Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Post election day thoughts and ruminations (UPDATED)





(please scroll down for update)



We awoke at 0430 this morning, refreshed, re-invigorated and ready to get back at it. The very first thing, though, that crossed our mind when we rolled out of bed, and taking into account that hindsight is 20/20, was: we nominated a RINO from Massachusetts. Electorally speaking, how on god’s green earth did we think that was going to work out?


People like George Will, Michael Barone and especially Dick Morris who predicted a Romney landslide have some serious explaining to do today. Morris predicted a 100 seat swap in the House back in 2010, so he’s coming across as an increasingly opportunistic red state, red meat shill. I understand the man has turned his life around on a personal basis but there appears to be only so much sleaze that can be wrung out of the cloth.


Since we’re inherently uncomfortable with people whom we’ve never met and whom we probably wouldn't like, making decisions that affect us some 3,000 miles away, we’re inherently OK with gridlock. So, taking a silver lining approach, here, and at the expense of doing anything meaningful with respect to our long-term/entitlement debt black hole, we’re glad America chose gridlock for the next four years.

We’ll be in our late 40s before we have a chance to entertain this issue again. Entitlement reform, that is. We’ve been willing to have that discussion for years. Our countrymen, last night, apparently felt otherwise and were quite willing to kick the can down the road for at least another four years.

We’re at a loss to explain Bob Filner’s victory over Carl DeMaio for San Diego’s mayor post. Two ballot measures on pension reform and labor contracting that won handily in June were vigorously supported by DeMaio. That should have been a leading indicator, right? That and the endorsement of a popular outgoing mayor. We honestly felt DeMaio would walk away with this thing by about 10 points so we guess we have some explaining to do ourselves.


OK, time to go to work, as in work-work. We may update this post later on today.



(UPDATE #1):


For an alleged uniter, the President ran the smallest, pettiest and most negative campaign we have ever seen run by an incumbent. Any hopes he may have had in extending goodwill in order to work with a Republican congress was pretty much shot to hell by the way he campaigned.

All you civil libertarians, constitutional scholars and righteously indignant anti-corporate populists who were in full throat from 2001-2008, rest easy. No, seriously. Hit that snooze bar and rest easy - you're services won't be required for at least another 4 years.

We realize the odds are long but how about a pick'em lottery on who the next U.S. citizen will be to get wacked in a drone strike directed by the Commander-in-Chief.

Of course, the biggest basket case state in the Union, California, went big for Obama by 21 points (59-38)


From the comments, here's Sarah B.:

I look forward to a fresh crop of fiscal libertarians who speak more frankly and worry less about who they offend. The Christi personality works. More please.


Sarah's right. Romney represents the last of the establishment G.O.P. presidential candidates from this point forward. Bush Sr., Dole, McCain and Romney all did not either have the track record or could not adequately articulate a pro-growth, limited constitutional government agenda of the conserva-libertarian wing of the party. This will end in 4 years when we will have a spirited primary highlighted by a pool of sharp, principled, young Gen-Xers who will forcefully make the case for the aforementioned.

Take a rest if you must but before too long let's get ready to get after this thing with hammer and tongs.


.





.


6 comments:

Doo Doo Econ said...

About 1/3 of Americans voted, which means half of conservatives did not show up.

K T Cat said...

Reality hasn't hit home yet. My progressive friends still yap about compassion as if we can keep borrowing and spending forever. When confronted with fiscal facts, they either shrug their shoulders or want to tax the rich. This was a stasis election. I don't think most people believe how horrific the situation really is.

Anonymous said...

There is a serious problem with providing our message.
I have been so upset as the campaign progressed whereby the message is soft because of fear of the "retribution of the media" or "we want to stay above the fray”.

This is political Appeasement. It doesn’t work for nations, or national politics. We need to call the people for what they are and you fight them with all we can. Being gentlemanly or diplomatic is our downfall.

Republicans are losing because they are being chivalrous and gentlemanly and refuse to REALLY get the message out.

Nixon was impeached for a cover-up where no-one died. Where is the serious message about Libya? Or Fast N Furious? Ok to cover this up? This should have been a major campaign issue, not just a 20 second “bit” in a debate over what was said at one moment or another.

Every lie he spoke and broken promise should have been on a 20 second ad, rather than campaign stops and BS soft-core ads.


Our leaders lack courage. This is our downfall. Their message is one of bland platitudes and a diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding conflict. We make concessions and are appeasing the media and left. We have brilliant young minds putting out messages on YouTube.

We have blogs like BwD, Liberator and the rest of the SLOBS, but no one on the other side is listening. We are preaching to the choir.
What are we doing to get the mind-numbed Democrats to get a grip?

How do we do it? We need some new ideas. Bdaddy and Dean know I have done it, one by one here at home, and taken years, but what can we do on a national level other than stop nominating such pussies?






SarahB said...

Rush said it best this morning when he said it's time for the party to be honest with itself about what they've been doing wrong. Romney was the end of an era of overly polite socially conservative fiscal moderates that have plagued the party and our contemporary efforts for 20 years.

I look forward to a fresh crop of fiscal libertarians who speak more frankly and worry less about who they offend. The Christi personality works. More please.

SarahB said...

Thank you, Dean!

And you have made a great point about civil libertarians all week with their hypocritical 'nappy poo's'...(will be borrowing)

Anonymous said...

Thank you Sarah,

Be bold, I wish google hadn't taken away my identity

Dawg