Not too long ago, it seemed all had been lost. Despite displaying incredible success and promise in years past, they were losing. They had some of the greatest talent in the world, but nonetheless they couldn’t find a winning groove. Worse still, it seemed that even when pitted against the worst opponents, they still couldn’t find a way to win. These statements could be made about both the Republican Party and my adored hometown Pittsburgh Penguins. Just a month ago, the Penguins were mired in a miserable slump that had lasted for much of the season. Despite having two of the in the world and having been two games away from winning the Stanley Cup last season, they were quickly falling out of playoff contention and couldn’t even beat some of the worst teams in the NHL. Many fans began to call the season a bust, discounting the Penguins in much the same way that some on the left proclaim the end of the GOP. Since then, however, the Penguins did something remarkable: they turned it around and have gone on a wild and unexpected 9-1-1 streak and are now climbing their way up the playoff ladder.
So how did the Pens pull of this miraculous feat? And more importantly, can Republicans pull off the same kind of turnaround in 2010? I’m confident that the answer is yes.
Perhaps one of the most crucial factors in the Penguins’ turnaround lies in a controversial albeit huge step taken by the Penguins organization: Head Coach , replacing him with the young but inexperienced . Perhaps it could be said that Republicans took a very similar step in installing Michael Steel as Chairman of the RNC. The Penguins also to increase the overall talent and grit of the team. As I’ve previously suggested, we should press harder than ever to trade away some of the worst Republicans — folks like Don Young — for people who better represent our party and values. Finally, the Penguins reached a sense of desperation after bottoming out in a to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They knew they could — and must — do better, and that desperation likely motivated them to start winning and get back into the playoff picture. Those right of center were similarly devastated after the 2008 elections, and their motivation to get back to winning is crystal clear. Just look at the countless new movements that have sprung up since the election, the excitement behind Jim Tedisco’s campaign (P.S. ?), the activity on the GOP Tech Summit, or the at CPAC.
Indeed, in many ways Republicans are making very similar strides to those that the Pittsburgh Penguins have made in the past month. Although without question the GOP’s turnaround must be framed in months and not days or weeks, it is inspiring to see necessary changes at the top along with a willingness from the grassroots to be highly active in the change. Perhaps the Republican Party will follow in the footsteps of the Pittsburgh Penguins, rapidly turning disappointment into greatness and getting back to winning in 2010. That would be truly remarkable.
Last 5 posts by Aaron Marks
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- The Youth Vote and the 2009 Elections - November 6th, 2009
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Good post, Aaron.
I would like to see even more aggresive action by ‘under-30′s’ conservatives to claim their rightful place in the GOP
Recent changes are a good sign, but IMO we have a long way to go before I will confidently say once again that this is the party of uncompromising conservatism.
“The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. THE REVOLUTION WAS IN THE MINDS AND THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations … THIS RADICAL CHANGE in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, WAS THE REAL AMERICAN REVOLUTION.” – President John Adams
They might be more successful than the last two election cycles, but they won’t make any major changes to the way government does business. The only way I think that’ll happen is by electing new young republicans, starting at the grassroots level, who are strict constitutionalist. That at least breaks the cycle of the current stagnation on parasite hill.
Looking at the current Republican rhetoric, it is still just sad in the overall scheme of things. Sure, it sounds better than it has in the past, but they still have it wrong on most issues. All they want to do is cut taxes. Great, I like tax cuts, but you can’t maintain spending while confiscating less from the citizenry. The spending is the problem. Every dollar the government spends it has to confiscate from capital that would otherwise be used in the private economy. Politicians are completely blind to the law of oppotunity cost. Listen to Obama, he says he’s gonna create 3.5 million jobs with the stimulus. Oh yeah? Well how many jobs are gonna be lost in the private economy to subsidize the new jobs created by government spending?
And the Republicans, all they can talk about is earmarks, as if 1/410th of the bill that is earmarked on pork-barrel projects makes a huge difference in the overall effectiveness of the bill. The entire bill should be earmarked. Every penny the government spends should be earmarked, at least then its accounted for.
The problem is, for Republicans, that they will not carry the stigma for having caused the greatest economic wipeout in the history of civilization. I know the Democrats also had a hand in it. But the Republican creed of free markets — their religion, if you will — has been proven to be a great lie. Unrestrained businessmen are crooks, not saints. We could build 100 new federal prisons and fill them up with businessmen who broke then law over the last 30 years. Wall Street has been stealing and cheating for centuries and the only thing that makes them behave are the laws that restrict their cheating. It made us very rich — but now we are in for a generation of poverty (the shadowo-side of the free market) — and it will take America at least a generation to forget the recent crimes of the business class that sank the world.
I believe history works in 36 year financial cycles (18 up and 18 down). See my website above for a book I’m writing on the Crash. No recovery until about 2019. And a lot of social and political upheaval in that time, including (probably) another world war.
The problem is, for Republicans, that they will carry the stigma for having caused the greatest economic wipeout in the history of civilization. I know the Democrats also had a hand in it. But the Republican creed of free markets — their religion, if you will — has been proven to be a great lie. Unrestrained businessmen are crooks, not saints. We could build 100 new federal prisons and fill them up with businessmen who broke then law over the last 30 years. Wall Street has been stealing and cheating for centuries and the only thing that makes them behave are the laws that restrict their cheating. It made us very rich — but now we are in for a generation of poverty (the shadowo-side of the free market) — and it will take America at least a generation to forget the recent crimes of the business class that sank the world.
I believe history works in 36 year financial cycles (18 up and 18 down). See my website above for a book I’m writing on the Crash. No recovery until about 2019. And a lot of social and political upheaval in that time, including (probably) another world war.