Dan McLaughin at Redstate put together a great Obama survival guide we should all adhere to:
(1) Oppose Obama, Not America: The absolute wrong way to react to life in the minority is … well, what we saw from too many people on the Left the past 8 years: calling everyone from the President on down to individual soldiers and Marines war criminals, parroting the propaganda of our enemies, exposing classified national security secrets on the front pages of the newspapers, and generally doing whatever possible to stymie the national defense and convince the nation and the world that America is the bad guy. We’re better than that. When Obama fails to act to defend America and its interests and allies, or violates the basic common-sense principles of national security and foreign policy, we will of course be unsparing in our criticism. But we should not emulate the Left; indeed, the day may even come when Obama needs defending from the Left for doing what needs to be done, and we certainly want to encourage him to take actions that provoke that reaction.
(2) No Chicken-Hawking: This is a corollary of #1: given his shaky draft history, Bill Clinton at times appeared afraid of criticism over deploying the military on grounds that he didn’t serve. We should never make Obama feel that he should blanch at defending the nation simply because he never wore the uniform (fortunately, on that score, Obama’s defining personality trait is hubris). We’ve had civilian leadership before, we’ll have it again.
(3) Don’t Question The Verdict: Was there voter fraud in yesterday’s election? Were there other shenanigans both legal and illegal? I’m sure there were, and others who follow those stories will no doubt be expanding on them in the weeks to come. Chronicling specific instances of misconduct is an important service – to expose the miscreants and their connections to the Obama campaign, to punish and deter and provide a basis for someday preventing a recurrence (although don’t expect the Obama era to see anything but massive resistance to taking even the most tepid steps against voter fraud). And likewise, of course, there is still plenty more to be examined in Obama’s fundraising, to say nothing of the untruths he told to get elected and the really shameful behavior of the media.
But fundamentally, he got more votes where it mattered and he won the race. Supporters of Gore and Kerry who refused to accept those realities in 2000 and 2004 ended up doing a lot of lasting damage to public confidence in our electoral system. The step of challenging the results of an election is a grave one not to be taken without serious evidence. Let’s not repeat their mistakes with conspiracy theories.
(4) Don’t Blame The Voters: Yes, it’s tempting to go off into the place where Democrats were fuming about “Jesusland” four years ago. And yes, Obama got a lot of votes for bad reasons or from vacuous people. Hey, there are a lot of stupid people in the world, and in America, and a fair number of them vote – they vote when we win, they vote when we lose. Winston Churchill was a great believer in democracy as the least-worst system of government, but he’s also the guy who once said that the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.
For all that, it’s counterproductive to lose faith in the collective wisdom of the American voting public over the long term. Even when the public makes a mistake, it usually has a reason – and while electing Obama will be clearly shown over time to have been a mistake, the GOP also has some serious introspection to do about how we let things come to the point of giving the public a reason to do what it did. And we need to retain faith that rebuilding our party around the principles that have succeeded in the past, and adapting those principles for the world of the next decade, will win them back.
(5) Don’t Get Mad, Get Even: Yes, it’s a cliche, but unfocused rage goes bad places. There’s a lot of work to do to prepare the ground for the GOP to come back as it did in 1994, 1980, and 1966-68. The Left drew first blood on the Bush second term only a few weeks after the election, with the Bernard Kerik nomination. We’ll have a target-rich environment to work with as the kind of urban machine politics the Democrats have made famous comes to the White House, and we’ll have fun doing it.
(6) We Play For 2010, Not 2012: I’ll be writing up shortly my early thoughts about the GOP presidential field in 2012, and plenty of others will too. Do it, get it out of your system, come to the aid of the people who will make up future presidential fields, but whatever you do, don’t get into primary-season, my-gal/guy-or-the-highway mode again until we are through the 2010 elections. There will be a need in the party’s future for Palin and Jindal and Sanford and Huck and Mitt and all the rest; we’re all in this together.
(7) Prioritize: More on this later, but Obama and the Congressional Democrats are going to have a long list of issues they want to press, and we can’t stop all of them. The GOP needs to divide issues into four buckets:
- a. Things we are prepared to go to the mat to stop
- b. Things we want to force the Democrats to commit themselves to so we can take the dispute to the voters
- c. Things, however modest, we actually think we can accomplish even with the Democrats in power
- d. Things we want to propose as positive agenda items even knowing they’ll go nowhere, to lay out our own roadmap for the future.
