How progressive conservatives can gain a new direction...quit looking in the rear view mirror

As the National Election month of November '08 quickly ends and yet...the Presidential transition month of January '09 still seems so far ahead, there may be a tremendous amount of soul-searching that conservatives across our country need to experience, though they may not REALLY want to experience....especially not in Idaho.

Conservatives should embrace a progressive conservative agenda and sever certain personality-oriented ties with the past. We need to quit looking in the rear view mirror. From a Christian worldwiew it's called letting go of "old wineskins" so that the "fresh wine" (of clear thinking) can be kept. (More about that in the next posting...)

First my credentials to even write such a statment are secure: I was birthed into the politics of "I like Ike" by an Air Force NCO father  (WWII era, Korea and later Viet nam era) who carried me on his shoulders to view Eisenhower's Second Innaugeral in January 1957. I grew up for the season of the New Frontier and then the Great  Society on Randolph AFB (Texas) during the heyday of LBJ's Vice Presidency and then, his sudden and painful ascent to the Presidency. As a boy I met and often talked in person with the "black and white photographs" of that difficult decade: Hubert Humphrey, Everett Dirksen, Mike Mansfield and many others. My sister and brother introduced me to the strange reality of "TV people" who were really real....and, in person at least, acted that way.

I was appointed to the US Military Academy by President Richard Nixon and maintained a cordial correspondence with him and his staff for several, years accepting an invitation to his Presidential Museum Grand Opening  in July 1990, seeing my oldest son (then 9 years old) capture an autographed photograph of the remaining GOP ex-Presidents - which still hangs on my office wall. 

Howard Jarvis and Paul Gann (Prop 1 founders in CA) influenced me two years before Reagan's comeback happened in 1980. Names like Mike Curb, David Dreier, George Deukmejian and so many others crowd my memory.

And you know what? They mean very little, if anything, today. They were "then", we must today face "now"....we need to look out ahead of us through the windshield and not through the rear view mirror.

Some social conservatives seem paralyzed and log-jammed, through fear they seem stuck in 1973 and other neo-cons seem stranded in 1980. Both were catalytic years, but....for what purposes? To get us moving as a nation. Not for a centrist America of today to use as a nostalgic reminder of an era long gone, as our fathers did with WWII's life and times.

Idaho could lead the way in adopting a progressive conservative agenda that would and could capture the raw energy that Sen. Obama has so successfully grasped.

His is already a 2.0 Presidency and most conservatives have no idea how to communicate via even the early-Internet practices, unless it involves getting donations. How sorry is that?

The days of coating this state in Old Spice and ignoring a nation refressed in Axe are over.

Progressive conservatives should acknolwedge that government has its place in our lives. A fitting and proper place...not an inordinate place. The unchecked greed of financial  businesses gone crazy should never hold the banner high for the whole business community. Never. Businesses should pay their employees well and offer them solid possible opportunities for advancement. These are not widgets to use and discard, these are men and women, made in God's image.

Progressive conservatives should open the door for dialog in Idaho with Democratic leaders. The days of ignoring bright ideas is over. Good, clean, crisp and workable ideas are not the property of the GOP alone. If Obama has the clout in DC to honestly open a dialog with the GOP, then Idaho leaders MUST open their doors to the Democratic leaders, independents (and the press) for open discussions and free wheeling debate.

Look around. Butch Otter will serve his second term, with good health. Jim Risch will serve in the US Senate at least into his 70's. Mike Crapo and Mike Simpson have long served Idaho. And who do we have in the conservative community to replace them? Will Walt Minnick set an independent standard for the GOP? If the Rep big boys are smart, they'll be watching for what Walt does right....

Fill in the names of the new kids on the block:_________________. All the "new" ones on the horizon seem stuck in an 80's time warp. It didn't work long term. It doesn't work today. People need fresh and innovative ideas. This nation has asked President-elect Obama to stand and deliver....we need to ask that of ourselves, as well.

Our state, though fully supportive of John McCain, could very well lead the way towards progressive conservativism, capturing a new high ground, forgetting its over-preoccupation with things of the past and forging on towards a future of policies that work.

Failing to do that, we may STILL remain a Red state, but we will have forgotten the other two colors of our national flag.

Den

Comments

[Dennis]

Bubblehead and Julie~
thanks for your comments. Both of you have been a joy to watch as the election in Idaho lumbered along.

Success breeds success....the best to the new President and the new Congressman from my district.
Den

[Andrew Rampenthal]

Great Post! Maybe we are stuck in a time warp or totally lost our way. The GOP can't act like Democrats and win. I believe there is some GOP leaders out there that have those new ideas. The majority of them are Governors. One to pay attention to is Bobby Jindal. I think he has some Progressive Conservative ideals.
I just don't see the new ideas from Obama, Im not sure what they are. As well I don't see how he will be bi-partisan. Thats like Tom Delay just switching it off, and we know that wouldn't happen. But who knows, he has a nation to lead and if Obama doesn't turn down the partisan rancor he will be gone or destroyed.

[Citizen Julie]

Dennis, I appreciate your blog and I wish the progressive conservative wing of the GOP much success in doing what you propose. I suspect it will be easier to do nationally than in Idaho, since the old school, reactionary GOP is so strong here, but I would love to be surprised.

And Bubblehead, thanks for pointing out that Democrats are indeed members of the Democratic Party.

Peace on Earth, good will to all.

[Bubblehead]

Den,
Thanks so much for the prayers; they're greatly appreciated and needed. And sorry for the unfairly snarky tone of my original post; I realized after I wrote it that I really didn't intend it to sound so condescending, and that I'm really not feeling like myself lately.

[Dennis Mansfield]

I take the torpedo full broadside. You are correct.

My intention was not to demean them or to join the chorus of those who intentionally mis-speak. I will watch what i say (and how I say it) more closely! Thanks!

I've kept you in my prayers about your stomach cancer and believe that the God who kept you safe when you were submerged, lo those many years, will indeed keep you safe above the water...especially right now.

He's got a plan for the rest of your life...and it will be a loooong life, indeed. He'll even liste to the prayers of a sailor, tho He himself is described in the good book as being commander of the armies of Heaven...(tee hee)

Go Army Beat Navy.
Den

[Bubblehead]

Good post. One small quibble, though, Den -- when speaking about opening up dialogue with the other party, it might be a nice gesture to use their correct form of the adjective for their name; that would be "Democratic" leaders, not "Democrat" leaders. (They belong to the "Democratic" Party. You can check out their web site if you weren't aware of that.) I know that finding the right form of adjectives is tough sometimes in the English language, but I think it's worth the effort, especially with all the people around who want to enforce English as the official language.

You're probably not even aware of it, but it turns out that there are Republicans who intentionally say "Democrat" when "Democratic" is appropriate just because they want to get under the Democrat's skin! Even President Bush gets in hot water for that usage sometimes, even though he later apologized.