The water through his hands

Back on 05 SEP 2008 I wrote about giving Sen. McCain time to show that he understood what it was that Gov. Palin was about and that he comprehended what his campaign could actually do.  As I pointed out then, his tactical outlook is very good, but his knowledge of strategy and logistics is awful - that goes beyond the military, but to how to run a political campaign.  I even utilized a sports metaphor post so that people could understand those differences, between mere tactics and strategy.  While my postings have been on the decline, my commentary at a site or two have basically summed up my feelings a month on.

I will start with a response to a posting by Mr. Z on the 'bailout crisis' after the first bailout bill did not pass and the sky did not fall nor did the world plunge into a 'depression'.  All errors in syntax, spelling, grammar and logic left in place for the amusement of the citizenry:

I refuse to have Congress bailed out of its insane ideas on the economy. This is not just the fault of Freddie, Fannie, ACORN, La Raza but also that of the Democratic Party and their willing help from the Republican Party for going on 30 years. Did you see how many Republicans *did* 'cross the aisle' in the spirit of 'bipartisanship'?

And got their butts handed to them by the other side of the aisle?

Those are more than just RINOs: they are idiots, fools and willing helpers in this mess. I damned well don't want any 'bipartisanship' as it means - hand over what the Democrats want and cry about it afterwards.

Let these damned things fail and then REPEAL the CRA and all legislation that puts the government INTO the home loan business. It is a long-term failure and so open to abuse that it is NOT a 'public good'. And I would seriously start looking at just what has been handed over to the Fed and SEC as they have been pipsqueaks in their duty to the American people. If these are supposed to be the stewards of the economy, then it is time to seriously look at turning their jobs over to people interested in it. Which isn't the federal government, apparently.

I've had it with this inanity... I don't want any more 'government help' for anyone, or 'government protection' beyond equal enforcement of the law, keeping our borders safe and ensuring threats of the foreign and domestic sort don't destroy the place. Government can't do this job well or effectively just like our founders TOLD US.

The 'spirit of bipartisanship' died when George McGovern decided to throw open the doors of his party after welcoming in the radicals and leftists.  As he now correctly points out, he opened the doors and people started to evacuate the room.  Before that 'bipartisanship' meant being strong on defense, standing up to the USSR and doing everything possible to still keep a vibrant economy even with the overhead cost of the first two.  The great irony is that Democrats were protesting a war *started* by President Kennedy and continued by President Johnson, and they would then turn on those in the party who were 'bipartisan' in that support and betray their Party and their Country all to the tune of State Control over the lives of inidividuals as the 'State knows better' what to do. 

Hey!  Whattabout that war thingie?  Why didn't it know 'what to do better' THEN?

Yeah, they turned pacifist authoritarian, seeking to undermine the Nation's resolve to supporting a government a President and Congress had asked the people to support.

Sen. McCain still wants to live in the pre-McGovern era... the JFK era... the era of 'Scoop' Jackson which would die with him after his press conference on KAL 007.  That era was already winding down when he died, and his death marks the turning point inside the Democratic Party towards vicious partisanship aimed and pro-State and pro-Government agendas to 'help people'.

That era of 'bipartisanship' is dead.

It is as dead as a doornail.

And it isn't coming back.

That is the critical message when looking at 'polarized America' and it is missed by the 'bipartisanship' hawkers:  Americans no longer want 'bipartisanship' and have, instead, voted in Gridlock to achieve their ends.  Whenever the Left ramps up its rhetoric, demeans a politician they don't agree with on the most vicious and childish of terms, their single, solitary goal is to drive voters from voting.  Of course that begins to backfire when they see politicians that they do like doing the same things that they criticize others for, and then don't have the honesty, bravery or courage of their convictions to actually APPLY THEM across the board.

