By Tony Dale
Published: 09-06-07
Published: 09-06-07
“Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory”.- General George S. Patton
If one were to believe Democrat Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid the war in Iraq is “lost”. That begs the question; if the war is lost who won? His statement that caused so much controversy earlier this year was seen by many as a clear surrender by one of our nation’s top elected officials. Should we give up before the effort is complete? The final chapter on Iraq has not yet been written. Part of the American spirit is to win.
If we should not retire for the very real battlefield of Iraq why would anyone surrender in an electoral contest that is still well over one year away? In the spirit of Harry Reid many Republicans today are ready to retire from the electoral battlefield and wave the white flag of surrender in the 2008 presidential election. Does it make any less sense for Republicans to surrender in this contest than it does for the U.S. to surrender in Iraq?
Surrender is the act of submitting or surrendering to the power of another. There can be no more vile idea to any real American. I expect my political opponents to work as hard as they can to defeat me. I expect an equal amount effort blood sweat and tears from my Republican allies to bring victory to our candidates. To say “Hillary can’t be stopped” or “We can’t win Ohio or Pennsylvania” is not a rallying cry for victory! I am not motivated by such ruinous talk. Worst of all if Republicans speak like this we will have a self fulfilling prophecy on our hands.
It is late 2007 and there is no reason for hopelessness. Both parties lack a nominee. Not one vote has been cast. Not all candidates are in the race. Those who predict who will or will not win over a year from now cannot possibly know the real answer to what will happen. Candidates rise and fall. Events influence voters. Speeches are made. Campaigns are run well and campaigns are run poorly. My crystal ball says that the people have not yet spoken.
So let’s get back to surrender.
To my Republican friends: What are you willing to surrender?
Are you willing to surrender free-market care? Are you willing to surrender private health insurance? Are you willing to surrender more of your hard earned money in the form of higher taxes? Are you willing to surrender private pre-K and kindergarten schools in favor of government schools? Are you willing to surrender the White House? Are you willing to surrender Iraq and the greater Middle East?
I for one am not about to surrender! Will you do your part? Will you fight for freedom? Will you fight for private property rights? Will you fight for 2d amendment rights? Will you fight against environmental extremism? Will you fight the biggest government programs since the New Deal? Will you fight for pro-family values? Will you fight the global war on terror?
If you give up today you will get what you don’t want. Never quit! Focus on what is happening now to give our country a future of freedom and liberty.
A resident of Cedar ParkTexas Tony Dale graduated from the Ohio State University with a B.A. in Political Science. In 1989 he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves. Upon graduation from OSU he was commissioned as a Regular Army Officer. In addition to being a commissioner on his town’s Planning and Zoning Commission he is a director for the Williamson County Conservation Foundation. He currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development for a major U.S. energy company. He can be contacted at tonydale@tonydale.net.
