It is time... | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: Jim Bispo's weekly column appears in the Beaufort Observer.

    During the last election cycle, someone suggested that it was time that someone (I believe it was a Dem, but don't remember which one) should "Man up." Actually, it is also time for the Reps. to "man up". (No offense to those of the female persuasion.)

    What do you suppose it is that makes the Reps. so hesitant to be willing to fight for the hearts and minds of the American voting public. Instead, we see strategic undertakings which sound good, but are likely going to take a long term concentrated effort. Nothing wrong with that, but winning a few battles on the way to winning the war sounds like it wouldn't be a bad idea either. That would involve some "tactical" moves. Surely no one with any sense wants to wait for Hillary to finish two terms (or even one for that matter) before taking America back.

    I was trying to find out some things about last week's RNC meeting in Boston. About all I could find was that they aren't going to let CNN and NBC into the game if they persist in showing the Hillary Clinton "Commercials" that were announced in the last couple of weeks or so. Actually, that position is somewhat of a novelty for the Reps. who have for a long time seemed to be unwilling to stick up for themselves. We'll see how that works out, but, again, it's going to take time. (I'm getting so old, that I am beginning to look askance at things that take too much time).

    One thing that did seem to come out of the GOP Boston meeting was an effort to sell (i.e. "rebrand") itself to a more diverse segment of the population, according to an AP article appearing in the 8/18 Tampa Tribune. The vehicle discussed is what they are calling the "Rising Star" focus coming out of the meeting. That will entail getting the so called "youngsters" like Marilinda Garcia, a 30 year old New Hampshire Rep (Yes, 30 is young - and getting more so every day.), out in front of the public to talk about their values instead of the old guys like Newt Gingrich. While there are a lot of folks who would likely agree with changing the focus it would likely be a mistake to completely consign "good 'ol Newt" to the trash heap. He's too good on his feet and there is a lot of institutional memory to be lost if they do.

    Also the Reps are apparently hiring folks to live and work in minority communities to pitch Republican values. Wow!! That should turn the trick.

    Surely logic and rationality coming from the GOP doesn't seem to have served the old folks too well in the past, but maybe if it comes from the "youngsters" there might be a swing in the demographics of the Republican electorate. Well, it can't hurt. But it needs to be done with great care, Otherwise, it could well be construed as condescending and demeaning. The Reps don't need that.

    But then there are some Reps who seem to believe that there cannot be much change until the party,."... embraces different policies and abandons anti-immigrant rhetoric." (Tampa Tribune 8/18). Michael Steele, the former RNC chairman, is credited with suggesting that Republican legislatures must stop disenfranchising minority voters by passing strict voter ID laws. It sounds as though he somehow was reading from an Al Sharpton "talking paper". Of course he is from Baltimore... With that kind of friends.....

    There are a lot of folks around who believe that the Reps. are missing the boat with their tendency to "react" to what the Dems do and say instead of getting out front with their own pronouncements that will help expose how well (or is it poorly??) the Dems are taking care of the public. Quit waiting for them to say (or do) something before speaking up.. Reps must start the conversation with their observations and predictions of the dire consequences of what the Dems are about. Get out of the "reactive" mode. Get into a "proactive" mode. Search out (as if that was really required to find them) questionable things the Pres, his AG and all the other sycophants in the administration are foisting off on the tax paying American public as "facts". Tell the public about the expensive and idiotic rules and regulations they are adopting. Keep it up: every day of the world. Sooner or later, the "masses" may even figure out how shabbily they are being treated - "free" cell phones and a proliferation of SNAP cards notwithstanding.

    It shouldn't take long before the public begins to realize that all we have been getting (and continue to get) from this Administration is a pack of misleading lies. Lies supporting policies that have the U.S. headed straight for the poor house.

    Take the Dem argument that the Reps unwillingness to fully fund Obamacare (or a lot of other "handouts" the Anointed One wants to make) is tantamount to shutting down the government. Try this on for size. The Reps pass a budget with no Obamacare funding (but which would keep the government "open") and send it to the Senate. The senate refuses to go along with the Rep passed budget and accuses the Reps of being willing to shut down the Government. So who do you suppose is prepared to shut down the government, the folks who pass a budget or those who are unwilling to pass the budget that would keep the government open?? Do you suppose it has ever occurred to anyone that when that happens, it is Harry Reid who is the one threatening to shut down the government with his unwillingness to even consider anything that he doesn't like?? I suppose that even if the Senate passed a budget with no Obamacare funding in it and sent it to the Anointed One, he would veto it and send it back charging that it is the Reps fault there is no budget. Same question: "Who is it that would be shutting down the Government??" The sad part of all this is that the Dems have been getting away with this kind of outrageously misleading rhetoric for far too long.

    The Reps need to supplement their strategic initiatives with some tactical initiatives, The first thing that needs to be done is to get the word out first. A couple of days ago (8/19) I saw the Anointed One on TV claiming that the Reps want to sink Obamacare but have not offered any type of alternative. The fact of the matter is that the Reps have offered a lot of alternatives, none of which seen to have gotten any consideration. It seems as though when the Anointed One rejects something out of hand, he no longer counts it as ever having existed. The only ideas that count are those that his troops feed him through his Teleprompters. (Considering his performance when he is without his Teleprompters it is not clear how much of his own thinking he does.)

    D'ya think??