Republicans out of power: happy days are here again

Once again, VFR, the true cutting edge of societal evolution, is proved right. How many times did I say that a McCain victory would be the death of conservatism, and that an Obama victory would energize conservatism (and I also said the same thing in 2004 about Bush and Kerry)? According to Byron York (via Powerline), the latter is exactly what has happened. Freedom from the incumbus of a liberal Republican president has inspirited Republican conservatives in Congress.

You see it all over Capitol Hill, in the hallways, the hearing rooms, the gathering spots. Republicans, coming off a devastating, across-the-board electoral defeat, are … happy. Being in opposition, after eight years of a Republican presidency and 12 years of GOP rule in Congress, suits many of them just fine. …

“We weren’t very happy with the results of the election, and on through the inaugural, but I guarantee you, I’ve never seen the spirit of Republicans as high as it was at the GOP retreat,” Arizona Rep. John Shadegg told me, referring to the House Republican getaway a week ago at the Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Va. …

“I’m much happier,” Sen. Jim DeMint told me between votes on the stimulus. “Our message was so muddled with Bush in the White House, often going the big-spending approach, that we could not define ourselves in any other way.”

Now, unmuddled, Republicans have won the first big message war of the Obama administration—and in the stimulus battle made a better case for spending restraint than they did in the previous eight years.

- end of initial entry -

February 10

Terry Morris writes:

You seem to be excited about this, much in the same way that congressional Republicans are excited about being, once again, in the minority, which I do not understand. If congressional Republicans can only be conservative as an insignificant, ineffective minority, what good are they for the advancement of conservative principles and values? They can be unanimous opposers of Obama and the Democrats all they want, but what purpose does it serve?

LA replies:

The purpose it may serve, as I’ve argued scores of times both in 2004 and 2008, is that a Republican party freed of a liberal Republican president or standard bearer may move to the right, which in itself would be good, and, further, may choose a more conservative leader who may then re-take the White House.

David B. writes:

This thread proves what I wrote you recently. Think how bad and dispirited we would feel now if McCain had won.

LA replies:

We should form the Prophets without Honor club.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at February 09, 2009 10:55 PM | Send