Kicking the Dog

So it was our date night (as each Friday is) and when we hit the button on the garage door opener, our Beagle darted out of the garage yelping and running back and forth. By the time we all get into the house, her yelping and darting continued. She ran from one room to another and back again... all excited to see her master.

Boy, do I feel loved. Dog's can do that to you. I could have kicked her before I left and she would have acted the very same way when I got home. All is forgotten... just glad I'm home. She was so excited tonight that I thought she might have a heart attack. Soon she was out of breath... and energy. It left me feeling pretty self-conscious. Do I deserve such devoted attention? But after I threw her a bone, I decided that I did.

As I pondered this experience, it reminded me of conversations I had heard earlier in the day on talk radio. Some of the most outrageously bad political and economic news in decades has hit this country. We have never had four straight months of record unemployment numbers. The stock market has plunged over 3,000 points since Election Day. Huge stimulus bills have been passed after bitter political battles in congress. And yet President Obama enjoys stellar approval ratings.

Mr. Obama has been less than perfect. Some of his executive decisions have been contrary to what he promised during the campaign. Many of his appointments have been tax evaders. His stimulus package has been proved mired in earmarks. He has been caught in lies. In essence, he kicked the dog on his way out of the house, and yet when he returns, Americans, like my dog, yelp and dart back and forth in joyful ecstasy to celebrate his return. And Mr. Obama throws a bone.

What is it? Why such Clinton-esque teflon? Now, I'm just a basicguy, but it all seems to border on worship to me. I once wrote that Mr. Obama's victory was more historical than anything else. People had captured the history of the moment. The first black man (well, half black anyway). Fairly young. Considered articulate. Cool and with it. But now that two months have passed, along with horrendous economic woes and obvious missteps, and still his approval ratings soar. I'm left with one explanation. Some Americans worship Mr. Obama.

As for me, I'd say this is very dangerous ground for this country. When one is worshiped, and that person knows it, the temptation to get away with anything your heart desires is real. And so Mr. Obama is getting away with anything he chooses to do. So, how long will the dog let himself get kicked before he finally bites the hand of the master? I hope it's not long. The future of America as we know is at stake.

Party or Principle?

I recently had a conversation with a colleague that really got me thinking. He shared an insight I had never considered before. Now, I'm not a young guy by any means, but most of my real political experience has happened since just before the Reagan Revolution. That fact has shaped my beliefs and assumptions about the Republican Party.

My parents were on opposite sides of the political spectrum. My dad was a WWII vet and a dyed in the wool Democrat. My mom on the other hand opted for the Republicans. There was one year when we had political signs in our yard of opposing candidates. One thing you can say is that they each had passion.

So, when it was my turn to enter the voting world and choose a party, who did I follow? My dad. Well, it does make some sense, I was a guy. Most guys were Democrats... right? Not long after I cast a vote for McGovern. However, when he lost badly, I felt like a loser. And whenever I lost in my youth, it wasn't unusual for me to quit. So, I quit politics... for a while. Then one day, I was introduced to Ronald Reagan. No, not personally. He was on TV sharing his reasons for opposing abortion. Something rang true about this man. Was it his warmth? His sincerity? He just made sense.

From that time on, I watched Reagan rise to the top of the Republican world. He brought a conservative message to the US political landscape that made sense. It drew me into the Republican Party, engaged my interest and political energy, and fired my hopes and political passion. And I wasn't alone. From Reagan on, I've assumed that republicanism was synonymous with conservatism.

So, now, back to my colleague. Tom Valletta (http://vallettapapers.blogtownhall.com/) has a similar political genealogy as mine... only he was very involved in the political process. He actually worked on McGovern's campaign. One day I expressed my frustration with the state of the Republican Party. Our ship was adrift and has left its political moorings. It was filled with politicians who have forgotten conservative principles and have done little to offset the growth of big government, entitlements, and debt.

Can you imagine how surprised I was when Tom pointed out that the party was simply returning to what it once was... the Grand Ole Party. I asked him to explain. He said, "Conservatism is a political movement or philosophy. With the rise of Reagan, conservatism hijacked the Republican Party, and has had a good run of influencing the direction of political affairs. Conservatism has simply lost its hold on the party."

We talked for a few minutes longer. It all made sense. My own history with the party was mostly a conservative history. I had never known the party to be any thing different. So, what am I? Am I a Republican or a conservative? A conservative Republican, I suppose. If the Republican Party turns its back on conservative principles (which in some ways, Bush has been guilty of this very thing), then what am I? I'm still a conservative. Basically speaking, I'm an American first, a conservative second, and party member third. Nothing else makes sense to me. And I owe it all to my colleague.