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Jewish World Review July 20, 2010 / 9 Menachem-Av, 5770 Go For Broke Or Get Out of the Way By Arnold Ahlert
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Excuse me for asking, but does the Republican party have a serious agenda? Considering the fact that one of the most crucial elections in the history of the country is coming up in November, it's getting hard to believe that Republicans haven't produced anything remotely resembling the 1994 "Contract With America" that drove liberals and their media lapdogs crazy--and produced Republican majorities in both houses of Congress for the first time in forty years. What's up? Politically calculated cynicism of the first order: the bet here is Republicans think they can beat something--with nothing.
Maybe they can--in 2010. It's no secret a substantial number of American are thoroughly disgusted with progressivism and its big-government, freedom killing, economy-destroying philosophy. They know it's amateur night at the White House--every night--and 55% of the public knows a Socialist-in-Chief when they see one, according to a recent survey. They know a Democratically-controlled Congress has passed gargantuan bills that are hugely unpopular, and Democrats' reaction to that unpopularity has been to tell Americans they're too dumb to know what's good for them, and that bills have to be passed "so Americans can find out what's in them."
They know the media's already in the tank for Democrats, and the spare-Obama-from-any-genuine-blame coverage of the BP oil spill has only reinforced that perception. They know the stimulus bill hasn't stimulated anything but crony capitalists and public sector workers, all of whom couldn't care less if they bankrupt the country as long as "they get theirs" in the interim.
In other words, things are looking pretty rosy for the GOP, right?
Wrong. And I told them so in no uncertain terms. Or at least I tried to. Since I have a background in both writing and advertising, I offered my services to the Republican National Committee. I explained to their communications director that they have one, maybe two elections to make it right with Americans. I told him if they don't, there will be a third party in American politics--and it will be Republicans, polling behind Democrats and Tea Partiers. I told him that now is precisely the time for Republicans to take their high-handed, above-the-fray, "reasoned" approach to politicking and shove it where the sun don't shine. I told him it's time to go for the jugular vein--exactly the way Democrats do.
I even gave him two ideas for national ad spots. As I said in a previous column, one would be an ad showing Democrats in Congress giving Mexican president Felipe Calderon a standing ovation for bashing Arizona's immigration law, with a narrator asking a simple question: "Is this the political party you want representing American interests after the November election?"
The second one is even better: I told him it's about time the Republican Party--in well-positioned media time buys across the entire country--apologized for their fiscal irresponsibility during the Bush years. An ad with such candor as in, "we're sorry, we learned our lesson, and we'll never violate the peoples' trust, or our core principals again" would be an absolute home run. It would resonate with Independents who are hesitant to pull the R lever because they believe there's not much difference between the parties, and be a smash hit with the Tea Partiers who live for limited government.
I told him Americans love giving people second chances, especially when those people have demonstrated honest remorse. An ad like that would be an unexpected--and unprecedented--stand by a major political party, in an era when most American consider their government completely out of touch with their concerns.
How far did I get? "I'm afraid I don't have any money in my budget to bring anyone on right now, but if we can do something with these, I'll will definitely be in touch. Sincerely, Doug Heyes, Communications, RNC."
I gave those two ads to you for free, Doug. Sure I'd like a paying gig, but saving the country from liberalism takes precedence. People like me, and no doubt countless others, get the distinct impression Republicans are content to maybe win a majority in the House, and if they get the Senate as well, it's icing on the cake.
Well here's a hot flash for you: the thought of the most radical president in the history of the nation getting a third Supreme Court nominee confirmed by a still Democratically-controlled Senate makes me sick to my stomach. Another "wise" whoever, one for whom the Constitution is little more than a "point of departure," would fundamentally alter the character of this nation for decades, and maybe forever.
Are the stakes high enough, Mr. Heyes?
I just finished editing a book. It's called "Duped America," (dupedamerican.com is the website where it can be purchased) and it explains--in great detail--how Democrats and their media sycophants have deliberately misled the American public regarding some of the most important issues of our time.
What makes the book genuinely compelling is that its author, Richard Bernstein, is a former life-long, liberal Jewish Democrat who got his head snapped back by the atrocity of 9/11. As he watched the Twin Towers fall, he couldn't understand why Americans had never even heard of al Qaeda before that fateful day.
So he decided to do some research. Not with the original intent of writing a book, but simply to find out what's been going on in this country--without that information being filtered by Democrats and their usual mainstream media suspects. After eight years of exploration he discovered many things that both shocked and amazed him, but the most shocking was this: he realized the political party to whom he had given a lifetime of unquestioning allegiance no longer represented his interests. In fact, he discovered what a lot of Americans are discovering: not only do Democrats no longer represent the interests of the majority of Americans, they are working actively against them.
Mr. Bernstein has the facts, researched and footnoted.
Why did he write the book? For the same reason I write columns: American exceptionalism is far too valuable to be destroyed by a political party and a president who consider all countries "equally exceptional." And that's when Democrats aren't busy apologizing for our racism, imperialism, xenophobia and free enterprise. Or telling Americans wars are "lost" before they've even been fought, or "fixing" things for their cronies on Wall Street and in public sector unions. We write because we're sick of seeing our public schools turned into liberal indoctrination centers, or scientific thought being corrupted by political ideology. We write because we know appeasing terrorists and foes while we snub our allies is a fool's errand. We write to prevent an economic tsunami from engulfing us, not because one is inevitable, but because bankrupt ideologues are greasing the skids, instead of saving the country.
We write because America is a terrible thing to waste.
And yet here come Republicans, tooling along in third gear when it's clear as day it's pedal-to-the-metal time. When the country is "this" close to being turned into a socialist nightmare of big-government hacks doling out "social justice" to whomever they deem suitable. When Americans, up to their necks in fear for the future, need genuine inspiration--not tired election slogans they've heard a thousand times before.
Republicans, trust me when I tell you that your party's hour is at hand. A "strategy" of "vote for us because we suck less than Democrats" is an utter insult to the electorate. Refusing to make detailed policy statements because it might cut into your generic lead in the polls is too clever by half. If you can't defend freedom and limited government clearly and concisely, resign. If you can't forcefully attack the worst combination of a Congress and a White House in history, get the hell out of the way and make room for those of us who can.
Some of us are ready to fight for this country, no holds barred, right to the end. If you can't come up with a new Contract for America you're completely hopeless. And don't think for a second Americans don't know it.
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© 2010, Arnold Ahlert |
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