David Brooks today joined the chorus of conservatives touting Grand New Party as an important marker in the ongoing assessment of conservatism and the GOP. See also Rich Lowry and Patrick Ruffini for rave reviews of the book.
Though it is now on the Earling summer reading list, one particular point about Brooks' column merits further mention. He discusses "a group of young and unpredictable rightward-leaning writers" that has emerged as a vibrant presence in conservative circles.
While this blogger claims no leadership position within the movement and doesn't quite fit the mold Brooks describes, I completely identify with this:
These writers came of age as official conservatism slipped into decrepitude. Most of them were dismayed by what the Republican Party had become under Tom DeLay and seemed put off by the shock-jock rhetorical style of Ann Coulter. As a result, most have the conviction -- which was rare in earlier generations -- that something is fundamentally wrong with the right, and it needs to be fixed.
Not wrong in terms of its principles, but wrong in terms of its application and practice in full.
That should come as little surprise to serious, regular readers of the blog, but it's worth emphasizing nonetheless.
Posted by Eric Earling at June 27, 2008 08:40 PM | Email ThisI'll be much more willing to even pay attention to your critique if you could tell me one Republican you've ever voted for besides Ron Paul.
Thanks.
Posted by: Eric Earling on June 27, 2008 11:08 PMMe too. It's not that I particularly trust McCain. In fact, I initially said that I would never vote for him. It's that I know for sure that Hussein will install justices who will throw the constitution out the window. There's no telling what McCain will do, but I think there's at least a chance.
Posted by: NW Denizen on June 28, 2008 07:41 AMThe GOP did it once, it was called the Contract With America, and the media and Democrats pilloried the GOP for it.
Apparently the only way to reach compromise is to simply ask the Democrats what they want and then say "me too".
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on June 28, 2008 08:37 AMThe SCOTUS only sustained that we the citizens of the United States have an INDIVIDUAL right to keep and bear arms by ONE vote. McCain has said that he would make appointments to SCOTUS along the lines of Roberts and Alito. Obama has expressed admiration for justices on SCOTUS that voted AGAINST the individual right to keep and bear arms.
How anyone who considers themselves anything other than far-left could consider not voting for John McCain is beyond rational comprehension.
Posted by: Methow Ken on June 28, 2008 08:57 AMThe other option would have BHO moving the leftist agenda forward including the Fairness Doctrine, Universal Health Care more political correctness in the public square and uplifting the UN. If he gets elected, it will be a gloomy day for America. An anology - if you thought it was winter under Bush, it would be a nuclear winter with Borat Obama at the helm. Needless to say, I am voting for McCain.
Posted by: KS on June 28, 2008 10:25 AMThe other option would have BHO moving the leftist agenda forward including the Fairness Doctrine, Universal Health Care more political correctness in the public square and uplifting the UN. If he gets elected, it will be a gloomy day for America. An analogy - if you thought it was winter under Bush, it would be a nuclear winter with Borat Obama at the helm. Needless to say, I am voting for McCain.
Posted by: KS on June 28, 2008 10:26 AMI don't believe the book preaches quite that formulation on the New Deal or as is relates to future steps for the GOP. Such a construct would fit with neither Lowry's nor Ruffini's politics.
I'll post more on it after I've read the book, which should be in the next couple weeks.
Posted by: Eric Earling on June 28, 2008 01:37 PMYou will listen to my critique of you and your support for the same ol BS from the GOP only if I prove to you that I too have voted for the same BS? Good logic there.
My whole point is most republicans in the past 10-20 years have not been worth voting for. The Party is still worth supporting as a whole even if the majority of its candidates are not worth supporting. The problem is if you continue to support the non worthy candidates you only perpetuate the problem (as you do here on a regular basis).
So, the answer to my question is "no," you haven't voted for any Republicans besides Ron Paul.
If in recent memory there wasn't one election where you found a Republican who was a better choice than the Democrat then there is no point in discussing such issues with you any further.
Posted by: Eric Earling on June 29, 2008 12:16 PMI did not answer your question because it is completely irrelevant to the point either of us is trying to make. If you wish to distract attention from the fact that you continue to promote the very watered down liberal GOP you say you do not support, fine.
And even if you presumption about me was correct (that I have not found any republicans worth voting for) that would only amount to more ammunition to MY arguement that there is in fact very few republicans worth voting for (thanks to people like you who conitnue to vote for the crap the party has been putting out).
Posted by: Lysander on June 29, 2008 04:00 PMSo with that said... You win... you are a uber republican and I am a nobody republican.
Now would you care to address the point I am making. In case you forgot it is... Your support of candidates like McCain is what has brought us to and will keep us with this rotted from within GOP that is just as liberal as the democrats.
Posted by: Lysander on June 29, 2008 06:01 PMHey idiots:
You caused the Iraq war.
You caused our debt
You caused our inability to defend our homeland
You caused the stupid and petty and mean problems America now faces.
You caused our fall from a leader in the world.
You caused pretty much everything by supporting the Worst President in History, him and his idiot criminal policies.
I don't care how stupid the Democrats are, they get the vote until every Neocon criminal Republican is driven from power and in jail.
If I hear "Leftist Agenda" from any of you that supported Bush, I pretty much have to cheer, cause its your votes that put America in this mess, and its now your ass thats gonna pay for it.
Posted by: DaveD on July 2, 2008 06:09 PM