Mark Steyn, Instapundit, and Jacksonians!

Ahhh... a new day and another round of insanity from the Hill! The gelatinous, spineless, wool covered masses in the Two Chambers upon the Hill do slither and leave slime wherever they go. Trying their best to give away the country, destroy the will to resist being even slightly offensive and, in general, acting like the politicians they are. Yes, Used Car Salesmen should be put in their place... at least they are *honest* crooks, cheats, swindlers and thieves! And they might actually know something about defending the Republic. But onwards... Instapundit had a nice column from Mark Steyn examining how a certain segment of civilization is remaining quiet while the rest starts to cave into PC-ness giving into Islamic Authoritarianism because calling it what it is just isn't nice! And this part really does say it all:

If I had to propose a model for Western rhetoric, it would be the Australians. In the days after Sept. 11, the French got all the attention for that Le Monde headline -- "Nous sommes tous Americains" -- "We are all Americans," though they didn't mean it, even then. But John Howard, the Aussie prime minister, put it better and kept his word: "This is no time to be an 80 percent ally."

Perhaps Australians can come and run a few ports for us? Basically, outside of the US, Australians are the people most likely to understand Jacksonianism. And that was brought up to Instapundit and he got this lovely little response from reader Barry Dauphin :

It does sound like the Jacksonians might be bailing on the President, but then they aren’t able to live up to Jackson. This isn’t 1940s where dissemination of information was controlled through filters called “editors” and prior to the plethora of relativisms of contemporary times. If the Jacksonians have another candidate in mind, let them name him/her. The silence will be deafening. If the Jacksonians truly believe their rhetoric, it’s time to suck it up and carry some of the rhetorical weight that someone like Steyn have been carrying. Too many are sounding retreat or simply grousing. Is this a long, hard slog or not? If it is, then the tough Jacksonians should stop acting like whining, ninny wimps and instead be constructive. Dealing with the anti-war rhetoric or with policy that is not exactly to their liking is surely easier than actually crafting and implementing policy in these times.

Well,now, doesn't THAT hold a few misperceptions? Let me take a quick look at this...

Bailing on the President? As I have stated elsewhere and vituperated on a number of times, Jacksonians are NOT lockstep with *anyone* or *any party*. The last party to have Jacksonian supporters were the Democrats, and they told Jacksonians that Vietnam was a war that had to be done and then turned viciously on the Jacksonians when they thought they could replace us with the Youth vote of the late '60's and early '70's. Vietnam suddenly became a bad place and the Democrats caught that train out of the station... leaving Jacksonians with the baggage and having sons coming home being spit upon by the various folks supporting the Democrats. Then the damned Democrats decided to cut off our ally South Vietnam and feed it to the Communist wolves, killing tens of thousands, causing the Boat People crisis and tipping Cambodia in to the killing fields. All because the Youth vote was, you know, the 'new thing'. So much for the party of Jackson supporting his spiritual sons and daughters.

Coming from that Democratic background the last thing Jacksonians would want to do was vote Republican and, indeed, many Jacksonians filtered *out* of political life. A goodly number voted for Ronald Reagan and broke the Democratic stranglehold on the South. And while Reagan actually could address the hearts, he had problems actually carrying through on his promises of a smaller government. Jacksonians were becoming seriously disenchanted with the Republicans by the end of the '80's and by then the large exfiltration of Jacksonians could be seen in the polls. When 40% of the population isn't voting, you can bet that they are disgusted with the ALL of the parties involved. Jacksonians have been and *continue* to vote in the time-honored tradition of the United States saying: To Hell With You Both.

Republicans stirred enough residual interest in the 90's to finally break the back of the Democratic party in Congress, but just barely. And then they found their own footing was not stable either. This has been cast as the Red/Blue or 50/50 America... well 50% of those who vote having any faith in either party. Call it the 30/30/40 America and you are looking at the true nature of the People. And if you take out the 10% who are perennial 'can't be bothered to vote' folks the Nation then is a 3-way split: 30/30/30/10. I have looked at how this can play out, elsewhere.

