By Mr. Curmudgeon
There once was a time when politicians were slaves to polls. But public disapproval of the Democrat’s health care plan, financial bailouts and stimulus pork has fallen on political deaf ears. The same, unfortunately, holds true for Republicans.
Gallup reported that conservatism is the leading ideology among Americans. Gallup found that 40% of Americans now define themselves as conservative, 36% moderate and 21% liberal. Most striking is Gallup’s finding that, “Political independents viewing themselves as conservative boosted the overall ranks of conservatives, who now clearly outnumber moderates in Gallup’s annual averages…”
It appears nothing has focused the nation’s mind quite like our near death experience under “hope and change.” In other words, President Obama and his party’s authoritarian initiatives to reinvent us against our will has knocked a good portion of the nation’s fence sitters from their comfortable perch. Rather than fulfilling his softheaded campaign pledge to “bringing us together,” Obama’s presidency provided a more valuable service by forcing Americans to reassess who we are, what we are not and, more importantly, the need to take sides.
Prominent Republicans (such as senators John McCain and Olympia Snowe) still hold to the tired 1950s notion that going along to get along with power hungry Democrats is the best course for the nation and their party. Is it any wonder reach-across-the-aisle McCain suffered such a humiliating defeat last November.
By refusing to take up the gauntlet and vigorously oppose the Democratic Party’s trampling of our liberties, the nation’s growing conservative majority had no choice but to abandon listless Republicans in favor of the more vigorous Tea Party. Sarah Palin wisely distanced herself from her own party by supporting the Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman over a liberal in Republican clothing in upstate New York’s special congressional election. Her party’s leaders, and even some conservative Republicans, condemned her for choosing principle above discredited party loyalty. What the new Gallup poll clearly shows is that Palin recognizes reality even if her party does not.
The comfortable assumption among squishy Republicans has been that conservatives have nowhere else to go. Tea Party support for Doug Hoffman in votes and money proved otherwise. Instead of bulldogging conservative bulls, Republicans should ride the stampede to victory in 2010 and beyond.
