I, too, believe the President is doing what he set out to do. What infuriates me about it, though, is how he resorts to deceit and division to accomplish his goals. I do not believe him to be a man of honesty and integrity. Nonetheless, our side had better start lighting that single figurative candle, since cursing the ever encroaching darkness doesn’t seem to have gotten us very far

Shorter Erick: Stay Classy, conservatives.

Obama is a man who has at times praised the two Republican Presidents named – Lincoln and Reagan. We would be wise to learn from Obama, not to praise him, or emulate those things we disagree with, but learn his tactics in the manner that Patton learned from Rommel.

I learned long ago when playing chess that it was always a mistake to disrespect your opponent. That leads to underestimating him. Somehow, despite the worst economic recovery in 70 years, and a mediocre record and a slew of broken promises and $6 trillion in debt, over 60 million Americans voted to re-elect Obama. Now, despite the horrid wrong track numbers and so many (too many!) long term unemployed, Obama has approval numbers above water. We have to respect that campaign mojo or it will defeat us again (and again).

Conservative ideas are superior. Fiscal prudence and pro-growth free-market policies are better than grow-the-government tax-and-spend. This remains true before, during and after the Obama error … er, era.

“And if you must be angry, don’t be angry at a President doing what he
set out to do, be angry at a Republican Establishment not doing”

The one fly in the ointment is this false statement. You were going so WELL too! The fact is the same principle applies. It’s time for Erick and kin to put away the Boehner / McConnell outrage meter. Anger at Obama is less useful than positive “our ideas are better” directed at Obama. What the Republican leadership needs is NOT anger, but the constructive criticism of happy warriors that positively encourage doing the right thing with the right methods and good articulation. And if they dont? Well, outrage wont help. (Primarying a RINO maybe, outrage not so much).

In short, lead by example … and the world will be a better place. That’s how you win.
Dont get mad, dont get even … GET AHEAD.

I agree and echo the sentiment of your post but find it hard to square this with your recent posts where you were all in favor of ‘shoot the hostage’, or calling for complete Congressional gridlock in response to proposed filibuster reform. Since the election you seem to be oscillating between your pre-election red-meat posts and more thoughtful and considered posts like this – perhaps not surprising as it’s probably echos what is going through many conservatives minds as they still come to terms with the election results.

I also agree that a re-think in the presentation and selling of conservative ideas is well over-due – the ‘outraged obstruction’ of the last 2,3,4 years was based on the idea that it would result in Obama losing the Presidency and I think there is a definite degree of tolerance for that stand among the general populace which I fear will not remain as Obama heads into his 2nd term.

Tbf as well, I do wonder if a recommendation that conservatives tone it down a notch, quit the whining and outrage and start thinking smart would be quite so well received coming from a regular poster – I suspect most likely they would be subjected to abuse and accusations of being ‘establishment Republican staffers or trolling’ together with some choice threats of being banned from the moderating staff. Oh well

No one ever said the people wanted to elect a traitor.

Great points gunnyg’ and he is by far, the best gun salesman ever! And awoke the sleeping giant called Americans.

Since you allowed us to “Feel free to express your moral outrage and indignity at me”, I’ll oblige in that you started out the article about angry conservatives, then referenced Romney as if he is/was a conservative who you railed against constantly, and then you ended with Establishment Republicans. You’ve put everyone who voted (or didn’t since they hated Romney as not conservative enough) and supported “Republican in the General” into one bucket. I don’t consider true conservatives like Ted Cruz or Louie Gohmert, among other patriots, in the same bucket as the Establishment and they, among others, deserve some credit. What you did was throw out the baby with the bath water and it’s not fair to blame all Rs equally.
.
As I’ve pointed out recently, you seem to be much harder to taking to task R’s and giving the Left a pass. Where is your outrage that they won’t cut a dime or pass a budget? Blaming R’s for not standing strong is one thing, and not firing Boehner, but we need to stand together to rebuke this prez. You have a microphone to do that so please don’t help divide us ala Dem/Obama style.
.
But this takes the cake: “But I do not think the President means to do this maliciously. I do not think he is treasonous. I do not hate him. I am not outraged by it. The President has done what he set out to do. I cannot be outraged by him doing what he set out to do. I am far more outraged by the Republicans not doing what they said they would do.”
.
I thought most here on RS have their eyes wide open as to what he meant by, “fundamentally transforming America” but yet you’d rather blame the Republicans for calling him out when he defies the Constitution as piss and vinegar or b/c they can’t get a bill passed with a Dem majority Senate and WH and then criticize them for their fecklessness….nice, really nice and naive. Blaming R’s for being whiners is counter-productive and misses the true mark of our misery.
.
I do think we could agree on one point, that the R Senators might as well go on vacation for two years and retool their messaging since whining and getting angry over Reid changing the filibuster rules is well…pointless as you put it. Now that makes me happy.

We need a serious regeneration of the Republican party back to conservatism. Very disheartening to convert people to the values of conservatism only to have the Republican party (the ostensible alternative to the Progressive/Democrat Party) consistently act against Conservative principles. Why say, “Join our team” when —at every turn— our team helps the present administration in the sad endeavor of “fundamentally transforming” our Nation?

It makes one wonder — has someone threatened the Republican leadership behind the scenes? Has someone paid them off? Or, have they also gotten on board for the willful and malicious destruction of our nation. Yes, willful and malicious.

Or perhaps, the Republican leadership means well but still doesn’t understand that this Administration doesn’t care about rules, tradition, history, courtesy, honor, integrity, or the Constitution. They simply don’t care. They play by their own rules.

Consequently, this “frees” them to do “whatever they have to do” to establish their agenda. And, they will do anything and everything. When infanticide means nothing to them, what possible moral restraint can remain?

It’s called the ruling class and cya to keep their job as power mongers. Just don’t toss out the politicians that want to return to the days of our founders with the Establishment that doesn’t give a hoot…they are no different then demrats IMO.

I despaired when Nixon was elected. In after-thoughts, I noted that he brought the Vietnam War to an end and opened up China to trade,

I despaired when Reagan was elected. I delivered 57% of my Precinct for John Anderson in the General Election.

I despaired when Clinton was elected. He brought an end to the “Welfare” of LBJ’s Great Society.

I actively supported Bush I and II.

I despair with President Obama. He, too, won over my objections. His opposition basically included only two “old white guys who deserved the nomination” of the Republican Party.

Deal with it. I have, for years. He’s never a going to be elected again, so support him as President, much as it may be painful. On domestic matters, focus not on our President (like him or not) but on Congress, which has the ultimate power over taxes, spending, and irrelevant (tho contentious) issues such as gun control and abortion that masquerade as stuff more important than The Nation.

Ye of much despair, “He’s never a going to be elected again, so support him as President, much as it may be painful.” ah, no, as in hell no.
.
“I despair with President Obama. He, too, won over my objections.” Perhaps you’ll have an after-thought after this nightmare of a prez is over too, like you said you did with Nixon, Reagan, Clinton and most all recent presidents, minus the Bush’s which I too supported btw. I think you have a despair over making up your mind on what you support. We call that straddeling the fence in Texas and it’s not a nice place to sit on. Deal with reality of a dictator-wannabe.

Well said, Erick. I do have a coupla concerns, though. THis nation can survive Obama…but I do not know if we can survive all those folks that voted FOR him — and they will be with us alot longer.

Amen avgjo! Happy and stupid. I’ll agree that you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar, but we’re not bee catchers now are we…we are the drones and there’s only one queen bee- Obama.

I see a desire by a great many people to be first in line. They want to be the PowerLine guys who proved the Bush letter to be false. They want to be Breitbart or O’Keefe and find the key that brings someone down. To do that without the talent the former groups have, you have to grab at every carrot you see, scream as loud as you can, jump on every conspiracy theory and bandwagon trotting by. No one can hear the sensible arguments over all the shouting, and we look like children and fools.

I don’t know how we stop this. I think it really took off with the Tea Party and Ron Paul. Both brought people into the political arena who never cared before, but didn’t offer much in the way of education or organization. How do you backtrack now and get these folks to work politically, when their only goal in life seems to be to get Obama impeached or prove some Monsanto/Halliburton/Bilderberger group is running our lives?

We’re in for four years of h*** and it will be as much in our hands as the democrats. It’s kinda scary when you think about it.

Let me be the first to react to your suggestions / olive branch.

Hell no. Obama and his little cult members are responsible for robbing my children of any reasonable financial future. I will remind every jackass with an “I Love Obamacare” or “Obama / Biden” sticker of it every time I see them.

I may have to watch the destruction of this country, but I don’t have to like it. SOrry if that doesn’t seem “reasonable” to you.

Yep.

They always say that sunshine is the best disinfectant…vinegar’s not a bad one, either. And I think infectious bacteria is a fitting analogy for the left in this country.

let’s not forget that under Obama’s tenure, we got bin Laden. I am speaking seriously, not sarcastically. Just giving you something to round out your list

Yes, we had better wake up. Because the rest of the country is moving on. For good or bad. And we’re gonna be left behind like a dog barking at cars.

Go sit back on the porch until the next issue comes down the road.

this is a really great point, Christine. I also might add that all these examples you give are of people inside the DC metro who live and breathe political as their actual job instead of a real job like ordinary folk (Erick is a refreshing counterexample, as he lives out in real America)

“Mitt Romney ran a campaign on just how bad things are, but he was rejected by a majority of Americans who felt like he really did not care about them and really had no plans to improve their lives.”

exactly my point in an older diary but Mr. Martin Knight here basically called me a fool for saying so.

That’s what you think.

And i’m pretty sure no one cares what you think.

The aggressor sets the terms of the engagement. When the Germans and Imperial Japanese decided to open the can of worms called ‘Total War’, the Allies responded in kind and won. If we had been nice guys and fought by rules (like not bombing a munitions factory because it was next to a neighborhood), the war would likely have been drawn out much longer and perhaps even lost. I belong to the camp that believes that in the grand scheme, dropping the 2 bombs on Japan was better for everyone, including the Japanese. It ended the war quickly and helped avoid an invasion, which would have had untold costs in American and Japanese life.

When you are dealing with people that support infanticide, you don’t treat them with civility. You use every legal means to ridicule, isolate, marginalize and finally disenfranchise them. Then you set out to obliterate their ideology from the culture. No more half measures. They’re getting us killed.

