The Impossible Dream.

The Impossible Dream.

From Carnegie to the spate of current self help people, they all seem to think no idea is impossible once you cut through all the clutter, get to the core and define the dream or goal. Place that defined goal in front of you, then all your decisions will help achieve that goal. Once a goal is stated all else will follow.

I agree with that at least in part. Once I have a goal firmly in mind my brain seems almost subconsciously to sort itself out with that goal in mind. I become focused on the goal. All my action take on a slant in helping me achieve that goal.
I have learned over my life that I can achieve nearly any one goal I set my mind to. It is when I try to accomplish several of these “impossible” goals that I become distracted and unfocused, and I lose my way.

I get the Magazine Newsmax and in the Jan. 08 issue they had a great many articles about the predicament the Republicans are in and different ways we can get out of the problem. They did put together an excellent and long piece titled “Rebuilding the Party of Reagan”. In a boxed page and a half highlight was their breakdown of nine different Conservative Coalitions that at this time are fighting for supremacy within the Republican Party.
-----link to Newsmax Jan 08-----
http://content.yudu.com/Ayura/NMJan09/resources/24.htm
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(ps scroll through the pages for all the articles....you will have to give your email to access the magazine)
Some of these coalitions are overlapping and almost any Republican can sympathize with at least one or two of most of the different groups. This re-organization of the party is inevitable after a defeat. The trick will be to re-shape the party along lines that will win. The whole thrust of the article as evidenced by the title was how Reagan re-shaped the Party into a winning coalition.

While this answers the question of how Reagan did it, it does not answer the question of how we can do it without a Reaganesq candidate. Remember the seeds of Reagan were planted through a horrible loss run by Goldwater. Then Reagan lost to Gerald Ford, then finally Reagan had his day.

Those days after the Goldwater loss are often referred to as the days of “Wandering in the Wilderness”. I too am wandering in the Wilderness. I am torn between the different forms or ideas of Conservatism. I find myself shifting between the different coalitions mentioned above in the Newsmax article. Are we with all this separating ourselves into different camps trying to be Democrat Like in our apparent love of diversity? I hope not.

As much as I like to think that I can remake our party, I realize that I don’t even have a clear vision of what I want that party to be like. I think I’ve finally understood the obvious. There is no one segment that equals the whole. We are a coalition of many parts. I can believe in my own brand of Conservatism but will not be effective if I cannot work with other Conservatives and Republicans. Much like Ron Paul believes in his brand of Republicanism, much to his credit he realizes that without the rest of the party he will go nowhere. There is that dreaded word compromise.

So my emphasis will be on Coalition building. Much as I posted in my beginning efforts, I became convinced that my core idea is that we as a Democracy are best served when all have a seat at the table and we accept the decision of the majority. That does not mean that I should stop pointing out the misguided decisions of the majority. Lol. That is the beauty of the system. The more voices, the more arguments the better the compromise will be. As we can never achieve perfection, never fear the need for argument will never end. For that very reason, compromise will also be always needed, short of war.

Now getting to my point. Michael Reagan in a blistering article in the above Newsmax titled “It’s Time to Retire the GOP’s Moderates” makes his own case about how the Reagan Coalition is still out there as evidenced by some social ballots that passed. Notably the California “same sex marriage ban” went down to defeat by 5% while the state voted for Obama by a whopping 24%. I agree with his assessment.

The main point I agree with him on in his article is that he claims all of the meetings we as a Party are having to figure out what went wrong and how to change the party are led by the “coterie that led the party into eight years of ignoring the traditions and principles of the party pursued so avidly by the Reagan administration, with which they have the effrontery to identify themselves.” Michael Reagan claims this same “coterie”… “turned its back on the grass roots.” He blames our loss on those same people espousing moderation. He claims David Brooks is one of the journalistic leaders of this “coterie”.

I have blogged the praises of David Brooks in the past in regards to some of his articles. Was I wrong. Perhaps. I’m human. Is Michael Reagan right? Perhaps not. I guess I have some thinking and soul searching to do.

I hate it when I have to actually think for myself. But without that I will not see the good in the different sides and fail to identify common ground for the common good of the party.

Perhaps if I do then I can take the good from both or in our case, them all and come up with my own. If others will do the same maybe we will all earn a place at the table where our futures are decided. Maybe a coalition we can again build.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Republican