House of Eratosthenes

We have left, and we have right. Each side is suffering from a conflict between the radicals who seek power and the “moderates” who have it. The fringe-kooks at the extreme edges, and the anointed suit-and-tie people who control the purse strings of the party. So three splits, one two either side, and a big one in the center; four factions. Fringe-kook left, White House, Republican beltway crowd, and tea party people.

The fringe-kook left has a message they’re trying to get across when they approach the “mainstream” left to do their bidding. You could call it a “Van Jones” platform. Something to do with destroying capitalism and pretending you’re trying to save the environment.

When the tea party people try to gather greater influence over what’s going on…with varying degrees of success…it’s that nutty, irresponsible, extreme position of anti-Eugenics.

I note that in all three of these splits, the position on the right is the one more respectful of human dignity, and the position on the left is the one more hostile to it.

Newt Gingrich, suit-and-tie beltway Republican, defends his endorsement and his words almost sound like the beginning of something reasonable:

Third-party candidates like conservative Doug Hoffman, Scozzafava’s challenger, often serve only to divide the GOP, says Gingrich. “Just look at what’s happening in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race,” he says, pointing to the campaign of independent candidate Chris Daggett, who has siphoned support from Republican candidate Chris Christie. “What’s happening in New York and in New Jersey should be a sober warning to every purist in this country.”

“If you seek to be a perfect minority, you’ll remain a minority,” says Gingrich.

But Allahpundit’s words make more sense, to me…

In other words, he’s treating this race as a litmus test to prove how big-tent the GOP can be. But … why? There’s no good reason to make this district, which should be a safe Republican seat, into a bellwether. Get a conservative elected and then find some socially liberal libertarians in purple districts to champion next year.

Yeah, sorry…this “tent embiggening” for its own sake, after awhile it looks precisely like the lunacy it’s supposed to be trying to avoid. You’re in favor of something so cherished and so fundamental to the American Experiment as human dignity…but you’re only a fair-weather friend to it, because you seek victory? Huh?

My counsel would be to just stick to principles. If they’re not “mainstream” you want to stay kooky. Seriously. Otherwise, what’s the point. There is none, besides just winning…and if you’re willing to become just whatever, in order to win, you’ve rounded a sharp bend in the road and what you’re doing no longer has anything to do with staying cool, moderate or reasonable. What you’ve done then, is try to avoid becoming a wild-eyed zealot, and then fail at it.

Please give me a small tent, Newt. Find your way out while you are at it.
You were almost great once, but it didn’t stick. Your terrible need to be relevant keeps finding you in the worst company.
- xlibrl | 10/22/2009 @ 08:58

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D’JEver Notice? XLVThursday, October 22nd, 2009

D’JEver Notice? XLV
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009