Note from Quin: Once again, my friend, the mysterious Felix Veritas, writes a no-holds-barred column saying things a lot of conservatives believe. Frankly, the reaction to a lot of Felix’s columns is better than the reaction to mine, so I think it is important to give voice to those who are out of patience with the political Left.
But, two things bear repeating. First, despite what some appear to think, Felix is absolutely not some fictional alter ego of mine, but merely a pen name for a thoughtful acquaintance of mine. Second, while we probably agree on issues more than 90 percent of time, there are certainly times when he and I disagree on methods and means. This is one of them. Therefore, I will offer a short and respectful rebuttal after this column of his.
GOP Leaders should just ignore the Democrats
By Felix Veritas
Once again the anti-Trump cacophony echoes through DC and the editorial halls of Big Media. And – yet again – do Democrats choose concrete, rock-ribbed foundation on which to erect their rantings?
Of course not.
True to past form, Democrats build on premises resembling Blue Bell ice cream on a sunny July afternoon. Soft, mushy, and ready to collapse when the slightest pressure is applied.
We shouldn’t be surprised. It’s all they have, and with that in mind the Democrat leaders should be treated accordingly. Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi haven’t presented any ideas or options regarding healthcare reform, immigration, taxation….or anything. But again, that’s not a surprise. They don’t have any ideas…..or to be fair, any ideas we can’t see on display in Venezuela right now.
With that in mind, there is no legitimate reason for GOP leaders to pay attention to anything Democrats say at this point in history. Ignore them. On everything.
Clearly, the American people’s state and national votes the last six years screamed disapproval of liberal policies. Therefore, it’s reasonable to conclude that GOP leaders should ear-muff their way through legislative sessions. Quarantine Democrats to the kids’ table until votes are taken so the adults can make decisions and do the grown-up work.
And stop being nice about it.
It’s time the Democratic Party is treated in accordance with their policy outcomes. AETNA insurance pulled out of Obamacare this week, signaling that legislative travesty’s final death knell, and illustrating yet another example of the Left’s stupidity. It also continues clarifying national Democrats’ real motives and why they keep pushing failed policies: they really don’t want to help people, they want to control and dominate them.
Tell me why conservatives should ever “reach across the aisle” to those people for any reason (looking at you, John Kasich)? Short of required parliamentary procedures, I can’t think of one.
So GOP leaders, follow the advice of championship coaches from John Wooden to Pat Summitt to Eddie Robinson: Ignore the outside noise…identify your ultimate goals, and focus only on the day-to-day work to produce those goals. The American economy, culture and ultimately the American People will reward you for it.
Quin’s response:
I empathize with Felix here, and if he were more specific, I might agree with him in discrete instances. Individual Democratic leaders who consistently take cheap shots, who don’t play straight, who do or say things that are completely hypocritical, may indeed (and yes, have indeed forfeited) the privilege of being courted or even humored.
But I think Felix paints with too broad a brush. What is needed is more, not less, of an attempt to reach “across the aisle,” to listen better to putative political adversaries to see if there somehow may actually be common ground that we have missed. If anybody acts in bad faith, they should not longer be courted. But until they do, we should try to find ways to pull together as Americans and as humans. Most of the best legislation out of Washington over the past 100 years has been bipartisan. It can be so again.
Not only that, but there is real danger in “writing off” the other side. A culture that finds no common ground is a culture in serious danger of falling apart. Trying to understand each other, and trying at least to find good ideas from the “other side” even while continuing to try to “defeat” them in honest political combat overall, is an imperative for the American polity. So I believe. And such is the Madisonian tradition to which I subscribe.
Watch soon for a major essay on this subject that I have co-written with a friend of nearly 40 years standing, an essay we hope will find a publisher soon. — Quin
