A Boston Tea Party …(Next Time)

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the greatest architect of them all? The average American citizen would answer, “I have no clue!” Republicans and conservative talk show hosts would say Karl Rove. For years he has been at icon status in Republican circles. “FOX News” has hired “the architect” as an election analyst. Talk show hosts worship his wisdom and market his guest appearances. I really don’t see what all the fuss is about.

There have been many campaign managers who have won elections for their candidates. I guess, since he is on our side he automatically becomes a genius. I am one conservative who doesn’t agree with this conventional wisdom. From my point of view anyone who can be labeled “the architect” would have to have been part of some lasting movement not be a major participant in said movement’s decline. Rove was President Bush’s political advisor after his election in 2000 through the midterms of 2006. During this time his political advice to the President as far as a conservative is concerned was often tone deaf. His advice was how to get fifty-one percent of the vote not on educating a country about the conservative cause. Why then the moniker? Logic would say President Reagan's campaign manager, Ed Rollins, deserves to be called "the architect" much more than Karl Rove. At least he was part of a movement.

It must be a “he is one of us” kind of thing. It has always been my view that the failure of those who support the conservative movement to harshly critique their own house before criticizing Democrats would cause the Republican party to lose it’s way. The Harriet Miers outrage and complete disapproval of the Bush-McCain-Kennedy immigration legislation were examples of how conservatives can keep Republicans in check. Overstating one’s conservative credentials does not help the cause.

Rove is not the only example of where this has happened. Tom Delay gets showered with compliments from the conservative talk show artists and punditry. Certainly, he like Rove did things in support of the conservative movement. He also hurt the conservative cause in a very meaningful ways. He turned earmarks into an art form, yet that is never mentioned. Delay is now saying he can’t see himself voting for John McCain for President. Maybe, a talk show host should ask him if he is holding a grudge against McCain for McCain not supporting all the wasteful spending Delay allowed as the House majority leader. Again, this will never happen because of the “he is one of us” kind of thing.

I do, however, believe the President is the head of his party and the congressional members of his party will follow his lead. Rove, as the political advisor to President Bush, played a major part in President Bush never issuing a veto on legislation from an out of control Republican Congress. During his speech at CPAC Newt Gingrich said, “I think we did President Bush a grave disservice by not being dramatically more aggressive in criticizing when they were wrong, and being more open when they were making mistakes.” Callers into the various talk shows I listen too on a regular basis are asking the hosts to be more diligent in their policing of a possible McCain administration than they were of the Bush administration. Sean Hannity has said he is no longer registering as a Republican but rather as a conservative. It seems many conservatives have found religion so to speak, refusing to be burned again. I have said for years that we have to act as intense watchdogs over the Republican Party. Imagine the influence grass root conservatives combined with the voices of Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, Ingraham, Boortz, Medved, Reagan, and Hennen could place on Republican elected officials both local and national to govern in a conservative manner. The Democrats have moved way to the left because of pressure in their party. Why can’t conservatives do the same in the Republican Party but only in a more sensible manner?

In politics, personal friendships only go so far. Being “one of us” should not be more important than a movement. If we want to expand the conservative cause we have to educate. A major part of any education is pointing out the mistakes when they happen and not repeating them. To many people were willing to condone what was happening in Washington because they were “our guys”. We need a little less ga-ga and a more honest perspective. We can start by next time not issuing an office in the White House for a campaign manager.