|
|
A
sweeping political victory, when it is so
crushing, is a source of humility – for the
victor. The
first wash of victory that humbles is the
overwhelming sense of gratitude.
Your neighbors stood with you for a
vital common cause.
Thanks, folks, dear fellow citizens.
The second wave comes from
understanding the reasons why you won and not
engaging in self- delusion -- conducting a
detailed analysis of voting and figuring out
what it means for the future.
A win can be squandered by bullying,
arrogance and stupidity.
Every
Vote Counted. (http://sbe.vipnet.org.
Also see a map of The Virginia
Peninsula). The
big margin of victory in Poquoson, York, James
City
and New Kent carried the whole of The
Peninsula. My
town, Poquoson, came in #1 in the Commonwealth
for the percentage of Republican votes: 77.22
percent.
Hoo-ah! So,
the winning 8,000 votes in York
wiped out the Democrat win in Hampton. The
4,000 extra votes in Poquoson took out
Democrat wins in Newport News
and Williamsburg. So,
all the extra votes in James
City and New Kent helped counter Fairfax-Arlington-Alexandria
Democrat votes.
How every single vote from our little
communities matters across our seven
million-person
Commonwealth
is breath-taking.
Coalitions
Win, Factions Lose.
Victory is made on common ground that
the Army teaches is "key terrain".
In other words, a single issue, for
example WW IV, brings together a coalition of
people who respectfully agree to disagree
otherwise. Thus,
one majority stands on the key terrain of WW
IV being a war of national survival against
Islamist Terrorism.
The election wasn’t won by Christian
evangelicals or any single faction.
Yet, Democrat Howard Dean was right,
sorta, about “God, Guns, and Gays” for
Southern voters - although I’d make it a
more nuanced list.
Liberals think their holy trinity of
race, class, and gender determines all things.
In fact, individuals vote ideas.
Ideas are shaped, profoundly, by
culture. Culture
commands the scope of thought, but, still,
individuals exercise free will.
Especially in our free, open society.
A winning coalition coalesces enough
majority ideas to win.
Winning
Ideas.
Republican-winning ideas in this
election cross the lines of race, class and
gender with one terrible exception.
Virginia Republicans earn votes from
every race, creed and color, except our share
of black votes is still in the 9 to 20 percent
range. This
is another tragic legacy of slavery,
segregation and racism.
Sadly, and cynically, it’s promoted
by persons whose livelihood is based on
separateness – by the color of their skin.
The future of Republican ideas
resonating with blacks depends on the day when
the sub-culture is dominated by black,
Christian men building families instead of
creating out-of-wedlock children.
I
tell folks that we get the "best
Yankees" moving into the South.
For the most part, we really do. Just
as we get wonderful immigrants from outside
the
U.S.
The
majority of our non-native born Virginians
love liberty, hate taxes, worship God, thrive
on capitalism, want to provide for their
families themselves, and hunger for education
and individual opportunity.
Their ideas are Republican in Virginia
– today.
The
Next Election.
Nothing is in the bag for the future.
Democrats, take heart, you can win the
gubernatorial election and seats in the
General Assembly in 05.
Please note, I didn’t say
‘Liberals’ can win.
Gov. Mark Warner ran as a conservative.
Republicans will have a short civil war
in '05 and '07 as we determine if our
delegates and senators must live up to
Virginia Republican Creed – lower taxes and
limited government - or not.
Attorney General Jerry Kilgore is
endorsed by every Republican down to assistant
precinct captain.
Yet, how can he be the "take back
the tax hike" candidate if he mutually
endorses the 17 House of Delegates’
incumbents who raised our taxes in a year we
had a budget surplus.
Furthermore, if Kilgore doesn’t run
as a "take back the tax hike"
candidate, then why, oh why, vote Republican
in 05?
What
Is Next.
We all get to take a deep breath, have
a heartfelt Thanksgiving, Christmas,
New Year’s and celebrate a national
continuance of power without soldiers in the
street. This
peaceful rule of law is a key point in common
between liberals and conservatives.
Congratulate one another.
Winners must respect how deeply our
opponents hold their convictions.
We can, and should, continue to oppose
every wrong notion springing from their
thoughts.
But disagreements must be made civilly
in Virginia.
-- November
15,
2004
|