Anyone who wants you to 'rally around the President' no matter who is elected has not faced up to the partisan, vicious tenor of politics started and continued on by the Left in America.  If we still have more civil politics than other Nations who have gone under to this disease, the disease of forgetting that society creates government and supports it and not the other way around, it is because of the Great Interstate Bypass Divide in America, that I talked about in Sen. McCain's second chance.  That is a major problem for the Left as their natural root-base is the same as Socialism in Europe: urban centers.  And America is inherently a suburban, small town and rural Nation.

So, when Peggy Noonan sounds the great trumpet of 'bipartisan support' for whoever is elected next, I have a problem.  Where the hell are those on the Left willing to do that NOW?  Mr. Z looked at that and lets just say that Peggy Noonan has lost several notches in my relatively low estimation of her:

A rant follows, read at your own risk.

Say, Peggy, when are you going to tell the Liberals to get behind more conservative Presidents? And if you have asked, why don't they do it?

Welcome to the land of 'bipartisanship' where *your* side gets to give in each and every time to be 'nice' to the authoritarians. Good luck on that, I tellya.... I've had it with WFB conservatives standing athwart history yelling 'stop!' and then saying: 'well, if you won't I'll just follow along...' Gots a few of those left in the RINO party? We have a lot of those RINOs in VA, where they are always 'reaching across the aisle' to get kicked in the teeth and then in the ass. They NEVER learn. They are not for a party, not for principles and wholly out for themselves.

Stop worshipping at the shrine of WFB and RR. They didn't do what was necessary to say 'NO' and mean it by their actions. And TR was the one who STARTED all the intrusions of the State into your lives, so you might want to think a bit about the man and read his autobiography, and then realize that the powers he sought for the office went with the office and not the man... which he hated when he was on the receiving end of it.

So instead of being athwart history, how about: 'No further and its time to roll back the State as we have given it too damned much power over our lives.'? Because that is what good Presidents *do*... they see the need for limitations on power, veto legislation that goes beyond that, and then call for the repeal of those things infringing upon the rights of the States and the people. Yeah, I like TR, but I see the problems in what he did, how he did it and that he was honest enough to put those both forward to let history decide on him *without* rose colored glasses. That means I like and admire him as a man, see his shortcomings as a politicians and the problems he caused thinking that only good and worthy people will get to high office all the time. He ignored the founders to *our* peril, and lived to see power used wrongly in the hands of a successor.

It is very simple to tell the difference between those who hold themselves accountable and those who weasel out of their past. Which is why I see the decision to be made this cycle between the horrific and the detestable. Between a 'post-partisan' Fascist and a 'bi-partisan' Social Democrat... and I detest, utterly detest, Socialism. Both these guys want to put *more* power in the hands of the government which means Congress.

Can't the Kumbaya Konservatives see where this has gone over the past 90 years?

Sen. McCain has had nearly a *month* to storm Appalachia with Palin and he hasn't even *started*. He wants to 'reach across the aisle' to the metroweenies in the D party and ignores social and fiscal conservatism that strikes to the root of the D party holdings in Appalachia. Can you imagine how he is going to 'reform' the R party if he WINS? I can and am absolutely horrified at the prospect of either of these candidates 'winning'. Just how many more Specters and Grahams do you *want* in the R party, anyways? Because those are the types McCain will *support*. If McCain really backed conservative principles then Palin would have been running hard and non-stop through Appalachia and the Rust Belt and say 'screw the debates'.

He would have said 'screw this bailout, it is Congress' fault and I'm willing to take my share of the blame, but everyone in Congress gets a slice of humble pie, too.' And then call for the repeal of the CRA, Fannie and Freddie all in one bill. He could explain that we do not reward fiscal irresponsibility at the highest levels of government and the Nation will now take its licks for doing something insane through its elected representatives who caused this problem in the first place.
You know? A conservative? Small government? Accountable government? Lean government? Pointy end of the stick?

I would *vote* for that.

Bi-partisanship? Its Socialism with a smiley face to it.

The only good thing is even though McCain sucks like an Electrolux, Obama sucks like a Hoover... and they both suck in great gusts of wind and hot air. Which sucks more? Doesn't matter... they both suck.

I'm fed up with the rah-rah Republicans. And I detest, with a great loathing, the Democratic party.

