fit the bill like Michael Steele, Mike Pence, Mark Sanford, Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin and many others that have for too long been drowned out by “compassionate conservative” condescension or losing Mavericks, mimicking failed Democrats.
As stated in part one, the faith and conservative social views give us a foot in the door with many minorities. We should listen to Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention and return to first principles and reach out to those minorities.
But we can also reach out to more secular voters with one of the most basic of conservative principles: federalism. This concept can be the key to disabusing many of the Big Lie that social conservatives want to impose our views.
Social conservatives came into the political arena because federal judges were stifling their free speech and imposing a world view on their children anathema to their views. Co-author of The Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton (below), Thomas Jefferson and the most of the rest of the Founders’ vision for happiness pursuit maximization was for federalist dispersion of power to the like-minded in their communities and the power to vote with one’s feet. Moreover, most conservatives don’t want to proselytize in public schools. It’s the liberals that do that with their amorphous tolerance and diversity and their moral and cultural relativism.
All are better off and with a much better chance that their views won’t be categorized with obscenity in speech codes in their children’s schools under a federalist system rather than a one-size fits all whim of a federal judge.
What Gamecock dubs “Faith-based Conservative Federalism” is GOP’s ticket back to the majority.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer, Examiner.com and Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
November 16th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Federalism works for many things. Unfortunately, social issues isn’t one of them.
For every state that bans abortion, there will be states that don’t, organizations that will want to take women over state lines, and corrupt doctors who won’t check to see which state a woman lives in.
It isn’t much different for Marraige. Right now, with gay marraige only a couple years old, there isn’t an issue. But what about 10, 15, or 20 years from now when gay couples move? They’ll sue to force states to recognize their marraiges, and liberal judges will be more than happy to enact some twisted version of the equal protection clause to side with them.
Besides, we can’t have half the country with a strong social fabric and the other half on the road to self destruction.
—
Off topic: but the GOP senators who are trying to block any aid to the auto industry are insane – no good is going to come from letting the industry go defunct.
November 16th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
You knew McCain was going to lose based on an email from an African-American conservative? LOL
Another awful, obtuse column.
November 16th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
“Co-author of The Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton (below), Thomas Jefferson and the most of the rest of the Founders’ vision for happiness pursuit maximization was for federalist dispersion of power to the like-minded in their communities and the power to vote with one’s feet.”
Now I’m no expert on US history, but surely Hamilton and the Federalists were in favour of the centralisation of power, and were opposed by Jefferson and the republicans?
November 16th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha now you “knew McCain was going to lose”!
Funny I don’t remember you saying this before the election lol.
I do remmeber you saying that Obama wouldn’t win 11 states about 6 weeks prior to the election.
Maybe you should stick to redstate where for some reason you seem to have some followers. Actually second thought stay here you are good a laugh.
You claim that the democrats are anti American and yet you were a self confessed democratic activist for 18 years! You were hoodwinked for 18 years? Or maybe you will simply change your mind again down the track?
Sorry to be so negative guys but how can this guy stay a front poster after losing ALL credibility? At least Kris writes ok and has some redeeming features.
ps if you must stay can you try to post one post without using the phrase “as I predicted” or “I knew?
November 16th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Mike,
Do you really think kindergartners, under an Obama administration, will now be learning about fallopian tubes, birth control and Joycelyn Elders lessons in the joys of masturbation?
Spin it how you will, but instructing young children to report to a teacher if another student or anyone else in the school ever touches them in their privates, or in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, is not “sex ed” by any honest interpretation; and the suggestion that it is the learning of anything age-inappropriate only reaffirms the existing caricature of a hopelessly out-of-touch GOP.
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/198169.aspx
November 16th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
“Faith-based conservative federalism”? Gimme a break. The most painful part of this election has been listening to every conservative blowhard out there espousing their salve for the party and magical solution that will render us a majority once again. There’s no fairy dust solution here. We don’t need some catchphrase-driven repackaging. The key to a majority is COMPETENCE. Our ideology is perfectly acceptable to a majority of Americans, but our party has become incompetent. George Bush is incompetent, and Americans are rightfully sick of it. What we need to do is keep our heads down, work hard, and be serious. People like Tim Pawlenty are serious. People like Jim Inhofe and Ted Stevens are jokes. We need to get rid of the nutjobs and put the workhorses in charge.
