The Party of No

Posted by Larry Miller on December 1, 2009 under How | Read the First Comment

Democrats call the Republicans “The Party of No”. Tea partiers want them to be called “The Party of Hell No!” When in reality, they are often “The Party of No Vision”. With the power crazed Democrats in control, pushing the boundaries of government in every possible direction, like a deer frozen in the headlights of an oncoming car, many Republicans can only think to say “NO!” to every hair brained scheme coming from the left. Others, without an ethical compass come up with the conciliatory attitude of negotiation so they can act like they have accomplished something. There are a few who are trying to give the party a sense of vision, but they tend to scare the old line party leaders unaccustomed to such principled stands and internal conflict.

The “no vision” moniker is based on a fair assumption that people make when they believe the Republican Party has no agenda. It was an agenda called “The Contract With America” that brought victories during the Clinton administration. The original contract outlined a set of specific steps required to correct the various flaws and abuses in the operation of our government. Over the years, some who came to office by advocating these changes gradually succumbed to the lure of beltway society and have become part of the problem.

It is only the disgust with Democrat intrusion into our lives that gives the Republican Party any sense of life at this point. For the most part, they do not have the agenda, drive or support to take off and soar. Republicans find themselves in a situation of just responding to plans from the other side of the aisle. It is time to regroup and plan for steps to undo these unconstitutional efforts. But to do this, the party and its individual representatives must have a vision of where they should be heading.

For this, they need only look to the Tea Parties. Most likely the million plus people who recently descended Washington could each tick off half a dozen or more steps to restore our wonderful country… if only those who call themselves “leaders” would listen. We would accept them even trying to jump out in front to lead the way and pretend it was their idea in the first place. Unfortunately, the atrophied political system in general and party leaders in particular are stuck on the ways that have worked in the world of the past.

The people are crying out for a leader… and there are some who look like they may be trying to emerge, but one only has to look at the treatment of Sarah Palin’s popularity to see the fear many have on one not bounded by the niceties of political decorum. Even Mike Huckabee, who is a good man with strong social conservative credentials is put down in spite of his sometimes big government tendencies. Those in love with Mitt Romney’s hairdo tend to overlook RomneyCare in Massachusetts and like his conventional Republican approach to party politics. Ron Paul tells too much truth for those responsible for our direction to embrace. Who will be the leader to lead the party and the country back on the path of life and liberty.

With many establishment Republicans ready and willing to smack down anyone with the temerity to embrace individual liberty and ideas that actually benefit the voters, it may be as Glenn Beck has suggested, that the people themselves must lead. They must lead the party and the country. If they encounter too much resistance, it may be that they need to lead without the party. Like many who say that war is too important to be left in the hands of the generals, the country and its future is just too important to leave in the hands of the politicians.

For years voters have been electing people to represent their interests only to find them unfaithful and unprofitable servants, concerned primarily with their own re-election and the welfare of the major contributors. If we are to survive, this must change. We the people have the vision… now we need politicians who understand and genuinely share the vision.

Instead of being impressed and awed by these people when they visit us from the exalted heights of the nation’s capitol, we need to be sure they understand what we, their employers, want them to do. Wonderful leaps forward in this area were made this past summer as Congressmen and Senators from both parties found a less than compliant audience as they tried to tell their constituents what was going on and what to think about it. The aggrieved citizens were called angry mobs… but then there was good reason for them to be angry… but so often our “betters” simply did not comprehend. Like the 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean, it was a good start, but we cannot grow weary like we are expected to do.

The vision for a better country lies within each one of us trying to remain free. We need to keep on keeping on. These politicians need to keep feeling the heat until they either do the right thing or retire to Bimini. Each one of us must answer what we are doing to keep the fires of freedom burning?