Of course, it isn’t over till its over. She still has time to recover but its obvious that after the MSM bloodied her, she became rattled and hence made some extreme bad moves. Decisions made out of fear, confusion and desperation. Chief among these bad decisions is the one that caused her to employ very bad advisers who [themselves attached at the hip to the MSM] are trying to convince her to moderate toward the middle on some issues and avoid other, more critical issues altogether. And, sadly, she seems to be following that advice.   But this is what happens to Republican Politicians when they get mauled by the media. They convince themselves that they must work harder to win those in the MSM over to their way of thinking. Hence they begin to turn their backs on the voters and devote all their attentions toward pandering to the media and other special interest groups. This all to prove that they are just normal, likeable folk. They want to be liked more than they want to lead. This is what, I fear, has happened to our lovely Sarah. Such a tragedy.  

So the GOP was Sarah’s for the taking after 11/4/08 but she apparently didn’t want it. So the vacuum caused by the tremendous leadership void is still pulling. There remains the “giant sucking sound”, as another famous Texan phrased it.   But wait, “lo and behold” look what has been pulled into the vacuum hose! Is it a hair ball? No, not exactly, however “Gov. Good Hair” is one of his nick-names coined by the late and notorious Texas progressive, Molly Ivins. Yes, the large lump halfway up the vacuum hose is our very own Texas Governor Rick Perry (yeee hawhh!). Who, shall we all agree, has been in the news lately for his rousing comments regarding the 10^th Amendment and Texas Secession.  

Even though I could not attend the Tea Party on the steps of the State Capitol in Austin, when I viewed the you-tube video I kicked my chair back, stood and started to applaud.   And then I caught myself. “Dude!” This is the same Rick Perry that flip-flopped on all of his promises after his extremely thin (38%) victory on 11/7/06! (yes that’s right-over 60% of Texans voted against him) He talked tough action on illegal immigration/securing the border before the election and then afterwards he called those who wanted to build the fence, “idiots” and did next to nothing.   Under his watch there are now millions of illegals that have freely strolled into Texas, siphoning off massive amounts of government service dollars and “our” high paying jobs. Oh, and lets not forget “HPV-gate”.   Another bold move by Perry that didn’t set well at all with Texas Conservatives. 

I did write a blistering essay on Gov. Perry’s inconsistencies back in September ’07 that I’d like to invite you to read, here: ( link ) 

Therefore, one could understand the average conservative Texan’s consternation at seeing Gov. Perry’s political star rising dramatically over the past week or so. And knowing what “we” know about him and his tendencies to speak like a tough, principled leader just before an election and then after the victory, well he just sort of becomes a wall flower of sorts. 

That all having been said, let me say that I did, respect what Gov. Perry said. Especially his not-so-veiled threat of secession. That took some big brass ones and it has already brought him extreme grief from certain of those in the MSM. That alone is enough to make me want to give the man a 2^nd chance.   And what about his “ambitions”? Well what politician isn’t ambitious? A politician can be ambitious and retain integrity and honor. I think. The fact is, if Gov. Perry would continue to speak with this sort of audacity, he could easily and quickly “own” the Republican Party – Nation Wide. Michael Steele might have a job called RNC Chair but it’d be meaningless. 

If I were able to advise Gov. Perry… I’d tell him not to be intimidated, don’t hold back and - make no apologies! This is exactly the sort of in-your-face combativeness that the conservative Base is looking for. And combativeness is what we need right now. We’re losing our Constitution; soon to be nothing more than some artifact in a D.C. museum!   Its time to step up and this time, Governor, follow through with bold leadership after winning the election.    Darvin Dowdy  

Do you hear it? A resounding Death Knell  ( link1 ) for the Republican Party? Has the cloaked Grim Reaper  ( link2 )  cast its shadow of doom over the Conservative Movement?   The slow cadence of the funeral dirge has already begun as the procession moves toward the two gravesites. 

But wait. The corpses just opened their eyes!   Audible gasps for air were heard coming from both.   Mark Twain said after reading his own obituary mistakenly published in a newspaper, “the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated”.    The same may be said for the contemporary Conservative Movement and the present day Republican Party. Which isn’t to say they aren’t both seriously ailing.   They most definitely are and if they both don’t seek treatment, the left will, indeed, be dancing upon their graves one day. 

Lets face it, the graves have been dug – deep. The two afore mentioned subjects are down there trying, half heartedly, to get a foothold and pull themselves out. But they can’t.   Everything they try as of late results in them falling back down into the hole.   Astonishingly, they remain “ok with it”. Unwilling to admit the predicament they’re in. No sense of urgency or alarm.   The former and estranged GOP voting Base is standing above with a rope ready to throw down to them (under certain conditions) but the “holed up” victims are in such a state of extreme arrogance that they will not accept the conditions or the assistance.

After all, they’re convinced they no longer need the Base. The unwashed, hayseed hicks out in flyover country, that is.   The GOP has everything they think they need down in their comfy little hole. They have their little computers and are able to pull up their placating “Redstate” type blog, suck-up buddies.    Plus they have plenty of money thanks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. And they have their shrines and altars.   They have their Ronald Reagan shrine. And their newly constructed Sarah Palin shrine. And several others under construction. But their most revered and prized altar/shrine combo is the one dedicated to the late Milton Friedman. This is the one with the votive offerings strewn about, the candles and the visible sprinklings of dried chicken blood. Several “Greed is Good” banners strung overhead.    Oh, one says “Covetousness is Cool”.   And there are the scrolls stacked about the altar. You see, among the Conservative Movement and Republican Hierarchy, Milton Friedman has been “Deified” and his writings have been placed above the Bible and are now considered infallible.   Every jot and tittle divinely inspired, in their view.