(8) Watch Your Budget: We’re all going to have to prepare for tougher economic times, plus the burden of Obama’s tax hikes. Don’t overextend your own finances.
(9) Grow A Thick Hide and Get Your Taxes in Order: Joe Wurtzelbacher won’t be the last Obama critic to feel the weight of government intrusion for standing up to Obama. David Freddoso and Stanley Kurtz won’t be the last conservative journalists to have their investigations stonewalled and campaigns organized to drive them off the radio. And get used to being called a racist, as everyone who gets in Obama’s way is, sooner or later. Understand now that you will need to stomach all that and more, and you won’t get rattled.
(10) Buy More Life Insurance: Well, at least if, like me, you live or work in a city that’s a top terrorist target, and have roots too deep to leave. Our risk tolerance will have to go up.
(11) Pray: Well, this one speaks for itself. Pray especially for the unborn.
(12) Get On Living: Life is short and there’s more to it than politics. We’ll need committed activists, and as a whole our movement will need to be relentless – but thinking about politics too much is unhealthy, especially when you have a long wait ahead for any progress. For my part, starting tomorrow I’ll be back to doing more baseball blogging. Take a break whenever you need one, spend more time with your family. And teach your kids that every minute of life is worth it even when the world seems to have gone mad. Many generations before us have done so in tougher times than these.
We have to get back to our principals…small government. Once we do we then attack the left…not like they attack the right which can be downright dishonorable. No, we attack them as we did in 1994. Because believe me, after two years of this socialist as President people will be looking for a way out. After two years of their hard earned income being confisicated by the state, they will be looking for a change. So keep your nose to the grindstone and keeping fighting. We got Sarah Palin out of McCain’s mess of a campaign, thats a start.
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Great list. I hope the GOP takes it to heart.
I will not oppose legitimate military endeavors.
I will not support going into Darfur.
However once troops are committed I will support the effort. Our troops lives are more important than politics.
The only blame I place on voters is directed at those who didn’t bother to learn about obama. The ignorance is unforgivable. However, that’s the way it is.
To take back the country eventually we must become the majority in media, education, and the legal system.
we will see alot of interesting things to come in the future. i hope obama does not ruin our country, i hope that he crashs to earth and ends up screwing it up so badly that his supporters are ducking for cover. can’t help it, i am mad. the media will have to report on his progres and we will see how badly things are going. i have hope for our future, and i have hope for my kids future.
Once we sort wade through the usual slicing and dicing of the why’s and how’s, the interesting period will be when the illusion of change begins to acquire a tangible nature. His Cabinet picks will undoubtedly be the first straw; the second I imagine may be the necessary political favors that may or may not have played a part in this: Hillary being at the top of the list. To be sure, the Clinton’s will get a big fat check somehwere on the order of Hillary’s indebtedness incurred during the Primary but there must certainly be more (will Reid step down?). I am looking forward to seeing the final breakdown in demographics, and in particular the latino and DINK ex-urban blocks who are last in line, IMO, to benefit at all under this administration. Finally, as the recession bears into Europe, what stance will Obama take when the Eurobamas come calling for a hand-out? Will he carve a path to failure in the Wilsonian vein and push for a Global Council of Nations, supplanting the UN? Or will he deepen the US’ financial commitment to the UN circus? My sense is, we may see a test on the global threat front before an inauguration. To say Obama has inherited a Kennedy-esque era is an understatement, but not in the sense the MSM focuses on: Obama in fact has few options that would leave him unscathed and the result may just be, simple and predictable inaction – just like Jack, Bill and Herbert.
That’s a pretty good list, and definitely food for thought when we’re all reeling a bit.
But, especially, we all need to have faith that the Founding Fathers crafted a lasting union, on principles that will remain valid (even if the ideals of BHO have the Founding Fathers turning over in their graves). So, I still have pride in my nation; still believe that we are the finest nation on Earth. Our job becomes preserving that in the face of an administration that seems intent on globalizing us, and making us “just another country” per se.
That said, the photo at the top of this entry is telling. Remember, BHO left his church onyl when it became “inconvenient” for him; 20 years under Jeremiah Wright means he’s carrying all sorts of ideological baggage that I expect will start coming out once he’s in the oval office. I expect somewhere along the line the idea of Reparations for slavery will rear its ugly head again. The reason I worry about this, David Dinkins was just on Fox News spouting off about how America still has a problem with racism. Wrong! Last night shows that while there may be a fringe element that still has problems with a black president, that the vast majority of Americans have gotten past color. So guess what, it’s time for the likes of Dinkins to do that too. No more trotting out the race card, liberals will have to find another trump to play, because the proof of the end of that argument will be sitting in the oval office.
