I am a conservative. The 2014 mid-term election marks the 20th year (at least) I’ve voted against something rather than for something, or as the phrase goes, “the lesser of two evils.” I’d like to blame Democrats for my predicament, but I can’t. They are what they are, and their downward spiral from the party of JFK, to the collection of divide-and-conquer, lying hacks who disdain America’s language, culture, traditions – and finally, our national sovereignty–has been evident for quite some time.
Yet in all that time they’ve never betrayed their ideological imperatives, twisted as they are. It was the GOP who did that. After the electorate gave them control of both houses of Congress and the presidency in 2000, they proceeded to betray their commitment to limited government, fiscal responsibility, and liberty itself. “Compassionate conservatism” was nothing more than tax-and-spend liberalism by another name, and if they really want to know why the nation is now enduring a second helping of the most corrupt administration in the history of the nation, they need look no further than the nearest mirror. Without George W. Bush and a break-the-bank GOP preceding him, the reign of error known as Barack Obama would not have been possible.
A little over three weeks ago, America decided to give the GOP another try. Yet if Republicans honestly believe it was because of any other reason than the electorate’s rejection of the most over-reaching president in modern times, along with his equally corrupt collaborators, they are utterly delusional. Once again, America was forced to endure bad to rid itself of worse.
And now the clock is ticking. The GOP has two years to prove one of two things: that they are up to the task, not just of of governing, but governing as a genuine opposition party, or that they are headed for terminal irrelevance. If they choose the first path, then we have reached the point where it is no longer arguable what they must become: the party of conservatism.
It is a reality that will not sit well with the Mitch McConnell/John Boehner, Establishment, split-the-difference, go along-to-get along faction of the GOP. The faction that refuses to create a narrative, much less embrace one. The faction that is defensive, reactive and seeks the approval of a mainstream media completely loath to give them an even shake. The corporatists, who would also sell Americans out with comprehensive immigration reform to please their Chamber of Commerce buddies, the ones who balk at the idea of completely repealing ObamaCare, the ones who pay little more than lip service to conservative ideals because “they know better.”