June 17, 2007

Professor Reynolds on the Impending GOP Suicide

Posted at Instapundit:

Do [the Republicans] want whining from Michael Chertoff and Trent Lott to form the public image of the Bush Administration and the Republican Party?

Apparently they do. Good luck with that, guys. The political press can run with stories about bloggers being in full revolt over immigration, but it's not really a case of bloggers vs. the Administration. Rather, it's a case -- like Harriet Miers, Dubai Ports, PorkBusters, etc. -- of the Bush Administration ignoring the clear warnings available in the blogosphere. And once again, it's not just bloggers who think the Administration is crazy. So far, every time they've done that they've had their head handed to them. That'll happen this time, too, and if they should happen to "win" and pass their bill, the consequences for the GOP will be even worse. "Bizarre Republican Death Wish?" Indeed.

Frankly, that's okay with me. I've long been unhappy with both Democrats and Republicans. The GOP has been better on national security, though that advantage is fading with time, but overall both parties have been lame and more likely to unite in opposition to citizens' rights and liberties than to compete in protecting them. I've often at least sort-of hoped for a third party that would combine the GOP economic-libertarian strands with the Dems' social-libertarian strands. I don't know if the GOP's self-destruction makes that more likely, but it seems like it might. At any rate, if people really want to commit suicide it's hard to stop them, and that seems to be the GOP's main goal at the moment.

We've long known that the GOP is "The Stupid Party," but it's stupid primarlly because of weak leadership. I'm mad as hell at the GOP right now, and I may or may not be casting many votes for Republicans next year, but I'm also cognizant of the the fact that a mass exodus from the GOP would require a new party apparatus to be built from the ground up, and that would take years. In the meantime, this country's leftists would essentially have a free hand to gut our military, sell out our sovereignty and take over the economy without anything resembling an organized opposition in place to stop them. Experience has taught us that this type of damage is remarkably difficult to undo.

At this point in the game, I'm still willing to stand with the solid conservatives, mercilessly punish the RINOs, and fight like hell for good people in the primaries.

On the other hand, I won't be voting for any more RINOs, and I'm finished giving any cash to the RNC and its various slush funds. I might give 'em some spare change once in a while, just so they know I remember 'em.