February 5, 2014

The GOP isn't supposed to be slow!

The GOP leadership is still trying to fight for amnesty, against the wishes of its constituency, and more importantly, against common sense.

The machinery of government is slow to move; the bureaucracy makes it so.  Getting things done - good or bad - takes time.  It's not just the bureaucracy, the government itself was designed to move slowly.  The checks and balances built in with three separate but equal branches of government are there for a reason.  The fact that the Senate election cycle differs from the Congress and allows the Senate to avoid bending to mass hysteria and mob rule the way Congress is more wont to do, is a blessing not a curse.

That's not entirely true - the very force that slowed the country's descent into a socialist, welfare state is the very inertial force that helps prevent escaping it. That, combined with a now-entrenched entitlement society enabled by the current government's views on social safety nets, make a shift back to a sensible form of government almost impossible it seems.  All that said, the original intent is still valid when it comes to curbing government excess and over-reach, except when the government decides to ignore the Constitution (Does "I have a pen and a phone..." scare anyone else?).

But what is even more concerning is that the sentiment behind slow government is not supposed to apply to the political parties, and the Republican party seems to have fallen into a slow line of thinking.  It's a line of thinking that will serve not only to dampen their political fortunes (both short and long term), but also enable a continued slide towards more collectivism and further away from what has made the country successful for over two centuries.

The problem, is that the GOP is busy capitulating in a battle that doesn't need to be fought because it's not a top-of-mind issue with voters right now, like it might have been 2 years ago.  Talk about shooting yourself in the foot - repeatedly.

The great Thomas Sowell elucidated a couple of days ago:
Some supporters of President Obama may be worried about how he and the Democrats are going to fare politically, as the problems of Obamacare continue to escalate and it looks like the Republicans have a chance to win a majority in the Senate.

But Democrats may not need to worry so much. Republicans may once again come to the rescue of the Democrats, by discrediting themselves and snatching defeat from the very jaws of victory.

The latest bright idea among Republicans inside the Beltway is a new version of amnesty that is virtually certain to lose votes among the Republican base and is unlikely to gain many votes among the Hispanics the Republican leadership is courting.

One of the enduring political mysteries is how the Republicans can be so successful in winning governorships and control of state legislatures, while failing to make much headway in Washington. Maybe there are just too many clever GOP consultants inside the Beltway.

When it comes to national elections, just what principles do the Republicans stand for? It is hard to think of any, other than their hoping to win elections by converting themselves into Democrats lite. But voters who want what the Democrats offer can vote for the real thing, rather than Johnny-come-lately imitations.

Listening to discussions of immigration laws and proposals to reform them is like listening to something out of “Alice in Wonderland.”

Immigration laws are the only laws that are discussed in terms of how to help people who break them. One of the big problems that those who are pushing “comprehensive immigration reform” want solved is how to help people who came here illegally and are now “living in the shadows” as a result.
The GOP is slow to the table on illegal immigration with bad, enabling ideas at a time when they should just shut up about it and focus on only two things - jobs, and Obamacare.  That this needs to be spelled out for them does not bode well for the 2014  midterm elections.  NOTE to GOP leadership: Speed up, move on and pay attention to what voters are concerned about today.

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