Posted by
RightTeacher on Thursday, February 07, 2008 8:54:50 PM
Your speech at CPAC was a good start. That you spoke there at all was somewhat of a prerequisite. Now you have to go on all the talk-radio shows that you have been balking at. I'm sure it will be a more friendly audience now than it might have been yesterday, but you should expect and welcome tough questions.
You need to show that you are willing to tackle the issues that separated you from the conservative base. You have shown in your speech a willingness to joke about it and to change your mind. On the issues on which you are willing to come back to conservatism, you need to show us that you mean it. You need to reach the audience and tell them what your plan is now on immigration. You said you don't promise things that you do not plan on delivering. Promise us that you will secure the borders first, and let us judge whether or not you will keep the promise. Promise us that no one in your administration is an open borders advocate. Show us that you understand that in the final analysis, the border issue is also a national security issue. Tell us that you will make our damn fence your damn fence.
Tell us what you will do on Judges (I prefer more Scalias. Others have asked for more Roberts. Are you still unwilling to add more Alitos?). Will you be willing to fight against your soon-former Democratic colleagues to make sure the federal judges that get confirmed will not be legislating from their positions on the bench.
I welcome disagreements. You should be willing to tell us what you are willing to do about the environment. Will you be looking at the economic cost and possible environmental benefits before proposing changes in environmental policy? Will you have people that will be able to explain to you how this economy thing works? Is energy independence something that is important to you? Do you understand how it relates to National Security? How committed are you to preventing drilling in ANWR? What about nuclear power? Help us to see where your positions are. Convince us that you are right.
Let us reason together.