THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume VIII, Issue # 124, July 13, 2006
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
THE GOP SHOULD IGNORE THE DEMOCRATS' PLAYBOOK
By Christopher G. Adamo
AMERICAN POLITICS, POLITICAL PARTIES, & ELECTIONS: DEMOCRATIC PARTY LIBERALS & REPUBLICAN PARTY
"MODERATES" -- HOW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WEAKENS & DEFEATS ITSELF THROUGH ACCEPTANCE OF SOCALLED
"CENTRIST" LEADERSHIP & PUBLIC POLICY INITIATIVES -- WHY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY SHOULD REJECT THE
"MODERATES," OPENLY & CONSISTENTLY ADHERE TO CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES, & FIRMLY COMMIT ITSELF TO
PURSUING & ADVANCING THE CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL AGENDA
FULL STORY:
It should be glaringly obvious from the Democrats' widespread excommunication
of Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman (Democrat - Connecticut) that the Democratic Party is verging on
political implosion. That is, of course, unless those GOP “Moderates” once
again ride to the rescue. It has happened before.
According to Liberal orthodoxy, Lieberman has committed numerous cardinal
sins, chief among which is that he possesses a sufficient shred of
intellectual honesty to give credit to the Bush administration where he
deems credit to be due. Certainly this does not qualify Lieberman as a
“Conservative,” but any degree of honesty in his thinking puts him squarely
to the Right of the Democratic Party’s Liberal Leftist “mainstream.” Therefore, Lieberman's honesty will not be
tolerated.
Other major Democratic Party players have dabbled in the risky business of
“moderation,” with consistently disastrous results. With hardcore Liberal
activism proliferating on the Internet in the past few years, the true
emotions and intents of the political Left can no longer be cloaked or restrained
behind a seemingly benign party façade.
Thus, those who stray from the Liberal “reservation,” even to a slight
degree, are immediately branded as traitors and publicly maligned for their
heresy. No less pivotal a Democrat than Hillary Clinton has had to learn
this lesson the hard way.
At more than one Liberal gathering in recent months, Hillary has been jeered
and heckled by the crowds for her infidelity to their demands for immediate
withdrawal from Iraq. Seeking to convince mainstream America that she is not
of the “cut and run” crowd, Senator Clinton attempted to stake out a policy
position that neither supports the President nor abandons the war on terror.
But among Liberal hardliners, such posturing will not fly.
Rather, the hardline Liberals insist that the party adopt an inflexibly Leftwing stance that
calls for retreat and invariably condemns America, while ignoring any flaw or
threat on the part of its enemies. Such was the template that undergirded
American Leftists throughout the Cold War, and they have no intention of
abandoning it now.
Yet, seasoned Democratic Party politicians, though no less sympathetic to the causes
and loyalties of the hard-Left, nevertheless see a need to appear somewhat
temperate in order to retain the support of a sufficient number of Americans, support
sufficient to win elections.
As a result, observant citizens have been treated to an entertaining, albeit
ineffective “balancing act” by high-profile Democrats, whereby they seek to
advance the Democratic Party's Liberal line, while, hopefully, not appearing to be out of
touch with traditional America. Since the advent of the alternative media,
the ploy has not worked. Yet, Democrats remain mired in this failed strategy for
lack of any reasonable alternative.
Fortunately for them, the situation is far from hopeless. Typically, when
Democrats find themselves teetering on such a disastrous precipice,
Republican “moderates” stumble onto the scene to provide them an avenue of
escape.
Primarily, as Democrats finally recognize the necessity to move to the
“Right” in order to gain wider appeal, clueless Republican hacks
misinterpret the action, assuming instead that the most advantageous
position is in the political “Center.” Ultimately, the “Me Too” wing of the
GOP attempts to counter this Democratic tactic by pressing their party to do
likewise, which results in a Leftward shift among the Republicans.
Such unprincipled political posturing seems reasonable to those whose entire
world exists within the boundaries of the Beltway. But, to real America, the
resultant “moderation” of the Republican Party is thoroughly dispiriting. Ultimately,
irrespective of electoral gains or losses, Democrats retain an inordinate
control of the public policy agenda.
Already, grassroots Conservatives are becoming aware of a disturbing
movement within the GOP to foist a more “Centrist” presidential candidate on
them in 2008. Two of the biggest names being floated are former New York
Mayor Rudy Guiliani and Arizona Senator John McCain.
Despite the hopes of those consummate pragmatists of the Republican “inner
circle,” the nomination of either Guiliani or McCain would lead to electoral disaster. Hardly
appealing to a “wider following,” as hoped for by Republican Party strategists, the
elements of Liberalism embraced by McCain, Guiliani, and their type are as
appealing of a mix as a few drops of dishwater added to the Perrier.
Similarly, on a host of policy issues from immigration to pork barrel spending, the
track record of U.S. House and Senate Republicans, along with the
President, has hardly been something to inspire Conservatives.
It has always been counterproductive to attempt to defeat Liberals by being
like them. And it is inarguably wrong to adopt the basic tenets of
Liberalism under the assumption that such things are actually good for
America.
A far more courageous and principled approach would be for the GOP to firmly
anchor itself in Conservative principle, and make no apologies for doing so.
Thus, it would establish a standard that no pandering Democrat could
credibly mimic.
The Democratic Party is desperately flailing, as it pursues the unfathomable
task of establishing an agenda that will pacify its radical base, while
appealing to the American mainstream. Liberalism is in retreat.
This is no time to allow Republican “moderates” to hijack the Party and take
it down a path that follows the American political Left into oblivion.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
American Politics & Political Competition
American Government & the U.S. Presidency
American Government & the U.S. Congress
The American Political System:
Politics & Government in the U.S.A.
Liberalism Versus Conservatism in American Politics
Liberals, Statists, Socialists, & Other Leftists
-------------------------
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY & POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES:
COMPETING SYSTEMS OF POLITICAL THOUGHT
Conservatism
Traditional Conservatism: Questions & Answers
Conservatism: Attitudes, Types, & Present Status
Constitutional Conservatism: American & British
Liberalism
Classical Liberalism: Intellectual Foundations
Classical Liberalism: Conservative Liberalism
Manchester Liberalism & Social Darwinism
Modern Social "Liberalism": Statist "Liberalism"
Radical & Totalitarian Ideologies
Radicalism, Utopianism, & Totalitarianism
Christopher G. Adamo is a freelance writer who lives in southeastern Wyoming and works in the field of industrial instrumentation.
He is actively involved in Wyoming's political process, serving as a delegate to successive Wyoming State Republican Conventions
and as a member of the Wyoming State Republican Central Committee. He has assisted Republican candidates for local and state
legislatures and for the United States Congress. His articles, which appear regularly in The Progressive Conservative, U.S.A.,
and on a number of other websites, reflect a major concern with the damage being done to Conservatism and Conservative causes by
the Liberal Leftist faction in the Republican Party as well as by the much larger and more powerful Liberal Leftist faction in the
Democratic Party. During the early and middle 1990s, Adamo was Editor of the Wyoming Christian Coalition's official news organ,
The Wyoming Christian.
Return to Top of Page
Go to the WEBSITE INDEX
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Public Issues & Political Controversies
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
Most Recent Articles
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Volume VIII, 2006
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights
Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage
CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION
This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics,
civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy, and political
philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.
POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS
POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE
Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.
Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs,
International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests,
Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy
INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues