If the Democrats win on Tuesday...

I hate voting against someone. I'd much rather have someone to vote for...which is why I'm glad I live here in Kern County, where Kevin McCarthy, an exceptional conservative Republican, is running for the House of Representatives.

It bothers me greatly that conservative pundits have been reduced to "vote Republican or Nancy Pelosi will be Speaker of the House." This is not the way to win elections, and this is why so many conservatives are right to be worried about the outcome of the elections. If the Republican party had a solid conservative platform to stand on, they would have much, much less to worry about, because their views and positions would be much more in line with the majority of the American people. Instead, we're offered empty politics and a sort of wishy-washy, watered down conservatism that only moves into the solid right in the months before an election.

If the Republican party wins the elections on Tuesday, or at the least, holds on to the majority by the skin of their fingernails, it will only be because conservatives understand that the GOP represents the lesser of two evils. And if the GOP has any illusions of holding on to their majority, much less the Presidency, in 2008, they had darn well better start pushing - strongly pushing through the conservative agenda, because "vote for us or you'll get stuck with them" may work for them this time around, but it isn't enough to sustain victory in the long-haul.

If the Republican party wants to stay in power, they need to:

1. Immediately push through a strong immigration policy, which includes real border enforcement, not some kind of "virtual fence" or "amnesty plus" program that conservative America will see through as being election year-appeasement or pandering to potential illegal immigrant voters. And until our border is secure through more conventional means, it should be militarized in order to ensure that drug smugglers or terrorists will not be able to enter our nation. And if Mexico has a problem with that, tell them that we will de-militarize our Southern border when they de-militarize their own.
2. Pass a Secure Elections Act to guarantee that our elections process can be trusted. This policy should include voter ID cards, regulations on registration, and strict penalties for any district that does not keep its voter roles up-to-date, as well as electronic voting machines that the American people can put their trust in (as opposed to voting machines programmed by a company with ties to the Venezuelan government). Our absentee voting system also needs to be secured. In the interests of preserving our democracy, we must do whatever is necessary to ensure that the results of our elections can be trusted.
   
3. Stop playing politically correct games with the War on Terror. Islamic fascism is the greatest enemy that America has ever seen, and it should be treated as such. We need to show those nations and peoples who wish our destruction that we are an enemy to be feared. Our military needs to take swift, decisive action to secure Iraq and keep foreign fighters from being allowed to enter that nation. America's pro-Israel stance needs to be backed up with more than just words - it is essential that these militant Muslims know that their anti-semetism and threats to exterminate an entire nation will not be tolerated.
4. Get in the public eye. From Nancy Pelosi to Harry Reid to Howard Dean to John Kerry, the Democrats have made innumerable fallacious accusations and insults not only to the President and Republican leaders, but to our military...and the response to these lies and distortions has been silence. Every Republican indiscretion is greeted with cries for numerous resignations, while Democrats are routinely given a pass for similar or worse misdeeds. Were it not for talk radio and, to a lesser extend, Fox News conservatism would have no voice in America. It is absolutely essential that Republican politicians get out and strongly proclaim their message - and stop taking crap from the liberals who have been allowed to define the issues for far too long now.
5. Stand up for a conservative judiciary. For far too long now, liberals have been allowed to use the judiciary to push through an agenda that looses when put before the voters. Liberals believe that a "conservative judiciary" means appointing judges that will legislate conservatism instead of liberalism, but what it really means is keeping judges accountable to their job description, and not allowing them to usurp power from the legislature or the people. This also means not being afraid to censure or impeach judges who step outside their Constitutionally-defined boundaries - even if they be Justices of the Supreme Court.

As I see it, the primary problem facing conservatives is that they have allowed the nation to move so far to the left that strong, decisive action must be taken to bring the nation back...action which is common-sense, but action that many on the far-left will consider and try to convey as extreme. It is essential that conservatives not allow the restoration of our nation to be cast as extreme, and a strong PR campaign will be needed to accompany these measures. If these steps are taken, though, we can secure a brighter future for America sooner, rather than later.