I love my Nation. Our politicians are not worthy of holding any office. And that says much about us as a people.

I should really trademark Kumbaya Konservatives... but that would be mean spirited to the doofuses (doofii?) they embody in their Maverick RINOness.

Here's the deal: a party that can't even get candidates who actually back up the people in the party isn't much good.  The Democrats chose the easy way out of putting forward any Progressivist, Communist, Fascist, bomb-throwing anti-American, or absolute 'party first, country near the bottom of the list' individuals they can find, as long as they can say sweet words about 'helping you' as long as they get to tax the bejesus out of you for all the 'help' they want to give you... with your money.  They do, indeed, soak the rich, curb the economy, stop capital re-investment and generally work to keep the 'little guy' poor and dependant upon them.  And then reward their cronies for helping to do that and claim it really 'helped the little guy' when millions or tens of millions go to said cronies in no-performance sweetheart contracts.

So, when Mr. Z took up looking at the VP Debates and then Congress was looking to pass a worse bailout bill than the first, which stunk to high heaven so that angels passed out, well, lets just say that I was not enthused over Maverickness:

I, of course, have already said I would vote for Gov. Palin as she aligns more with my values and has more Executive experience than any of the House of Elder Emirs. I liked a few thing Reagan said, and very little of some of the things he did do and those things he *didn't* do that he said he would do. Ronald Reagan is not my touchstone: a good man, yes, but deeply flawed.

If the Republicans could support that shift in culture away from McCain and towards the blue collar to small business side and showing how they are all part of the same spectrum that is better served by small government, accountable government and lean government, then it would have a long-term winning proposition and break the stranglehold of the Democratic party in the Rust Belt and Appalachia. Sen. McCain is the unfortunate one who must see this, and he is blinded by decades of 'bipartisanship' to not see an ill-served community that is willing to hold to a small government ideal if it could now find a party to back that. I do have problems with Gov. Palin, but she is a step in the right direction and away from 'maverickism' and 'reformism'. Reforming government gets you large, inefficient and wasteful government to oversee those reforms... and then, soon, overseers for the overseers... and Congress being unaccountable and causing more 'reform'.

You cannot get from where we are to that path without, at some point, saying good-bye to 'reformers' and welcoming in those who will want small government and less government and more accountable government. And that is something that no Republican has *ever* done by carrying through their lovely words and actually cutting away at the damned government.

You do not get by on good ideas.

You do not get by in *not* instituting those good ideas.

You do not get by without putting lots of hard work in to make sure those ideas stick.

I can't vote for any of the Senators as they don't hold one conservative value that should be near and dear to all conservatism: showing up for work every day and putting in an honest day's work.

Not doing that is called: Elitist.

Voting in and accepting a 4-day work week for CONGRESS, as was done under Republicans is: Elitist. You gave good cover to the Democrats to move it down to a 3-day week.

Gov. Palin shows up for work every day, and so does her husband and they know it is tough when times get rough and you don't have a job to go to so as to do that.

If you can't even dare to espouse basic conservative ideals and hold your elected representatives to them, then *why* should anyone be impressed with your ideals?

You don't mean them.

I *do*, I *state them*, I hold *myself* to them even know when I am physically unable to do very much. I expect the exact, same thing from those I put down my vote for or they do not *get* my vote. That means that the slackluster Liberals get office positions so that they can get power to slack off and order others around to do their dirty work. That could be stopped by elected representatives holding to their ideals, and actually *working* at the damned jobs they *volunteered for* and *willingly*.

Gov. Palin winds hands-down with that. In spades.

The Senators?

Elitists, one and all.

You cannot roll-back Liberalism by claiming it is too tough to do so, and then slack off at the job and then start acting like them. You want to roll it back? Then elect people who will damned well stand up for a 5-day Congressional work week, who will work at least 8 hour days, and who will make sure that anyone who tries to slack off is noticed and put on record as such. The first person to do that will have a full time job in just doing *that*, but it will be a very, very, very good job. Count hours, name the names, and show how much these elected representatives don't give a damn about the common man.

