PrintNovember 30, 2007
'You Play to Win the Game'
So said then-New York Jets coach Herman Edwards in a press conference a few years ago. His remark was so sublimely and simplistically apt that is a favorite of cable sports review shows and chat sessions.
Yet William Rusher, one of conservatism's grey eminences, concludes that it would be better and not really dangerous for conservative voters to allow someone like Hillary Clinton to become president than nominate an individual with whom some conservatives differ on some issues.
The prospect of Rudy Giuliani becoming the standard-bearer of the Republican Party in 2008 has given the vapors to many on the nation's right. This kind of thinking is not only counterproductive, it is frighteningly ridiculous. Why do some conservatives think it is necessary to make like Diogenes in search of the perfect candidate?
In his piece, Mr. Rusher points to some fundamental issues upon which Mayor Giuliani and conservatives may differ; immigration, gun control, and abortion. Mr. Rusher concedes the point that on the war against terrorism, Mayor Giuliani is "in synch" with conservatives.
It is always a mystery when purported conservatives suddenly begin thinking like those on the left who have come to see the presidency as some sort of monarchical office. Of the aforementioned issues, the president has complete authority only over the military -- and even then the president is subject to congressional oversight. If Mayor Giuliani is elected president, the only thing he could do at a stroke is remove the military from Iraq and elsewhere -- or increase troop levels. He cannot outlaw abortion; he cannot overturn gun control laws in the several states.
If Mr. Rusher is correct in his assertion that 2008 is going to "be a Democratic year" in both houses of Congress, it is absolutely imperative that the Democratic nominee be defeated in the presidential election. For those of you inclined to agree with Mr. Rusher that it would be better to hold out for the mirage of the perfect candidate, please imagine the type of Supreme Court justices that President Hillary will nominate and have confirmed by a Democratic Senate. Theodore Olsen, who heads Mayor Giuliani's judicial committee of strict constructionists and might very well be a "perfect" candidate for the Court in the eyes of most conservatives, will not be among them.
Will Mr. Rusher and his ilk enjoy a Clinton White House sending legislation down to a Congress led by the feeble-minded but majority leading Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid that calls for a new "Fairness" Doctrine? What will His High Holiness Dr. James Dobson have to say when his message gets as much or less play as that of Randi Rhodes or the triumphant return of Alec Baldwin to the radio airwaves? Do conservatives like Mr. Rusher enjoy posting columns on TownHall.com and reading Powerline, Lucianne.com, or this website? Find something else to read if Hillary Clinton has a Democratic Congress at her disposal.
Most importantly, what happens if we are attacked on the homeland again and Hillary Clinton is in the White House because a bunch of conservatives stayed home? Really, if you think about it and look to her public statements, nobody knows. She is on every side of every issue regarding the war against Islamic terror, and the response could be anywhere from nuclear annihilation of Iran to inviting Ahmedinejad to tea in the Blue Room. The same goes for Sen. Obama. If Hillary follows her husband's example, the response will be no response; that means suicide. Think of Mayor Giuliani what you will regarding his views on social issues, but there will be no mistaking his reaction to an attack against the United States, and there is no mistaking what his reaction will be now, then, and beyond.
Conservatives who think they will be making a noble stand by protesting against a nominee like Mayor Giuliani will succeed only in helping push this nation into the first step of at least four years of darkness -- and showing that they are fools in search of something that will never be, willing to let a Hillary become president of the United States just so their tender sensibilities are not offended. Keep in mind that sometimes a vote can be as much against something as for something. Given what we already know what will come, shouldn't we all be against someone like Mrs. Clinton?
"You play to win the game." The goal of conservatives, so-called moderates, Reagan Democrats, and every level-headed citizen of voting age in 2008 is electing a war time president capable of pressing on to victory. The times in which we live are too serious for a replay of more scandals than days each week, and for a president who openly states that power must be taken from the people "for the greater good."
To paraphrase former Celtics coach Rick Pitino lecturing Boston fans that the days of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish were gone, "Ronald Reagan is not walking through that door." Conservatives better realize it and get cracking on nominating the next-best thing if they want it so badly. In the meantime, stop clucking from the sidelines, keep your eye on the ball, and play to win for the sake of the nation.