November 16th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
My kids will be educated at home.
I have an analog TV set. After my Hadassah is born my wife and I have agreed to get rid of cable and just play old movies, old taped children’s programs or documentaries.
It’s not just that the shows on TV glorify selfishness and violence. The average commercials between the shows have become inappropriate for children. Many of the commercials and TV shows don’t do my mind much good either.
As I grow older I’m realizing there’s little of modern American culture that’s worth passing on to my children.
America needs personal humility and national repentance (you don’t need to be religious to realize that). We’ve been heading down a destructive path because we have forgotten the lessons of history.
November 16th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Very good post Gamecock. You distilled a lot of history in this piece and as always your observations are insightful and timely. Ignore the petty critics and keep dispensing with your original analysis and commentary – if the critics had read all of your posts they would know that your annotations have been right on and predictive of recent trends. Keep up the good work- your diagnosis and thoughtful prescriptions will be much needed for our coming dialogue about the future of the Party.
November 16th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
It seems to be such a common misconception. That one can design an ideal environment around ones children, as if growing up in a fantasy land is a good preparation for adult life. It isn’t. Those who grow up disconnected from the culture that they will have to live in as adults are almost always at a significant disadvantage as adults. And often they try to compensate for that disadvantage by overdosing on the popular culture once they are out on their own.
Education for children is as much about learning, and gaining experience interacting with peers and going through common experiences, as it is actual book learning.
Maybe you need some personal humility even more than America does.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
#4 Knute Rockne never anounced before Notre Dame ames that he thought they would lose did he?
Heath, you don’t read what I write, or this would not be a shock.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
#8 Gamecock didn’t get where he is swatting at fleas.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
#8 Thanks JAP
November 16th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
#5
Still no sense of humor? But
Didn’t you see the video of Obama recounting repub ridicule of kindergarten sex ed and the audience laughing at the notion Obama was for same and then Obama saying that it was the right thing to do?
I thought you paid attention.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
#5 Parents teach that, not schools.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
[...] argues that federalism is an answer to conservatives problems and the way to bridge the gap between [...]
November 16th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I could actually see Governor Palin adopting this philosophy and calling her 2012 campaign platform “Strength and Compassion.”
November 16th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
#9, Did I ask for your opinion?
I notice liberal busybodies have no compunction about giving their opinions about other people’s children. I guess your parents didn’t have manners to teach you. I’d suggest you keep your actions in regards to other people’s children to arrogant advice if you know what’s good for you.
I will educate my children about the world. I just prefer not to act as if the crude, selfish, violent culture of the American media is something to be accepted non-critically. Little that occurs on television is good for a child’s mind or builds virtue.
Your attitude bothers me so much because it is born out of arrogant ignorant stereotypes that liberals harbor towards anyone who values the purity of children. If you wish to roll around in the filth Tano, go at it.
Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Bravo #17
November 17th, 2008 at 10:02 am
#17
I wasn’t addressing you. So mind your own business.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:07 am
I am a FISCAL conservative, but voted against Bush twice because of his cluelessness on the Constitutional wall of church-state separation. His near total submission to the Vatican should alarm all who cherish liberty of conscience. It is a spiritually weak and corrupt church that seeks political power to make up for it’s spiritual lack. Historically, whenever the church has obtained secular power she has used it to punish dissent from her doctrines. Chris Hedges in his book, American Fascists, points out, “”The Bush administration has steadily diverted billions of dollars of taxpayer money from secular and governmental social-service organizations to faith-based organizations, bankrolling churches and organizations that seek to dismantle American democracy and create a theocratic state. . . the wall between church and state is being disassembled.” (p. 23). The road the Republican party is on will end only in national apostasy and theocratic dictatorship.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
#20 seek help now