That sort of culture can do this... not a party, but a culture. And that culture is one that has conservative ideals as its outgrowth, no matter how imperfect the persons are who are running. You will know they show up for work every day, don't slack off and force the Liberals to work *harder than they do* to get anywhere.

I can and will vote for that in a heartbeat.

Yup, willing to do the work of the Cthulhu ticket on this one: so that even if IT loses, IT wins.  At least straightforward and honest Chaos with intent towards Evil is something I can understand.

Sen. McCain has let the opportunity of his lifetime which would be to re-orient the Republican Party by creating a new coalition across the Nation to include the 'Rust Belt' and Appalachia slip through his fingers.  He could still do it... but he needs a strategist who can tell him that.  Luckily he chose Gov. Palin who knows how to fight and what to fight for politically better than HE DOES.  She doesn't want to pull out of Michigan (h/t: Allahpundit at Hot Air), which is now the worst run Democratic State in the Union as Louisiana got its wits about it and elected Gov. Jindal to pick itself up from that status.  She knows that what she is talking about that worked in Alaska will resonate and work in Michigan.

That does not mean that the campaign will *win* there, but this isn't about *just* this election cycle: it is about formulating a new basis for the Republican Party that includes working class poor, small businesses and slowly eases the role of big businesses to the side.  Because it is a recognition that the business of America is Small Business and those who work their hearts out for 6 and 7 days a week putting in long hours to create a better life for themselves, their community and their Nation.  Join those two up with messages of small government, less intrusive government, and protection from the fat cat predatory lawyers and Big Business and you can get a working coalition that will shift that entire region because those are the working ethics they utilize day by day.

Republican Elites in DC don't know how to talk to those people.

Gov. Palin can and does.

This isn't an election about 'Maverick Reform': Mavericks bust up the system, not go quietly to their stalls when pitchforks appear to prod them into confinement.  You can't get to smaller and more accountable government by adding on yet another god-damned layer of 'oversight' which distances the problem from your elected officials who are the root cause of it in the FIRST PLACE.  They don't want to be named or ever held accountable and want to create more government to insulate them from criticism on ANYTHING. 

'Reform' makes the problem WORSE.

Not better.

Because the ideas put forward have no place in a Constitutionally based Republic utilizing Representative Democracy that is harshly limited by Amendments IX and X to do much of anything to 'help people' beyond providing equal administration of the law and protecting the Nation.  Government can't take care of you... they can't even figure out how mortgage financing works because almost all of those Upon the Hill have someone else to pay their bills for them.

The job of a 'Maverick' is to find those incredibly weak areas and BUST THEM DOWN COMPLETELY so that a smaller and more well built and understood corral is put in its place.

How do I know that Sen. McCain was grandstanding?

He didn't call for the legislation to be repealed as the very first damned thing out of his mouth.

The absolutely horrific part is that he is, with all that, *still* better than Sen. Obama.

Can someone hand Gov. Palin a cluebat, please?  Because Sen. McCain needs to get over himself, realize he isn't the Progressive Theodore Roosevelt and actually start having some fun busting some legislation and government down.  Because the dream of Theodore Roosevelt has come to bad ends, no matter how well intentioned they were.

And that job will take work, and lots of it.

Some Republicans cheered at the idea that their Congresscritters would actually work, for a change.

Now they are 'mailing it in' and losing the few benefits of that work.

If you can't vote for someone who actually *will* do their job and *work at it*, then you will get what you deserve.  Because sloth is the realm of the Left - the land of giving in and giving up because the boot to your face is so much easier than standing up to 'reform' and the Nannystate they want.

When the Republican Party puts forward a 5-day workweek platform for Congress and throws anyone out of the party who votes against it, then I just might think they actually have a clue.

Because that would be a platform plank to beat people with.

And it would make an awfully nice cluebat, come to think of it.

Don't hold your breath.

Working for a living is a conservative ideal.

And a Jacksonian one.