Conservative Apathy Threatens Homeland

Weekly Standard: Democrats Don't Understand Terror Risks, Must Not Take Power

(Weekly Standard)  This column was written by Fred Barnes.

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David Kuo, once an official of President Bush's faith-based initiative, published a book this month that attacks the White House for privately ridiculing evangelical Christians while cynically manipulating how they vote. The book arrived, cynically enough, just in time for the midterm election — an election Kuo says Christians should boycott. Meanwhile, the mainstream media, like sportswriters cheerleading for the home team, is predicting a landslide in the interest of promoting one. Their home team, of course, is the Democrats. As for Republican efforts to spur a big turnout on November 7, the press frowns on such cheap tactics. "GOP Aims to Scare Up Big Voter Turnout" was the headline on a Washington Post story last week.

If you suspect there are forces eager to suppress Republican turnout, you are right. Rarely has the press echoed Democratic themes as relentlessly as it has in the closing weeks of the 2006 campaign. And the main theme is that Republicans are about to be blown away. The question now is whether this message will persuade Republican voters to stay home on Election Day. It shouldn't, so long as Republicans — and especially conservative Republicans — act like adults, not like petulant children angry over one thing or another that didn't go their way.

Yes, the Republican performance in the last two years has been disappointing. The Iraq war isn't going well. President Bush and the Republican Congress have spent too much of the taxpayers' money. They got nowhere on overhauling Social Security and only part of the way — beefed-up border security — on immigration reform. The list goes on. Still, the reasons given for staying home on Election Day are pathetically disconnected from the realities of politics and political power.

The president and Republicans need to be taught a lesson: We hear that a lot from conservatives. And maybe Bush and company do. But allowing Democrats to take over Congress won't achieve that. It won't lead to a Republican course correction any more than losing the 2000, 2002, and 2004 elections taught Democrats to move to the right. Politics doesn't work that way, and it never has. Losing simply hurts a political party. A landslide loss in 2006 would merely weaken the Republican Party. And, for the foreseeable future, the Republican Party is the only vehicle through which conservatives and moderates can accomplish their goals.

Would Democrats join with social and religious conservatives to curb abortion and block same-sex marriage? Never in a million years. Would Democrats please small-government conservatives by cutting taxes and limiting spending growth? Not a chance. Would they thrill libertarians by pursuing privatization of Social Security or by resisting the demands of the global-warming faddists for a full-blown regulatory state? Don't bet on it. Would they satisfy moderates by compromising with conservatives? Only under duress. Rather, the prerequisite for attaining any of these goals is a Republican Congress. It's as uncomplicated as that.

The other ballyhooed reason for not showing up on Election Day is that Democrats, once in power again, will misbehave so egregiously that Republicans will roar back in 2008, stronger and more conservative than ever. No doubt Republicans thought this in 1954 when Democrats won back both houses of Congress. But that was followed by 40 years of Democratic control of the House and 26 years of Democratic rule in the Senate. And for most of those years, Democrats held on to power in defiance of a rising conservative tide in the country. They know how to keep power once they get it.

National elections are always important. But they are supremely important when America is at war. In Islamic jihadism, we face a foe that is eager to kill Americans in large numbers and as ruthless as it was on 9/11. The difference now is that Democrats no longer want to carry on a real war against terrorists.

In speech after speech, President Bush has evoked the famous words of Winston Churchill in the dark days of February 1941. Churchill declared: "We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job."

Today, Democrats would deny the president the tools. They would weaken, if not eliminate, the Patriot Act. They would halt the tough but entirely legal interrogations of terrorist leaders that have proved so successful in uncovering and thwarting plots to strike America a second time and perhaps a third or a fourth. They would constrain the National Security Agency from eavesdropping on terrorist phone calls to and from America.

In short, Democrats don't take the terrorist threat seriously. They wince when Bush brings up 9/11. They regard his war on terrorism as more a political strategy for winning elections than a necessary plan to wage an offensive battle against terrorists around the world.

Conservatives in particular should know better. They claim to be the grownups of American politics. They understand what's at stake in the struggle against Islamist terrorists. For them to skip out on their obligation to vote in this election over a petty grievance — or, for that matter, over a not-so-petty grievance — would mark them as politically childish.

Kuo, by the way, has been embraced by the media, welcomed everywhere from 60 Minutes to the Colbert Report. His tale of White House hypocrisy in dealing with religious conservatives is bogus. We know this from the number of religious conservatives in high positions at the White House: Bush himself, Mike Gerson, Karen Hughes, Peter Wehner, Tim Goeglein, and that's just for starters. Colbert asked Kuo why he wrote the book. "Because I think someone had to point out that Jesus and George W. Bush are different people," he said. Who knew?


