In my never-ending effort to lose friends among self-professing "conservatives", who can never seem to define their conservatism outside their own self-interests...
    ...last week I revisited a professional mens' dinner group where, just a year earlier we'd wagered on the coming election.
    In that earlier meeting one of the event's founders, a white haired patron of fine foods, waxed eloquently as to why M'Cain couldn't lose and Obama couldn't win. His logic was impeccable, for nothing that he said wasn't so.
    So a vote was taken, and eleven sided with him, while two of us, a banker and myself, no doubt considering the "other things" M'Cain's advocate had omitted, voted "nae".
    So I returned to the scene of my saddest triumph...to collect...only to find no one could remember ever having cast their vote the way they did. I wondered if maybe a date rape drug hadn't been involved.
    So much for gloating, then. Still, I found myself seated squarely next to the Great Advocator at dinner, and roundabout time for the brandy to be passed around, the subject of the New Reality came up. With the same self-assurance that he'd made his "M'Cain can't lose" speech a year earlier, my friend fired off a series of "It will be all over next November"'s against every worry spoken by our table about the things the government is doing now.
    "But what if we wake up the day after the election to find out the people's wrath was way over-publicized?", I asked.
    "Can't happen."
    "Shouldn't we have a Plan B?"
    "Don't need one. That whole bunch will be out on their ear."
    "Well, the Dems and ACORN sure proved they can win close elections when they need them. Some even say.."anytime they want them"...Wasn't that what the Perriello steal from Goode was all about?"
    "Nope, those were just regional anomalies. Can't happen nationwide."
    "Well, I'm not comforted. For one, you stood here a year ago and said M'Cain couldn't lose. So here we are another six months down the road wondering what to do next, and your answer, is 'Let the people speak in another fifteen months.' If you're as right then as you were last year, that will put us somewhere in the middle of 2011 wondering just how we can undo the greatest travesty ever dealt the the US Constitution and free enterprise... Shouldn't we at least have a Plan B."
    At which time one of us stood up, excused ourself and left the table.
    Well at least I could collect on one of the wagers. Besides, he's a "tiresonous" sunavabitch, so I can't really say there was a friend lost in the exchange...though my membership may come up at the next annual meeting. This is not a time to be trying to advance one's peerage, I suppose.

    But as always, there's a lesson hereabouts.
    Memo to Michael Steele, Chairman of the National GOP: Have some Plan B's laying around if things don't turn out like you've assumed. (I doubt there's much planning involved, only the gathering of statistics.) We especially recommend you contract with Heritage or others to come up with timeline(s) as to how long it would take to undo the really destructive legislation the Obamailis have on the docket now, i.e., Cap and Trade and Health Care. Once passed, there is a point in the not-too-distant future when their implementation will have passed the point of no return. Find out when that will be. It might be helpful...if you are to remain viable...as a party.
    And let the rest of us in on it.
    It also wouldn't hurt if you began to execute some forms of the Agitprop plan we sent many of your members earlier in the year, so as to begin fighting for a lot of street cred, and territory, that the Left had stolen away the past few years. We still believe Liberty, freedom, self-reliance, resourcefulness, morality, etc all can be made to seem cool once again. Just takes a hip sunabitch to understand what it all means. Is you him?
    Memo to the Virginia Republican Party: The 2009 election is more than  just about the gubernatorial race. If it stays close, expect it to be stolen, so try to have a plan to interrupt their plans, as well as a Plan B if they succeed.
    Moreover, even if you squeak one out, unless M'Donnell deals a real rodgering to Deeds, the House of Delegates races will be used as the true national indicator by the national media seeking to downplay M'Donell's win. The GOP still leads there, but has been losing the last two cycles. Reverse that and you can claim a "trend" that may provide impetus onto the national stage in 2010.
    We know a few of the Virginia Democrat delegates, and some are as Looney Tunes as Al Franken on a good day. But many of the GOP member are equally CINO (conservatives in name only). Wouldn't it be nice if you held some Constitutional, "Why we Fight" seminars? If the people are really going to get excited, give them a real fighting message. The times, they are a'changing.
VB