I am continually mystified by conservatives who urge Republicans to pick their battles against President Obama out of fear we’ll compromise our effectiveness if we oppose him every time he needs to be opposed. What a defeatist mindset!
For instance, some I respect recommend against Republican efforts to repeal the Democrats’ financial “overhaul” bill. They laud the effort but believe it will reduce the likelihood of their repealing Obamacare.
I reject the notion that Republicans possess a finite amount of political capital to oppose bills that are bad for America. It’s not as if they’re playing “Monopoly” and must conserve their “Monopoly” money. This isn’t about what’s good for the Republican Party. It’s about opposing – as a matter of principle – Obama’s systematic assault on America. Americans understand that.
Those who suggest that we approach these matters delicately grossly underestimate the American people and their innate appreciation for liberty. The timid approach, the fear of governing to the right, is always what gets Republicans in trouble.
Modern history bears this out. President Ronald Reagan won landslides by sticking to his conservative principles, albeit imperfectly.
President George H.W. Bush lost favor with the electorate, starting with his base, for defecting from conservative principles, e.g., with his broken “no new taxes” pledge.
President George W. Bush lost favor with the electorate far more because of his betrayal of conservative principles on domestic policy than because of the unpopularity of the protracted Iraq war. Liberals would have us believe Dubya was too conservative, but for mainstreamers, he wasn’t nearly conservative enough.
Republicans urgently need to jump onto the Obamacare repeal bandwagon because if left in place, even if significantly diluted, it will destroy the best health care system in the world, greatly erode our individual liberties, further expand the government and bureaucratic classes, and accelerate the nation’s financial ruin.
