Thursday, July 12, 2007
Defeatacrats or DefeataRepublicans
I am going to post on the major happenings in England during my time away. But since I have been back all I have heard from the Democrats how the war in Iraq is lost and from the Republicans how the 2008 elections are lost. Yikes. Here is one of the best examples of this, from Hugh Hewitt’s website co-writers, Dean Barnett
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/g/a3cd1b58-c04e-4a0c-a966-7bfaed634cd6
Now, I am not an optomist or blind to reality. After the immigration mess, one wonders whether the Republican Party is in any better shape than the British Tories or the Canadian Conservatives in mid 1990s (did I mentioned that Stephen Harper the Conservative leaders in now Canadian PM?). History shows us that the future is rarely a straight line from where we are to the future. But we seem to always assume this, and I also think we do forget that George Bush, like Lyndon Johnson in 1968, is not going to be on the ballot (though the Dems lost that election, it was razor thin).
Anyways, what is my advise?
So, here is where I respond, in a letter that I sent to Hugh Hewitt directly:
Mr. Hewitt (Hugh)
I have not contacted you in a while, but after Dean’s latest post on Fred Thompson, I had to say something. I keep hearing that 2008 is going to be a Republican bloodbath. 2006 certainly was a bloodbath in everyway possible, but I keep thinking that making prognostications 16 months or so out from the election just seems silly. The Republican Party is in confusion and lacks cohesion. But, the Democratic Party is not exactly healthy and it is run by the people who are as far out of the mainstream as Reconstructionists Christians are.
I looked back at 1982. In that year the Republican Party lost 26 seats in the House, and yes, gained 1 in the Senate, but that was largely because of the large number of Senators brought post Watergate alongside the worst President of the 20th century (oops, could not miss a hit on Jimmy Carter). Now, who would have guessed that within two years of that election Ronald Regan would have the largest landside victory in our history by some measures (I still remember being a 14 year old and getting mad that Minnesota went for Mondale by that very thin margin).
Why do I bring this up? Because the future in unknown. There are any number of factors that could impactteh 2008 elections, including some we probably have not thought about yet. But what I do know is that constantly thinking all is already lost will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So with all do respect to Mr. Barnett, yep, the Republicans could get wiped out in 2008. And the Defeat-centred Dems could likewise get wiped if things turn around in Iraq or Iran goes nuclear and is exposed for their role in Iraq. Or….
Well, you get the point. All that either party can do right now is talk about their strengths, hold true to core convictions, work hard, stay positive and put the best candidates forward. But dwelling on the negative and what would happen if the elections were held July 17, 2007, that just seems fairly unuseful.
Your still the best.
Christopher Morton
The Roving Theologian
http://www.rovingtheologian.com
