Attack Me, Not My Party
Posted by Nick Stone Florida, Hillary Clinton, Sunshine Republicans 8:00 AM
by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics.
I'm not one of those people who gets Google alerts when their name pops up on the web. With a name like Nick Stone, who has time to sort through it all anyway?
So I'm legitimately surprised when someone asks, "Hey, did you read that article about you?" No, I probably didn't. That's especially true if it appears on one of my favorite political blogs (insert sarcasm here), dedicated almost entirely to destroying Florida Republicans. If I wanted to read a fact free editorial criticizing my Party, I can pick up a local newspaper. No need to read the Shark Tank for that.
Recently, an article appeared by El Sharko that wondered aloud whether an admirer of Hillary Clinton (that would be me) has any business running a Republican Club (Sunshine Republicans).
So what's the answer and why does it matter?
My favorite president, Ronald Reagan, would notoriously insert tributes to FDR in campaign speeches. Republican crowds that grew up hating Roosevelt would slow from a raucous cheer down to an uncomfortable smattering of applause, then roar again as Reagan snarked about how far the Democratic Party had strayed from their supposed ideals. He would say, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party. They left me." Well Ronnie, I know how you felt. They did that again when the Party of the Democrat Leadership Conference and the Third Way of governing instead took a radical left turn and swept Pelosi, Reid, and Obama onto the world stage. Disgusted and appalled, I left that Party with a terrible hangover. I left that Party for good.
While championing conservative values, Reagan also understood the imperative of crossover appeal. He never gave up on winning the support of soft Democrat voters. His hard work paid off big for the GOP as millions of lifelong Democrats voted Republican in 1980 and beyond. He worked with elected Democrats to cut taxes, build up our defenses, and turn the country around.
We sometimes forget that Reagan campaigned for Truman, against many Republicans, and almost singlehandedly dismantled President Ford's 1976 campaign. He could often be found having drinks with Speaker Tip O'Neil or sharing Irish stories with Ted Kennedy. So, was Reagan fit to lead Republicans in the 1980s?
I say yes.
Think about these things: Travel in GOP circles and you're likely to hear more praise for John Kennedy than Dick Nixon. In recent years, many conservative commentators have heaped praise on none other than Bill and Hillary Clinton, who seem moderate in retrospect. Across the aisle, Democrats speak longingly of Abe Lincoln - but not so much about their own Jimmy Carter. So are these sins against Party unforgivable?
I cut my teeth in grass roots politics by supporting Hillary Clinton. We didn't win that campaign, but the memories remain precious. They remind me that sometimes evil wins, and how important it is to stand up and fight. It's no secret how much that campaign against Barack Obama inspired and changed me. But in its wake, I became a loyal Republican. Stopping the radical Leftist agenda of Obama is a motivating part of my life. I worked at it as a supporter of Hillary Clinton, I did it as a new Republican supporting McCain/Palin, and I do it today as a vocal champion of Tim Pawlenty and other Republicans up and down the ballot.
Here's the bottom line. I flatly refuse to walk on egg shells or keep quiet about my love for Hillary Clinton. But I've never supported a Democrat in public or private since her campaign ended. NEVER. I'm spending time building and broadening the Republican Party while saboteurs create chaos among our ranks. Instead of Facebook stalking GOP activists in the dark of night for sick amusement, I'm focused on strengthening our brand.
Does someone like me belong in charge of a Republican organization? You bet your life they do.
Bloggers can say what they want about me and if they want to ogle at pictures of my backside, I'm humbled. But while some of us are on the ground asking voters to support Republicans, it might help if sleazy, feckless bloggers would stop throwing mud at players in our own Party. And it would certainly help if other Republicans would stop paying them to do it.
Become a Drawnlines Politics insider today.
I'm not one of those people who gets Google alerts when their name pops up on the web. With a name like Nick Stone, who has time to sort through it all anyway?
So I'm legitimately surprised when someone asks, "Hey, did you read that article about you?" No, I probably didn't. That's especially true if it appears on one of my favorite political blogs (insert sarcasm here), dedicated almost entirely to destroying Florida Republicans. If I wanted to read a fact free editorial criticizing my Party, I can pick up a local newspaper. No need to read the Shark Tank for that.
Recently, an article appeared by El Sharko that wondered aloud whether an admirer of Hillary Clinton (that would be me) has any business running a Republican Club (Sunshine Republicans).
So what's the answer and why does it matter?
My favorite president, Ronald Reagan, would notoriously insert tributes to FDR in campaign speeches. Republican crowds that grew up hating Roosevelt would slow from a raucous cheer down to an uncomfortable smattering of applause, then roar again as Reagan snarked about how far the Democratic Party had strayed from their supposed ideals. He would say, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party. They left me." Well Ronnie, I know how you felt. They did that again when the Party of the Democrat Leadership Conference and the Third Way of governing instead took a radical left turn and swept Pelosi, Reid, and Obama onto the world stage. Disgusted and appalled, I left that Party with a terrible hangover. I left that Party for good.
While championing conservative values, Reagan also understood the imperative of crossover appeal. He never gave up on winning the support of soft Democrat voters. His hard work paid off big for the GOP as millions of lifelong Democrats voted Republican in 1980 and beyond. He worked with elected Democrats to cut taxes, build up our defenses, and turn the country around.
We sometimes forget that Reagan campaigned for Truman, against many Republicans, and almost singlehandedly dismantled President Ford's 1976 campaign. He could often be found having drinks with Speaker Tip O'Neil or sharing Irish stories with Ted Kennedy. So, was Reagan fit to lead Republicans in the 1980s?
I say yes.
Think about these things: Travel in GOP circles and you're likely to hear more praise for John Kennedy than Dick Nixon. In recent years, many conservative commentators have heaped praise on none other than Bill and Hillary Clinton, who seem moderate in retrospect. Across the aisle, Democrats speak longingly of Abe Lincoln - but not so much about their own Jimmy Carter. So are these sins against Party unforgivable?
I cut my teeth in grass roots politics by supporting Hillary Clinton. We didn't win that campaign, but the memories remain precious. They remind me that sometimes evil wins, and how important it is to stand up and fight. It's no secret how much that campaign against Barack Obama inspired and changed me. But in its wake, I became a loyal Republican. Stopping the radical Leftist agenda of Obama is a motivating part of my life. I worked at it as a supporter of Hillary Clinton, I did it as a new Republican supporting McCain/Palin, and I do it today as a vocal champion of Tim Pawlenty and other Republicans up and down the ballot.
Here's the bottom line. I flatly refuse to walk on egg shells or keep quiet about my love for Hillary Clinton. But I've never supported a Democrat in public or private since her campaign ended. NEVER. I'm spending time building and broadening the Republican Party while saboteurs create chaos among our ranks. Instead of Facebook stalking GOP activists in the dark of night for sick amusement, I'm focused on strengthening our brand.
Does someone like me belong in charge of a Republican organization? You bet your life they do.
Bloggers can say what they want about me and if they want to ogle at pictures of my backside, I'm humbled. But while some of us are on the ground asking voters to support Republicans, it might help if sleazy, feckless bloggers would stop throwing mud at players in our own Party. And it would certainly help if other Republicans would stop paying them to do it.
Become a Drawnlines Politics insider today.
Posts
