We the People
- Posted by Martin on June 9th, 2007 filed in General, Immigration, Martin
In all the noise surrounding the (hopefully) failed Comprehensive Immigration Bill, it’s easy to see how, in times gone by, our political class has conspired to pass legislation that nobody wants without too much interruption from those pesky voters.
I think it’s safe to say that the intertubes have enabled us to prevent the most egregious examples of this recently, but for all that, what can we actually do if they all line up together and decide to fark us?
Our side does not have a MoveOn.org or any of the other large, well-funded issue groups that the left has. We’ve got lots of little single-issue advocacy outfits, but we don’t have an organized and financed umbrella group to advance the small-government/conservative agenda.
If MoveOn were ours, and they had taken exception to the Bill, they’d have had the money to run ads against the main protagonists, which as far as I know didn’t happen. We instead had to rely upon a general uprising, and see our position largely misrepresented by advocates on both sides of the issue - I favor much more immigration, and targeted immigration to satisfy particular skill shortages; I’d just like them to come through the front door, sign the guestbook, pay the bill and keep in touch. As Fred! says, this is our house.
My question: What can or should be done about this? Do we need an umbrella group and organization along the lines of MoveOn.org?
chris says:
Yes, we do. Unfortunately, as you said we all have our pet causes and don’t combine too well.
We need a MoveCon.org for conservative issues.
William Teach says:
Unfortunately, Conservatives are just too independent minded to be able to have a group like that. There are no marching orders, no real big protests, few big petitions. It is just not our nature.
That fact that Conservatives made so much noise regarding the Shamnesty bill was truly amazing. Most didn’t do it because some site said “go do this.” We pretty much did it on our own.
It would be tough to get a ton of Conservatives to band together for anything other then the short term.
Beth says:
HELL YES we need it, but unfortunately nobody ever wants to actually participate or support these groups when people try to start them. Everyone’s got freakin’ excuses why they won’t, mainly because of the pet cause disease. The stupid leftards are apparently better able to see the big picture than our side is.
In other words, the “big tent” makes it extremely difficult to rally the right, especially with issues like immigration, abortion, gay marriage, etc. For some those are HUGE, if not the only issue(s). Others, not so much. It seems like the only thing that’s had moderate success is Move America Forward, ’cause their thing is the war/supporting the troops–and they’re nothing compared to the size of MoveOn.org.
I guess the willingness to stick to the party line among left-wing activists is why it works for them. They are far, far more dogmatic about their issues than we are, although there are a few exceptions. That’s not a criticism by me, of course–it’s been well-documented in this blog about how I’m willing to lose on some of the smaller issues in order to achieve the big picture goal. Case in point: I donated to that POS Lincoln Chafee’s unsuccessful re-election campaign, TO KEEP THE SENATE MAJORITY. Obviously, I can’t farking stand the guy and disagree vehemently with him on most issues, and loathe his treacherous voting record. BUT! Committee chairmanships, leadership positions, all that stuff–that matters. We lost ‘em.
Many hardcore conservatives (online, not in real life) consider ME a liberal/moderate/political traitor for this kind of thing, but it’s simply big-picture pragmatism, and they wouldn’t dream of doing the same. You know, the “conservative first, Republican second” bullshi’ite. (OK then, would they vote Constitution Party in their “big tent” that includes scum like white supremacists?)
Others, the socially liberal Republicans, won’t support a social conservative (ZOMG, theocrats!!1!)–ignoring the fact that their issues (i.e foreign policy, like Christopher Hitchens, or economic, like that douchetard Andrew Sullivan) would be annihilated if the Donks are elected.
See all these people who say they won’t vote if McCain or Giuliani is the nominee? Or another example, Andrew Sullivan endorsing Jon Carry in 2004? (To Hitchens’ credit–he’s no dummy–he doesn’t pull the Sully stupidity, although the left would heartily disagree with that point.)
When we have that kind of idiocy (they don’t call us the Party of Stupid for nothing!), how do we have our own MoveOn.org?
One thing that stood out for me in the first GOP debate: Sam Brownback, of all people (!), said he WOULD support a pro-choice GOP nominee if that were the case, because as he said, “the person who I agree with 80 percent of the time is not my enemy.” I wish more people would think about that! (I think he said 80, maybe it was 60. Either way.)
Beth says:
BAH. I should have just written that as a post, I guess. ;)
» End of Week Exhaust » MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy says:
[...] How about jumping in the conversation here? Martin’s right–we need to get our act together; otherwise, political blogging’s kinda pointless, isn’t it? [...]
William Teach says:
I definately understand what you are saying, Beth. During the big “I hate and won’t vote for McCain” period about a year or so ago, I kept asking Conservatives “So, are you voting for Hillary? Would you rather have a Dem in the WH?” Because that is what would happen.
I loathe McCain, politically, but at least he would stand for some of what we stand for.
Same with Rudy: he may be socially liberal on a few issues, but, he is still for strong defense, low taxes, law and order, and supposedly small gov’t. I can live with him. Especially with him being a Republican.
I would even prefer the Nutter Ron Paul over a Dem. Nobody is going to agree with everything a candidate stands for.
We don’t get in lockstep like the libs. That is their thing. They are good at the collective. But, as Peggy Noonan says, the Dem base is stark raving mad.
Pirate’s Cove » >>Americans Never Quit » Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup says:
[...] Martin (MVRWC) discusses how can Conservatives band together? Join in! [...]