Kicking the country clubbers to the curb... again. Pt.II

We continue to be amazed at some of the rhetoric from, ahem, leading Republicans when it comes to the future of the Republican Party. Colin Powell was on CNN Sunday saying that the Republican party must stop "shouting at the world" and start listening to minority groups if it is to win elections in the 21st century. Folks, this is code-speak for not making such a big fuss about immigration reform, affirmative action and possibly the horribly disgusting and gut-wrenching Terry Schiavo affair.

Remember last year around this time, we were told that John McCain was the only Republican candidate that could win in the general election because of his bipartisan legislative record and that his ability to reach across the aisle would attract moderate voters? Remember that? As you may recall, we had some rather cross words regarding Senator McCain during the primaries which led to some rather nasty internecine scraps within the Theocratic brotherhood.

But then, guess what? Instead of rigidly clinging to ideology, we went pragmatic – we did some intense soul-searching and as a result, came to see that Senator McCain had many redeeming qualities that we had perhaps overlooked and that would be tremendous qualities to possess as Commander-in-Chief, not the least of these “character”. And for the politics of McCain that we disagreed with, we believed that a combination “containment” and McCain being effectively promoted out of the way could be an effective defense against matters, such as, immigration reform.

And then do you know what happened? All those moderate big-wigs in the Party who had advised us that McCain was the only elect-able Republican and to which are currently calling on Republicans to “tone down their rhetoric” (i.e. lay-off the abortion stuff and pass immigration reform because that would, like, be cool with minorities), what did they all do? What did many of these high profile hands-across-the-aisle moderates do when the Republican Party chose the “moderate” John McCain?

They went out and endorsed the other guy.

Swell. Thanks, Christopher Buckley. Thanks, Colin Powell. (Hell, even the Democrats have this figured out: the dirty little secret of the ’06 midterms when the Democrats swept into power is that they didn’t do it with anti-war liberals – they ran rightward-leaning blue dogs like, James Webb and Heath Shuler against tax(cut) and spend-some-more Republicans in conservative-leaning districts. They out-Republicaned the Republicans)

If one is looking for anymore reasons outside their hollow logic and abandonment of principals as to why the Republicans shouldn’t follow Powell’s, Christie Todd Whitman’s and Mort Kondracke’s advice, it is because we nominated and got behind the man all these people were clamoring for and they turned around and voted for Obama, anyway. So, congratulations on backing the right pony, Mr. Secretary. Enjoy the inaugural ball and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.