Feb 12 2008
Hannity & Gingrich, Conservatives In “Exile”
Another day, another whine from conservative talk radio. Hannity and Speaker Newt Gringrich were talking today about how they are now “conservatives in exile” – which means they no longer consider themselves Republicans. Clearly they see something not apparent to the rest of regarding the fortunes of the hyper-right in this nation. Why else basically declare they have been defeated in terms of dictating the path of the GOP? Why go in ‘exile’ unless it is clear that they have destroyed their cause and no longer represent the formative views of the GOP?
After years if being a conservative with principled and rational differences with the hyper-partisan right (which I prefer to call the hyper-right to save some key strokes) and being disappointed with their direction and destruction of the governing coalition I find the current ‘exile’ statements quite petulant. When I and others disagreed on Dubai Ports, The Gang of 14 and Comprehensive Immigration reform we were ridiculed and you know those who ran the GOP over the cliff wanted unconditional support and obedience to their views. And now that they have become the minority voice in the governing conservative coalition they are declaring themselves unable to support that coalition unless and until it bows to their views.
Quite a fit of self absorption there if you ask me. I am a conservative. I believe in low taxes, strong defense, sanctity of life, finishing our work in Iraq and strong borders. I also believe that the most prudent path forward on some of the nation’s most nagging issues is to deal with long term illegal workers with fines and back taxes and criminal background checks (toss anyone out who has committed a violent crime, never to be allowed back). I was not spooked by Dubai Ports and to me the Gang of 14 helped pave the way for two conservative justices on the USSC and a plethora of conservatives judges across the federal benches.
For having these positions which are more than defendable (and probably more representative of America overall – that great country the hyper-right claims to love so much) I saw responses such as traitior, fool, quisling and our President attacked and called names like El Presidente Jorge Bush. This one way obedience being demanded by Hannity and his fellow exiles is what destroyed the coalition – they are untrustworthy allies. They don’t get their way they lambast their allies and bolt to the sidelines.
It occurs to me that exile is another word for loser – someone who did not get their way (lost) and cannot handle getting back into the game with respect to those who may have bested them this round. They are not leaders and clearly do not have what it takes to lead – patience and respect for others. All I could see from Hannity’s and Gringrich’s exile as the final admission – they lost and now they know it and now those who disagree will pay the price.
Empty threats from a spent political force IMHO. Compromise is not evil. Working with fellow Americans to find a way forward together is not un-American. Having a modicum of respect for political opponents is not weakness. Running away when one loses a round is a sign of weakness. Somehow I fail to see how Anne Coulter voting for Hillary is the ‘true’ conservative over someone willing to support McCain (despite grave differences) to make sure Hillary and Obama never become President. But that is the twisted pretzel logic coming from those who lost the broader base because they could not deal professionally with those who disagree.
I am not the only one wondering what happened here, just check out Ollie North’s thoughts on this today. This distancing is not helping beat the Democrats.
Update: Reader Crosspatch notes Hannity has just declared himself a RINO – a Rep in Name Only. How ironic, and finally factual.
Just wondering if anyone saw this:
Che Guevara Flags in Obama’s Houston Office
Whites minority 2050 The GOP will really be dead then — replacing it will be a socialist party.
And if these folks decide it is not prudent for them to vote, then perhaps in the future, it would be more prudent for the Republican party to simply forget about them. The party could create a more reliable coalition with Independents, the fastest growing political group in the country.
If the conservatives want a veto over whoever the party nominates, that might be the wisest course of action for the party. After all there were people who said that Pat Buchanan and friends had to be pandered to,but in truth once they were pushed to the sidelines the party actually grew.
After all, if that is what they want.
Yes, Klimt I saw that over at Captains Quarters. And to think there are conservatives out there who think there is no difference between the guy with the Cuban flag on the wall and John McCain.
Whippet1, Hannity says he is “in exile” from the Republican party and I heard him myself with my own hears say he is a “conservative first” … you do the math.
I am a Republican first.
This is what the Hyper right wants to surrender our country to:
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/obamas-global-tax-proposal-up-for-senate-vote/
Frightening. Things can be much, much worse than McCain.
Crosspatch,
Just trying to clarify who was name calling who not whether what you said was accurate of not. Fuzzy math was never my strength.
I agree with Whippet1… and I think it shows how quick AJ is willing to let facts go unchecked. He declares it “finally factual”. Too funny!
If he is a Conservative then he is a Republican only when it suits his agenda. Now that he feels being Republican doesn’t suit his conservative agenda, he feels free to shed the “Republican” label. So he was (notice .. WAS) a Republican in name only. What he really was in reality was all along was a Conservative. And he and people like him apparently don’t give a darn how much damage they do to the Republican party, they are simply throwing a tantrum because they didn’t get their way.
