The mainstream media and the Obama White House have been scrambling to downplay the signficance of possible strong conservative showings in today's elections. Don't be fooled by their propaganda that today's elections are not a referendum on Obama's leadership. While it is certainly true that politics is local, what goes on in Washington impacts Main Street U.S.A. This is how Obama got elected. He rode a wave of discontent straight into the White House.
As a result, when voters cast their ballots in state and local elections, they are voicing their opinions as to what they see going on in Washington. What they are likely to say today is that they are unhappy with bailouts, big government spending, high taxes, unemployment, ObamaCare, and a weak foreign policy.
Also do not be fooled by the media's suggestions that the increased support for conservative candidates within the GOP is a sign that Republicans are trying to purge moderates from the party. The exact opposite is happening. Conservatives are trying to rally around the principles that brought the GOP to power in the 1990s and early 2000s: limited government, low taxes, fiscal responsibility, strong national defense, prudent foreign policy, gun rights, and individual liberty. These issues and values are actually in the maintream, which is why GOP candidates are once again enjoying success.
The GOP suffered under President George W. Bush because the party did not govern according to its platform. Even worse, the party ridiculed and dismissed those who dared to protest. (Look at what happened to Ron Paul.) The GOP changed from representing mainstream America to representing and protecting the ideas of a few misguided neoconservatives. As a result, independents and moderate Republicans left, the GOP tent shrunk, and the GOP lost power.
To be clear, the renewed emphasis on conservative values is actually a sign that the GOP is welcoming back the voters it alienated during the last ten years. This is a positive development. Republicans need to be a party that puts principles above politics. Republicans need to espouse the values that unite Main Street and Wall Street.
It's just a shame that some GOP stalwarts like Newt Gingrich and others continue to think that politics and party loyalty should trump good ideas and good leadership--as evidenced by Gingrich's initial backing of "Republican" Dierdre Scozzafava in New York's 23rd Congressional District.
As you likely heard, when Scozzafava began trailing the Democrat and a conservative independent, she withdrew and endorsed the Democrat--thereby proving her critics correct. There is no disputing that Scozzafava was a RINO--a Republican in Name Only--just like many neoconservatives.
As the saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Scozzafava was that weakest link. If conservative independent Doug Hoffman wins tomorrow, it will be a victory for democracy, good politics, and the future of this country. It will also reinforce the growing belief in the GOP that fiscal conservatives and non-interventionists need a place in the GOP.
In short, by advocating conservative ideas, the GOP will actually grow not shrink in size. Therefore, please ignore the pundits tomorrow night when they describe the GOP as a party of extremists. The truth is that the GOP is actually becoming more mainstream.