2006 Republican "Disaster" - again...

As I read different commentators around the internet bemoaning all the voters who didn't vote Republican in the last election, but either withheld their vote or voted 3rd party and calling them idiots and blaming them for the disaster, let me lay this quote on you:

"I didn't leave the Democratic party, the Democratic party left me!"
-Ronald Reagan

That, dear reader, is what happened this past election. The Republicans left those of us who have faithfully voted for them since 1980. They turned their backs on us, took us for granted, and got their lunches handed to them for it.

And have they learned anything from their disaster? Let me put it to you this way: Giuliani. McCain. Romney. These are the Republican front runners today. All three are either partly or fully against the issues that are important to real conservatives (like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, to use the Founders words - which the neo-cons seem not to understand.)

Giuliani: This liberal Republican and esrstwhile cross-dresser thinks the 2nd amendment only applies to hunters. Is also pro-abortion and pro-gay "rights". But he's a "leader".

McCain: Once called religious conservatives "agents of intolerance", and thinks that restricting free-speech is what it takes to clean up political campaigns (see "McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform") now is sucking up to those same "agents of intolerance" because they vote.

Romney: You just don't know where he stands on anything. Is spending most of his time these days backpedaling from earlier positions he took on fireams ownership, gay marriage, and other topics that would typically cause conservatives to look for someone else to support. Obviously being a supposed conservative in Massachusetts you have to do some things to be a successful politician, but to me that just makes it worse. If you have convictions then stand by them even in the face of opposition and criticism. I can respect a man like that even if I don't agree with them.

Honestly, the only one with any backbone is Giuliani - at least he tells you where he stands and sticks with it. But none of them are palatable to conservatives. The only conservative that is being mentioned is Newt Gingrich and he hasn't even announced yet.

Gingrich is interesting to me, but he is such an academic that he loses people when he gets to talking on minutia and they tune him out. Plus, he has some character issues, which is why he was ousted from the House. If he came in with a simple message that resonates with everyone like he did with the "Contract with America" he could win it all.

The problem with Gingrich is that he is not a "Liberty" candidate, as he has supported and defended the "Patriot" act, one of the greatest usurpations of Liberty ever created. For that reason alone I could not vote for him.

Honestly, I would love to vote for Ron Paul, but I don't know if he will make it to the first primary, let alone be a player in the race.

So, Republicans. Here is a great sea of votes waiting for someone who is worthy of them. Will you learn from 2006 and put forward good candidates, or will you continue in your losing ways and give us the likes of Giuliani, McCain, and Romney?

We'll see.