So we have this stand-off. The Republican Party down in the hole refusing even to consider the terms of the Voting Base. The Voting Base standing above on the rim of the grave, ready to throw down a rope and shouting down saying, “hey, we’re willing to help you out of this mess you’ve gotten yourself into but we have a few conditions”.    Amazingly, the GOP can still do very well what Bush 43 taught them; cross their arms, turn their back and ignore the Base. And throw an insult in their direction occasionally.

But the Base is forgiving and tolerant. Much more mature, sophisticated and enlightened than the GOP Hierarchy (or anyone) gives them credit for.   The conservative Base is fully aware of the dangerous course that the Obama admin is steering our Nation onto. Yet millions are still willing to withhold support for the GOP? As they did on 11/7/06 & 11/4/08? Why? Because even though the Republicans were strong on military and national defense, they, too, left our Nation weakened and vulnerable in many other areas.   Republican leadership has been reckless and irresponsible in several areas:

·        In their slavish idol worship of Milton Friedman, the GOP and Conservative Movement has bought into his belief that somehow if we allow our Nations wealth to be siphoned off and sent out of country in the form of bad trade deals, etc, that somehow, miraculously, all that money will end up flowing back into our economy. Yea, sure. Why not just make it easy? Fly over their countries and dump money out? Wait and see how much ends up back in our own empty wallets.   

·        They continue to fashion and adjust our international trade functions around and through global bodies/orgs (who despise us) such as the de facto GATT org and its evil offspring the WTO rather than dealing directly with each individual nation 1 on 1. As a result we always come out with the short straw. Our “unsustainable” trade deficit widens dangerously and our (voting) Middle Class diminishes. Not to worry though, the brilliant Milton Friedman says that the Trade Deficit isn’t so bad. No, it doesn’t factor in Foreign Assets owned by U.S. business. In other words this is where U.S. business owners shut down their factories here and open them up in some Chi-Com prison camp. And transfer all intellectual property, as well! They make lots of money that way and are simultaneously able to bypass the U.S. middle class and U.S. economy! A few get very wealthy while the U.S. Middle Class diminishes and delivers pizza’s at night to make ends meet. Great plan Milton!

·        The Republicans give the appearance of not valuing U.S. jobs. It may or may not be true. But they have come across as such. John McCain knocked Boeing out of a $40 billion tanker deal with the Air Force in favor of EADS (European AirBus). Why? Certainly Boeing had some problems but McCain boasted that he’d saved the taxpayers $2 billion! Yes he saved us $2 billion and -- cost our economy a $40 billion contract! - “Nice work Senator.   To be sure, it cost you a lot of votes on 11/4/08. Dummy!” /"/"/"   Additionally there is the refusal of the GOP to enforce existing immigration laws and demand that employers utilize the E-Verify system when hiring. Turning their back (at the behest of the seditious U.S. Chamber of Commerce) while millions of illegal hordes crossed the border to steal U.S. jobs and government services. Services paid for by U.S. taxpayers.   These are just 2 examples of the GOP appearing to not care about the average Middle American worker [as most of them do not-neither do the dem’s!]. And it cost them millions of “Reagan Democrat” votes on 11/4/08. Millions!!

·        The refusal of cowardly elected GOP representatives to launch an attack, go on the offensive, aggressively oppose the radical environmental movement. A big problem with the Base. Fight them! And the GOP Rep’s timidity in backing a brave group of climatologists/scientists who are skeptical of and oppose the man made climate change hoax. Instead, for pure political reasons alone, the GOP joins up with these greenies. Disgusting.

·        The most horrendous and evil dereliction of responsibility by the Republicans has been their failure and down right refusal to seal the Southern Border and stop (or slow to a trickle) illegal immigration under 8 years of Bush 43.   Allowing our southern border to become seriously and dangerously breached. The drugs, the gang violence, the diseases and the heavy costs to our society especially in the border states has been devastating. Not to mention the OTM (other than Mexican) traffic. A total callousness and insensitivity toward the suffering of U.S. citizens by the GOP. Of all the issues, this is the one that cost the GOP the most on both 11/7/06 and 11/4/08. Yet they, the GOP Hierarchy, remain in complete denial regarding this.  Most of the time they won’t even allow it to be discussed. Oh, and Milton Friedman was always “for” open immigration. But he finally change shortly before his death. Too bad that by that time there were 12-20 million of them in country. Milton said the reason for his change is because the illegals come up here and take advantage of our welfare state. Duh! Oops! Too late Uncle Milty. They’re heeeerrrrre!

So, it is the New Reagan Democrats that are standing on the rim of the freshly dug graves peering down at the haughty GOP and Movement Conservatives below.   Ten to 20 million Civic Conservatives looking down, hand outstretched.   Offering to help put the GOP back into the winners circle.  These independents certainly have a rope to throw down and help the arrogant GOP out of the hole. And they also have, leaning against a nearby tree, some shovels. Ready to fill in the hole if the GOP refuses to bend and “rigor mortis” sets in.   Ready and willing to form up a New Republican Party if the need arises.

This block of voters demands courageous leadership. If not provided then it will simply “Stay at Home” or protest vote for another candidate come 11/2/10. Just like they did before. The GOP can not win without them. Darvin Dowdy 

.