For me, it’s not either/or, it’s yes and amen. I don’t “respect” Obama because a “majority of Americans” elected him (I comfort myself somewhat because he won half of sixty percent of the electorate — which is more a reflection of the general across-the-board disgust and apathy with all of them than any great victory). And Obama is the epitome of everything that conservatives hate — with a constant attitude of a school yard bully. So, trying to pretend we should be happy and/or respect the process or pretend that Obama is not malicious doesn’t cut it for me. Whether or not you label him a traitor is beside the point. The man has no principles and uses his power to punish his perceived enemies (that’s us) ala Chicago style thuggery.

At the same time, Republicans are proving themselves to be weaklings cowering every time the bully opens his mouth and that is equally disgusting. Honestly, Erick, there just is not much for us to be happy about. Boehner despises us almost as much as the Dems — and plays the bully against us inside the party.

About the only thing that I’m happy about is the principles that I believe in. Fate and natural consequences will eventually lead to the necessity of returning to them. So, it’s sort of like a waiting game. The other thing that I am happy about is our founding fathers created a system of governance to thwart and frustrate power-hungry, unscrupulous people such as Obama — and it is working. Thank God for that. I predict an even greater resurgence of federalism and State’s sovereignty by the end of the O’s second term — so good things will emerge through all of this, I believe.

Great article with the correct conclusion.

The Dems have figured out that their best strategy is to inflame the right and make it look as crazy as possible to ordinary Americans. At the same time, they have been able to maneuver conservatives into taking some difficult positions that have nothing whatseover to do with conservitism — and often counter to true conservitism.

The problem on the right (and left) is that there is an INDUSTRY of folks who make money with talk shows and books, while inflaming the hyberbole. At some point, it gets so crazy that average Americans just shut it out completely — exactly what the Dems want.

But there is also a huge failure of Republican leadership. Who out there has the character and above all the warmth of Ronald Reagan? The Republicans’ current candidates and leaders — just look at the feckless non-conservative Mitt Romney — are so far from Reagan that they would need a space wormhole to get back. Goldwater? He’d laugh at some of the nuts being offered as “conservative” candidates today.

The truth is that Establishment Republicans have taken over party leadership from Conservative Republicans, and while that circumstance persists we will continue to get more bad candidates — and bad ideas.

Well said. I agree 100%.

This post illustrates a significant problem with modern conservativism — lacking answers, it itself falls off into a cacophony of blame with the conclusion that “nothing can be done”.

With an attitude like that, probably nothing will be done! Sitting around griping about what may or may not have happened in the past is not going to get the car out of the rut.

I think the 24-hour news cycle is a big culprit here. With the focus on “winning the issue” and “winning the day”, the big picture can get lost in all the sound and fury, i.e. the daily barrage of stories about what stupid person said what stupid thing that day. Every day you’ve got new talking points out on every issue, and after a while it blends into this amorphous cloud of opposition that’s only tangentially connected to conservative ideas.

Think about how much analysis (not news, analysis) you consume today versus 15 years ago. Back then, I read the editorial page of my local paper, which cycled in one or two conservatives per day, plus the Weekly Standard, the New Yorker, and that was about it. Now, I read 3 or 4 daily blogs, the comments of those blogs, watch more analysis on TV in the evening, and I can’t say I’m better off in my understanding as a result.

So when Erick called out the “outrage pimps”, I didn’t take that to mean we shouldn’t be outraged. I won’t presume to speak for him, but for me, that would entail less focus on pressing the attack to win every news cycle, and more focus on big-picture issues of economics and policy. And lest it seems like I’m bashing the site, there are several writers here doing great job of this. Neil Stevens’ tech policy articles and the Coffee & Markets podcast come immediately to mind.

Erick, are you hoping the mainstream media will like you now and take you more seriously? News Flash: It won’t work. They still view you as the enemy and conservatives now view you as a limp-wristed idiot who doesn’t understand the situation we are dealing with.

Erick,
What you describe as a malady for conservatives I would submit also exists for liberals. The “piss and vinegar” characterized in some of these posts as fear and hopelessness or moral outrage helps illustrate my point.
Both sides appear to be extremely unhappy, unsatisfied, unfulfilled, whatever. Polarized by government in general (whether or not it’s intentional is another topic), the people fighting among themselves over EVERY LITTLE THING would be hard for a kindergarden teacher to settle down.
I find truth in humor, witty banter, and so on. The old saying (which I’m probably only coming close to) fits if people let it: “Comedy is tragedy plus timing.”
Russians have a kajillion proverbs about the Soviet Union that fit this formula. And that’s quite a bit!

I’ve tried even in my short time on this blog (or whatever you call it) to inject the teensiest bit of sarcasm and have met a few nasty folks. Very serious, probably well-intentioned people whose first reaction is unpleasantness. Last night, a good example.

Whatever the cause of the intense desire to flagellate a fellow conservative, I still appreciate a little dig even at ourselves. Gotta poke the pig to see if it’s awake.

You know what they say about wrestling with a pig in the mud . . .
I’ve been in the matches a few times and got my share of ribbons but that’s not why I signed up here. At first, I thought it would be an exchange of viewpoints laced with some sense of humor and some zest for the battles we’ve decided to front together.

Now that I know that I’m a stupid, illiterate, homophobic, racist drunkard, I can sleep better as one of the darlings suggested. That poster was right! I did sleep well. All my confusion gone; my worldview set properly in order; all my apologies clearly ready for society. Thank God! Oh Christ, now I brought up religion.

Back to the NyQuil I guess since I don’t drink.

Gohmert is an embarrassment to idiots. If one wonders why Conservatives have an image problem, Brainless Louis is Exhibit “A”.

You can whistle past the graveyard all you like, it won’t change the magnitude of the task, or that fact that it is you, not I, that are a captive of the past.

The idea that we just need better messaging or better messengers is yesterday’s thinking. The composition and worldview of the audience has changed from freedom to security centric, and those who changed it control nearly every tangible influence on that view.

In short, we’re not just trying to get the car out of the ditch. We’re trying to do that, while rebuilding the engine.

Erick, I have mixed feelings about your analysis. I was watching Evita last night (trying to avoid politics for a while). I had never seen it before, Fascinating if depressing.

What Peron did is an old, old story, and it works well for a while. Combine the artists, the intellectuals, and the lumpenproletariat and turn them against “the rich” and the bourgeois with a messianic savior and a mass movement that will riot if it doesn’t get its way. Lenin did it, Chavez did it, and Obama is doing it.

Problem is the base doesn’t know how to run anything, so it ALWAYS fails. Eventually the new order collapses and the old order returns. Unfortunately, many lives have been destroyed in the meantime. The thing that endures is the national culture.

I don’t think it can be stopped. We saw with Occupy and Madison WI how Obama’s base will react to resistance. I think it has to play itself out. And it will, and the country will learn a (temporary) lesson.

What can we do? Keep our heads down and try to go about our business. At least that is where I am these days.

Good post Erick. I believe Obama wants to do the right thing for America and be a good president as much as any previous president. He’s made some good decisions but many not as good. Republicans will obviously occupy the oval office again but it will take a Ronald Reagan in communication.

Reagan was not a whiner. Reagan also did not spend his time trying to think of things that he thought other people wanted him to say. He just said what he thought.

What an idiot. It was under Clinton we got bin laden.

Um we did clean our house, We elected conservatives where we could that promptly got ran over by the RINOs rushing to be reasonable in the media’s eyes. Hell we have RINOs sitting down beside their Democratic friends attacking the Conservatives.

Oh really…they have control over taxes, spending????Can you say…Executive Orders? He has already said that if Congress will not do his bidding…he will go around them. NO A WHIMPER FROM THE REPUBLICANS.

“What I am finding is that among conservatives there is too much outrage, piss, and vinegar. It makes our ideas less effective. We have become humorless, angry opponents of the President instead of happy warriors selling better ideas. We are not even selling ideas.”

This is really a strong point, IMHO.

Reagan succeeded because he was a happy warrior who would to be angry if the situation required it, but mostly, he just charmed everyone he came in contact with.

I don’t think America’s greatness comes from Washington or the Whitehouse.

I think they aren’t relevant in my life. My finacial success or failure is mine responsibility. My family is my responsibility. And anyone who thinks that Washington is sooo overbearing they can’t be personally responsible for themselves and their family is deflecting the blame off themselves.

I don’t fear the left and I know too many lefties to think that they have collectively constructed elaborate schemes that unfold over decades. They are mostly idiots who either can’t even hold a steady job or can’t hold a job and participate in the “conspiracy” at the same time.

The popularity of American Idol, The Housewives of OC, Honey Booboo and the Jersey Shore worries more than Obama.

I don’t agree. These are the people all over the country who got active in politics in 2008 or later, but never paid attention to politics before so have no idea how it works. No one taught them, so they continue to buy into every crazy story in the hopes that bringing Obama or some prominent democrat down is the way to win. It’s incredibly embarassing.

Well, in CA, we have the easiest proposition laws in the nation. So the honest answer to your question is, the people who have screwed up CA the most are ‘the people.’ Our love of direct democracy has painted ourselves into a pretty serious corner fiscally. Like, for instance, this last election cycle, the people of California actually voted themselves two tax increases! Majority rule. Sigh.

So, unless Texas suddenly becomes filled with liberals and starts going proposition crazy, I think you’ll be fine.

The Tea Party can’t catch a break even with those who they are trying to get into office.

we don’t need background checks on person to person sales or at gun shows. we don’t need any part of gun ownership regulated or infringed (see the Constitution for that word). it is illegal regardless what any justice has said for government to regulate guns.

We don’t have to deal with it. We need to fight hard to protect our freedoms, our gun rights, the life of the unborn.
NEVER GIVE UP.
NEVER FALL TO A MARXIST ADMINISTRATION.

What an idiot… it was under W that this was started.. W deserves some of the credit for waterboarding that lead to his death.

What a divided country we now are. Thanks Mr. Obama!

Bravo, Erik.

Louie Gohmert defends and respects the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Is it just because you don’t like his speech pattern? You comparing him to Alan Grayson in your comment below tells me all I need to know about your viewpoint and highlights the problem of low info voters.

You do not have to accept anything, does not change the fact he is your president.

