Every year, on every issue we are told as conservatives that we are supposed to compromise. On every issue, our positions are just a tad too extreme. Sure, republicans in congress secretly agree with us on smaller government. But, we just have to wait a little while. Next time will be the right time. However, the next time seems to arrive as often as Michael Moore’s next salad. (Yes, Michael Moore fat jokes are relevant again. Celebrate.) By the time any seemingly conservative individuals have any control, they are able to give us absolutely nothing. Government grows just a little bit slower then it would have if, say, Kim Jong Un had been elected. Conservatives are once again told to count their blessings and celebrate their little corner of invisible victory. As you hear the promises from the president and republicans alike this week, read a couple of paragraphs that tell the story all too well, from Sean Trende a few months back: --- …analysts need to understand that the Republican base is furious with the Republican establishment, especially over the Bush years. From the point of view of conservatives I’ve spoken with, the early- to mid-2000s look like this: Voters gave Republicans control of Congress and the presidency for the longest stretch since the 1920s. And what do Republicans have to show for it? Temporary tax cuts, No Child Left Behind, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, a new Cabinet department, increased federal spending, TARP, and repeated attempts at immigration reform. Basically, despite a historic opportunity to shrink government, almost everything that the GOP establishment achieved during that time moved the needle leftward on domestic policy. Probably the only unambiguous win for conservatives were the Roberts and Alito appointments to the Supreme Court; the former is viewed with suspicion today while the latter only came about after the base revolted against Harriet Miers. The icing on the cake for conservatives is that these moves were justified through an argument that they were necessary to continue to win elections and take issues off the table for Democrats. Instead, Bush’s presidency was followed in 2008 by the most liberal Democratic presidency since Lyndon Johnson, accompanied by sizable Democratic House and Senate majorities. --- Exactly. Except I’m way more negative on John Roberts.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 01:11:02 +0000