Republican Majority – Killed by Friendly Fire

Only days after witnessing the parting of the Red Sea and being freed from generations of slavery, the Hebrews lost their way and caused Moses to destroy the original Ten Commandments. 3000 years later, Republicans forgot Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment and (like the ancients) are now doomed, once again, to wander in the ‘political’ wilderness.

In 1998, as Republicans recoiled at the immorality of Bill Clinton, they united behind candidate George W. Bush. Was he a perfect person? Did Republican Blue Bloods, Fiscal Conservatives, Religious Conservatives, Libertarians, Log Cabin Republicans and Neo Conservatives all think (he) was their ‘ideal’ candidate? Probably not, but did all these disparate groups unite behind one man and, like Reagan advised, did they all “speak no evil of (their) fellow Republican’ leadership? The answer is simply – yes!

Again in 2002 and 2004, there seldom was heard a discouraging word about Republicans by Republicans. No sooner had the President and the Republican Congressional majorities been re-elected, when our own conservative talk show hosts and pundits began publicly, banging away at Bush about; Dubai Ports, Guantanamo, Harriet Meirs, Immigration policy, Katrina, Rx Medicare benefit, Social Security Private accounts, Terrorist Surveillance and Interrogation programs and Troop levels in Iraq. No longer content to simply educate their audiences and constituencies about Conservatism, the Talk Show hosts and even Republican elected officials all decided they were now, the ‘smartest person(s) in the room’. Forget the fact that the President has immediate access to all the intelligence - all the time and is the one man who sees the ‘big picture’, these self-appointed know-it-alls began chipping away at Bush’s credibility, thereby giving Democrats and the liberal Mainstream Media (MSM) extra ammunition to discredit Republican leadership.
Even on the issue of Iraq, Republicans joined the ‘chorus of critics’ who openly criticized the Administration’s competence and management of that conflict, rather than acknowledging the enemy’s determination and resolve.

In retrospect, George W. Bush was both a Uniter and a Divider. He united Republicans of all stripes and got Republican majorities elected in both Houses of Congress as well as back-to-back Presidencies. Simultaneously, President Bush divided traditional Democrats from the Looney, liberal Left who were singularly driven by their irrational hatred of Bush and a desire to promote (his) failure in office.

Ultimately, when the going got tough – many Republican leaders and opinion makers went MIA, but not until they’d killed our own legislative majorities with ‘friendly fire’.
What’s the matter? Were there no longer enough Democrats to criticize? Couldn’t find any dangerous, liberal nut-jobs to focus in on? Who decided that Al Qaida, Ahmadinejad, Assad and Kim Jon Il were yesterday’s news? Way to go team! I shudder to think what Republicans will do for an encore…can you spell H.I.L.LA.R.Y?