So, for the sake of our military abroad, and in the interest of not giving the MSM pundits more ammunition, let us try to be more classy in defeat, and more forward as the loyal opposition as it were. Though when a Republican president returns to power in the future I doubt we can expect the same from the opposition; let’s prove that we are better than them.
Regarding the Dinkins comment. That is not an unusual point of view in NYC. I have heard very centrist blacks state effectively that what they strive for is grounded in black liberation theology – otherwise very mainstream folks, with average normal lives – no black panther Al Sharpton stuff. The conundrum is that racism has been manipulated to such an extreme that the term has lost much of its meaning. The question of reparations is an interesting one but the truth is at this point they can’t pass it through the Senate so i am not sure Obama would spend his political capital on that one. He most certainly will focus on inner city urban “minorities” via less obvious entitlements.
People vote for leaders, or against poor candidates. We have to make up our minds that we need a leader that can stand in front of America and tell us the truth. He or she needs to say that taxes on the job creators is wrong and why its wrong. Needs to say that Education is only supposed to be the 3 rs, and not allow the brain washing thats going on now. Needs to say that moral priciples are not a sin and why. Needs to tells us why social security system is a fraud and why. There is so much that we as conservatives have left unsaid for ages, that turning the ship around is going to be a task, and it sure don’t help when conservative try to prove a point at our expense. If you all have guessed I,m mad, your right. We need a leader and we need that leader fast. I’m way to old to finish this fight, but not to start it.
Does anyone here think that the present crop of “conservatives” like Noonan, Will etc, are on our side. They wait till the most opportune time and then lay their bomb shells when it hurts the most. The Senate with Rinos, do you think they will fillibuster anything that takes conservative guts, no way. We must stop the demonization of Sarah Palin. We can’t allow the MSM to pick our next candidate, it must be ours and ours alone.
1) Senator McCain lost – Senator Obama won. Get over it !
2) Go rebuild the Republican party – it is only responding to the Republican party and not the American people. The election has proven that.
“After two years” of being the minority of House and Senate the Republicans will be comfortable in their even newer minority status: they will have no problem working with the Democrats. Why? Any farmer can tell you that when certain animals run about, romping and jumping around, with no focus, there is a way to correct them: they need to be fixed; that is, whittled down… then they become timid, happy, sedate. So, don’t expect the congressional Repubs. to go around peeing on the Dem. furniture and plans, now that they’ve been ‘fixed.’
You are childishly naive if you don’t understand that both conservative and moderate politics got shitcanned today. The far left agenda is now the first order of business. And, America can’t do anything about it for years.
The first casualty will be Israel. Our economy will be the second.
I do not agree with advices #3 and 4 in this thread.
#3- Don’t Question the Verdict:
Sure, just pretend you haven’t been robbed. Why upset the poor innocent robber? Gee, that mentality drives me crazy. I could go on and on but why bother? No one seems to care here.
So go and hide your head in the sand and pretend that everything is alright. What a beautiful election, what a fantastic leader. Don’t worry… Be happy! That should do the trick.
#4- Don’t Blame The Voters:
Hell no! They have nothing to do in this mess. They are idiots, but don’t tell anyone. Don’t even try to educated them; they might think you are underestimating them. Got to protect those idiot’s egos. Hey, they couldn’t be brainwashed, could they? No, not them, they are too smarts for that.
TELL THEM they are idiots, they have the right to know and it is your duty to tell them so.
@Craig:
Craig,
Questioning, moping, screaming, etc will do no good. The election is over. The count did not go our way. Nothing will change that.
Some you win, some you lose.
Does that mean that I like it? Hell no! But not liking it won’t change it.
So, I am choosing to redirect and focus my attention on the future. I will continue to do what I have always done. I will be involved. I will be engaged. I will, as always, watch and observe and listen to everything that is going on. I will educate. I will inform. I will do whatever it takes to preserve what America is all about.
I will not sell out my values. Nor will I sacrifice my character or my ideals.
I will support Obama because he will occupy the Office of the President of the United States. I will not support him because of who he is. I will support him because of the job he holds.
