Purity or Tolerance

By: Laura Adelmann


(Photo from the Ronald Reagan Library)

Arlen Specter's defection to the Democratic party has added to the growing concerns about the future of the Republican Party. While Specter's move was more about self-preservation and less about the nature of the Republican Party, the question still must be asked: Which way is the party heading: towards tolerant inclusiveness or a purge of those deemed Republicans-in-name-only (RINOs)?

I have identified myself as a conservative, a Libertarian, and a Republican. In our current two-party system, if you don't fit into the mold of one particular party, you worry that your voice won't be heard. Most people have an issue that is close to their hearts and mine is limited government. I can compromise on many things, but the expansion of government under the Bush administration was something I found frustrating and harmful to conservative ideals. I still voted for Bush in 2004 because I felt Kerry was too weak on national defense. I supported Ron Paul in 2008. I knew there was no chance that he'd get the nomination. I voted for McCain with many trepidations. I am one of the moderates that Olympia Snowe thinks the Republican Party is driving away.

The question now is, will the Republican party embrace the moderates or push them away to their own detriment? I have to agree with Rick Moran's article on PJTV that opines that purifying the party is harmful and embracing moderates is the only way the Republican Party can survive. A purified party is unified by it's ideals, but too small to garner a majority vote. Purity equals extinction.

You Can't Beat Something with Nothing??

By Kelli Hochhalter-Krauss

At a town-hall-style meeting recently, Jeb Bush said, "You can't beat something with nothing, and the other side has something. I don't like it, but they have it and we have to be respectful and mindful of that. So our ideas need to be forward looking and relevant. I felt like there was a lot of nostalgia and the good old days in the [Republican] messaging. I mean, it's great, but it doesn't draw people toward your cause."

I don't understand what is not forward thinking and relevant about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What is it about the conservative message that is not forward thinking? Lower taxes is not forward thinking? Being pro-life is not forward thinking? Having a strong military and strong national security is not forward thinking? I would also like to know who in the last election had nostalgia for the Reagan era or the "good old days." If anything, McCain moved as close to the middle as he could and that is why he lost. I don't believe that people remember or evoke Reagan because they wish to go back. On the contrary, it is a desire to move forward, but with the right principals.

I didn't realize that conservatives or the Republican party has nothing to beat the other side with. According to Jeb Bush, they have something, and like it or not, we need to learn from them if we want to win an election. I am sorry, but the something that the Democrats have are the same old things they have always had. Higher taxes, national health care, downsized military, restricted practices for our national security, the fairness doctrine, and abortion on demand. The only thing the Democrats had this past election was a nominee that was good at reading a teleprompter and saying a lot about nothing.

These politicians, who are part of the National Council for New America, are traveling around on a listening tour because they believe the Republican Party needs to listen and win the hearts and minds of suburban women, Latinos, and African Americans. They want to reach out to where the Republican Party has failed in the past. There is a big difference between listening to people talk to understand the everyday American and taking what was said to fit what you think the country needs. It is so basic to me. Stand up for the principals that have and will continue to make this country successful. Life, lower taxes, strong national defense and security, and free enterprise.

If you want to attract people to the Republican Party, instead of putting these political suits in front of the camera, put the people you want to attract front and center. Get the stay-at-home mom to say why she believes in the principals of the Republican Party. Get the Latino small business owner to speak about their success and show that you can be Latino, successful, and a Republican. Show the African American who has found success in this country and let them speak their mind on why we need to stick to profound principals laid out in our Constitution. Find the woman who is pro-life and not because she wants to outlaw abortion, but rather educate girls on why they should think carefully before getting themselves in a situation where abortion is an option. These are the people that will attract others. These are the people that everyday Americans will relate to. Then maybe a candidate will come forward that understands it is not about copying Democrats or forgetting the past, but standing firm on what makes this country great that inspires people. That is what Reagan did. So inspiration based on core conservative principals is not looking or living in the past, it is success for the future.