Fred Barnes, for the Editors.

[kaliveotin]

I dont know why evangelicals would be suspect of the administration. They signed on to oppose abortion and gay rights, but what they've got was a pro-War, pro-torture, administration. I dont think Jesus was much of a pro torture advocate but I'm sure Rush Limbaugh and Carl Rove could point out how I'm misinterpreting the Bible.Fred Barnes is often an entertaining talking head, too bad its empty. He has no empathy for what it means to be a true American, who supports the constitution including the BILL OF Rights. The meek shall eventually inherit the government. Barnes, your kinds days are numbered.

[bluestardad]

Be Ever Vigilant. Bush and Rove will do anything to stay in power up to an including flooding key districts with fake absentee ballots tampering with electronic voting machines, and bussing in voters who are not from the districts to vote, or even starting another war with and suspending civil liberties postponing the mid term vote. There is a great possibility for this administration to tamper with the electronic voting machines to the point that very subtle differences will take place in Key races just enough to tip the vote in their favor but not enough to cause a full scale American Revolution leaving some doubt, but just enough to throw key races in the Republican Favor. Watch out for this election coup.

[mushtush1]

What we need are new people with fresh ideas, with honesty, with genuine concern for the rights and safety of all Americans.

I absolutely agree. Both Congress and the President have demonstrated they totally lack connection to the pulse of most Americans.

I will be truly impressed when Congress and the President lower their salaries to the average earned by most Americans, then eliminate their own pensions and replace it with a 401K plan where their employer's (the American people)contribution is limited to matching 50% their own contributions up to the first 6% of their paychecks.

This would be generous compensation, consider what they get accomplished.

That would go a long way to restoring trust.

[mrcodpiece]

That shingles1 is hard to top!
Keep it up, pal!

[shingles1]

Fred Barnes would certainly know all about Presidential tools.

[philcons]

After reading Fred Barnes' opinion on conservatives in the upcoming election, two "points of light" were obvious.

What was most obvious was that Mr. Barnes did not deny that Bush, et al had failed the conservative cause miserably. Also obvious was the glaring omission of any proposal to correct the current sad state of affairs in American government.

Instead, Mr. Barnes chose to play the same old trumpet: no matter how bad things are under the current regime, FEAR greatly what may arise if it is replaced by democrats. Mr. Barnes, you, like the Republican Party, seem to have missed the point: true conservatives in this country are tired of bandstand politics, "sound bight" conservatism, twisted truth, arrogant attitudes, and entrenched, corrupt and inept politicians who think that as long as they pay lip service to an issue to which they are not truly endeared, eventually it will go away.

As a true conservative, I am offended that the you would ask that I support a party that represents an interest different than my own. MJV2944 and rchilcoa are absolutely correct: what we need is a strong 3rd party and term limits. Neither the Democratic nor Republican parties are inclined or equipped to represent the interests of most Americans -- what good is tenure and experience among those who are arrogant, most concerned with re-election, corrupt, or devoted to the fringe.

[tibu987]

9/11 would have happened even if Democrats were in office. I believe that all this partisan bickering is useless.
What we need are new people with fresh ideas, with honesty, with genuine concern for the rights and safety of all Americans.
People that will unite, not divide us.
Vote out the incumbents, Dems and Repubs, those that have been feeding at the public trough for years.
Vote for term limits when possible.

Ah, Mr. Barnes...thank you for providing the perspective of the man in the pointy-hat sitting on the three-legged stool in the corner!

We so seldom get to hear from genuine dunces.

[susankh]

If I were a Republiclan I would not be so quick to point out that Bin Laden is still out there because that only demonstrates how ineffective the Republicans have been at fighting terrorism. Why would you vote for a party that has failed for 5 years to get the job done?

[mjv2944]

There's not a nickles worth of difference in the parties. Both are equally corrupt and out of touch with reality. Well run campaigns of a third party might just kick their collective butts. You don't think that things could get this messed up by one party, well right now repubs are definitely in the lead as they are the majority party, but the dems don't have a whole lot to brag about. The houses of congress need a complete cleaning out. Bring on term limits, 4 for the house and 6 for the senate.