The minute, and I mean the very minute, that he begins to lead this country astray I will begin resisting his efforts just as I have resisted Clinton and Bush when they did things that I disagreed with.
I predict that Obama will have a very short honeymoon period before reality sets in.
His supporters are bound to be disappointed because Jesus himself is the only person who could do all that Obama has promised. The media, the complicit partner, the fourth estate is already working to weave the narrative. The promises have been over promised. The under-delivery is on the way.
All we have to do now is just sit back and watch the Dems hang themselves with the rope that they got last night. They’ve wanted control. Now they have it. They have, however, lost the ability to blame their failures on the Rep party. As long as the Rep’s don’t sidle over to them and become “me too” Rep’s like they did when FDR was Pres all will be well.
On the other hand, the Republicans had control for years. They squandered a great number of opportunities to do great things. They settled, instead, for a watering-down of their core values.
Conservatism didn’t lose yesterday. A milquetoast commitment to what used to be bedrock principles is what lost.
The Conservative movement will survive. Just as a forest is renewed by flame, Conservatism will grow and flourish once again.
Don’t despair about your southern neighbors Craig. We’re going to be fine.
Um, he just hired a Zionist as his Chief of Staff. Another dual American/Israeli Citizen. How is this different from the Bush admin?
The Pharisees will simply continue their quest to control the world. Nothing to see here gang.
Goyim will continue to be totally clueless about “the plan”.
Craig, you know I like you. You are a fire’y number who reacts hot/cold, but doesn’t recognize that lukewarm exists.
But I take issue with one of your particular comments about “Don’t Question the Verdict”…
Let me tell you right now, without any mincing of words… something you should be able to appreciate.
All voter fraud charges will be investigated in our usual judicial channels. And that, under a US system, is not instigated by a winning POTUS but by the wronged public.
There are many voter ballot/fraud related cases around the nation. Whether or not the numbers included affect the final outcome is a different story. But rest assured, we do not turn a blind eye to any charges.. even if they do not affect the outcome. Such is our way.
I truly take that personally, Craig. Not only on my own behalf, but on the others here that form the FA authors.
There is no one here that I know of hiding their heads. That’s an easy charge for you, sitting in Quebec. But this is one hurled charge I’ve no patience for.
You’ve been hanging around here for quite a while now. I must believe you know the FA authors, and most of the regular posters pretty well by now. I also know your nature and often chalk up some statements to your “hot/cold but never lukewarm” general emotions.
But quite frankly, I’m not going be subject to the same emotional standards you apply to yourself… nor take some blanket insult from you. Period. Hiding my head? No one cares?
Do not cross the political international boundary line with me on this. You are “out of int’l bounds”.
We will battle our imminent future the way we best see fit in our legal system. You don’t like our election results? Okay. *Take a number!*
You don’t like the strategy we decide to take for 2010 or 2012? That’s also kewl, but not your business.
But .. as Biden says”… MARK MY WORDS CAREFULLY! Do *NOT* ever say I… nor anyone else as an FA author here … is “hiding their heads” or “doesn’t seem to care”. I cannot say this more clearly. I will not accept this from you, or anyone else.
But if you don’t wish to “step foot” on US soil until Obama is no longer in office, then I suggest you postpone your travel until after Jan 2012. Because we can’t do anything about that until then. As much as I like you, I will not sit here silently and accept your insults hurled… despite your well intentioned passion.
“Um, he just hired a Zionist as his Chief of Staff.” (Cee Cee)
LOL… terrorists will never forgive him for that. He will probably be killed before he reaches the White House.
P.S.: Can somebody tell SKYE that her new thread is wrongly wired in. We cannot write in the comment box. The right column of this site is covering it up.
[Mata note: should be fixed…]
Mata,
What is wrong with you? How can you feel offended and believe that I am talking about you? I never pointed out to the FA authors in my comments, except for Wordsmith and his “good guy” attitude. I speak for Americans in general, the ones that voted for Obama and the ones that will continue to support his policies and respect him and for the centrists that have no opinions whatsoever on nothing.
It is amazing to see that you have more tolerance with the leftist moonbat American haters that come on this side, then for a conservative that loves your country, but sometimes has the guts to question the sanity of the American tolerant mentality. Maybe you read me wrong… or could it be that I do not pass my message correctly… could be. It is so frustrating for me to have to say only half of what I really want to say… I never find the right words to express clearly my message.
P.S.: Glad to know that the voting will be looked at. I thought since he had the majority, that no one would have investigated it. And I like you too Mata, can’t believe you doubted it.
