The Conservative Right seems to operate from a general assumption that things keep getting worse because liberals are in power and democrats win all the elections. However, I got curious and did a little research on the topic. I discovered that over the past 20 years, republicans have held 57% of the control of our federal government – 68% if you add in the Supreme Court – that’s a 68/32 split in favor of the republicans. Among the union states, the elephant party holds complete control (legislature and governor) of nearly half the states (23) – more than three times as many as the dreaded donkeys (7). It turns out that America is overwhelmingly republican-controlled.
So why hasn’t so much as one unconstitutional federal agency or program been abolished, or defunded, or even had its funding reduced, or at least not had its funding increased? And why haven’t any of the states begun to dismantle their social welfare programs, eliminate regulatory bureaucracies, significantly reduce taxes or implement anything remotely resembling what was once known as the conservative agenda?
It might be an unpleasant fact to face, but the truth is that the majority of those elected by the Conservative Right no longer represent the values once associated with the conservative movement and its favored political party. Some have gradually, and even unwittingly, adopted elements of the secularist-socialist-statist worldview to which republicans once provided an opposition. Others have succumbed to the allure of power or have simply sold out to lobbyists and big money donors who can assure their reelection. We’re not talking about just a few “RINOs.” The compromise, corruption and general sellout of traditional conservative values has become pandemic in the Republican Party.
Some people think that their representative is “pretty conservative,” citing, “he voted right on the big issue in this session; I know that, because he sent me a letter telling me so.” Unfortunately, many of us don’t realize the deals that are cut and the games that are played out of public view.
For example, Eagle Forum president, Ed Martin, explained in an interview with former Missouri state representative, Cynthia Davis, that in last year’s Boehner-Obama secret budget deal, all but 29 republicans voted to advance a democrat budget to the floor where it would have enough support to pass. Then, an hour later, the majority of those republicans voted against the same budget. The net effect was that republicans enabled the bill to get to the floor to be passed, yet most were able to go home to tell their conservative constituents that they voted against the reckless budget.
I don’t know whether republicans do such things because they are evil, cowardly, or inept, but it really doesn’t matter since the outcome is the same.
For a more thorough look at the systemic nature of the betrayal and duplicity, I highly recommend you listen to the full Cynthia Davis/Ed Martin interview.
Yes, many of your nice conservative republican representatives are actually lying to you. Remember, a lie is not merely a “non fact,” but is any endeavor to deceive, including an endeavor by your representative to make you think they “held the line,” when, in reality, they sold out your values.
This is going on at the state level as well. Listen to this discussion (begins at the 7:00 minute mark and continues through 11:30) between Washington State Representative David Taylor and former representative Jason Overstreet, for an example of orchestrated republican deception relating to the 2015-17 Washington state budget. While republican leadership serenaded the faithful with a song of ‘No New Taxes,’ 90% of their legislators voted for a budget built on a $17 billion tax increase over 10 years.
Based on conversations with friends who have served in other state legislatures, it’s apparent that similar examples could be found in most every state.
This past September, Senator Ted Cruz gave one of the most powerful speeches that I’ve heard from a sitting member of congress (click here for transcript). Cruz pulled back the curtain on the corruption, compromise and deceit that has become the Republican Party, including an explanation of how “show-votes” are used to pacify the conservative rubes. As Cruz points out, it would be bad enough if republican leadership merely betrayed conservatives, but, in reality, they actually hold their party’s base in contempt.
This isn’t meant to discourage anyone, but to shake, wake, and make the Christian-Conservative-Right realize that you’re being taken for a ride on a republican bus that’s going the wrong way. There is hope and there are answers, but you’re going to have to find the courage to get off the bus and stand for principle, not just party.
That includes being willing to lose a few battles while fighting to win the war; and it includes being willing to depose every incumbent who does not hold strictly to the Biblical-constitutional-liberty standard. You don’t send the establishment a message by reelecting their lackeys; you send them a message by voting them out and taking away their power! That’s the only message they understand.
More importantly, God does not have a track record of rewarding tepidness, compromise, deceit or disloyalty, and He is the only One who can truly heal the land. America has gone beyond the point from which the conservative movement can restore it. For that matter, I believe the conservative movement has degenerated beyond the point from which it can itself recover. The sooner we come to grips with that, the sooner we can move on from trusting in men, money, political parties and power structures, and get back to trusting in God as our only hope; demonstrating that trust through unswerving devotion to His righteous cause is the only answer, not being dissuaded from our course for a mere win at the polls, or for fear that the other party might get in.
I’ll stand alone for principle if need be, but I won’t compromise the standard to join a heard of pachyderms stampeding off in the wrong direction.
