Still Asking The Question

    The Following is a re-post from January 1, 2012, originally posted  on Politically Frank.   In this post I asked some tuff questions about where the Delaware GOP was headed after the shift within the Delaware GOP. I think these question are unfortunately still far too relevant today. The party is still struggling to find its level. The revolutionaries are still struggling to gain real control, and in doing so are willing to lose all, and gain nothing in the name of revolution.

However, is there really a revolution if you never make any gains? It is disappointing to me, as someone who at the time was proud to be a part of the so called revolution, to see that we wasted our small gains. Too many people were consumed with political paybacks rather than political gains. While the revolution focused on so called purity of principles, the real opposition focused on winning elections and setting the political agenda in the legislature and the governor’s office.

I see no change in that mentality, the fringe of the GOP is still talking about political purity, rather than political gains. When you attempt to purify anything you always have less of it, so in attempting to purify the GOP to some arbitrary view of what it means to be a conservative, these self described revolutionaries have driven some people away from the party, others have left the GOP because they feel it is never going to be pure enough to suit them, and in both cases, it leaves the GOP weaker to defend against the real opposition the Democrats.

Some believe I have surrendered my principles, I have been called a liberal. Let me say, that my principles are the same as they were in 2006, 2008, and 2010, I have not changed my principles, I have changed my perspective on how to obtain the political goals I see as being important. When you can’t have the entire loaf, a slice is better than nothing. If you refuse a slice because you can’t have the loaf, you are a fool.

   After The Revolution

January 1, 2012

  The world’s history is filled with revolution. There has been revolution since the beginning of time. One could say that the original sin committed by Eve was a form of revolt against God’s law.

  Surely since the formation of societies and governments, revolution has moved the world, sometimes for the better and many times to the detriment of mankind.

   2380 BC (short chronology): A popular revolt in the Sumerian city of Lagash deposes King Lugalanda and puts the reformer Urukagina on the throne.

 206 BC: Ziying, last ruler of the Qin Dynasty of China surrenders himself to Liu Bang, leader of a popular revolt and founder of the Han Dynasty.

 73–71 BC: The failed Roman slave rebellion, led by the gladiator Spartacus.

 49–45 BC: Julius Caesar crossed the river Rubicon heading part of the Roman army and marched on Rome. After overthrowing and assuming control of Pompeian government, he was proclaimed “dictator in perpetuity”.

 A.D.

 6–9: The Great Illyrian Revolt of various Illyrian tribes against the Roman Empire

 1418–1427: Vietnamese led by Lê Lợi revolted against Chinese occupation.

 1606–1607: The Bolotnikov rebellion for the abolition of serfdom, which was part of the Time of Troubles in Russia.

 1688: The Glorious Revolution in England overthrew King James II and established a Whig-dominated Protestant constitutional monarchy.

 1768: The Rebellion of 1768 by Creole and German settlers objecting to the turnover of the Louisiana Territory from New France to New Spain.

 The above list is but a small sample of the thousands of revolts throughout history, around the world. I collected them from Wikipedia, here is a link to the complete list, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_revolutions_and_rebellions .

  Of course no list of revolts or rebellions would be complete without,     

 1775–1783: The American Revolution establishes independence of the thirteen North American colonies from Great Britain, creating the republic of the United States of America.

  It can be and has been argued that the American Revolution is the single most important event in the history of mankind, second only to the birth of Jesus the Christ, in changing the course of mankind.

  Some might argue that the Civil War and the Bolshevik Revolution are equally as important. While these conflicts were both significant events, they have not had the lasting effect on the world as did the American Revolution, in my opinion.

  No matter which revolution or rebellion that you think is the most significant, the conflict itself is actually secondary to what follows.

  What happens after the revolution? Of course if the powers that are being challenged are victorious, then it is likely that little will change. Often there will be retribution against the rebels for daring to revolt in the first place. Another question about what happens after the revolution, depends on who is revolting and what they are revolting against.

  Not all revolutions are inspired by good intentions. Many revolutions are in fact stirred solely for the acquisition of power, while others seem to have the best intentions for the good of the all, end up installing some of the most tyrannical regimes known to man.

  If we take the American Revolution as an example of doing it right, we see that our Founding Fathers worked as hard after the revolution, as did the Patriots who fought during the war.