New Agenda for the Left: Make the Moderate GOP Look Increasingly Extreme

By Ellen Janoski

It’s been a long time coming. For those who haven’t heard, controversial Republican Arlen Specter finally took the R from behind his name and replaced it with a big fat D.

After old-timey Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter advocated for socialization via the Democrat’s Stimulus Bill and became one of the three “Republicans” responsible for passing the bill through the senate, most conservatives were fuming.

This wasn’t the first time Specter has flippantly forgot what party he represents, but it was the last straw for PA conservatives. And finally, his re-election efforts were looking grim.

Specter seems to be concerned only with self-preservation, so the switch makes sense. However, conservatives have significant reasons to be up in arms. As Specter was exiting stage left of the Republican Party he managed to paint the Republican Party as the one forcing him to make such a “conscience led” decision.

His derogatory statements against the GOP have given liberals a perfect opportunity to continue to paint us as extremists.

Specter stated that his primary reason for leaving the GOP was that the “Republican Party has moved far to the right” since the days of Reagan. The evidence he cites is the fact that 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania switched parties this past fall.

Those new democrats don’t prove that Republicans have become “too conservative.” It simply means Pennsylvania, for multiple reasons, has become much more liberal, as shown by last November’s election. Not to mention, party politics in America has become so black and white and so completely cyclical, that a very unpopular Republican president will basically do all the needed campaign work for the next Democratic president, single handedly. We have seen this occurring in many past elections over the years.

This statement by Specter gives liberals the perfect opportunity to say, “See, I told you those right wing Republicans are off the deep end.” Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell couldn’t wait to get behind the cameras to say, “Arlen Specter finally decided that he couldn’t represent those crazy right wing radicals. He had no choice but to switch parties. He had to do what was in the best interest of America.”

What exactly has the Republican Party done in recent years to fall into this category of right wing extremism? Was it the Bush administration? Bush’s economic policies were pretty close friends with some of Obama’s. Bush’s big spending policies made conservatives everywhere wonder where he was taking the Republican reputation. Maybe it’s the fact our Republican Presidential nominee voted as much with the Democrats as he did his own party, and that his daughter is apparently now the leading spokesperson for all homosexual Republican activists.

The Republican platform and mission has not changed since the 1980s. Our mission still reads the same. If only the Republican Party stood by our mission more like we did during the Reagan administration instead of being bullied by leftists who demand that conservatives accept their ideologies and morals…or lack thereof.

It’s the principles and mission Arlen Specter has a problem with, not the alleged “right wing radicals” in Pennsylvania. In fact, after listening to Arlen justify his vote for the stimulus bill, I can probably guess which areas of our mission he has the most problems with:

I BELIEVE free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity.

I BELIEVE government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money they earn.

I BELIEVE the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations, and that the best government is that which governs least.

Oh and let’s not forget the values section of the Republican platform. Maybe Specter didn’t read this section before registering as a Republican all those years ago:

Values of the Republican Party Platform

Upholding the Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Ensuring Equal Treatment for All