And hate to tell you there shoppe, Obama’s win is a direct result of republican party actions, stupid republican voters who decided to stay home rather than vote the for the lesser of two evils, and is as a result of our inability to present our message.

And Obama lied, wow, you are a smart cookie. Guess what there shoppe, so do republicans. In fact quite a few tend to lie and not fulfill promises which again directly gave Obama the election.

But please oh please do not remove your readership from Erick, By all that is holy what will he do if you do that to him. His world will collapse, all will burn, hell will be upon us………………

So your little rant is ignorant, get over yourself, and grow up. We have four years to heed good advice and get ourselves in a position to regain the white house. Or we can act dumb like you and just let the dems keep it. While you are playing the part of a petulant child, fix your caps locks. If you are unable to at least be respectful in your typing, it is awful hard to give a damn about your opinion.

HOW CAN YOU HELP GET OUT THE CONSERVATIVE MESSAGE?
Erik you are correct about outrage overshadowing the conservative narrative,
but then conservatives have ALWAYS had a problem getting out their message. Most
entrenched Republicans are no help either, watering down or censoring the
message to gain voter share.
If people are really “outraged”, “pissed off” and “angry beyond belief” why didn’t they get more involved in the process during the 1012 election cycle to DEFEAT Obama and his sycophants?
It’s very easy to just get angry, but it seems a lot more difficult for MANY conservatives
to get involved, roll up their sleeves, get off their butts, write letters, emails, Internet posts, letters to editors and gov’t officials, pick up a phone and make calls, join a group, support the few real conservatives in Congress or in their own state – to make the Conservative Message more prominent in the public domain.
Those who are just angry need to take a good hard look in the mirror and ask themselves what price they want to pay for liberty, then do something to help get the conservative message out there.
Conservatives don’t need to be reminded that our liberty was and continues to be, paid for in blood, honor and sacrifice, but getting off your butt and taking action is the best way and the least we can do to honor those who gave us the freedom we still have. This is not just about us, it’s about our Country and children’s future and the patriots who came before us. Action would be a darn good start for 2016.

Whats your idea frankmac? Should we start a truly conservative party (and expect to lose for the next several decades, or should we work with the lousy Rinos we have and lose for the next several decades. Not an easy answer.

Obamas tactics are to make sure America is nothing like she was or should be. Total destruction of what our Founding Fathers stood for.
don’t believe me? Read “roots of Obamas rage” by D’Souza

Bravo! We haven’t had nearly enough positive work on what we’re for. As it is, the Democrats made hay for two years on Mitch McConnell’s comment that his number one job was to make sure that Barack Obama was a one-term president. The Republicans in the House have to pass bills that embody their principles. Then they have to be prepared to go out and fight for those bills. The Republicans in the Senate have to make every effort then to get those bills to the Senate floor. Senate courtesies be damned–Reid observes no courtesies. Make the motion that the Senate take up consideration of the House bill. When Reid, or his stooge in the chair, rules that the motion is out of order, appeal that ruling to the whole Senate for a vote. Put every Senator on record. Don’t let Reid just put House bills in his pocket to die. Filibuster any other business until Reid allows the House bills to go to a vote. Damn it, fight! Not just against Obama’s agenda but for our own! Get out there on the TV shows! Get in the faces of morons like Piers Morgan and Christiane Amanpour and call them on their partisanship! When Reid says that this or that bill is “dead on arrival” in the Senate, get on him immediately to explain why he will not permit his members (many of whom may well support it if given an opportunity, as Ron Wyden worked with Paul Ryan on a budget bill and Dick Durbin with Tom Coburn) to vote on it.

How do we get rid of the rinos? The states keep putting them in… its sickening. we need TERM LIMITS.

Good comment about the “outrage pimps”. I’ve gotten sick of all the emails I get that announce in hysterical language the end of American democracy if this or that bill passes (and oh, by the way, just send money–and “sign an email” that the senators involved will never see but which gives them an address to which they can send more fundraising pitches).

Most of us tried to get out the message that Mitt was a great first step towards getting our country back…

I think you give the Ds way too much credit for being so organized and effective as that.

shoppegirl, it’s great news indeed and good riddence to Perdue! Can’t wait to see what your new governor accomplishes and don’t know anything about him. I’m in TX, north TX area, if you haven’t gathered that by now…hard not to

I thought you were a Leftist, not a Conservative. Not sure why you are saying “we.”

I can sympathize with your post. As born-again Christians, in the Bible, we are told to pray for kings and all those that are in authority so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life with all men.

1 Tim. 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1 Tim. 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1 Tim. 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

If we do not practice this, the result won’t be good for us. We are warned not to allow bitterness to grow within our hearts as in Heb. 12:15, “…lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

Gentlemen and ladies, we need not to be troubled by Obama’s agenda, our life on this planet is far too short and whatever pitfalls that may befallen upon us, let us set our affections not on the earth, but in heaven. For there is our citizenship assured and one day the Wonderful Governor, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, will return to take what is rightfully His own.

Let us rejoice for ever more. O Christians, rejoice! For the Lord is good to us, and all things will work out good to those who love the Lord, as God is working out His purpose on this world according to His pleasure.

Eric, I am a liberal democrat that enjoys reading your blog. While I may not agree with your positions, you state them reasonably and your passion and intelligence are obvious, and you help me to understand the other side of the coin. What is hard for me to understand is the persistent name calling and bad mouthing by many of those who comment. It reminds me of watching a group of junior high students in a heated argument—the immaturity is obvious to everyone except those in the argument. I don’t find this much different on liberal blogs, either. Can we please act like adults and treat each other with respect?

I agree with the majority of what EE wrote. I agree that too often we become “the purveyors of outrage rather than preachers for a cause.” I also agree that too often we act as victims instead of doing something. Being bitter and angry is not helpful, especially when you spend all your time doing so instead of trying to turn the tide.

I do think calling the President treasonous is an exercise in hyperbole, although I do think his actions are intentional. He wants to divide this country in order to achieve the goals of Progressives. Unfortunately, these goals are at odds with our Constitution. To the President and many in his intellectual circles, the Constitution is more of a hindrance to them rather than a revered document. This is a dangerous thing.

Where I strongly disagree with EE is equivocating pushing for truth regarding Benghazi and F&F with being a “victim” or “whiny.” I certainly would never accuse the families of the brave men who died in these scandals of being “b*****” or “whiny” for pushing for the truth. Neither will I do so for those in the GOP who are trying to uphold the rule of law. No one in this country is above the law, whether you are the POTUS or the AG of the United States.

You can push for truth, hold the rule of law, and sell your ideas without being bitter and angry. You do not have to throw the former out in order to achieve the latter.

It is.

We should be realistic, not necessarily happy.

Realistic about why Obama won. Realistic about 2016.

Conservativism sells when it’s packaged attractively. In 2012, the Republican nominee wasn’t conservative and wasn’t packaged well. Not at all. Furthermore, Republicans allowed Akins and then Mourdock, despite their inherent qualities, to become fatal anchors around the neck. Just cold, hard reality.

The country has survived worse presidents than Obama. His flaws are so apparent because of the communications spotlight he occupies. He will fade as a failed occupant of the White House. No use expending energy against his character.

I agree but if you think you, me or anyone can change the schools you are asleep at the switch. They took the schools first and then brain washed our kids so well that Goebbels would be proud. As a military historian I could NEVER understood how Hitler took over Germany. Now with “O” in charge I now DO understand how a nation can be hypnotized/brain washed buy a single person.

I agree with this

I agree. Also, I think we dig ourselves a hole waiting for the next Reagan. We shoot ourselves in the foot every time we pass on someone because they’re not Reagan. There never will be another Reagan and the sooner we come to that conclusion as a party, the better off we’ll be. That doesn’t mean there won’t be another President who will be just as good if not better, but legendary people are legendary for a reason.

I couldn’t agree more. Be happy because you live in America!

Work harder to get people elected; not by scare tactics and over the top conspiracy talk, but with good ideas and good candidates. 2016 is just around the corner, so let’s get to it.

Why support him on international issues? He’s just as clueless there as everywhere else.

Why isn’t anyone talking about the 500 lb gorilla in the room, which is fear. I keep hearing talk about our schools being taken over by libs but what happened was that the last generation of conservatives opened their own schools when desegregation happened then home schooled when the Christian schools got too expensive or too liberal. They forfeited the right to bring conservative values into the public educational system when they ran away because of fear.

The media was taken over by libs because Christian conservative media all opened up their own radio shows and printed their own magazines rather than slug it out over the public airwaves and in the print media. And guess what? Conservatives are the only ones listenting to and reading that stuff. Again, it’s fear that makes conservatives run at the first sign of strong opposition.

Then Obama gets elected and all the stuff that Rs & Ds have been doing forever – raising taxes, boondoggle local projects, declaring unfunded wars, expanding Medicare, corporate welfare, confiscating our property without due process, etc – now these things are Marxist or Socialist because Obama is president and America is now going to die in 4-8 years. Really people? Get a grip on reality!

Fear of socialism, fear of marxism, fear of having our guns taken away, fear of sending our kids to liberal schools, prepping in fear of a zombie apocalypse. Conservatives are living in fear, and that’s why so many of these crazy conspiracy theories find any traction. They feed the fear. The right wing commentators feed the fear. The right wing news feeds the fear. Fear is a cottage industry and it feeds on conservatives while making a few people very rich.

The first thing conservatives can do is get a grip and stop living in fear. Fear based messages are not going to win elections. Do you know why Obama won, and then won again? His message was Hope. Not Fear. Say what you will about the sincerity of that message, it struck the right chord. So if conservatives can’t package their message in a way that appeals to people, if conservatives are too fearful to believe in America anymore, if conservatives REALLY think that one person can change America so much that conservative values cannot appeal to a majority of voters, then conservatives really don’t deserve to lead this country.

Obama was right about one thing, we need more of a message than bibles and guns. We need hope that we can get the government down to the size it’s supposed to be. Let’s articulate how we’ll do that. We need hope that our taxes will be reasonable and used for things we believe in. Let’s articulate how we’ll do that. We need hope that public schools will turn out literate students and keep them safe while doing it. Most of all we need hope that there will be decent well paying jobs for all of us or everything else on the list is just a pipe dream. Let’s articulate these things. We need to pick a few really important things and articulate how life will be better if we do these things. We don’t need to have all the answers but we do need to have some answers.