 After the last shot was fired and the building of a new nation began, it was important that the Framers did not abandon their revolutionary principles.  It would have been very easy for them to simply take control of the new government and to ignore the principles put forth in our Founding document, The Declaration of Independence.

 The fact that the new nation actually had to create a second governing document because the first, The Articles of Confederation, did not work to guarantee those principles, is a testament to the conviction of those who founded this nation.  It was this vision, and the strength of integrity that allowed the Framers to see the error of their ways, that empowered them to voluntarily disassemble what they had put together, only to improve on it in a way that has allowed this nation to exist as the shining light of Liberty for the last two hundred and twenty-five years.

   Each and every one of us face similar challenges in our everyday lives. Certainly our choices may not have the impact that those of our Founding Fathers have had, but it is through holding to so-called first principles that we find our way through life.

  As this new year begins we must ask ourselves, are we showing the strength of integrity that is needed to make these choices?  As someone who is extremely interested in political affairs, I can’t help but relate the views I have expressed here, to what has been unfolding here in Delaware for the last couple of years. Specifically within the GOP of the state and of Sussex County.

  We within the GOP of Delaware in general and within Sussex County specifically should take a long look at where we are headed.  I don’t think that it is too much of a stretch to call what happened within the Delaware GOP in the  last two years somewhat of a revolution.

  The last election cycle saw a career moderate, to leftist Republican politician defeated in a GOP primary. We also saw another party endorsed candidate defeated in the same primary season. Following these victories by a grass-roots movement within the GOP we lost the general elections. Some saw this as a failure of the revolutionaries, the revolutionaries saw it as unfinished business.

 Once the dust had settled from the election there was a bloodless  coup d’ etat within the GOP. First there was a cry for the resignation of the State Chairman Tom Ross which resulted in his resigning. At the same time there was growing discontent with the leadership of the Sussex County Chairman Ron Sams as well, which also resulted in his stepping down.

  For full disclosure I played my small part in this so-called revolution. Like many within the GOP in Delaware I felt that many of us who considered ourselves the more conservative faction of the party, were under represented within the party leadership. We felt that the time had come to take control of the party. We wanted a more rank and file focus from the party, a bottom up organization. We wanted the voter to have the loudest voice within the party.

 Like all revolutions we had our battle cries, things like RINOs, establishment, and elitist party leadership. Another one we were fond of was upstate elitist party establishment RINOs, just to cover all of our bases.

 Depending on your perspective you could say that the revolution was a success. It was  able to topple the state chairman and the Sussex County chairman as well.

  Clearly there were two icons of the revolution, these would have been the two candidates who upset the party endorsed candidates in the GOP primaries. These two candidates inspired many rank and file voters to become involved and  actually working on a political campaign for the first time ever. They should have been the new leaders and the new face of the GOP.

 In the one’s case they chose to disengage for the most part to focus on personal task. Coming back long enough to make a presidential endorsement that has angered many of their former supporters, due to the fact that the person they endorsed has no resemblance to the principles that the revolution held to.

 The second chose to stay engaged, they actually took a leadership role within the party. Though some of the things that have happened during their leadership time, has left some wondering if it was for the best.

 So now we are headed for  another election cycle and due to the revolution, the party is in turmoil. One has to wonder, have those who stirred the revolution held to the first principles of the revolution? Or have they become that which they revolted against?

  We have to ask, have the founders of the revolution worked to create, sustain and maintain a bottom up organization? Or have they succumb to the seduction of power? Have we substituted one establishment elite for that of another?

  It falls to those of us who demanded change, dare I say it? To be the change we demanded.

 We here in Sussex County are about to select new leadership, will we seek to hold to the principles of the revolution? Or will we simply install another administration that seeks to direct instead of lead, will we demand that the voter have the loudest voice? Or will we settle for leadership that feels that they know more than the rank and file?

 I have to admit that I have had to ask myself these same questions. Have I held to the principles of the revolution? In some cases I have found myself lacking. So this is not judgement of others, it is simply a warning, that if we want to achieve that which we fought for, then we must hold true to the so-called first principles of the revolution. The first being personal integrity. The second being holding ourselves as well as others accountable.