Craig, I know that English is one of your two languages. I’m not sure which one you are more proficient. And I do try to allow this when I read your posts.
But when you speak in generalities… such as the comments I repeated multiple times above… they are blanket. It does my heart no good to hear you say they don’t apply to me, personally. They apply to us all. I am an American. I do not consider myself immune from your comments.
And you must remember that much, if not all, of what you love about the US is our spirit to fight… against the most daunting of odds.
But you cannot speak for “Americans in general” without including us.. here on FA. We *are* Americans in general. Does that makes sense?
I’ll leave the “more tolerance with the leftist moonbat American haters that come on this site” comment alone. I try to have tolerance for all. But you can count the times I’ve flown off the hook on an all out assault, and at whom (because of their entry posting) on one hand. You have not been one of those. So I’m quite sure that you cannot be associating my “tolerance for moonbats” with you. This just happens to be one of the first times I’ve flown off the handle at you… Perhaps one of the “general statements”, but “doesn’t include you?” statements?? …. heh heh
Ya know… it’s sorta getting a little of your own back. You fly at “everyone, in general”. I fly “specifically”.
Mata,
You live in the States and you are an American. I do not live in the States, I am not an American. So for me all Americans are not alike. Your country is divided in half. You had the proof last night. I like only one half of Americans. I like the Americans who have values, who fights, who stands-up for what they believe, like Sarah Palin for instance. The other half is not any better to me than the leftist Canadians that I cannot stand. But since we are only 33 millions and you are 350 millions, I guess I prefer Americans to Canadians (at least 175 millions of them)… lol
As for my two languages, French is no problem to me; I use to be a French teacher. English I can speak quite well and I have no problem reading it either. But would you believe that it is the first time in my life that I have to write in English… and it is not easy, believe me. Reading, speaking and writing are very different tasks.
Craig, as a follow up, I do appreciate that reading/writing different languages are very different. That is why when, sometimes you seem harsh, I just give you the benefit of the doubt. And I also appreciate that you do so become involved despite your citizenship of our northern neighbor. But sometimes I just think you need to be called on what you say to clarify your intent. And I generally believe that your intent is sometimes misunderstood.
Now, let me use an example of how judicial suits affect our election.
Case 1: The VA military absentee ballots in “preserve” status:
If there are errors found on the judge’s Nov 10th hearing, it is so ruled and the laws will change to accommodate. If there were 2000 ballots held in preserve status, and the margin of election difference is 1500, those ballots can change the state’s results.
If, however, the margin of difference is 5000 in votes, then counting every ballot for the losing candidate does not change the outcome. That is why the election will not be “stolen”. However the wronged voters… in this case, our military.. will still be addressed.
Case 2: Philip J. Berg’s lawsuit against Obama and his citizenship.
Obama is our President elect. However Berg’s lawsuit goes forth. If the SCOTUS determines that Berg has “standing” (his major failure in the lower courts), and that Obama has been proven to be ineligible, it *does* affect the election.
In that case, we have President elect Biden instead of Obama.
But our judicial system and their decisions are not without effect on our elections. And just because an election happens doesn’t mean any lawsuits go away.
Case 3: Ted Stevens, Alaska GOP Senator found guilty
He is appealing his charges, and ran on the argument that until his appeal is heard, he is still an eligble Senatorial candidate.
If Stevens wins in his appeal, and he wins the Alaska race (still up in the air), he serves. If he wins, and his previous conviction is upheld, he cannot serve. In that case his Senate seat is filled by whomever the Governor of the state dictates… in this case, Sarah Palin. Were it a Dem Governor, they could replace him with a DNC Senate representative.
So despite Stevens’ conviction, we all want him to win since he is likely to be replaced with a GOP Senator by Palin, and therefore retain the balance… and not tossing one more to the DNC in the already overloaded DNC Senate.
Make sense now on lawsuits and their effect on elections?
“Make sense now on lawsuits and their effect on elections?” (Mata)
It surely does makes sense. Thanks for all that information.
P.S.: I just hope that Obama will not appoint some crooked leftist judges.
If you are going to make public statements, try to get the grammar right. It should be “Surviving An Obama Presidency”, not “Surviving A Obama Presidency”. We don’t need to provide ammunition for the left wing assertions that all conservatives are ignorant bumpkins.
I hope you will take a moment to correct your headline.
Thanks.