Abortion? Let’s make it a non-issue for now. I’ve been voting Republican my whole life and we still have abortion, so why is it still a litmus test for conservatives? Let’s make whether the candidate is a Christian or not a non-issue. We should not even be asking that because it’s none of our business if a candidate is a Christian or an atheist as long as he or she is a constitutional conservative. We need to stop putting up roadblocks and trying to make every single conservative carbon copies of ourselves. Gay marrriage? Let’s make it a non-issue. Fornication and adultery are non-issues. Stop making homosexuality the sin of the day when the bible expressly forbids fornication and adulterty and we say nothing about it. Pointing a finger and saying “your sin is worse than mine and I’m gonna legislate the hell out of it” doesn’t cut it.
It’s about the constitution, not about the bible.

We cannot do this by living in fear of engaging with our fellow Americans or by retreating into our own little groups to complain about “them”. We need a sane, hopeful and above all a constitutional message that all of us can articulate, not just the person running for president, because our neighbors need to hear it from us. And yes, we need to be happy while we’re telling them because if the message doesn’t work for us, why should they think it will work for them?

I’ve never disagreed with one Tweet or post you’ve ever made, but this piece, along with your not necessary public ”congratulations” of Obama are completely out of step.. You will eat or walk back this lashing out.

Try Matthew 7:5 – that Jesus guy has some pretty sweet quotes to choose from

If you don’t mind me saying, they did include that they saw it no differently on Liberal Blogs. I’d give them a pass for that. At least they aren’t here to throw insults about “fascists” and “racists.”

You know what Jesus says: love you enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Perhaps we should try honoring them as a friendly guest, and thank them for not being excessively rude like other Liberals are. That sounds like the loving thing to do, don’t you think?

I think honesty and integrity is the best policy. Pretending to be a Conservative, when you are not is dishonest. it is not against the rules to say “we”, but it is to be a “moby.”

Not having a solid philosophy on life or life’s issues is rather an aimless way to live. Additionally, strongly disagreeing with a political philosophy (Progressivism) is not making an enemy of those you disagree with. Disagreement is not bad nor is it wrong. It is the way in which you disagree that makes the difference. There are times when one does have enemies in which is it a good thing (ie. fighting our enemies the Nazis or terrorists), although in many of these cases we did not choose our enemies, they chose us.

Quite frankly, and I apologize if this is rude, but it appears rather arrogant and condescending to claim that you have “plenty of solutions” for the “problems” of the GOP when you yourself have no real sense of where you stand as to your own political philosophy. The old adage “take out the plank in your own eye, before you attempt to remove the twig in that of your brother” comes to mind. Note I am saying political philosophy, not party and not issues. For it is the underlying philosophy that is the core of disagreements between Conservatives and Progressives, the issues are but the outward manifestations of these disagreements. These core philosophies have nothing in common and are fundamentally opposed to one another.

I wrote this earlier today but Disqus puked it up…My apologies GreyCloak for my over-reactionary comment. And I do agree with you on focusing on Congress but we can’t turn a blind eye on the prez as he sets the tone and agenda that we are against.
.
It would be nice if the House would set the agenda but it’s not possible to do unilaterally when O has the veto power and Reid uses his personal fireplace to file away all House bills!
.
I hope you saw it when I wrote it and I see it in my activity, but still not where it belonged below your comment. Sorry again

Blame Obama, blame the media…then take a long hard look in the mirror. Because we share some fault for his getting elected. When people act more and talk less, we’ll finally get some where.

Do you realize that the GOP establishment (with help from Karl Rove’s Crossroads, of course) is now actively working to cut the grassroots out of the 2014 primary process?

Republican Establishment Declares War on GOP Voters – http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_scott_rasmussen/republican_establishment_declares_war_on_gop_voters

GOP scrambles to fix its “Primary problem” –
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/gop-scrambles-to-fix-its-primary-problem-85726.html

What the Disqus just happened??? Both this comment and GreyCloak’s were from several hours ago and I just had to re-post my apology to Grey’ since it wasn’t in the comments, yet I it saw in the running block on the right after a few minutes of posting it. Did ya’ll repost your earlier comments or did Disqus just go haywire?

Thanks Rich.

You would be wrong. Obama’s advantage far exceeds that of LBJ or even Roosevelt because of his skin color and a completely complicit media. Not to mention 50% of the country who are takers and a national moral compass that seems non existent for many. No this is much worse and it will be reflected in where we continue to go in the years to come. Obama hates America as it was founded and will seek to change it at the expense of all.

Amen to that. You would think this is obvious stuff. Break that institution down here and destroy that tradition there. Next thing you know you have no America left. Just this question:

What about America is left to love?

Scary that a question like that needs some thought first just to muster any kind of answer. Why doesn’t the answer just gush out of everyone’s collective mouth?

Sure, there are reasons. Nobody seems to have a common short list though. Not anymore . . .

You’re gonna hate tomorrow’s post, then. Abortion will be an issue for this site until this site disappears. So get over it.

“… last generation of conservatives opened their own schools when desegregation happened…” Are you implying that conservatives are racist? Do you have any statistics to back up your claims that a majority of conservatives left public schools, and in doing so, gave up the right to have any say? Everybody in my family as well as my husband’s went to public school, as did our son. Regardless, I pay taxes that fund education. That alone gives me the right to have a say.

As for your rant about social issues, that’s been hashed and rehashed to death. Social conservatives have, historically, been the most dependable voters in the GOP. We’re not going anywhere, and we’re not going to shut up. However, I’d like you to explain how gov’t. funding of Planned Parenthood isn’t both a fiscal and social issue.

On the subject of same sex marriage vs. adultery, when was the last time you saw a group of adulterers marching in the streets and demanding societal acceptance of their sins? Try to keep up. It is homosexuals who are pushing this issue in the courts and demanding special treatment as a protected group, which they are not.

You really have misjudged the conservatives I know. Preparing for the worst isn’t living in fear. We’re realists who have no faith in leftist policies, but we’re not sitting around wringing our hands. Survivalists are the ultimate optimists. We are planning to, you know, survive the worst they can throw at us. But even if we don’t, we’re happy because our faith is in the right place.

Bingo runner12 and I’m awaiting a response too from norishman when being civil…crickets.

I agree kipling that the House can affect change if it has the desire, but will say that this is a new era of Chi-town politics and the GOP doesn’t know how to play in the mudpit.
.
Newt was awesome and the House should learn from him and keep him on retainer! What was that old commercial, when Merril Lynch (I think?) speaks, people listen. Sorry if I got the quote wrong but Newt is worth a listen and learn.

I don’t agree with you Erick. No happy warrior has ever won anything, except Ronald Reagan and his opposition was Jimmy Carter! This guy has set out to re-create America in his own image.

When he has disagreed with the Constitution, he has simply violated it. With the Supreme Court refusing to involve themselves in political decisions, Obama has been able to do so with impunity.

He doesn’t believe in the Bill of Rights either. He calls it a list of negative rights because it constrains the government from overreaching into the lives of American citizens.
Every decision that he makes is being passed through a prism of “what’s good for Obama” not what’s good for America.

Would George Bush trotted all over the world spiking the football after killing Osama? I think not. In fact, I doubt if we would have even known who did it, other than “American Special Operators.” By proclaiming to the world that Seal Team Six killed Bin Laden, he painted a target on their backs, endangering them.

He has set out to make us all dependents of the government and if I can see a way to do it, my wife and I will leave the country. It seems that we’ll be in good company since Phil Mickelson recently announced that he and his family are considering the same thing.

The best way to prepare is to find a candidate for president who is conservative and can quickly, easily, and politely explain why conservatism is best for America. Then we find similar candidates for all the down-ballot races. We are not going to get anywhere if our whole campaign is anti-Obummer in 2016! He won’t be on the ballot then!!! We are just spinning our wheels if we don’t understand that. Ultimately, we have to be FOR something not just against SOMEONE!!!!!

The point is–even if what you said is true–how is that going to get a conservative elected in 2016??? How is that going to help us strengthen the House and maybe take back the Senate in 2014??? Focus!!!! Our race is not to say “I told you so”, but to say “here is something better”! But, we have to find “better” and then present him/her in such as way as the average voter will believe it. Railing against Obummer will not create a single vote for our candidate! Telling a convincing, positive message will get us lots of votes.

Neither are pet rocks or Chia pets. But, to rail against them is to only get a sore throat. It happens not because it makes sense economically, it happens because it works politically, or at least seems to. And, until that changes we are stuck with it, so forget about it and worry about other things that also work like get out the vote campaigns, and working from within the Party, not just cussing them from the outside.

The “low information voters” are not the problem! The problem are those who should have known better who stayed home. The “low integrity” non-voters. THEY are the problem. If they had gotten off their sorry butts and voted we would not only have the White House today, but the Senate as well. Don’t blame those who believe Obummer–blame those who didn’t believe enough in anything to do what they knew they should.

I myself am English, and hold no bias to either party, however I feel you really hit the nail on the head with regard to the failure of the Republican party.

Baseless attacks, slander, poorly thought out propaganda and a blind inability to accept oposing views have left the Republican party looking to a large amount of America (and, indeed, the world) as gun toting religious fanatics.

In the end, to succeed, the Republicans must do what the Democratic party have done and accept the fact that people’s values and morals are changing, rather than attempt to force people in to taking steps backwards – and being seen as haters of progress and equal rights-.

It’s time for a change, but not in America, in the Republican party. This party now represents views and values that are becoming more and more obsolete with every passing day. In a world where equal rights are becoming more and more valued every day, you can’t expect to get ahead of the rat-race by openly opposing things such as gay marriage. In a world where cultures and religions are so spread out, you can’t go forcing Christian belief and the bible down everyone’s throat.

The biggest problem with American politics is the utterly blind and almost fanatic division between values. People don’t see the merit of individual policies, they don’t see the value of legislation, they simply see red or blue, and that is not the way forward.

Then, since you are close enough to see them, it is up to YOU to wake them up! Have fun!

vv

Yes, the current Republican leadership has been “paid off” every time they have run for re-election. The solution? Primary them!

