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Republicans - still beating around the "Bush"
Guest column submission
By Jim Hill
6/8/99
Once again, the Republican Party is demonstrating how little they understand
the leadership vacuum that is plaguing our nation. This time, the craze is
over drafting George W. Bush for president in 2000. What began as an effort
by the country club, power wing of the Party has now grown to include some
factions of issue-oriented conservatives, who have also fallen prey.
The hunger to win the White House in 2000 is so great that many Republicans
will accept anyone, just as long as he or she is a "Republican." Like the
sports mentality that has permeated our entire culture, winning in politics
has become little more than a temporary gratification with no lasting
significance. This drop in standards can be attributed to several things,
one of which is the lack of core values among many of the most ardent Party
loyalists. Even some of the evangelical Christians of the so-called
Religious Right, people who supposedly have a higher commitment to principle
than political expediency, have indicated a willingness to follow.
Why am I against joining with other Party members and backing the Bush
campaign to capture the White House in 2000? In one simple sentence, George
W. Bush, better than any other individual, is an ideal reflection of the
Republican Party as it is today. And that is why he should not be taken
seriously by anyone committed to principle.
Republicans today, resembling their Democrat opponents, are driven more by
the fickled whims of society than by core ideologies. The Republican
leadership has not taken a serious stand on any issue since the 1995 budget
battle where, ultimately, one concession after another was surrendered to
the demands of President Clinton. There was a time when smaller, limited
government was the uniting theme in the Republican Party. By their actions
in recent years, however, the Republicans have even lost their claim to this
principle.
Today, after five years of Republican control of Congress, government has
steadily grown larger and become more intrusive. Not a single federal
department has been eliminated, downsized, or even had its budget reduced in
the slightest, in spite of many campaign promises to the contrary. And
Americans suffer even more encroachments upon their liberties as the GOP-led
Congress continues to pump steroids into the federal monster with bigger
budgets and more federal programs. Today, there is not a single issue on
which Republicans can legitimately claim either unity or victory. It should
come as no surprise that such a wandering generality has rallied around
George W. Bush as the ideal man to be their leader.
One need only examine Bush through his own words to arrive at such a
conclusion. Project Vote Smart polls candidates at all levels of
government, nationwide, and publishes responses to their comprehensive
questionnaire on their web site at www.vote-smart.org. Bush's 1998
gubernatorial survey reveals a man very much in love with big government and
in search of a consistent set of values. (What American president does this
sound like?)
In addition to his politically correct responses on abortion, affirmative
action, gun control, and state funded health care, Bush reveals his true
identity when it comes to education. He states, "My number one priority is
improving public education." Yet, when you run down the list, it's obvious
he believes that only government can perform such a feat. He advocates an
increase in state funds for teachers and school construction, state-mandated
standards (buzz phrase for state-mandated controls), and bilingual
education. Nowhere on this survey does he suggest government loosening its
stranglehold on this vital industry and allowing the only proven solution,
the free market, to reign.
Still, some conservatives are falling all over themselves to line up in
support of this man, much like they did in 1996 with the equally bland
candidate, Bob Dole. Is this what has become of freedom? Is this our
modern day version of "eternal vigilance?" Suppose a giant dragon was
threatening our lives and we desperately wanted to arm a knight to go out
and slay the dragon. Would we even consider someone who advocates stealing
food from our very own tables to keep the dragon alive? Would we be this
desperate to "win"? Unfortunately, our situation is not a fairy tale. The
dragon is real. Even worse, so is this year's anointed knight.
Nevertheless, the question always comes back to me: "Yeah, but had you
rather have him, or Al Gore?" The assumption is that it's better to make a
little progress under Bush than none at all under Gore. It's a good
question. And it's a fair question. But it's an incorrect assumption and
ignores the much deeper issue.
We're all familiar with the phenomenon of boiling a frog in water. Put a
frog in cold water and heat it up slowly; the frog will hold still and allow
himself to be boiled to death. Heat the water up rapidly and the frog will
sense the difference and jump out. This is what happened in 1994. We
"jumped out." The Contract with America, while not the most ideal
legislation, was still a successful campaign, due in large part to
resistance to the Clinton administration's sudden, big government policies.
However, since 1995, the water has been heating up slowly. We have
tolerated a steady onslaught of big government programs, often at the hands
of the Republicans, who we thought were our allies, and few seem to be aware
of the bubbles that are breaking the surface all around us.
As long as we continue this distorted logic of "he's not as bad as the other
guy," we'll forever maintain the climate that we have now, where liberals
and moderates think they have a fighting chance of obtaining the GOP
nomination. So far, history proves that they do. This not only applies in
the presidential race but all the way down the ticket. The question is not
Al Gore or George W. Bush; the question is whether or not we want to
continue this trend.
If all we want is a President in the White House with an "R" beside his
name, the polls are telling us that any "R" will do, take your pick. If
this is our goal, we can be certain that the water temperature will continue
to rise taking us closer to that boiling point. If we want someone who
stands for something and has a solid belief system, then the choices are
fewer. If we want someone who will help us slay the dragon and bring us
closer to the Constitutional government for which our Founders fought, then
the answer may not be found in the 2000 election. And it may not be found
in either of the two monopoly parties.
Jim Hill
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.1776web.net/
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Jim Hill can also be reached at 8 W 3rd St., Suite 700, Winston-Salem, NC
27101; Tel: (336) 727-2597 x3043.
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Call, write, or email if you have any questions or comments. Not
copyrighted. Permission granted to edit, reproduce, and distribute as
desired. Okay to publish name and email address. If this was sent to the
wrong address or department, please forward or let me know.
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Other editorials by Jim Hill:
The Constitution is not a menu:
http://www.vigo-examiner.com/feb0499a.htm
A new breed is needed in the GOP:
http://www.patriottrading.com/commentaries.html
Life/Abortion:
http://w3.nai.net/~mpomerle/Pro-Life/Do_We_Hold_These_Truths_Today.htm
2d Amendment:
http://jhardin.home.mindspring.com/onerule.htm
Legislating morality:
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/2320/art03.html
Education:
http://capo.org/opeds/jhill312.html
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Collect $10,000 if you can prove income tax laws apply to the average
person:
http://www.informamerica.com
The list of GOP betrayals is endless:
http://www.conservativeusa.org/gop-btry.htm
How good men make bad laws:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/2110/E_LandMines.html
Sign the online petition:
http://www.StopTheWarNow.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The best in:
Activism:
http://www.conservativeusa.org
News:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com
Talk radio:
http://www.libertyworksradio.com
(Even the commercials are more educational than anything else!)
Legislation:
Ron Paul's Press Releases & Weekly Column:
http://www.house.gov/paul/index.html
Or listen to them toll free at: 1-888-322-1414
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You can vote every day in the Internet polls:
USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm
MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/op_front.asp
CNN:
http://www.cnn.com
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Don't even ask about Liddy Dole!
http://www.nationalreview.com/09feb98/ponnuru020998.html
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