Protecting Our National Symbols

Freedom of Speech and of the Press

Maintaining The Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life

Preserving Traditional Marriage

Safeguarding Religious Liberties

Preserving Americans’ Property Rights

Letter to RNC Chair Michael Steele

Dear Mr. Steele,

I just received your latest survey, which you called a crucial project, without the likes of which the RNC cannot create a plan. I must respectfully disagree. The RNC has a problem, and the ultimate result of that problem was seen this election cycle. Barack Obama, as much as I despise what he stands for, did not ask people what they wanted, and ask for their money at the same time, BEFORE promising to act on the peoples' desires. The RNC has got to change this. You speak of wanting to stand for every grassroots leader and individual who shares your values. Well if this is true, why does the RNC not reflect all of our shared values? Why is it that I am still reading about juvenile bickering in the headlines of even Fox News? Have you even thought of what a laughing stock the latest "disinviting of Sarah Palin" makes us look to any and every voter who may have been on the fence? Sure I've seen your apology over the Rush Limbaugh "is an entertainer" bit, but it rings hollow. It reeks of "political strategy." If you honestly felt that way, why apologize? And if you didn't feel that way, WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU SAY IT? Rush Limbaugh is not just an entertainer. He is an entertainer, for certain. But he, like Sarah Palin, has a specific set of goals, values, and ideals for America (if you don't remember them, they're the ones that our party stands for), and he does not apologize for them. He calls it like he sees it. Much in the same manner as Rep. Michelle Bachmann calling out Geithner and asking him to show her where he was Constitutionally given any of these newfound authorities he is claiming. There is nothing wrong with that. You should be embracing that. There is a place for "moderate Republicans." It is called Independent. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. If this party is still the Republican party and if our values are still worth having, shout them from the rooftops. Let no person question what you believe and what you will fight for. If we (the Republican party) don't even know who we are or what we stand for, I can assure you that no one is going to want to take a stand with us. Who jumps to a ship that they know is sinking? No one does, I'm afraid.

I have listened to your commentaries on Fox for quite some time before you became the Chairman, and at that point, I was all for you being the Chairman, or perhaps a candidate. But you seem to have abandoned your true values and ideals for the sake of "strategy." The only "strategy" that we need is to get back to our conservative (fiscal, moral, and size of government) values and ideals, and be steadfast in them. Then, and only then, should we DARE to ask for anyone's money in support of those values. We cannot contribute to the gossip in the headlines, our moral values tell us that we should be above that. And our critics know this, which is why they jump with glee every time they hear a rumble, because they know it will be so well received in the main stream media.

If you have not figured out why so many average, heretofore uninvolved or uninterested citizens have backed Sarah Palin, I will attempt to explain it to you. She is who she claims to be. Her record in the past, and of the present, reflects the conservative values that we hold dear. She does not apologize about those beliefs or voting records. She does not change her stance to go along with some newfound strategy. One can never win when pretending to be someone he/she is not. People WILL donate if they are hearing Sarah Palin speak as a voice for the RNC because they believe that she truly does support and would vote the way our values sway us. I have the utmost respect for Newt Gingrich. But "uninviting" a loved and admired speaker does NOTHING to help in our efforts, and is probably about as anti-strategy as you were able to be. Did you poll your constituents to see where we stood on the uninvitation? No, I know this because I didn't get an email about it. I read about it in an article in which the author couldn't wait to point out to America how ignorant our party has become.

I will share something with you that I shared with Sarah Palin a few days after the election. I voted, for the first time in my life, this past election. I am 32 years old, a mother of 4, and am very conservative. I live in Texas, and for the most part, it is felt here that we're a Red state, so I've always felt that my vote didn't matter that much. And to be honest, I've never been moved by a politician before because they always seemed to talk the talk when it was strategically prudent, and then act in another way that helped them best in the polls. You all seem to know on a basic level that you are our employees and were "hired" on our behalf, but at your cores, you all disregard that when it comes down to it. Sarah Palin was different. Representative Bachman seems to be different as well. She is speaking up, however unpopular it is, to highlight the lack of constitutionality of many of the President's initiatives. That could turn out to be political suicide. But what these 2 women seem to have grasped, that most of you have not, is that even if you don't win another election and it is some other Republican who takes your place, it is NOT ABOUT YOU. It is about what is best for our country. If you truly believe that Conservative values of limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the value of life are best for America, then wear that on your sleeve. If one or two or three people speak out against you for it, so be it. THAT is what being a leader is about. Even those few who don't like what you are saying will admire and respect you for staying true to who you are and what you claim you stand for. For the record, I sent a handwritten letter, 2 days after the election to Sarah Palin, detailing much of what I'm telling you now. What would you have done in response? Probably sent me a generic form letter thanking me for support, with my name merged in, and a scanned signature, so that you didn't have to take time out to actually sit down and care about me on a personal level, right? That's what most politicians do. Do you know what Sarah did? She, when no one was looking, the cameras were gone, I didn't matter on a global scale, sat down and handwrote me a note back. She wrote it on her son, Trig's, birth announcement, and mailed it back to me. It would have been easier, I'm sure, to have a staffer do a mail merge for the bags of fan mail she was getting, and I'm sure she does that sometimes. But please take an example from her. Get back to basics. Stand for our Constitution, and the values, as written, of the Republican party, and then just run with them. You have the ability to send out these mass emails asking for our thoughts. Well then REALLY LISTEN TO US, and act on what we say, even if you don't think it is strategically the best move. We are the ones voting, and whatever it is that we want IS the best strategic move because if we don't feel that you support our values, we not only aren't donating, but we're not wasting our time to get out and vote or convince others to.

