So many trial balloons and circus clowns demanding attention at CPAC last week that my mind sort of tuned out most of it. The big name conservative mouthpieces and the GOP seem in disarray and so intent on finding the next “big star” for 2016 that they can’t even focus on big themes and issues. The GOP constantly fixates on each articulate newcomer as “the next big one” who will be their star to pit against the Dem power players. All it takes is a few good speeches and the speculation runs rampant, before they even really know who these newcomers are. Remember the Scott Brown frenzy, which lasted until he got to the Senate and then acted like a typical Massachusetts politician (not a conservative). Marco Rubio does give impressive speeches, but does that make him Presidential material? Rand Paul stands up for what he believes and I applaud his filibuster, but he’s all over the board on so many issues and a relative unknown, that pinning him down on positions seems prudent. Since the Clinton years, the GOP got entrenched in this polling craze, where it’s all about popularity over substance now. We all want to vote as if it’s an American Idol episode rather than deciding on serious leadership qualities. And the conservatives embrace this “star search” tactic too, where Sarah Palin reigns supreme as the conservative fashion adviser, giving thumbs up or down to this year’s conservative fashion debut.
Along with the conservative hype the mainstream media covered the CPAC event with a relentless effort to portray conservatives as out of touch and completely fractured, leaving the conservative punditry following along, gnawing off their own limbs, trying to prove their objectivity at being introspective about recent electoral losses. So many panaceas and noxious “cures” aired that I’m still feeling faint from the dangerous fumes. The groupthink position is they need to attract Hispanic voters, so each GOP hopeful rushes to get in front of the immigration issue. Boom, they all have a speech for that topic now. Peggy Noonan laments the groupthink position quells debate and makes many Republicans afraid to talk according to a GOP report titled “RNC Growth & Opportunity Project” (PDF file here). We fall for this candidate selection by hot button issue positions rather than finding a man/woman of good character and a conservative viewpoint overall. I’d rather vote for a candidate who is honest above all else, even if his/her policy position differs from mine on some issues. Rarely do I agree with Peggy Noonan’s proscriptions for the GOP, but regarding this groupthink charge she hit the mark. The GOP lacks much in the way of original ideas. Hillary set the stage with her politically expedient video release – embracing same sex marriage. Expect the media to begin hammering GOP hopefuls into the ground on this fringe issue. Just like Obama played the women’s health scare tactics, Hillary will use gay marriage as an early wedge issue.
John McCain’s campaign high point probably was picking Sarah Palin, who initially breathed some life into a very dull campaign. She wasn’t really ready for the national stage and the Democrats sensing her star power determined quickly that they had to neutralize her and with the help of the mainstream media, the orchestrated attacks hit full force. The McCain staff nor John McCain ever lifted a finger to fight back. Instead McCain doomed his campaign by the grandstanding stunt of suspending his campaign over the fiscal crisis, making him look inept and foolish. He did in his own campaign truthfully. Likewise, Mitt Romney never articulated a conservative message and he sounded more like Obama than unlike him, leaving many conservatives bewildered and dismayed. Watching that foreign policy debate I found myself growing angry at his incessant pandering to Obama and basically agreeing with him on most foreign policy topics. At the end of that debate, it was clear Obama won hands down and frankly, Romney showed more fighting spirit against his Republican opponents in the primary debates than he ever mustered against Obama. Neither McCain nor Romney really is a conservative at heart and that’s the takeaway lesson I learned and maybe that’s where the GOP keeps going wrong.
The Democrats successfully run a lot of disparate candidates without the party being stigmatized by their oddball candidates, but each loon the GOP lets slip in becomes the face of the GOP. After watching the mainstream media operate, the GOP should use more caution in the primary process and try to weed out the kooks. The GOP needs to find better conservative candidates, which shouldn’t be so difficult considering how well Republicans are doing at state level politics. Knowing how the mainstream media will set out to marginalize GOP candidates, should make it prudent to prepare for the biased reporting and gotcha antics, instead of whining that the media isn’t “fair”.
The GOP needs some real leaders with vision about how to revitalize America – we need big ideas, not all this hot button issue posturing. Everyone likes to invoke Ronald Reagan, so okay let’s find some leaders who really do have a map leading to an America that is the “shining city on a hill”. All these detailed speeches, on immigration and gay marriage, smelling of blatant political posturing, aren’t going to unite conservatives or even inspire anyone – least of all prospective Hispanic voters. The Clinton political machine is setting up these GOP hopefuls with these social issues. If the best the RNC chairman, Reince Priebus, can offer is Mike Huckabee, the ever-friendly and smiling FOX news host as a “model”, then we are doomed Yes, Priebus suggests Huckabee the shameless populist demagogue, who ingratiates himself to anyone to look “inclusive”, (PJ Media story here). I’m packing up my political pup tent and setting up far away from the pundits and media types. Still inching toward the “none of the above” political parties, as my disillusion grows.
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