Well, they had a conservative candidate but the bigotards wouldn’t vote for Romney because he wasn’t “Christian” enough for them. Good riddance, actually. Now maybe we can attract some of that huge pool of unaligned voters to now register Republican of the Conservatives want to leave. I sincerely believe that less than 5% of the electorate is costing us 10% or more of the electorate.
Obama will bring out people who have never voted before. This will cause sweeping change from red to blue throughout the south (and other places)as these voters vote “D” for dogcatcher all the way up to President.
We cannot afford to have this happen. It is beyond serious.
Hannity, Rush, Laura, Ann, Michelle, Mark, Newt, Dobson have all become the thing they hate. I can tell you this: people are FURIOUS over what they are doing. And I]m talking about religious conservatives as well as many others are livid that this group is helping the democrats get elected. Beyond contemptible. They can all take their so-called principles and…..
And great post WWS. Excellent, imho.
Klimt … Hannity said it with his own mouth .. he is conservative before he is republican.
Crosspatch,
There’s that fuzzy math again. While the conservatives probably would have preferred a Duncan Hunter or a Thompson, they were willing to support a Guiliani or Romney and they did, after their preferred candidates left the race. And that includes the talking heads on radio. They didn’t like Huckabee, Paul or McCain. So don’t start with the conservatives will only support conservatives because Guiliani and Romney aren’t what most would classify as classic conservatives. And unless you’re only listening to the MSM quote the talk shows I don’t recall any of them personally having a problem with Romney’s religion. They may have noted it to be a problem for some christians or some others in a general election but that doesn’t mean it’s their accepted belief.
McCain has always been a problem for conservatives, with good reason, so why do you act like it’s some new form of betrayal? And you truly believe conservatives only make up 5% of the electorate?
Wow, just wow.
And note to Crosspatch,
How many conservatives do you know that are Democrats? What other party do you expect them to belong to?
Conservatives = Republicans
Moderates/Independents = Republicans AND Democrats
Liberals = Democrats
So when voters start voting in the general…Obama/Clinton are liberals, McCain is a moderate…How do you think that math is going to add up?
Well considering the fact that Obama and McCain are winning and Duncan Hunter and Romney are not winning, I would say that it is a safe bet the conservatives are not nearly the hot stuff they obviously think they are.
For a group of people who don’t want to be marching lockstep to talk radio’s ideology you sure get angry at those who don’t march lockstep with you and yours.
“The other problem is the hate being stirred over at Malkin’s.”
I have long believed that Malkin is really out to destroy the Republican party. If you carefully watch what she does, she tends to support people who have no chance of success and tear down the Republican front runners.
“Conservatives” seem to me to be about perpetually losing. What Reagan was able to do was to forge an alliance between them and people who could win and together they had enough. The conservatives of today have no concept of Reagan’s 11th commandment. The Conservatives, I believe, need the Republicans more than the Republicans need the Conservatives (note that Republican does not equal Conservative). The Republicans could pick up more moderates if they would ditch the Conservatives. And at this point the Conservatives have so hurt the Republican party that I really see no need whatsoever to coddle them anymore. Let them go off and lose elections on their own, we don’t need them losing ours for us.
And then ofcourse there all kinds of conservatives. The people like Rush and Laura and Malkin are not really that typical of conservatives. Most conservatives are not that rabid.
That is why so many Republican Senators are moderate conservatives like Lugar and Warner and Lindsay Graham, etc. The far right, hyper people would consider these people to be RINOs, but in fact they are far more mainstream for the party than a lot of people on the right want to admit.
So, I think it depends on perception. For instance there are moderates out there who have had no problem accepting McCain, and even strong conservatives like John Bolton and Ted Olson have endorsed them. None of these people are hyper right, in other words, they think there are some things more important than some little personal ideological agenda.
I didn’t know that conservatives thought they were hot stuff. I thought they had opinions like everyone else. But I guess if we get to be Hotties now, I’m game!
I am not angry that these people are not marching lockstep, I am angry that they are trying to wreck things for people who made the mistake of trusting them.
Maybe if they respected the opinions of other people a little more whippet, people would return the favor. But so far, they are just mad that some unnamed conservative did not win. I do not know what they want, I just know what they do NOT want. They are all about what they do not want.
I hope you’re not talking about McCain trusting them, are you. I thought not.
And what did you trust them with? They’re talking heads who have been fortunate enough to build up a following and they make money at it. So what? And you brand an entire group of conservatives because of a few people? Quite a broad brush you’re using to classify conservatives.
And Crosspatch, if you really believe that the Republicans don’t need the conservatives to win an election you’re smokin some mighty fine stuff! Wishing it doesn’t make it so. Stop hyperventilating over what the MSM tells you is going to happen and watch and learn. Some people may surprise you.