Please don't turn me, and the many others out there who have found a love and passion for involvement with our government, off to the idea. Please don't put us back on the bandwagon that believes, "my vote doesn't count...they will tell me one thing and then act in another way to better their political standing." Please show me that you are still a person, and not just another part of the political machine. I've attached a scanned copy of the note that Sarah Palin wrote me, front and back. I'm only sending it, hoping that you will look at it, and see what such a small gesture, can mean to someone, and how actually caring about how we feel can make us supporters for life--and you have to know that with that support comes our pocketbooks. Please don't be so naiive and do the RNC such a disservice as to ask for our money BEFORE you have adopted and acted on our values and ideals. Show us that we can depend on you not to change with the Washington winds, and the money and support will come. Myself and many others, will be your grassroots movement at the most basic level, but you have to stand for what we believe in. That simplistic idea is exactly how a man as extreme as Barack Obama landed himself in the Whitehouse so easily. He promised to do what his constituents wanted, the whole way through the campaign. He may be changing his tune now on some issues, but when he needed the support, he got it by reflecting the Democratic values. He wasn't telling them his values were the only ones and that people could vote for him or no one. This is the feeling that many of us get from the RNC at the present time. I'm frankly shopping around looking for another party. I can't consider myself Libertarian because of their stance on Abortion. I truly feel that THIS--the Republican Party--is where I belong, but please get back to what the party has always claimed to stand for, no apologies, no excuses.

With the greatest respect and hope for a positive change,

Natalie Nichols

A Profile in Conservatism: Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann

Smart Girl Politics, SGP, is thrilled that Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann agreed to be the first person interviewed for our A Profile in Conservatism series.

Congresswoman Bachmann was gracious enough to respond to questions submitted to her by members of SGP. It is truly apparent from her answers that she was the obvious choice to be the first person profiled.

Congresswoman Bachmann is currently serving her second term as the representative from the 6th District of Minnesota.


SGP: What is the most important thing you learned during your campaign this past year?

CMB: As much attention as the press pays to the resurgence of big government liberalism – portraying President Obama as the next FDR - it was refreshing to see the outpouring of support I received from conservatives all across the country who rushed to my side when things got tight in the last couple weeks of my campaign. This cuts into question 2 a little bit, but I saw firsthand that conservatism is not dead; it just needs to be reignited and given a direction.

SGP: There seems to be a struggle going on for the Republican Party. What are your thoughts on the current direction of the party? Should it continue to be more centrist or move back to conservative principles?

CMB: As I said in the first question, conservatism is not dead, no matter how much the main stream media, liberal elites, and others may want it to be – it just needs to be reignited. Republicans squandered our opportunity to lead our country for decades to come because we threw conservative policies and principles aside in place of big government programs and spending. Plain and simple, we governed like liberals. Spending skyrocketed, the size of government multiplied, the debt grew, and the conservative ideals Republicans came to power on were left by the wayside.

