Suck It Up
This morning I've been following the commentary coming out on President Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers for the vacant position of associate justice of the Supreme Court. And I have been disgusted. While I am a bit apprehensive, like so many others, by the nomination of a relative unknown -- let's face it, republicans haven't had a whole lot of luck with "unknowns" -- I am willing to wait and see what unfolds. What disgusts me is the reaction of some conservatives.
I've been listening to the Laura Ingraham Show this morning and I've been surprised to hear the defeatism spewing from conservatives. Many callers said they were giving up on President Bush, saying he's no conservative. Many of those callers also said they would no longer support President Bush's initiatives. Let me get this right, just because the President nominates someone not on your short list, someone you don't know, suddenly he's no longer a true conservative?
Also, many have talked about abandoning Bush because he's not conservative enough. What choices does that leave for conservatives? Will conservatives abandon electable moderate conservative candidates in favor of more strictly conservative candidates who haven't a chance of being elected? I remember hearing a lot of this type of talk during the California gubernatorial election that saw the election of Gov. Schwartzenegger. Many complained that Schwartzenegger was a RINO -- Republican In Name Only. But the more conservative candidates had no chance of being elected. So, do we concede the race to the Democrats and Liberals because we conservatives are unwilling to unify around an electable candidate? Doing so would send the Republican Party in the direction of the Democrats -- toward fractious chaos.
Leave the President and Harriet Miers alone. Let's give them both the benefit of the doubt. Let's move the conservative agenda ahead even if it's not as conservative as some very vocal proponents would like. I learned a very useful phrase when I was in the Army that would benefit everyone here -- Suck it up, and drive on!
I've been listening to the Laura Ingraham Show this morning and I've been surprised to hear the defeatism spewing from conservatives. Many callers said they were giving up on President Bush, saying he's no conservative. Many of those callers also said they would no longer support President Bush's initiatives. Let me get this right, just because the President nominates someone not on your short list, someone you don't know, suddenly he's no longer a true conservative?
Also, many have talked about abandoning Bush because he's not conservative enough. What choices does that leave for conservatives? Will conservatives abandon electable moderate conservative candidates in favor of more strictly conservative candidates who haven't a chance of being elected? I remember hearing a lot of this type of talk during the California gubernatorial election that saw the election of Gov. Schwartzenegger. Many complained that Schwartzenegger was a RINO -- Republican In Name Only. But the more conservative candidates had no chance of being elected. So, do we concede the race to the Democrats and Liberals because we conservatives are unwilling to unify around an electable candidate? Doing so would send the Republican Party in the direction of the Democrats -- toward fractious chaos.
Leave the President and Harriet Miers alone. Let's give them both the benefit of the doubt. Let's move the conservative agenda ahead even if it's not as conservative as some very vocal proponents would like. I learned a very useful phrase when I was in the Army that would benefit everyone here -- Suck it up, and drive on!
Posts
There is no way I can take any politician, even one I strongly support, on faith.
I am wiling to reserve judgement until more is known about the nominee, but I find myself waiting with a good deal of skepticism.