Conservatives Should Shut Up!

From the Loft:

In a new story by the Associated Press, Arizona Sen. John McCain says he is "happy" about the state of his presidential campaign. If his current state of affairs makes him happy, I'd hate to see what it takes to make him sad. In reality, his woes and the inability of other Republican candidates to separate themselves from the pack shows what happens when a conservative base feels ignored and betrayed.

Once the heir apparent to the Republican presidential nomination, McCain has suffered a series of personnel setbacks leaving him having to shuffle staffers into new locations. McCain also is lagging in fundraising compared with some of the other candidates.

However, McCain's problems have not translated into significant gains for other candidates. Outside of Fred Thompson, who has yet to officially announce for the presidency, none of the candidates has been able to excite the conservative base. Pollster Scott Rasmussen shows four candidates polling above 10%, but over the past month and a half, no one has made a significant move.

Why is the base not rallying behind a candidate? Some say it's early, and it is. But with the front-loading of the primaries, it's only a few more months until this race could be decided. Some say it's because every candidate has some sort of negative... something that falls short of conservative expectations. This is also true, but when have we ever had a "perfect" candidate? I believe the answer is never.

The main problem right now can be summed up in one word: betrayal. The conservative base feels betrayed by its leaders and office holders. The rise of the Republican Party occurred through the belief and promotion of conservative values and policies. Republicans won races, and it was their mandate to put these policies into action.

Some will blame the lure of Washington for leading Republicans astray. Sure, there were cases of Republicans becoming involved in situations they shouldn't, but the real problem lies with those who rode the wave of conservative activism all the way into office but who were not (and are not) true believers. They said one thing, and did another.

Now, we see the fallout of such actions. Conservatives are battered. We feel like we've been used, and so we don't know who to trust. To me, that is one reason why the Republican candidates are failing to excite the base. People are finding anything they can to point at and say, "He'll let us down too. Just look at his position on X or Y."

For conservatives, in order to win in 2008, we need to refocus and realize that the Democrats will be running strong for the White House. The idea of holding the House, Senate, and White House has them salivating. That idea alone should motivate us into action. For legislators and party officials, they need to remember that conservative policies are what fueled the Republican revolution. We are the party of reform, not of government spending, forced nation building, and open borders.

Yes, conservatives feel betrayed, but the ball is in our court. If we sit back and do nothing, the Left will win. If that happens, the country loses. We must get ready for action, but this time, the play book is different. It is our responsibility to see to it that the legislators we put into office reflect our Republican philosophy. If we keep working hard for sub-par candidates, we will get sub-par legislators. It's time for all of us to step to the plate.

Betrayal is a powerful force to overcome. But this is where we find ourselves... facing the ultimate test. Do we fight, or do we hand the country to the left-wing radicals? That's the question... and the answer is easy.