GOP At Risk?

Republican Party At Risk?
By: Ann Lindholm
Copyright 2009 © All rights reserved

I was recently asked by a friend if I thought the Republican Party was at risk of dying out to a third party. This friend of mine has been with the party for a long time, as I have. I considered myself a Republican long before I could even legally vote. No one told me to be Republican, or forced me into it. From a very early age I recognized that my views and beliefs were in line with that of those elected officials who were called Republicans. I found that I related more to them when they spoke and during the debates. The principals they stood for matched that of which I recall growing up with as well as ideas that I formed on my own along the way. I had a wonderful and secure upbringing with both biological parents raising me, we were Catholic, attended private school for a while, then entered the public schools, and I had three siblings. Our family was among the working class society but I never recall a time when we truly suffered economically. That does not mean that we never experienced times of hardship or less income, because we did. I did not always get what I wanted. I did however, always have shelter, food, and clothing. My father is an artist and my mother stayed at home raising the children until I was about 12 or 13 years old. Even though my father may not know this, all of his news watching and listening paid off. I was listening daddy. I may have acted like I hated it or was not interested. The truth is, and he probably already knew this, I was taking it all in and learning, and I enjoyed it! My dad may regret it now because he has created a debating monster which had developed at a young age. In fact, we have enjoyed, or at least I have, much heated debate and discussion over the years on politics, religion, and social issues. While we may not always agree I have learned so much from the debate process, as well as from his wisdom and experience. The funny thing is, I remember him to be a pretty conservative guy while I was growing up. It now seems that is not the case so much. He is still conservative, but not like I remember. I have contemplated this a lot lately and wonder what has changed. This leads me into the real thought that has been bouncing around up in my brain.

When my friend brought this question to me about the survivability of the GOP, I responded quickly, as I often do, from the heart and with passion. I, myself, have been very frustrated with the Republican Party lately. Many other Republicans have been as well. Why you ask? Well, if you have been sucked into the Reality T.V. World, are having to work constantly just to keep your head above water, or simply, you just don't pay attention to current events, the Republican Party and it's leaders have not been stepping up to the plate. They are not meeting the standard. They are swaying from the principals and ideology. They are becoming too tolerant and eager to please rather than stand on principal. I remember when I was a young teenager and it was easy for me to understand the difference between a Democrat and a Republican. Twenty years later I find it more difficult to recognize even though I have more experience and knowledge. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Or, should it not ever be difficult to differentiate between the two? What has happened to create this situation? Could it be that I have lost the capacity to understand and comprehend? Absolutely. But, I honestly don't believe that is it. If it is, then that is the case for a great multitude of Americans. More and more I am coming across others who are feeling the same frustration of not being able to relate to the Republican Party.

To be a member of a political party you expect that the candidates it is producing will represent you and your ideals. Now, this is where the problem arises. We have candidates who are watered down and weak. Tolerance is causing weakness. I don't know if the candidates are afraid of standing up for what they believe in or if they are afraid they won't get elected based on their merit alone. Nonetheless, it seems we are far too often left with a very poor choice of candidates. We are forced to make a decision between bad and worse. Far too often it seems the media is choosing our front runners for us, again, leaving us with a set of unexciting choices. Then there is the fault factor. Why does the Republican Party not seem to have many true blood conservatives on the ticket? Are the candidates to blame? That would really be the easy way out. In part they might be. However, this is much like the law of supply and demand paradox. They run for office, we vote for them, they get elected. What happens in the free market with supply and demand? When something does not sell it gets discontinued. The supplier quits producing the product and no longer supplies the consumer with an unwanted item because the consumer communicated that through their lack of purchase. Maybe it is time we “discontinue” the watered down conservative. Maybe it is time we communicate to the supplier, the Republican Party, that we are not happy with what they are supplying us with. We need to communicate that by not voting for the unwanted product and begin searching out the products that we do want. If they happen to be provided by another supplier, then so be it. The beauty of the free market is that it works and speaks volumes. Why have we, the consumers, been so slow to realize this?

Did you catch that action word in the previous paragraph? I said that we must begin “searching out” the products that we do want. I mean that we, as citizens of this great Republic, have an opportunity to play a vital role in seeking out viable candidates that would represent us the way we would like. We should not settle for anything less. The elected officials do work for us, by the way. So, if we are indeed, the “employer”, is it not only right, that we be more responsible and scrupulous in the search process of the candidates? Maybe we ought to begin taking a more active role in encouraging qualified people to run for office and then supporting them in their campaign. I am not sure if the Republican Party can be revived to what it was originally or if the true conservatives will rise up and branch off creating a third major party if the GOP does not meet their expectations. The conservatives speaking out presently are clinging to Constitutional foundations and principals and not wanting to veer from them. With all of the corruption taking place on both sides of the spectrum, it very well may be time to create a declaration legally binding the elected officials to defending the Constitution. This would most likely be be more effective and attainable on a state by state bases. You may wonder how on earth we could possibly get corrupted politicians to sign such a document. I say we expose the ones who are not willing to do so publicly and on a grand scale. We also, very publicly, applaud those who do, thanking them and honoring their courage and integrity. We also would financially support their campaigns and not the others. Should our politicians not be held accountable and sworn to defending the Constitution just as our military is? When it comes time to vote on a bill, if any part of that bill goes against the Constitution they must vote “no” on the whole bill, or not vote unless they separate the bill, removing the unconstitutional parts. If they do vote against the Constitution, they must resign, or be legally removed from office.

Is the GOP at risk of dying out? Yes. Is it fixable? Absolutely. It will take grassroots citizens like you and me to take a stand. We may have to go against the crowd. We may have to do what is unpopular and uncomfortable. We may have to endure some sacrifices. We must however, keep our eyes on the future of America and all future generations. We must take responsibility and be willing to take an oath to defend the Constitution. Are you willing to take such an oath? Are you willing to sign that oath? Be prepared because one is in the works. May God bless you and may God bless America.