Interestingly, the Democrats co-opted our ideas for their message and grew their majority. The ranks of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats in Congress have swelled, and simultaneously, the numbers of centrist Republicans have diminished greatly.

SGP: What are your thoughts on the Republican National Committee Chair race and are you publicly supporting a candidate?

CMB: I am not publicly supporting any candidate and obviously don’t have a vote in this race, but I do hope that whoever is chosen understands the need for true conservative leadership and sees the value in developing our message through the latest technologies and communication. We can’t afford to let the youngest generation of voters continue their love affair with the Democrat Party. We must make it clear that we are the real party of change; we are and always have been the real party of reform and innovation. We have to get the message out to the online generation that conservative policies give us the ability to keep more of our money … and more of our freedom. We must remind Americans that they don’t answer to government, government answers to them.

SGP: Minnesota has always been well respected for its fair elections. In light of the Coleman/Franken race, are you confident that the people of Minnesota can trust in the election systems and that their votes will count?

CMB: I think this process has been an utter embarrassment. We made up the rules of the game as we went along. Democrats have claimed to be the party upholding the “one man, one vote” principle; but this race has made it clear that that principle only holds for them when it benefits them. I would like to say how proud I am of Norm Coleman, who has been a good Senator and a good friend. He has conducted himself with dignity throughout this process, while assertively fighting for what’s right.

SGP: How do you move forward with your agenda in the wake of the partisanship being played today? Do you believe that President-elect Obama will truly reach across the aisle and work with Republicans?

CMB: To be honest, the partisanship of the White House doesn’t scare me half as much as the partisanship of the Democrat leadership in the Congress. I expect that they will look to seize this opportunity to ram through enormous spending bills, Big Labor agenda items, and liberal social policies.

Just look at the first couple of weeks of the 111th Congress: The Senate pushes through its land grab; both houses push through massive changes to employment law that benefit no one but trial lawyers; the so-called $825 billion stimulus package is rushing into law. This is likely only a preview of the next two years.

SGP: With the losses in November, grassroots organizations, such as SGP, have sprung up all over the internet. You, yourself, are participating on Twitter. How do we quickly modernize the Party to meet the tech and communication challenges into 2010, 2012, and beyond?

CMB: Early in 2007, I brought on a staffer to map out and administer an effective new media strategy and its paid enormous dividends. It helps me to communicate with my constituents in ways that are convenient and useful to them. Most people don’t realize that when the Democrats took over Congress they instituted a 5-day Washington workweek. Unlike the Republicans, who worked 3 long days in Washington and then sent Members home to their districts for 4 days to talk to their constituents, the Democrats believe that all good ideas come from inside the Washington Beltway. By using new media outlets – like Twitter and Facebook – as well as new technologies, like telephone townhalls, I can keep in touch with my constituents even when I’m not able to be with them face-to-face.

If nothing else, the 2008 elections revealed to everyone how far ahead the Democrat Party is in embracing the latest forms of communication and technology. I hope the incoming RNC Chairman sees this and makes fixing this one of his top priorities, and that more members in the House and Senate embrace these highly effective media tools.

Fortunately, I’ve already seen in the first two weeks of the 111th Congress a greater emphasis from Republican House Leadership on new media, urging every Member to develop their own outlets like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. As hard as this may be to believe, some Members here on the Hill are still adjusting to email, never mind Facebook; so it will be a longer process for some. But as our leadership makes the transition, that will only help each Member do the same.

SGP: With all the debt we have created through the bailouts, it seems the only way out is to grow the economy. Is energy independence (developing our natural energy resources as well as building nuclear plants, etc) still the "magic bullet" to get America's economy on the right track?

CMB: It’s certainly a key part. Now that gas prices have subsided, nobody wants to talk about energy anymore. This concerns me because once the global economy begins to stabilize, we are going to be right back where we were in 2007 paying $4 a gallon or higher if we don’t enhance our production and utilize America’s own resources.