This system is one in a supersaturated state: any minor disturbance can suddenly cause it to crystallize out, and since the first two 30% areas are already at their maximum state, the disturbance will crystallize the Jacksonians and carve into the existing parties. A third party will become an instant majority *if* it appeals to Jacksonians. The Republicans could pull this off by expelling the RINOs and standing hard for National Security, National Defense and damn spare government. The Democrats have lost Jacksonians for at least two more generations if not more, there is no one in that party that will be able to regain that trust for a couple of generations.

As to WHY the Jacksonians do not nominate a Candidate? Because we are a force in neither party and we could not support either as they are currently constituted. Plainly: Both Parties Disgust Us as being dishonorable and unable to even abide by friendship. The silence may be deafening, Mr. Dauphin, but the guns and knives would be coming out the moment that is *demanded* of Jacksonians. If one of the precious two parties could swallow its ego and act just a bit humble that they do *not* have the tablets delivered to Moses but left behind on how to form a good government, Jacksonians *might* decide to pitch in and HELP.

And it is not a case of believing or not believing in rhetoric, Mr. Dauphin, it is a case of this is how we approach our entire *lives*. Jacksonians have been condescended to, verbally demeaned, declared to be all sorts of derogatory things for how we *think* and, essentially, being told by the Left and the Right that we are not being respected for our life outlook. It is not swallowing rhetoric, Mr. Dauphin, it is seeing that Jacksonians would be stabbed in the back by either party the moment the use of Jacksonians was done with. The two parties do not understand honor and friendship and, in disdaining BOTH, will NOT GAIN OUR HELP.

And the only damn thing I have heard ANY Jacksonian complain about, besides myself and I do point out problems *and* solutions, Mr. Dauphin, is that our men and women in the Armed Forces are not being given any recognition or thanks by the rest of the GODDAMN COUNTRY. Which includes, Mr. Dauphin, both political parties. Does it really and truly take so much of your ego away that you cannot say, simply, to the men and women of the Armed Forces: I thank you for protecting Our Nation, at home and abroad and thank you for putting your life on the line for me. Is that so very and terribly hard? And not adding in any weasel words about 'supporting the troops, but not the war'? Because that is as hard a slap to any one in the Armed Forces as an actual, physical slap... forward and backhand. The nightly depiction of Our Armed Forces as: occupiers, killers, destroyers, and incompetent is doing nothing, not one little itsy-bitsy thing to convince Jacksonians that the general population even *likes* the Armed Forces and the hard jobs they have.

And as to carrying the rhetorical load, have you ever heard: Speak softly but carry a big stick?

As to your final point "Dealing with the anti-war rhetoric or with policy that is not exactly to their liking is surely easier than actually crafting and implementing policy in these times." I suggest you take a LOOK at how easy it IS for a Jacksonian to make something to their liking in Foreign and Domestic policy. Because what you are saying is that as 1/3 of the population we should just suck it up and take what another 1/3 will hand to us! How about the rest of YOU look at what Jacksonians would LIKE in the way of Foreign and Domestic policy and sucking in YOUR GODDAMN SUPERCILIOUS RHETORIC? If you think that only the high and mighty Republicans and Democrats have an idea of how to shape Foreign and Domestic policy, you are basically saying that the Jacksonian viewpoint is NOT WORTH CONSIDERING!

And that, folks, is the sort of things Jacksonians get: Oh, we have a big tent, but your food is awful, you are stuck with ours. Why thanks, but no.... we Jacksonians will go on a picnic for a bit, we eat sparingly, and once you folks are done gorging yourselves and ruining the country, then we will put the government on a nice Jacksonian menu plan. And if you thought we were small government conservatives, you haven't seen ANYTHING like what a Jacksonian wants a government to look like. Nearly two dimensional without one little piece of pork or fat on it.

So, Mr. Dauphin, thank you for your viewpoint. It takes two to tango, but neither party seems skilled at dancing, just commanding. If either party needs some Adult Supervision, you may kindly and respectfully ask US.

But you will have to lose that attitude, FIRST.