Republican Shock Troops

If Democrats were to willingly give up the House now they could probably still get a special on Bill Maher's show. They seem destined to lose the House anyway. But of course we know they won't do that. They are going to go down fighting. As they should. No bowing out for a  fluff piece on a liberal show (or two).  But on the conservative side, there needs to be an understanding of what this election really means. 2010 is not an end-state election.  It's one step in a broader effort, and those candidates on the front lines are not all destined to become political war heroes.  Many of them will amount to Republican shock troops - front line soldiers leading the charge but destined to not survive the battle.

This election is indeed an all-in poker hand. On the brink of 2 more years of unfettered liberal spending, any single step that can be done to help must be done. 2010 is not the be all and end all of stopping socialism in America. But it is still just the first step. And yet victory is certainly required. This is the "you shall not pass" moment.  With that in mind, certain considerations must be made. Compromises must be made. Those who are sent to Washington this cycle need not be perfect. They are the Republican shock troops meant to stem the tide of liberalism until more solid reinforcements arrive. 

It also means that tactical maneuvering is required. If Mike Castle's running in Delaware siphons votes primarily from Coons and helps O'Donnell win (as a new Rasmussen poll suggests) then he should be encouraged to run. Tea Parties alone are no defense against legislative votes. Obamacare proved Democrats don't care. Sturdy or not, every vote in Congress counts. RINO's can be defeated in future primaries, but for now if that's the best option you have in your state or district them do everything you can to get a 40% conservative instead of a 99% liberal. 

The shock troops need only to turn the tide. They can get things started in the right direction. Not all of them need to be there at the end of the march towards fiscal sanity and less intrusive government. That means they don't need to be perfect, which is great because no one is. That's the real point to take away here; not every Republican in this race will be a gem, or a 'keeper'.  But every one of them deserves needs support, from the O'Donnells to McMahons to the McCains. They can't all be Jim DeMints.