Sep 17 2005
The Big Tent Isn’t That Big
Big is not infinite. And though I deplore the libertarians’ obsession with litmus tests and their childish all-or-nothing liberty-or-tyranny mindset, there must be a limit to the GOP big tent.
The GOP can and does accomodate both sides of many issues, despite liberal propoganda: abortion, gay marriage, even gun control. We may or may not be entirely happy with that, but there it is: we are the big tent party, and unlike the Democrats, we don’t have an abortion litmus test for membership.
However, if we are to continue to grow as the party of American conservatism, itself a big tent movement, we must also continue to be the party that supports our nation in time of war and supports our military in action. This kind of thing has no place, ever, in the GOP.
We have no room in the tent for appeaseniks, peaceniks, or “I support the troops but not the war” types. None.
Left or right, Kos or Rockwell, these people cannot ever be welcomed among us. If there is one thing we must stand for as a party, it is unapologetic, unmitigated America First and Foremost, America Now and Forever.
Not the liberal or liberaltarian concept of America–America not as she was founded but a pipedream that does not, and God willing, never will exist. America, her President as well as her citizens, and her troops. America, the greatest force for liberty on the earth today.
The America of George W. Bush, and not the America of Howard Dean or Hitlery Clinton; America, land of opportunity, not economic equality enforced with theft by taxation. America, land of individual liberty and individual responsibility.
If we, the GOP, do not stand for America, then no party will. And then, the party in power will be a subversive one, working not to uphold America, but undermine her. And that can never happen.
So all you appeasenik types, whatever else your politics may be: go elsewhere.
Carry on.