Not only would increased domestic production be an enormous job creator, but it would put our nation on a path towards greater energy independence which only helps our economy in the long run – not to mention our national security.

SGP: Only 7% of the candidates who ran under the Republican ticket this year were women. How do we encourage more young women to get involved in politics? What steps can we take to identify and support women candidates for office?

CMB: That’s a great question in which there’s no simple answer. I don’t think the problem is that Republican women aren’t involved in the political process – as activists around the country and Congressional staffs are certainly not underrepresented by women - but it’s making that leap to actually run for office where Republicans are lacking. I think as time goes on, more and more Republican women will run themselves as more Republican women make the national spotlight. And, what a great boon that will be not only for our Party, but for the country. Republican women bring a special perspective to the way we govern, and that’s a perspective we can use more of.


SGP would like to thank the Congresswoman for her time and participation. Please continue to check back for more interviews in the "A Profile in Conservatism" series.

SGP Network is Proud to Launch Our New Site!

The day after the election I posted a request on my blog. I wanted to get conservative women together to discuss our thoughts, ideas, and principles. I wanted to start a group that would allow conservative women a voice. I knew there were sites out there, but none that met all of the requirements for which I was looking.

I wanted a group that did not support a single candidate. I wanted a group where conservative women felt like they could be heard. I wanted a group where, as we grew in numbers, we could actually influence the direction of the Republican party.

I am proud of how far we have come so far. As of today, we have our network on Twitter, Facebook, Teamsarah.org, and Youtube. We have over twenty blogs listed on our blogroll. We have added new authors on our SGP network sites. Finally, the biggest announcement to date in our network, the launch of our new site on Ning.

Smart Girl Politics

We welcome conservative women to join our discussion on how we can help conservative candidates in the elections to come. We will support conservative women at all levels in politics. We are a grassroots effort that will work on local, state, and national levels. Please visit us at the new site. We will be hosting an online Meet & Greet on Tuesday, December 2 @ 10 pm (eastern).

Hey GOP - Wake Up and Pay Attention - You're Missing The Point!

In the wake of defeat, the Republican party is in retreat and regroup mode. Members of the party are jockeying for key new leadership roles, conservatives and moderates are currently meeting to redefine what the party is and what the party should become. Yet for all of the self-reflection, will they actually miss the point of their great loss?

The party is now in a battle with itself. Conservatives are challenging moderates to take back the party. Conservatives did not lose this election because they were conservative. Moderates did not win because they were moderates. The Republican party must go back to it's roots. It must go back to the good ole Reagan days. Unfortunately, in today's political climate it may not be enough.

The only voting block that Republicans won were white males. They lost the voting blocks of women, hispanics, and blacks. Now obviously with the first black candidate running for President of the United States, it was a vote that they were all but guaranteed to lose. However, without painting all of them with a broad stroke, most Hispanics are conservative by nature. The women's vote is one that should be a challenge, but is attainable with a little effort.

Yes, Sarah Palin was a great first step. However, if John McCain hadn't decided to throw that "hail-Mary pass", how long would it have taken the party to nominate a women for President or Vice-President. The fact of the matter is that Republican leadership has done a pitiful job of reaching out to women voters. There is no female bench in the Republican party. As great as Kay Bailey Hutchinson is, she can no longer be the token Conservative woman. Yes, there are a few others, but only one or two are known nationally.

Only 11% of the GOP's candidates for Congress this year were women (38 of 342 candidates were women). Eleven percent is pitiful to say it politely. I am not suggesting that there be a quota system set up, but there are extremely talented conservative women who need to be given the opportunity to not only run, but need to be given leadership roles in the party. No, Sarah Palin does not give the party a pass. She wasn't elected.............yet.

If the Republican party is going to truly have a chance to regroup and come back with a vengeance, it must actually change with the times and stop bowing to that "old boys network". They already have the white male vote in the bag. If they do not change now, the name for the future GOP should be the "grand ole dinosaur."