Shocker!!! More wisdom from across the pond that we shed blood to free us from their tyrannical ways. Ya’ll really need to stay on your side of the pond. Geeezz. Please do not tell us that it’s time for us to change until ya’ll are perfect in the UK and we’ll refrain from same.
.
Let’s all hold hands and pledge to collectivism and socialism: “People don’t see the merit of individual policies, they don’t see the value of legislation, they simply see red or blue, and that is not the way forward.” Thank you not. We didn’t Pledge our Allegiance to the United Kingdom and never will. The USA is our allegiance, so please be courtesy as a guest and we’ll do the same in your country.

Your reply is a prime example of exactly what I mean.

You haven’t look at what I have said, you haven’t looks at anything past the fact that I am English and have jumped on something that happened several hundred years ago.

So you have just proven Mr. Erickson’s argument completely correct.

I read and understand you clear as day. Your 1st comment is exactly the disease that is spreading in our country that was exported from abroad and unfortunately our ruling class of politicians couldn’t resist that socialist candy that is handy for re-election purposes.
.
I won’t waste my time pointing out your liberal flaws sentence by sentence as I know my fellow patriots will do so in no time; suffice it to say, you are blinded between what feels good and what is morally right (a known trait of liberals) and insulting people in our Party to accept your viewpoint or be called ignorant for the past 100 years is well, un-American and plain stupid…no offense of course.
.
Have fun with this one, he or she who calls themselves “impartialobserver” because the wrath here will make you wish you never entered RS world, : “In a world where cultures and religions are so spread out, you can’t go forcing Christian belief and the bible down everyone’s throat.”
.
Ta ta and chip chip cherio!

Thank you daveinsa’ as I too got what ivanna was saying as postive steps for our party to win. I like Margaret Thatcher’s idea: first you win their heart and then you win their vote. If we win on fiscal issues and some social issues, then perhaps we’ll have a stronger mic on social issues after we’ve won over the electorate. In the meantime, we have no credible microphone to sway opinion on either issue.

No one cares what you think or about your opinion. When you become a US citizen, then we will care. When you fix your own broken ass country, then we will care. Until then, go give your opinion to the democrats, they may care a bit more than us.

I honestly have no clue what a “Health Economist” is. But no, I am simply a student with a great interest in American politics, and it’s little quirks.

But yet you prove the original point again.

Tooth decay problems? You call upon a hundred-year-old cliché to attack me for no reason, rather than actually addressing my points.

Or is that because you see the truth in my words, and have no other way of denying it except attacking me?

I enjoy attacking foreigners who think they have the right to tell us how to run our nation, simple as that. When you have joined our county as a citizen or fixed your own broken system, then you may, and I stress may, have the time or right to worry about ours and lecture us on your perceived expertise on our problems. Until then go f*** yourself.

And you would not know truth if it hit you in your mouth.

And by the way, it is far from being a 100 year old cliche, only a few in your country seem to know what Crest is.

So then stay silent and observe, your opinion is not wanted, needed, asked for, or allowed. Shove off back to your own business and worry about fixing your own decaying political system. Sort of funny that someone coming from a propped up government would lecture the propper uppers.

“You call upon a hundred-year-old cliché to attack me for no reason, rather than actually addressing my points.” Poor baby. Addressing what points? That you’re a condescending, insulting foreigner? You all sound the same. Go away.

Some of us will have to learn that about 40% of the electors will always vote for the other guy. They only care about winning. No in order to wake these people up it will take their Dear Leader to cause them pain and effect them personally and even then some of them will still vote the same way.

They hate the truth. And I think I found our resident British lecturer as seen in pic 3.

hahaha. nt

We don’t suffer concern trolls. Go get your jollies elsewhere.

lol, wow, those teeth are pretty bad.

Luckily though, for several decades now dental treatment has been free thanks to the NHS, so we don’t have such problems any more.

As for the inbreeding I believe that was the royal family, rather than citizens of the UK itself. I believe Texas, Utah, etc are more often called out for being the “incest states”

CU was a response to the Dems/unions already existing unlimited donation advantage. That’s why the Dem pols get so upset about the Rep attempts to pass laws allowing workers to avoid joining unions. Best comeback to anyone complaining about CU is to say “Sure, right after we outlaw union political contributions.

“To me, a country is a place of residence and nothing more.”

That explains so very much, although you didn’t mean it that way. It is why you are getting the replies you are getting. It is why England is done as a country. DONE. It is why we despise Obama, keep our guns and Bibles, guard our traditions and protect our families.

I am very closed-minded. The home of my ancestors, the protector of freedom, the place that nourishes me, my family and the world, the land that I love more than life means everything to me. I don’t want it to drift one inch toward being “a place of residence and nothing more”, and that is precisely what Barack Obama is attempting. We are standing in his way, and people that support him here in America and abroad don’t like it. They can go live in hell.

You could not be more wrong, and I could not feel more sorry for you. I mourn the loss of our friend and ally England, and urge you to begin to understand what a major part your attitude played in its demise.

You are wrong – it is a terribly hard sell. Look at the world – is self-sufficiency the order of the day, or is becoming a comfort-state the goal?

The national character of our people has become so eroded that I believe we have crossed a line from which we cannot return.

Erick, I agree that we should be more upset with Establishment Republicans than Obama. We have to to purge them and replace them with conservatives if we want to have any chance of defeating Obama’s agenda. The only problem with your article is you leave Behnghazi and Fast and Furious hanging out there. How do you propose conservatives handle it? Ignore it? Don’t address it? Don’t ever bring it up? You need some clarity on this. You don’t provide that clarity in this article.

Good heavens! The majority felt as though Mitt Romney “did not care about them and really had no plans to improve their lives?” If this is what we’ve come to, then we truly are doomed. Nowhere in the Constitution is there a promise the president’s job is to “care” about folks or “improve” their lives. Lord help us…

I worked with Brits for lots of years. They’re not so bad. A few went back because of family, houses to sell (or lease), various reasons. Most stayed on and applied for citizenship. As much as this country has gone to hell like a lot of places in the world, the US is still pretty good. UK is unfortunately next to Europe. The spill over is horrible. Our rednecks think the Mexicans are bad. What about your Arabs and Indians? Your rednecks go nuts over them. Same thing different place.
A very good friend of mine, Paul, loves it here. He almost avoids fellow Brits just to fully immerse himself over here. NASCAR, hotdogs, drunk hillbillies, drives a piece of crap (he has money to do better), etc.
Loves it.
He’d be pissing himself laughing at this thread so take heart. I think it’s so chatroom stupid that it’s funny, too. Two nations with fat toothless hillbillies that believe in really dumb stuff like alien abductions and big floating sea monsters. Both telling each other off.

It’s funny. How menacing! TEXT! Scary business, that.

from a septic to a limey ; )

More people have been slaughtered in the name of God over the centuries than any other deity (or lack thereof). Do some research on the Holy Crusades, as a starter

The real issue is the media. Republicans/Conservatives will never get their message out given the mainstream media ideology. Conservative bloggers, conservative radio talk shows and Fox News are what we have to get the message out. Republicans and Conservatives need to strategize on how to use the mainstream media and use it against the liberal bias. Unless and until that gets accomplished we will litterally be swimming up stream against the flow.
We do need levity and civility, and to be correct with our facts to convince listeners, readers and viewers. We need more Ted Nugents out there speaking for us. Get in their faces with humor and confidence we are right on our facts and philosophy like Ted.

I know that feeling, Paul.

What a disappointment you are. Your piece smacks oddly of appeasement and
strikes a sour note. And taking so many others of your articles into account,
it also has a strongly disingenuous aroma.

“But I do not think the President means to do this maliciously. I do not think he is
treasonous. I do not hate him. I am not outraged by it.”

“If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, ‘We’re gonna punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues…” ~ Barack Obama

“Republicans “Don’t Know How To Drive. They Can Ride With Us If They Want To, But They Got To Get In The Back Seat.” ~ Barack Obama

“I don’t know – not having been there and not seeing all the facts – what role race played in that, but I think it’s fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty
angry; number two that he Cambridge police acted stupidly…” ~ Barack Obama

“I think it’s important for us to understand that the Fast and Furious program was a
field-initiated program begun under the previous administration. (Lie #1) When
Eric Holder found out about it, he discontinued it. (Lie #2) We assigned a
inspector general to do a thorough report that was just issued, confirming that
in fact Eric Holder did not know about this, (Lie #3) that he took prompt
action (Lie #4) and the people who did initiate this were held accountable (Lie
#5).” ~ Barack Obama

While America watched in disbelief and the families of the slaughtered grieved and begged for answers, the number of intentional blatant lies that fell directly from the lips of Barack Obama as well as his White House staff and the State Department are far too numerous to list here, though I daresay you could enumerate them yourself.

And I could go on and on demonstrating instances where this country has witnessed the cold, calculating, ruthless vindictiveness of Barack Obama carried out against
anything or anyone he believes opposes him.

The current president has openly, publicly REFUSED to enforce laws enacted by Congress on one hand and on the other has issued unconstitutional illegal executive orders by which we are now ruled.

No, he isn’t doing anything maliciously. Nothing he’s done is treasonous… And
you’re not outraged. What a Boy Scout Erick Erickson has turned out to be. I sure hope you have a white hat to go along with your wishbone – you know, the one you have where a backbone should be.

I can’t speak for anyone but me, but I feel that we’re under assault. If I disagree with any policy or position taken by a Liberal or Democrat and most especially Barack
Obama, then I am labeled a racist, though I don’t give a rat’s ass. And each day, the news is filled with stories that have traveled well beyond the realm of bizarre to sheer lunacy. For example:

A 6-year-old girl expelled from school for playing with her pink “Hello Kitty” automatic bubble blower “gun”.

Two 6-year-old boys suspended for playing cops & robbers during recess because they used their index fingers and thumbs to simulate a gun…

A 20-page, sexually explicit booklet designed for young people with HIV titled “Happy, Healthy and Hot,” which contained the contact information for the International Planned Parenthood Federation handed out to Girl Scouts that is well beyond anything most parents would consider appropriate for sex education for their children.

And there is just an outright REFUSAL by the media cover or present both sides of any issue and merely “report” news, for example to raise any awareness of the dangerous effects and deadly consequences that should be attributed to psychotropic drugs being dispensed by the medical community while promoting their agenda instead of gun control. (I dare each of you to research this and you will find in almost every single instance involving mass shootings, the gunmen were “on
medication”.