[ronaldchilcoat]

Mr Barnes whould have us vote for the same bunch of crooks just because they are not Dems. Well I voted for Bush #1 and was sorry - I repeated my error and voted for Bush #2 - and boy was I ever sorry for that. As for congress - they have had 6 years to do something - and what have we got - a bill for a border fence that they themselves say will never be built! - and a rubber stamp for the most power hungry president I can remember in my lifetime! What this country really needs is a 3rd party - a real choice.

[luvamerica22]

I find it quite amusing that the very people touting about making our country safe from terrorism and promoting war are the very ones who managed to avoid serving in the our military.

Isn't it ironic that most of the decorated war heroes are in the Democratic party but people like Karl Rove and other non military serving liars have managed to convince the Christian conservatives that our brave men of valor are %u201Ccut in run cowards%u201D. GO Figure! Better yet, go learn something or ask GOD to allow you to use your mind to think.

I%u2019m proud to say that I stand with my GOD fearing fellow countrymen who weren%u2019t afraid to put their country before life%u2026

Jim Webb, Senator John Kerry, Representative Charles Rangel, Former Senator Max Cleland, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Representative Leonard Boswell (D-IA) and Wesley Clark, Democratic Presidential Candidate

to name a few


Let%u2019s make America strong and respected again.

Luv America

[getcentered]

"bluestardad"

I hope your right.

[getcentered]

Democrats BAaaaD. Republicans GOOooooooD.

Oh hell no! I will not be put in check by some fake news pumped out by the neo-cons:

"Arguably the most influential opinion journal at the White House" - The New York Times


I don't care what these fools say about taxes, defense or the economy.

The GOP/Republicans do not have anything of meaning to say.

THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT REPUBLICANS, they are something else. I do not know what that is but I do know what Republicans are supposed to be.

Republicans do not help my way of life. Tax breaks for corporations and the rich do NOT help the little person. I do not care about anything a neo-con theorist has to say about it, because the bottom line is always going to be affected by the greedy penny pusher.

I would rather have a Democrat wasting a billion on helping the poor or disabled or uneducated, than have a neo-con Republican blow a billion on killing tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi and thousands of US service men and women.

To hell with anything closely resembles a Republican. They are not prepared to govern a world power.

[meboard]

jsummersjr, the stock market going over 12,000 has little impact for the vast majority of the citizens who can't afford to participate in stock. There too busy trying to make ends meet and provide for their kids. It's the 10 percent of America that can afford to be giddy about that milestone. And Mr. Bush has little affect on the stock market.

[larendt-2009]

Barnes also would claim that Democrats cause cancer.

[jsummersjr]

I find it ironic that every post on this article is Anti Republican / Anti Bush but then again this is CBS media. With the comments being 100% in agreement with the writer, how do you expect to intrige persons in the center or to the Right to view CBS?

On another note, Democrats have been saying Iraq has gone amuck. However, I have not seen a detail action plan from the Left for Iraq.

One thing not mentioned as a sucess for the current administration.... Dow Jones over 12,000
How did that get over looked?

John D Summers Jr, Raleigh NC

[sirrichard42]

Mr. Barnes, your arguments are transparently false.

"Would they (Democrats) satisfy moderates by compromising with conservatives? Only under duress" Please tell me the last time that the GOP satisfied moderates by compromising with liberals? For me, this is one of the most dishearening aspect of the Bush presidency. When he came to power in 2000, I supported Bush over Gore because he claimed to be 'a uniter, not a divider'. But his true colors came out after the election. He does not aim to compromise at all: it's His Way or The Highway. He misrepresented himself in order to get elected.

I will certainly be voting Democratic in the coming election, for no other reason than that if the Legislative and Executive branches are controlled by different parties, it will be that much more difficult for them to mess up our lives. It's time that the rampage of ill-considered conservative policy stop.

[cathaleen]

First of all I can't believe the evangelicals are so naive as to think that their oddball beliefs
really mattered to the government. They were used
by the Republicans because they're so vulnerable
in believing the bs that George Bush is a right wing christian fanatic. It was all a sham.

[observantx]

The term "Homeland" needs to go. What's wrong with "The United States of America"? or "Our Country"?

I and others I know are sick to death of this term and it's use by the current administration in their attempt to recast this county's laws, self image and even centuries old interpretation of the Constitution for their own ends. I call upon this publication and all other media to abstain from using this term.

Our Constitution is titled "Constitution of the United States" Not the "Constitution of the Homeland"

We are "AMERICANS" not "Homelandians", let's use the correct and proper name for our nation.

VOTE these crooks and liars out.