The Last Gasp of the GOP

I didn’t vote in 2008. As much as I disdain the far-left policies of President Obama, I don’t regret my decision. The Republican Party had lost its way. John McCain was a disastrous nominee, even if he’s since put in a respectable application for the reinstatement of his conservative credentials.  At 22, bright-eyed and idealistic, I didn’t vote for McCain because I couldn’t bring myself to that sort of compromise. He was so moderate, he appeared without principle. The only solution, I recall thinking at the time, came through third party. I may be two years older today, but I’m still just as stubborn and demanding. On the cusp of a Republican electoral landslide, with conservative ascendancy in sight, my warning to the Republican Party is simple: this is your last chance.

My vote is not one of anger. I rolled out of bed this morning with a smile on my face. I reached the polling place while it was still dark outside, and was downright giddy as I cast the morning’s 4^th ballot. I played OAR’s “Take This Town” on repeat and whistled as the chorus pounded out "Come on y'all, let's take this town." When the exuberance wanes, and my pensive side sets in, my thoughts drift to men and women who have died in the defense of this country, for whom this opportunity of self-governance was the most precious treasure to be had. The profound responsibility of carrying that torch is the joy of being an American. It is in these moments that my chest swells and the exuberance returns.

My morning was both mundane and revolutionary. Millions of other voters were doing the exact same thing at the exact same time, and yet, these opportunities are precious and rare. This is the Republic in action. This is the affirmation of American Exceptionalism and the joyful praise of individual liberty. 

It is precisely because I hold this civic responsibility as sacred that my non-vote in 2008 was so disheartening. That year, I was a spectator as the future was mapped out. The men and women elected this time around will have the unique honor of serving the American people as sentinels of the Republic. If these privileged few stand firm with their principles—deference to the Constitution, an insistence on limited government, and an affirmation of individual liberty—then I will, in turn, to lend my indefinite support.

Republicans have not earned my faith, however. These values have been usurped in the past—not only by opponents, but also by allies. I worry that I am the political equivalent of a battered spouse coming back to an abusive and destructive relationship one more time. Stand firm with these principles, Republicans, because if you don’t, I won’t stand for you. You have not yet governed in a way that has assured me that a third party is an ill-conceived extravagance. If you fall back into the pattern of the last ten years; if you go along to get along; if you compromise; if you defer your judgment to another’s; I will abandon you and never come back.

So yes, on a day that has been filled with so much joy for me as a citizen, I feel compelled to issue an ultimatum to Republicans: govern as conservatives, or you will never win me back.