And while I certainly didn’t agree with every one of his policies, for fully TWELVE years going into the 13th now, former President George Walker Bush has been viciously maligned by the Left – publicly hanged and burned in effigy – and blamed for
everything from the 9/11 attacks to ‘the heartbreak of psoriasis’. So called entertainers and “celebrities” starving for attention have openly called for the murder of Republicans such as Sarah Palin – with impunity. And the media, the media? Well, American journalists – now there’s an oxymoron – give them a pass because they’re either too busy furthering their own agendas and careers or drinking in the foul stench of Obama’s steaming oral diarrhea that has failed to do nothing positive or
beneficial for over 4 years now, but has divided this nation like never before.

No, I am not a victim, Erick, nor do I require your permission to continue expressing my moral outrage and I DARE you to shut me up. Yes, I am angry, but not at you.
My feelings toward the Republican Establishment go far beyond mere anger to a fury, that is so well-deserved by those who have betray our trust, forsaken the Constitution, violated their oaths of office and jeopardized the future of this nation through their sheer stupidity and desire for self-advancement.

And though not surprised, I am deeply disappointed in those of you, so willing to just sit and pontificate while fawning over each other and sharing your brilliance with those of us who make up the unwashed, non-celebrity masses out here bitterly clinging to our God, our guns, our families and our integrity while you do absolutely nothing, but flap your lips and chide, “Hush up! Shhh! Bad form!” Well… I guess I could respect you for that, but then… I just guessed again.

Erick, what is the matter with you. I always try to read your articles with an open mind, optimistic that I will find positive and encouraging coments, but once again I am mystified. You continually try to praise the President and justify all his policies. Then you try to back peddle by claiming you don’t agree with them.
Stop telling us of your dreamland and report accurately. If you can’t see through his propaganda and report the truth, then go away and don’t pretend to support conservative ideals.

I totally agree with your assessment. We do live in fear, and those of us who have seen a greater America from the past are very concerned about BO and his policies. America used to be the land of opportunity, that is quickly eroding under our current president.

I would like to make an observation that may not be too popular. And I want to be clear that I am talking about my personal observations and that they should not be taken to be a blanket statement about conditions elsewhere. I live in a very, very conservative community in the intermountain west which is heavily subsidized by the government in the form of welfare and food stamps. Even more depressing, at least to me, are the number of unwed teenage mothers walking around. Even with the very depressed economy, it is almost impossible to hire someone to help with the outside work. They’ll show up, work for a few hours and then disappear. This is an area that votes almost solidly R. My point is that I’m not so sure that it is a D thing or an R thing but I do agree there is a problem and it is a mistake to assign it all to just one political party. It is a waste of the time and energy needed to actually address the problem.

Loving does not mean overlooking faults nor does it mean being a doormat nor does it mean ignoring the truth.

I am glad that the poster at least acknowledges his side does it. That still doesn’t cut it. I am tired of these people not taking any responsibility for their side. If he wants to come on a conservative blog, he should first apologize for the absolute ugliness of his side before he even utters a single criticism of the opposition. Otherwise everything he says is disingenuous. The dialog in this country has gotten so toxic that I do not trust a single lefty.

“Happy warriors? We doan need no stinkin’ happy warriors.”

I’ve been to war and you win wars by being meaner than your enemy. This is not politics as usual we are engaged in here. This is (political) warfare. Just as we won’t face the fact that the islamic world, as a whole, is at war with modernity and Christianity, we won’t face the fact that radical extremists dominate the Democrat party and are at war with traditional America and the Constitution. Until we come to grips with who our enemy is, we will lose elections until no more elections are held. Just because Obama won and occupies the Oval Office does not mean he deserves our respect. Respect is earned and he has failed. Obama is waging a 21st century version of the French Revolution and must not be supported in any policy area. He must be continually demeaned and dissed until he becomes fodder for the late night TV comedians. His second term must be a total failure even if we suffer. It is the only way to insure his successor does not continue his specious “social justice” agenda.

Gun walking was started under President Bush with Mexico’s assistance, and
discontinued when it really didn’t do what was intended. Eric Holder,
initiated it again and caused the deaths of several border patrol
people, including Brian Terry, and many Mexican people, plus it was done without the consent of the Mexican government.

The Crusades and Islam have a shared history.

To Mr.Erickson

My mother taught that if you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing. Perhaps that equally applies to your descriptive of Obama.
I was sickened when McCain said,in Tucson, that Obama is ‘loyal American’. I am equally sickened when you absolve him of malicious intent, the intent to destroy America. I fully believe his acts, since his first coronation, have been treasonous.
I am appalled that noone in the Congress has taken the lesson of Honduras, 2009, to heart. I am appalled that for two years, a Republican Congress, has done nothing to stop his dismantling of the Constitution.
It is far more than anger, it is abhorrence and disgust. And dismay that I, as an individual, can do nothing effectively to defend my country.
You have pulpit. Use it effectively. Promulgate actions that your readers can take. But never, never, provide any alibi for the miscreant in the White House.

I heard somebody say that executive orders affect only the Executive Branch of the gov’t. As worried as we all are, that must not be true. Oh, I guess rules made by each of the Secretaries and Chairmen do affect all of us. Never mind.

I agree completely, but unfortunately social conservatives are some of the worst at playing the political game to get what they want. They’d rather do a Charge of the Light Brigade and get wiped out and console themselves that they fought hard instead of outflanking their opponents and winning.

If only Erick Erickson was as harsh towards Barack Obama as he was towards Sarah Palin back when she was deciding whether or not to run for President.

So, one lesson we did not learn from 1996 election when Clinton stomped Dole is that the general population in America today is not a population that votes on moral lines. Clinton was well-known as a philanderer and liar, yet the news war cry was, “It’s the economy, stupid”. Character (or lack thereof) was a large part of the Republican mantra in that election, yet we (as a nation) cared not one whit and voted (relatively) overwhelmingly for a known adulterer because it suited our wallets.

Similarly, “Benghazi” and “Fast and Furious” are appeals to moral outrage. But remember that we vote with our wallets…and there were a lot of folks hoping to line their pockets with taxpayer money based on campaign promises in the voting booths in 2012. Appealing to voters by pushing moral issues is not working, folks. This is a nation without a conscience at this time.

We are now a nation of “preferences” rather than “principles”. Everything is relative to “what’s in it for me” rather than, “what is best for our nation”.

I’ve found that discussing Christianity with non-Christians requires we find a common ground to work from. Claiming the Bible as God’s inerrant message to mankind, while true, does not help. Have to find common basis to agree for a starting point (usually *not* the Bible) and build from there. Moral outrage doesn’t change votes, apparently, so quit preaching that sermon.
For instance, we exclusively appealed to the righteous indignation of Catholics (and others, but specifically looking at a clear teaching for the Church for support) regarding abortion. Hispanic Catholics voted 75% for BO. Yes, white Catholics voted 60/40 for Romney, but were apparently swamped out by their hispanic counterpart. Despite abortion and “free” contraception being DNC position planks, Hispanic Catholics (which actually poll further right on areas like birth control and abortion than their white compatriots) voted BO in with their feet. Why? Because morals won’t make illegals into legal immigrants…but BO will.
Gotta find common ground with folks not traditionally attracted to the Republican party.

What is the key word in “moral outrage”? Isn’t it “moral”? And how does that word apply to MSM, and frankly most voters (this cycle at least)?

Can’t fight a battle when not on the same battlefield. Those in RedState are, by-and-large, adherents to some sort of moral code that exists outside themselves. So us having moral outrage makes sense, and unfortunately, it doesn’t really make sense to the relativist.

Yeah, yeah, yeah – no president is perfect – I get it. But it sure seems like this one has done, and continues to do, more PERMANENT damage to the country than any of the others you listed. He has become emboldened like no other before him because the checks and balances do not seem to be working. He is just not the least bit afraid of Republican challenge to anything he throws out. Kind of like a teenager who has never been disciplined. Conservatives – wake up! Time to stand up and be the adult and hand out the punishment instead of trying to be everyone’s friend.

I’m not implying anything. I’m not really an implier, I’m more of an outright stater of opinion so nothing I say is clouded in innuendo. I’m outright stating that the modern Christian school movement started when the Civil Rights movement started, from the early fifties through the mid sixties and early seventies.

You can see the fear and panic that this engendered by going to any search engine and searching on school de-segregation in the south. You’ll see people screaming their heads off at 4-5 black children walking into the school. What do you call that? Yes, there were racists at the time and yes, they did run in fear of desegregation. It’s not a judgement, it’s just history.

Dial it down and knock off the language. You know better.

I can’t tell if I should whack you for being a birther or just a general kook. We’ll go with the latter.

Door’s on the right, Skippy. Use it.

Can we stop with the pious nonsense that we were once a nation of “principles” instead of “preferences?” The voters of the 1800′s were just as agenda and preference driven as the ones of today. Heck, it’s always been that way in politics.
Conservatives need to brush up on their Machiavelli and realize one thing: nobody adheres to ideology perfectly. We all have our flaws. We all have our agendas competing against each other. The wise prince (or President) learns how to use those agendas to get as much done as he can.

The comments in this thread smell like R.Kelly and vinegar

THANK YOU.

Oh, absolutely. I just feel it’s an extremely poor view to think anyone who “turns away from the grace of god” is an animal when some of the world’s most terrible crimes in history have been done in the name of Jesus, God or Saint Mary.

Agree – daves’. I don’t think it was bashing either. Another way to look at “not focusing” on these very divisive issues is for all federal leaders and candidates to simply say they are STATE issues – every single time they come up. Keep the federal government out of all of that kind of legislation and let the individual states deal with things like abortion and gay marriage. If you like the way California does it – fine – move there. If you don’t, join us in Texas. Small government is always the right answer. It drastically improves the tone of the message. (Hint: Ted Cruz is pretty good at it.)

“Part of Obama’s transformation of America is wiping out the Republican Party. And anyone who fails to understand that that is also part of Obama’s agenda at this moment, anybody who fails to understand that is really not paying attention and is too caught up in traditional conventional wisdom about, “Well, it was just another election. Well, yes, Obama won. Yes, we marshaled our forces, but we need to stand for pro-growth policies and all that rotgut.” Yes, we do. There’s no way we’re ever gonna be tied to pro-growth policies if our fingerprints are on this coming disaster.”

