Tag: Young Minds of Mush

Take Jon Huntsman: the governor of Utah for more than four and a half years. Huntsman also served stints as the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and China in the early 1990s and late 2000s, respectively. Besides being fluent in Mandarin, his governorship saw the highest contemporaneous job growth rate in the country. The man was electable.

And if that isn't enough, Newsweek reported in 2011 that Huntsman was ready after the 2008 election to tweak party platforms to reach a younger base. The key changes: a more centrist Republican approach on "immigration, gay rights and the environment."

Never won a state in the primary.  Drops out with placing 3rd in New Hampshire.  Not even a noteworthy stalking horse candidate.

Self described moderates complain after every 'surprising' loss that the conservatives are chasing them out of the party.  Often that nonsequitor is used to explain the loss, and make themselves feel better for having no core foundation.

The side bar (hash tag #RightMi) had a real winner link to a story by a recent teenager with all the answers to our current political problems. His premise is essentially, that anything Bill Buckley Jr. has said, is correct, and applicable to our current election results.  Specifically noting the "Buckley Rule" of selecting a winnable candidate, thus advancing conservatism in that manner.  Inks writes:

"Looking at the past two elections, it seems that the GOP has forgotten the last three words of the Buckley Rule, and it is now costing us elections.

On the national level, the party primary voters have forced candidates further to the far right on issues that make our candidates undesirable to moderate American voters. During the time he was governor, Mitt Romney had viable, working solutions to health care and environmental problems. "

So Much Bloviating.

Inks has adopted the 'loser' posture, where there is nothing to stand for but (what is apparently) the winners position. (even if wrong.) He has twisted a mildly misinterpreted Buckley stance and given new meaning to the word accommodation and capitulation.  Mr Inks should remember in the last century the national socialists were elected as well.  Yes, the winners can be wrong, and standing for something opposite what those 'winners' stand for is unacceptable to this young man.  Buckley's "rule" once again is abused for a squishy position of a milquetoast political wannabe.

Buckley by the way was one of three, including conservative hero Russell Kirk to convince Barry Goldwater to run for president anyhow. What Buckley hadn't seen coming, was the shift in the way media, and the progressive/socialist training farms known as public schools and universities would through relative shifts, change what is a winning candidate.  The acceptable forum in fact, for Mr. Ink's article we should note, carries a small irony.