Dear American Left,

I know why Bush won. I know why you lost. No, not just lost — rejected. I know exactly why, and we’ll get to that in a minute. First, though, just let me say this … If you think that spewing hate and invective on me now is going to make your life improve in any way whatsoever, you are a bigger group of fools than anyone imagined. If you think calling me more names is going to get you what you want in this country, you are not just acting foolish, you are delusional and maybe your hatred is more than just a little self-oriented. The reason I say “I” here instead of “we” or “The GOP” is because, I want you to understand something so basic; so fundamental; that I am ashamed for you that I have to spell it out.

I am the Republican Party
My numbers are growing, and my age is a major factor. You see; the old guard of the Republican party is quite literally dying, and we, the younger members, are moving up. It won’t be long before we are a majority influence and can turn the party back toward preserving the ideals of smaller government, less interference in both business and private life. I believe it is possible to embrace both traditional and progressive values. I do it every day. I believe that it’s possible to hold our military up as the primary reason the federal government exists and I will work within my party to make that happen.

I am the Republican Party
Or more appropriately, I am the past; present; and future of the Republican Party. If you think keeping me on your side is worth anything, you might want to re-think the idea of calling me a bigot; a Nazi; or spewing hatred at me. Your ideals were soundly rejected, and if you stopped whining long enough to ask, some of us can tell you why. Part of why you don’t know is the fact that, you haven’t stopped whining in the last four years. The steady stream of hate, lies and vitriol from the American left has hardened the American right in ways you can’t begin to imagine. You tempered us. You forged us in the fire of your hate, and you made us stronger than we every could have been without your steady litany of bile and complaint.

Make no mistake, people, two things lost you this election. First; it was your incessant need to spew vile invective at anyone who did not think like you, and secondly; like Nader in 2000, you have one man to thank, and his name is Michael Moore.

As proof of the lack of class, take a look at his site today. As of this writing, that filthy excuse for a human being has replaced all his crowing and self-righteousness with a photo of Bush made up, of the first 1000 soldiers that died in Iraq and Afghanistan. I see that he doesn’t care, and to be honest, I bet you don’t either. And that’s another reason why you lost. You ignored the voices of those who would die to protect you.

Let me say that again in a different way. There are a few million men and women who have volunteered to give their very lives to protect you. Can you even grasp the enormity of that concept? After 9/11, knowing there was going to be a military response, hundreds of thousands of people volunteered to join the military to defend you … to protect you … to take whatever action they could to try to prevent your death in another terrorist attack! They are willing to die for you, and you ignored them. You treated them like mindless pawns. You used them and then tried to elect a man that has betrayed them time and time again.

Do you have any idea how that must feel?
Regardless of your position on Iraq, whether it was warranted or not, they have a position, and that position is overwhelmingly in support of Bush, the idea of the war, the execution of the war and the goal to stay until the work is finished. And you ignored them. Worse, you ridiculed them. You called them “kids” and “children”. You painted them as bloodthirsty savages hell-bent on murder and sadism when you heard that a small number of individuals did some pretty nasty things to some prisoners. They never forgot that, you know.

And that brings it back to the hate and bile that poured forth from the left. The hate and bile that is still pouring out today, perhaps at an even greater rate.

I spent the election night reading websites, tracking data, reading blogs, talking about it, watching TV, etc. The next morning, while I was still awake after the long run, I was both smug with the win and giddy with relief that we avoided electing a man I have come to despise, and I threw it right in the face of some people on another website.

To that person … if you’re reading this, I apologize for my tone. Not my content. You still have many lessons you need to learn, and if you want to move out of the country because of this - more power to you … want me to help pack your damn suitcase? I don’t believe you will.

Something that person (and the rest of you to whom this letter is addressed) is going to have to learn is that, telling me I’m stupid; a racist; a bigot; or whatever else you may come up with is going to result in exactly one thing … further marginalizing you as a political power in America. What you need is me — as your ally. Your inside man. Someone who will fight you on a lot of issues, but will also fight for you on others. Why?

See? I am the Republican Party…
And right now, we control the game. If you want to play, you need to re-think this idea that throwing tantrums will get you on the field.

Talk to me. Treat me with respect. And you just might find yourself with the most powerful ally you can imagine … someone who shares a vision of a more free — more perfect America.

Lastly — here’s the perfect, shining example of why you lost…..

His name is Michael Moore. Before Moore burst forth with his theories of 9/11 conspiracies; “seven minutes”; blood for oil; Taliban pipelines; etc., very little actual criticism was levied at Bush beyond the misguided notion that something errant happened in Florida. If Moore did not exist, I believe that cooler heads would have realized that a never-ending flow of recounts all proved one thing … Bush won — Period.

And we would have moved forward. 9/11 would still have happened and we might have had a chance at keeping some of that unity we all felt … but along came Moore, and in tow came the most extreme elements of the American left. Bolstered by the Hollywood liberal, the MoveOn/Democratic Underground lunatic, the darkest fringes of radical American liberalism were given credence simply by being a market share. Fine — free markets are great. Moore has a message; you provided an audience; money was exchanged.

But then you started taking those messages into the political arena as though they had validity. And most of America looked at you like you just grew a third eye right in front of them. And still you persisted, getting more and more hateful, telling more lies, spinning out-of-context elements and juxtaposing any and every situation in order to try to hammer home your talking points. No matter what the discussion, you brought it back to one of Moore’s talking points. If the topic did not fit your need, you forced it, or just ignored it altogether and ranted away.

You never stopped for a minute to consider the fact that you might be wrong. And yet that very behavior is one of the greatest criticisms of Bush by the new radical left. Ironic, I think.

You took this new radicalism so far that your candidate for President, a man who is guided by polls, took a look around and said — “Oh, I get it. There is energy around this new radical hate of the President. I will base my message not only around my questionable service, but around this new radical hatred, even if most of it is baseless or contradicts what I said just six or twelve months ago.”

The American people saw through it; and delivered a response where it counted: at the polls.

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