So wrote Rush Limbaugh and I agree with him, this is not business as usual as Erick Erickson seems to believe.

I meant that the Crusades began (at least in part) as a war against Islam to reclaim areas overrun by Muslims. Muslims have the notion that once they own a land it is theirs forever no matter who they stole it from. Even if it gets retaken by the original owners, it still remains Muslim territory in their eyes. They will forever claim it as their own. Twisted logic runs throughout Islam. “Islam” means “submission”.

I read about this in a couple different sources 10 years ago. I don’t criticize Christianity simply because i can get away with it either. Islam has way more to answer for that somehow gets a complete pass.

You know, I have always tried to be fair to libertarians on this site and seen them more as partners to restore liberty rather than enemies. Why do you take every opportunity to bash social conservatives? Did I ever advocate acting like a bull in a china shop? No. All I stated was that I agreed with the poster until some unnecssary and snarky comments were directed towards Christians, attributing things to us that are simply not true.

The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin. Do you believe that? You are so fond of saying when and how the Bible should be applied, I was curious how you interpret such passages.

Additionally, militant homosexuals are not simply seeking equal protection. That is a strawman argument. Civil unions provide equal treatment as would other laws. They seek not only to redefine marriage, but to force everyone to accept it. Already a private wedding photography business was sued because they refused business to a gay couple. What next? Churches who don’t “comply”? And whete do you stop with redefining marriage? Should polygamy be legal? Marrying relatives? After all, don’t they need “equal protection?”

Do you know the history of PP? How it started? It’s founder? I sould venture to say no. I do not believe for one minute you are a Republican. Even pro-choice GOP do not support government funded abortions. You are also repeating Leftist talking points regarding PP. They make most, if not all their money in the abortion industry and make no mistake it is a big business.

Lastly, trying to defend the “desegregation”comment with no facts other than”Google it” is rather weak.

You are right, I do know better and being on the correct side does not justify stretching or breaking the rules. Dialed down, will go back to my old just not so sweet self.

I doubt you received a personal invitation to be here. You’re free to leave.

Yep, runner12, and it’s not as if the fiscal cons and/or libertarians are doing such a bang up job. Tell me again how many elections libertarians have won. Or better still, how many have they cost the GOP. (I think it’s still conservative in the primary, GOP in the general here.) Mia Love & Vernon Parker come to mind. http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/12/libertarian-spoiler-alert-seven-democrat

If you think The Other McCain is a ragefest site, it says far more about you than it does anything else, fool.

checkmate, I thank you for your civility and I’m very happy to respond to your questions.

Ultimately, I stand for love. The Bible talks about love in a light that I really appreciate and admire. My father is a Lutheran Pastor, and I grew up knowing Jesus as “the King of Love.” Since the Gospel calls us to try to be like Him, I figure I can’t go wrong with placing love at the center of my life–and not that romantic lovey-dovey kind, but the kind that is concerned for and respects all people equally, unwaveringly, and unbegrudgingly. That is the path I’ve chosen to follow in life–and it certainly isn’t easy–but it’s never failed me before, so I guess I’ll just keep going with it. I don’t believe I’ll ever abandon it either.

As for issues, basically I look at each individual issue without a scrap of preconception so that I don’t have any bias toward any one side or the other. This take a lot of time and effort, but I am extremely well versed on the issues of today and can argue the points from any ideological side (something most people can’t claim). Then I look at those many different views and decide among them which is most loving by the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 (or I create my own solution, or a synthesis of some, if I don’t like any of the given ones). This causes me to constantly disagree and agree with literally everyone at one point, or another, because we all experience and see love in so many different ways.

Martin Luther says “we are free to serve,” and that requires me to dedicate my life to others through love. I figure I can only truly accomplish that if I understand them all. It’s a tough life, but I don’t believe being a servant to all is supposed to be easy–in fact, it should be the hardest thing one can ever do.

I’d rather not date myself, but I will say I’m probably a lot younger than most people who are regulars here. That’s not to say I’m just inexperienced and don’t understand the world–I’ve just decided that my convictions are to be counter-cultural to pretty much everyone; I like being in the middle so I can be exposed to as many ideas as possible (so I can chose between them at the quickest pace), while I’m still actively involved in judging which side’s ideas I agree with, and then promoting certain ideas on that basis.

The difference between me and most swing voters is that most swing voters don’t know who to side with and see politics as voting for one party or the other. I don’t see it that way. My ideology is called Philosophical Communitarianism, and there are much fewer than 1% of the US population who abide by this ideology (most haven’t even heard of it). It’s basically being a radical centrist–that’s about the best way I can describe it–but one that only moves on the political scale relative to each issue. My communitarian values are all about building bridges between the different social pods people naturally separate into. Philosophy is how I do this, as it’s analytical nature serves my purposes perfectly. Philosophy is the logical medium to which I operate; metaphysics is a beautiful gift to mankind. Being a philosopher is the epitome of the “grey area lover” as the answers to philosophy’s questions are still alluding us to this day since the science was first invented by the Greeks. I think wisdom is a huge grey area, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find the black and white hidden in that huge picture and separate it out from the mess. It’ll just require my entire life to do so, and I probably won’t have it all figured out in the end either…

Because of that I believe every day is a school day–whether you’re 19 or 91–so I’m not too worried about it.

I don’t believe that political theories and values judgement are equivalent, so saying that socialism is a value judgement is odd to me; it’s a theory–a collective group of thoughts–merely derived from a certain set of values, but still just a tweak-able set of ideas. Theories can be tested by anyone with any set of values because those values can change the theory in certain ways to make it function in different roles. The values the user employs can shape that same theory work, or not. The ideas in socialism must have some values that created it, so that tells us what not to use (because they didn’t work, as you stated). The idea that it’s inherently bad is also peculiar–as that just sound like a generalization to me–so I’d have to look into the values that created it, the details of the theory itself, and then see if there are any successful examples using those principles today (I don’t think principles and values are the same thing either, but that’s another topic all together!). I’ll put that on my list of things to learn about.

To summarize it all, because of my search for knowledge and my quest to serve in love, I’ve come to grips with the endless greyness before me–and I now seek to find the black and white of everything in my own special way.

I hope this will help you to understand where I’m coming from.

Why the hateful tone? It is not necessary and quite immature. Perhaps saying “every opportunity” was overstating it a bit and for that I am sorry. But it is more often than is necessary, IMHO.

Just because you feel that the moderators are unfair towards your views does not mean you have to project that on to other commentors who are social conservatives. It is unfair and assumes that all social conservatives think the same way and act the same way always. You certainly do not like it when people act that way about libertarians. Good grief, what if I just assumed that you agree with RP on everything just because he is a libertarian? That would hardly be fair.

I never called you a nut not did I think it. You misread my opening paragraph, which was to simply answer your question honestly regarding site rules.

First of all, you are severely misquoting Paul in that Scripture. He is speaking specfically to a group of Christians at a Church in Corinth who were arguing. It is an admonition for church unity, not to never take sides. Secondly, Jesus was not some fluffy, hippy, bunny who just wanted everyone to get along. He boldly confronted the issues of the day, while still being full of Love. Love always speaks the truth, but graciously and persuasively. But enough of theology.

I never compared Democrats to Nazis. In fact, I did not call them my enemies. I specfically said they were not, I just strongly disagree with them. Strongly disagreeing with someone does not make them an enemy. If I de-friended everyone that evey disagrred with me or made them my enemy because of it, I would be a lonely person! My comment regarding Nazis was simply an argument against the notion that it appeared you were putting forth, which was that it is bad to have enemies. My point was that it is sometimes not bad to have enemies.

Additionally, I never said that Americans do not have anything in common. I am speaking of the governing philosophies behind Progressives and Conservatives. Fifty years ago, the scenario you described existed. But the party of JFK has been hijacked by the radical Progressives. Do you know the governing philosophies behind Progressivism? They are Marxism and Leninism, sprinkled and packaged in neo-socialism. These philosophies are not compatible with a Republic form of government, the same way that a monarchy is not compatible with a true Republican government. Eventually, one will give way to the other. A philosophy that believes the centralized state should have all of the power or much of it cannot have anything in common with a philosophy that celebrates the individual liberty over the power of the state. To say I do not understand the Progressive rhetoric is false. I know it very well. I also know its history and it never ends well.
I am puzzled, I will admit by your desire to turn agreeing with everyone at some point into a virtue. By siding on an issues, you are in part accepting the underlying philosophy behind it to some extent

Ah, man, oh so clever. Stick to saving animal farms, clever is way above your pay grade.

“I believe his policies have the effect of turning us into subjects of the government, not citizens in charge of it.”

I would be very interested in understanding which ones of president Obama’s policies turn us into “subject of the government” and how.

I would also be very interested in understanding what does the expression “subject of the government” exactly mean in a country like the United States.

Yeah, that’s working really well, isn’t it?

norishman, thank you very much for the enlightening response. Sadly, I’m just now getting it thanks to heavy Disqus traffic I think… no proof Anyway, I have much to mull over about your response so will do so and respond in kind.

You hit the nail on the head; I couldn’t have said it any better myself! xD

I hold no interest in changing conservative values–I like them the way they are. That’s the challenge I’ve set out to do: change no one’s values, but still bring them closer together with those of differing or conflicting values. It’s not easy, but possible. So what I do have interest in is how those values are portrayed, and the strategies the GOP employs to enact those values.

Rest assured that I’m here not to convert people – but to change the nature of political discussion, and the politics of the democratic process.

If you believe in Jesus, you should love the Democrats. He doesn’t clearly say “you should love your enemies” for no reason…

All you preach is rhetoric. Unfortunately, the rhetoric the public desires (and expects) has changed. If you don’t change with it, the GOP will lose–and continue to lose–so it’s up to you if you heed my warning.

I’ll pray for your well being in the meantime. God bless.

I know plenty of people who voted for Obama and like him, so take it how it is. I live in the suburbs where people do like the Dems, and vote for them. The reason you probably haven’t met any is because geographical differences in concentration of Ds and Rs is very stark in contrast–and you would know that if you studied the results of the last election.

I’m well aware of the state of this nation, I just see it in a different light than you do. Like I said before, you can keep talking rhetoric, or you can change your message to help solve the problems you perceive because this one won’t cut it outside of this website. And I’m here to help you with that.

