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The Watercooler ~ Friday’s Open Thread [Amended]

By: westcoastpatriette (Diary)  |  March 1st, 2013 at 09:23 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

I wonder what would happen if, instead of doing politics the traditional way of putting pressure on elected representatives in our own party when we want to make our voices heard, we started “crossing the aisle” and demanding that the other side listen to us, too? I mean, just because we lost a seat to a Democrat does not mean that they no longer represent us.

I’ve been thinking about this lately. We still have a right to be heard and that elected official still has a duty to listen and find a way to represent us no matter what party their constituents are from. Who knows, consistent pressure may start pushing more moderate Dems in our direction. It just seems that we stay in our predictable positions, doing what is predictable and nothing ever changes much at all.

We wouldn’t have to let their office know that we are Republican when we call to make our voices heard on a particular issue, just that we have strong positions on a matter and want them to be considered.

Everyone seems stuck in their predictable ruts and we need to start taking unpredictable actions to rock the boat. There is a total lack of creative leadership all the way around and we all look like Obama as a result — leading from behind. Thoughts, anyone?

***

Sort of along the same lines of all-things-political-needing-to-change, one good thing I see coming out of the kerfuffle involving Bob Woodward’s story regarding intimidating tactics used by the White House to shut down/out/up viewpoints they don’t want spoken or heard is that since the incident began, Woodward claims he is getting many calls from others who have experienced the same mistreatment — others who have been punished for telling the truth when it contradicts the One. In other words, Woodward is emboldening others to speak out and that is a good thing all the way around.

Woodward is at the age where he certainly does not need to defend or establish himself or his credibility and he is expressing concern for younger journalists who are too inexperienced and/or intimidated to know what to do or how to combat this kind of bullying. Maybe he can be a mentor to rock that boat, too.

Added Saturday, 11:40 a.m. Pacific: Found this great piece on Woodward’s Apostasy.

I’ll leave you with this nice worship song from Hillsong:

Have a great weekend.

The Watercooler is always an open thread.

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COMMENTS

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  • WmCraig

    You are spot on that things need to change. But just challenging democrats is not enough. The intimidation is real, there is a group at my former employer that makes no secret that if you are identified as publicly standing against their agenda your career will gain an early expiration date. And if you are a professional they have the network through the region to make it difficult if not impossible to get another job in your profession.

    The problem is in my opinion that for the last four decades Republicans have retreated from the big blue cities. There is not enough support for someone that takes a stand against this discrimination.Demographics changes mean that if Republicans can’t compete at some level in the big blue cities you can’t win the Senate races or the oval office.

    But the focus at this point should not be on candidates or winning races in side the blue zone. Rather we should focus on advocating wedge issues that weaken resolve of Democrat constituency groups that are taken for granted by the Democrat establishment. And to support that we need to invest cash into young people, college graduates that are underemployed or unemployed and are already a resident member of a target constituency, They can work from the inside our to embrace free market and private investment solutions that create cracks in the solidarity of the the Democrat political machine from the inside out. But that means comfortable, safe conservatives have to get involved directly in changing the course of politics in big blue cities and reverse their decline.

    Oh, one more thing. The cost of four years of Obama is coming home to roost. Between the out of work college graduates, the out of work skilled and semi skilled trades people and the increases in taxes (both wage and real estate) there are a lot of people open to new ideas that would not have given our side the time of day in the past. But it has to be seen as their ideas, their future, grown from within there community.

  • irishgirl

    That is a great point you have made in your beginning paragraph and something to reflect upon as to a concerted effort to put pressure on any Democrats that may represent us in the House or Senate.

  • Viet71

    Redstate is a great place to learn and organize one’s thinking. I’m sure the views here do not change politicians.

    Seems to me the mission of posters here should be to plot a realistic future. A future good for most Americans and not aimed at discriminating against anyone.

    • Bill S

      I’m quite sure you are wrong. The readership here is wide. The Morning Briefing goes to hundreds of thousands. Diaries here are regularly quoted by Limbaugh, Levin and many other national media figures. We have regular hits on Drudge. The reach and influence is vast and growing…EE would not have a national radio and TV gig if this site was NOT influential.

      Now if you’re referring to the comments, yeah, the comments are not as wide-reaching…but there is definitely influence. ColdWarrior’s efforts make a difference, as do others who are motivated by discussions here and who then go forth and influence. Are politicians directly influenced by reading a comment? Perhaps not. But direct influence isn’t the only thing that matters.

      • westcoastpatriette

        Thanks for that reply, Bill S. Sometimes I do not know how to respond to Viet71′s cynicism and the blunt way he expresses it. While I was certain he was wrong, you are in a better position to dispute his view that RedState does not influence politicians.

    • westcoastpatriette

      I’m not sure how to take your comment. Are you implying that conservatives go around “discriminating” against people? On what basis?

    • rightlane1111

      If … hear the word…IF we plotted a realistic future good for most Americans…there would be discrimination (not having to do with race). We would not have BHO in the WH. There are many ideas that are exchanged on this board…and many solutions. Hopefully…it will be picked up. As Bill S says…I KNOW that comments made on this board are picked up on Conservative radio/tv

  • http://www.TerriersOfTheRight.blogspot.com Flagstaff

    I have thought of that business of going to my Democrat representative, too. She claims to be moderate, so I should give her a chance to be.

    FYI, if they want to, it’s easy for your reps to determine how you are registered. Can’t tell how you voted, though.

  • rightlane1111

    Well…here we go folks. The slippery slope…and we watch ourselves go down the tubes. No more Constitution.

    http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/03/01/popular-standard-shotgun-could-be-banned-under-proposed-bill/#respond

  • westcoastpatriette

    Here’s another interesting take on the Woodward brouhaha. http://www.city-journal.org/2013/eon0301hs.html