Written By : Tabitha Hale

Upside of this administration: We all thought the GOP was dead. And slowly, they’re remembering what it means to be a Republican. Stacy Mott has said, and I’ve often quoted, that Obama is currently the leader of the conservative movement.

Let’s face it, he’s done more to mobilize us than anyone else has. The numbers from the 9/12 march, and at rallies across the country, have proved that this is more than a fringe contingent of the right. Despite what any media source would have you believe.

Ben Stein writes:

You have named men to office so wildly irresponsible, so extreme in their positions, so vulgar in their means of expression, that they have made the Republican Party regain its of gleam of gentility and good graces. I am not talking only about the tough guy/ballet dancer Rahm Emanuel, who screamed like a jilted drunken sorority girl at GOP leaders after Joe Wilson’s outburst (itself a disgrace) last Wednesday night.”

He has brought more energy and conviction to Republicans and the right than I thought possible six months ago. So, for that I thank you, President Obama. You are exposing the flaws in liberal policy faster than anyone else in recent history has been able to – even Jimmy Carter.

A few months ago I’d given up on the party. Now, I see a glimmer of hope. I see Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Rep. Mike Pence turn out for the 9/12 rally, and say the things that conservatives have been dying to hear from their Congressmen.

Granted, there are those that still need to be held accountable. There are those that I still have no use for. McCain adviser Mark McKinnon said this last week:

Mark McKinnon, a former adviser to Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and other Republicans, said there is an “opportunity for Republicans” to tap into legitimate fears about an overreaching federal government. But he said that “right-wing nutballs are aligning themselves with these movements” and are dominating media coverage.

“It’s bad for Republicans because in the absence of any real leadership, the freaks fill the void and define the party,” McKinnon said.

So now we’re not only extremists, nut jobs, a mob, racist, etc… but one of the men who was supposed to be one our side refers to us as “freaks”. McKinnon, maybe if there were a leader who did his job and stopped pretending to be a Democrat to appeal to both sides, we wouldn’t have an absence of leadership. The fact that we don’t have a real leader tells me two things:

1. This is a movement of the people. This is bottom up. This is grassroots. There is no top down organization happening – anyone paying attention knows there ISN’T any leadership.
2. The former leaders have been pushed aside, because we have decided that they don’t represent us. And I’m good with that.

I can honestly say that at this moment I’m grateful Barack Obama won the election, if for no other reason than to get us off our butts and force us to pay attention. I have very little faith that John McCain would have done a better job… and Republicans would still have been taking the blame. If Obama is the fall out from 8 years of Bush, I would hate to see what the fall out would be if another Republican screwed things up. The rapidfire legislation and the grandeur of this administration has provided a stark contrast, and put things in perspective for many.

For the first time, I say thank you, President Obama. You’ve given us the wake up call we needed to mobilize.

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