Please refer to my original comment.

It’s a super-happy face. xD

I’m sorry that I haven’t caught up. I do have prior engagements that I have to keep up with, and being involved in multiple political communities is like a juggling act! I’ll catch up fully this weekend. Bear with me.

Well thanks for the sermon Jim Bob, but you can keep your pious prayers, your leftist logic, your better than thou crap and your warning and shove them, well you know where I want you to shove them.

We do not need nor did we ask for you warnings, your advice, your peace making, or anything else. We have no need for it nor do we want it.

Clear enough for you?

Ready for wit a wit?

I did! And I have a right to voice my opinion on this! By now, I have somewhat reconsidered, but I still think encouragement is better than an ass kicking at this point. Your record shows, your tolerance level is much too low.

You don’t have enough neurons to rub together to know what clever is. You’re better off sticking with what people tell you.

If you’re not going to admit that the primary reason we lost Senate seats in 2012 was the bone-headed statements by social conservatives Akin and Mourdock, then we’re just talking past each other.

It seems like you’re saying here that anyone who’s not a social conservative is a Moby. I don’t agree with everything that ivanna said either, but I stand with Ronald Reagan in that someone that agrees with you 80 percent of the time is an 80 percent ally, not a 20 percent traitor.

You gonna admit we lost several Congressional seats because libertarians voted third party? Look, I have no problem with the libertarians who are willing to be pragmatic – just like I am. I agree with them on a number of things. However, at this point, I fail to see anybody who’s doing a good job at articulating any of our values, social, fiscal or defense. I’m just tired of the constant drum of going moderate, compromising principles, blame social issues. Like I said, candidates who barely mentioned social issues like Romney, Tester & Brown lost, too.

The libertarians I do have a problem with, which is well-earned, are the ones who vote third party and who try to take over with the third party talk, or worse RonPaulRonPaulRonPaul even when discussions are about fiscal issues (and social issues haven’t even been mentioned).

First of all, how can I not take it aimed at me, since I am a social conservative? That would be like someone making a generalized insulting comment about women and then blaming a woman for being offended. It does not make sense.

Bitterness towards an entire group of people based on the observations of a few is never justified, no matter how well-earned you may think it is. You do not like it when people do it to Libertarians. You act as if every social conservative is like a bull in a china shop with no sense of direction or intelligence. You blame an entire group of people off of the faulty actions of a few. I am not trying to be rude, just direct and honest.

We may have lost a Senate seat due to Akin, but we lost the Presidency due to the poor way fiscal conservatism was articulated. I say this not to gloat. In fact, I think it is a sad commentary on our society. I was surprised by it, but we must learn from it. The irony is the road to winning people back towards fiscal conservatism is through social conservatives. If we can talk about the poor in a compassionate manner and help people understand that by being fiscally responsible we can better rebuild families and society, we will win over more in minority communities. We simply failed to make fiscal conservatism attractive to these people enough to see how it can directly better their lives and communities.

Agape (“uh-ga-pay”) is the Greek word used in this text, and it’s one of the Koine Greek words translated into English as “love.”

The term agape is rarely used in ancient manuscripts, but was used by the early Christians (including Paul) to refer to “the self-sacrificing love of God for humanity,” which they were committed to reciprocating and practicing towards God and among one another. When 1 John 4:8 says “God is love,” the Greek New Testament uses the word agape to describe God’s love. With that said, agape necessarily extends to the love of one’s fellow man, from what the ancients believed.

I’ve studied this verse, and now I have returned. So what was I wrong about? Is not agape exactly as I described? You’re right that agape doesn’t have to do with “the behaviors or actions of the left”–it has to do with our own actions and how we should view and treat our fellow man–regardless of their behaviors or identity. Like you said, it’s in the soul; virtues for how mankind knows and treats mankind.

I don’t believe I’m better than you–and I don’t believe at all that I’m “the only worthy example of Jesus”… I’m sorry that what I said came off that way. I’m no saint–but I do believe in “agape.”

I don’t believe Republicans are evil–what gave you that idea? (I wouldn’t be here if I believed that.) I’m not a Liberal either–therefore I don’t speak for the left in terms of their values. But I will apologize for them. Someone should if they won’t…do you disagree?

I speak my own message–made not of left or right–but of agape.

The reason I brought up a religious text is because Kyle-MI (the person I responded to before you did me) brought up the “take the log out of your own eye” verse earlier. I found it completely appropriate to reply to someone using the Bible with a verse from the Bible… In fact, people do that all the time around here…

If you’re not religious, that’s fine–I won’t make the same mistake again (although you seem to know a mighty lot about the origins of the Bible). Anyway, I’m allowed to express myself as I see fit–that’s one of the greatest things about living in America. Sorry.

I find this to be a very interesting interpretation of this verse, and I would be more than happy to learn about this interpretation further so that I do not make the same mistake again…

Can you spare a few to teach a poor fool? I have a few questions about this…

Firstly, just to get this right–you’re saying that we should love people, but not really show them love? It’s all private love then–merely for their soul–correct?

My first few questions are so: how are others supposed to learn what love is then? If we only pray for their soul, and instead of acting in love just reciprocate hatred, aren’t we just dooming them to hell–instead of turning them to think in the same way? The hated never listen to the reason of their haters. How do others learn love the way you know it if you can’t show them what it is? Or is it just every man for himself–if you listen, great, if not, you’re doomed?

Second string of questions are so: when Jesus says “to love one’s neighbor as one’s self,” is this also merely a spiritual action, or is it physical? And what about when he talks about Revenge in Matthew 5.38-42? The turn the other cheek verse implies action–or so I’ve always thought–not to do wrong to others who wrong you. Only unless he meant that you shouldn’t use prayer for revenge, then what you are saying would have this make sense. But then how does one wrong another’s spirit? What about Anger in Matthew 5.21-26? Can you explain? Am I allowed to wrong others if they wrong me? Are these yet more “spirit-only” examples?

What I need is some clarification on when this “private love” should be used instead of actions. Call me a little slow on the uptake, sorry. I’m not used to thinking this way…

I’m sorry for the misunderstanding–and I didn’t mean to tell you how to live your life, or love. I’ve never really thought about it this way, and I’d appreciate it if you could tell me a little more.

It might be more accurate to understand what Jim Crow ;aws did, how it did it and why. Once you get past the racial stereotypes that turn modern history into propaganda, the truth was that what we are going through today is very similar. The purpose of the laws was to intimidate Republicans. Since all blacks were Republicans, if you could keep Blacks from voting, Democrats were assured victory. Which was really all it was about.

Although I don’t agree with your political ideology whatsoever(I’m a liberal), I must say that I do agree that issues such as gun control and abortion are irrelevant and contentious. Like you said, is what is relevant is the nation. I would have to say however, that though Obama lost to two “old white guys who deserved the nomination,” I honestly don’t think that either of this old fogeys or Obama would have been/are good presidents for that matter. I would venture to say that all three are necessary evils, and the least evil one(though evil) got picked.

Although I don’t agree with your political ideology whatsoever(I’m a liberal), I must say that I do agree that issues such as gun control and abortion are irrelevant and contentious. Like you said, is what is relevant is the nation. I would have to say however, that though Obama lost to two “old white guys who deserved the nomination,” I honestly don’t think that either of this old fogeys or Obama would have been/are good presidents for that matter. I would venture to say that all three are necessary evils, and the least evil one(though evil) got picked.

I have to disagree. Anyone tearing down this great country deserves some vitriol. The collapsing job market is having a huge human toll on Americans, but draws little attention from the media. Any lack of vitriol is interpreted as acceptance, or even endorsement, by Obama’s evil minions. Obviously, that vitriol needs to be leavened with humor and logic and sound argument to be effective. Pure ranting accomplishes little.

“There you go again,” Reagan said, responding to Jimmy Carter’s a program for every problem philosophy in their 1980 debate. The master communicator took one part rebuke and one part gentle, even grandfatherly, correction, and gave us the obvious but then all to rarely articulated concept that assigning a program to every problem merely bloats the government and institutionalizes the problem.

And I also have to disagree that the Republican Establishment is doing nothing. They are bringing to the floor of the House of Representatives new spending bills that draw the votes of a minority of GOP members and a majority of Democratic members. This behavior was notable in the 112th, $330B in new spending to close the term, yet Boehner was returned to the Speaker role in the 113th, and immediately resumed the practice.

Under better leadership, parties in opposition articulate and pass a positive view of what a bill should be and do the compromises required to develop a composite bill reflecting elements of both sides in the reconciliation process.

And a steady pressure on Benghazi and Fast & Furious should be maintained. If Democrats had abandoned pressure on Watergate weeks into Nixon’s second term, he would have completed his term easily. With the media in opposition, it takes months and even years for the facts of these things to become widely known and understood. The other side flailing and declaring “What does it matter?!?” is not our defeat, it is their capitulation. Cast Clinton making the declaration against a backdrop of that bloody wall in Benghazi.

When they give you a stick, you have to beat them with it. They do the same to us every day.

I apologize that this message is so late. My computer died a week and a half ago, and now I (finally) have it working again.

In your predestined opinion there isn’t any at all… But if I’m going to express my own opinion, you’ll have to lose that predisposition because it doesn’t apply to my thoughts, and cannot be applied to my thought, at all. The same can be said for those who you disagree with.

That being said, I personally think Obama is an excellent statesman, speaker, and his political practicality and precision is something to be admired. I do not agree with him on every subject or action he’s taken (truth be told), but I will give him his credit where credit is due… Additionally, the Obama administration plays rough, but they know exactly what they’re doing–and they’re doing a very good job at it. Congrats to them for being organized, smart, and lawfully squeaky-clean (by technicality only)–but it doesn’t help your cause to think about how they are…

It’s not about them–it’s about the GOP. Conservatives have too many more issues amongst themselves, and the voting public, than the liberals do right now–and not only is this true, but the Dems know it and won’t wait to capitalize on it (they’re doing so right now). The best thing to do is to give them as little a window to capitalize as possible, but that will only happen if conservatives are willing to think hard about what they do by how their actions impact the political discussion/discourse of this nation (for both sides of the isle).

You can’t magically change the other side’s methods, or the minds of the people who support them–and I know how you feel about changing your values (it’s completely off the table)–so there’s only one other thing left to change: actions.