And we will make sure that we work hard to make sure those principles, those
values that have made us the party of Lincoln are part of the issues, are part
of the policies, are part of helping set a new direction for this country. We
will cede no ground to anyone on matters of principle, on matters that matter to
the people of this country.
This has been anything but true for how Steele has acted since he became the chairman of the RNC. I believe he started off well by cleaning out the closet of those who previously held positions in the RNC but I do not think he was yet ready to fill those positions with true conservatives. He may have acted with too much haste in his attempt to reorganize and restructure the now failing party.
The previous two national elections have proven that Republicans need to retrace the steps back to their conservative roots and stop placating the liberals and their ideals. Love him or hate him, Rush represents the hardcore conservative ideas that once made the Republican party so strong during the 80s and 90s. After calling Rush an “entertainer” who makes “ugly” remarks, Steele found that he was biting off far more than he could ever dream of chewing. With an audience of approximately 20 million, Steele realized just how popular Rush has actually remained, despite his “ugly” remarks.
While on the D.L. Hughley show, Steele is quoted as saying:
“Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh — his whole thing is
entertainment. He has this incendiary — yes, it's ugly.”
A few days later, after realizing what he had done, Steele apologized to Rush by saying:
“I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. … There was no attempt on my part to
diminish his voice or his leadership.”
Saying “his whole thing is entertainment”, does in no way, sound like he thinks of him as a leader. This sudden reversal in opinion by Steele is just one more reason why he is not what the Republican Party needs at this time. He is either as he put it, “inarticulate” when going on national television and criticizing certain people or he lacks a backbone and refuses to stand up for what he actually believes when the pressure is on. Either way, the Republican Party does not need a wishy-washy spineless leader at a time when a serious restructuring and reclaiming of lost values is so desperately needed.
I suppose it is quite early in his tenure as Chairman to be criticizing too harshly, however, these are issues that should be addressed early rather than allowing them fold and build up over time. Steele needs to reevaluate those he is calling heroes and villains of the party. Gov. Charlie Christ, a moderate “Republican” from Florida, should not be held as a potential leader for the conservative movement as Steele has already done. He needs to invest more of his time and praise for Republican leaders that are actually promoting strong conservative beliefs and are not underhandedly adopting liberal agendas. While Rush may be controversial at times and is certainly always arrogant, it would probably benefit Steele to adopt and implement many of the conservative ideas that Rush articulates and advocates.
Granted I am one of those moderate conservatives who switched to the other side, but I got to question you if you think Rush is what's going to get the Republican Party back on track. He, and his 20 million listeners, is the exact reason why so many moderates are leaving the party. Or at least why one moderate did.
ReplyDeleteYour party will not regain power by sticking to its edge. Most Americans are moderates--you have to speak to the middle. Steele and Christ can do that. McCain could do that, before he sold his soul to the far right to win the nomination. As long as the nomination goes through Rush and his conglomerate, you'll be stuck with Sarah Palins.
And, as a liberal, that's just fine with me.
If the republicans want to be credible, they need to stop acting like democrats. Rush is arrogant and is lining his pockets, not leading the party. I think it time for third party that incorporates the disenchanted members from both parties and take our country back. We need to put aside the petty differences and start looking out for what is best for each other.
ReplyDeleteThe Republican Party as it has been will cease to exist. John McCain was a moderate republican and the republican party tried to make him more conservative. This backfired as they categorized him with Bush which is a strong conservative. The overwhelming majority of the nation is not interested in conservative values anymore as the media has portrayed them as close minded idiots that don't care about the working class or the economy. In time it will become clear that neither party is into anything but power and money. For now though if the republican party stays clinging to the far right and the democratic party continues to the far left the majority of the country will look to which side is closer to the middle although neither side is actually close to what they want... that's kind of what just happened in the last election. Rush may have 20 million listeners but 20 million out of the 150 million plus registered voters is only about 13.3%
ReplyDeletethat isn't going to come close to helping a political party get back on track.
Why would anyone of any intellectual worth limit themselves to fanaticism. I don't think Obama won the presidency because he is particularly more "liberal" than Hilary Clinton. He won because he was smarter than her. People are tired of emotional one sided stupid politics. Presidnet Obama is proof of this. His victory over long established political tradition is due to the change happening in todays Americans. We are maturing, and as most older societies we are leaning toward the conservative but staying with a moderate out look on politics.
ReplyDeleteIntelligence and experience leads to the ability to see things in grey. Not in black and white. In a time where we are up to our necks in shit because of this self centered fanatical attitudes, it is fitting that out of touch extreme conservative politicians would be arguing among themselves.
I believe people will continue to vote for the smarter candidate, most of them are moderates.
sorry for the typo on President.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Belsarius: Though a fan of Obama, I have to argue that he didn't win because he was "smarter" than Hillary, unless you can quantify in what way you mean that. He played to the wants of the American people, which was to put in simple words that he would do whatever it took to change the things they saw as breaking down. Hillary had extremely detailed personal plans for a lot of things, but they were mostly things that the average American wasn't focused on right now, like healthcare, and she didn't have the ability to "put it in Layman's". She lacked speechmaking ability. The American presidential elections have become a popularity contest based on advertising and personal character perceptions, not real/concrete plans and directions for leading America. It's all about perception.
ReplyDeleteWhat Obama is proving good at so far, which most presidents in recent times have failed at, is adapting. He takes an action, and if it doesn't seem to be working out, or unpopular, he undoes it and tries something else. He is actually focusing on listening to the people and watching the results of his actions. Which is a Change.