Dex’s thought on the election

First, I told you so.

Second, what really chaps my hide is that I did what I said I wouldn’t. I voted for the old bastard. I wasn’t going to, but decided at the last minute. I needn’t have bothered.

Conger believes that Bush was the reason McCain failed. I disagree. McCain is the reason McCain failed. 25 years in the Senate and the best he’s got is “Barack is too liberal” and “I supported the surge.”  Cracker, please. If in 25 years, that’s the leadership you can show, stay in the Senate. 

There will be a lot of speculation that Palin hurt his chances. I’m afraid that she got Quayled. She gave them the opportunity to paint her as stupid and unqualified and that stuck. If she wants to continue, she’ll have to overcome that in the mainstream media. And to be honest, if she can’t handle Charlie and Katie, even I don’t want her trying to handle Ahmedinijad or Putin or whoever. Yes, she rolled out too late and poorly. Maybe that was her and maybe that was her handlers, but if she wants to go on, she’s going to have to do better and often.

It’s time for the Republicans and the right side of the blogosphere to do the “Wednesday Morning Quarterbacking” as Conger put it. It’s time for the knives to come out.  Our current “compassionate conservative” president is leaving office with 2 out 3 Americans thinking he did a lousy job and our former candidate just got whooped by a noob with decidedly marxist tendencies. Running to the middle doesn’t work. We need to discuss what will and cut loose who and what won’t.

America was ready for a change, but I don’t think it really wanted to go left. I think a candidate running to the right of George W. Bush would have actually done a lot better than McCain did. This country is much more conservative than tonight’s vote would lead you to believe. Too bad a conservative wasn’t running. Oh, there were some in the primaries, but they didn’t have the fire (Fred) or the charisma (Romney, Hunter, Tancredo), the strategy (Guiliani) or the bona fides (Huckabee). Or the judgement (P@ul). So we got stuck with the Old Fart Whose Turn It Was. A guy who voted against tax cuts that worked. A guy who wanted to punish the “greedy”, whoever they are. A guy who wanted to run on his reputation as a “maverick who gets things done”, but who came across as a crusty old-timer who wanted to tell you again and again about his time in the war and hoped that you wouldn’t notice that all he’d done since is cut deals to get himself ahead.

There will be plenty of time for constructive criticism later. For now, I’m just gonna rant a little below the fold.

I’m not sorry he lost. I’m sorry he lost to Obama. But I figure, hell, if we’re on the road to serfdom anyway, why take baby-steps? Bush-Bush-Clinton-Clinton-Bush-Bush-McCain. Baby steps. Let’s take big-ass long strides down that path. Let’s hurry up and get there before my son is old enough to remember what it was like when men were free. Let’s get there before he knows what it is we pissed away by continuing to accept that we had to choose the lesser evil.

Fuck that. I’m not voting against a Democrat again. The GOP can put up someone worth voting for or they can’t have my vote. And fuck all you bootlickers in SC, FL and AL who think that a medal on someone’s chest qualifies them for office. Yeah, I fucking said it. Shows character, sure. So does what he did in a 25 year interregnum.

And fuck all the pundits and authors who went over to Obama when you saw which way the wind was blowing, who say the republicans need to get with the times and move left. And fuck everyone who tells me to chill out. This is the marketplace of ideas. Offer me someone who’s got what I want or don’t waste my time.  

John McCain lost tonight and the Republicans lost tonight, not because the country has moved left but because they deserved to.  Do better, GOP. Start now. Let every stitch of freedom that they try to take from you over the next few years fuel your intensity. If you don’t, another party will rise up and take your place. I’d remind you that Lincoln was a Whig at one time. Things change and parties that address the wants and desires, the NEEDS of the voters win.