#5

Nelson Baird writes:

1) So long as it's in the opposition, where should the Republican Party focus its energy?

Whether in opposition or majority the GOP should focus on principle. Little things like the founding documents of our country.

2) What is the most worrisome part of Barack Obama's presidency?

He seems to assume the invalidation of everything this country is build on, has done, and the very condepts of fredom and individual rights on which it is based.

I seem to remember a similar charismatic socialist somewhere in middle Europe about a third of the way through the last century. In BO's case we see he and his party ignoring the rules (1st ammendment, 2nd, 10th, 14th, etc) procedure (see reconciliation). We see the Federal govenment attempting to own the means of production. Eliminate personal property. The Federal government as expressed by BO and his own is attempting to control our very bodies and our tright to life. Just a few minor little things like that. This is much worse than why we threw off King George.

3) There's been a lot of debate about the role that talk radio and cable news hosts should play on the right. Particularly controversial are Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Mark Levin. What do you think about these folks? Do they help the right or hurt it (or is it more complicated than that?) How should Republicans interact with them?

First tell the truth. Second commit to priciples. Third take committed action in alignment with those priciples. If the chatterring class has a problem with it then THE Chatering Class has a problem--let them keep it.

4) One particularly fraught controversy pertains to race in America -- with the first black president in the White House, some conservatives have been criticized as racists for opposing him, and some on the right have accused the Obama Administration or its allies of racism or anti-white sentiments (for example, Sonja Sottomayor's "wise Latina" comment drew fire, as did the Skip Gates incident). As the right thinks about political strategy and policy, how should it approach matters of race?

In general these race is only an issue among racists of whatever color or ethnic background. This is the very thing that Martin Luther King was attempting to avoid. Honoring such claims with a polite response is a self defeating excercise--it legitimizes the claim of the unsatisfiable.


5) Is there anything you observe locally, or that Republicans in your area of the country care about, that doesn't get sufficient attention in the national media conversation? If so tell me a bit about the issue, and the approach you think the right ought to take.

Teaparty. rule of law. Actually being conservative in approach, and deeds.


6) Traditionally the Republican Party has been a coalition of religious conservatives, libertarians, fiscal conservatives, and national security conservatives. Is that alliance viable going forward? If so, what must be done to hold it together? If not, what alliance should the GOP try to build?

That alliance is about 80% in my county. Looks pretty good from here.

7) Is there anything I didn't ask about that you'd like the media or the country as a whole to know?

Many pundits have the grass roots conservative groups upside down. They seem to take the Democrat model that things are always driven from the top. The pundits seem to think that the leaders in the conservative groups are using the members to do something. In each of the groups I have seen in person, it is exactly the other way arround. The members are using the organization and it leaders to accomplish something of importance to them. The leaders are merely attempting to stay ahead of the parade.