About fifteen years ago US troops in Operation Desert Storm were inspired by the words of Aaron Tippin:
“…you’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything
You’ve got to be your own man not a puppet on a string
Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name
You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.”
At the recent Advance state Senator Ken Cuccinelli took a similar stand when discussion turned to compromise on tax issues. As noted here and here, when Senator Cuccinelli was asked about the GOP compromising on raising taxes, he said:
“If we don’t stand for something, then it’s just a nice-guy contest…[and] that’s not a consistent path either to governance or to victory.”
This makes for a nice sound bite and-as Brother Tippin showed-a great concept for a song. However, it reveals a narrow world view that will cause problems next month in the GA and next November in the general elections.
Senator C. thinks the GOP has a choice between taking a stand or compromising. I suggest there is not a need to compromise, but there is a need for the RPV to create and articulate a vision for Virginia, show how the various positions fit that vision, and how that vision will benefit the state.
Senator Cuccinelli (who will hereafter be referred to as “The Cooch”, just so I don’t have to type the whole title and name…consider it a liberty that constituents can take) apparently believes the positions he supports are so clearly obvious and superior there is no need to explain them. Well, that ain’t necessarily so. Michael Golden and all the Club for Growth folks chose that course last year, and no one who was not already in the General Assembly won in the general election.
Perhaps The Cooch views public policy dialogue as if it is one of those court cases where the plaintiff has not met the burden of proof, so the judge directs judgement for the defendant. He feels those proposing taxes have not proven to his satisfaction the need to raise taxes, so all he has to say is “No New Taxes” and that is that.
I disagree. He needs to do more than that:
- He needs to explain why no new taxes are needed, and not write it off to “we already pay too much”.
- Answer the questions “why we are paying too much?”, “where is money being wasted?”, “What economies can be realized?”, “What cuts should be made?”. The Cooch is entering his fifth year in Richmond-he should be able to read the state budget and offer answers to the above questions.
- Within the current budget, how would he fix transportation?
- Finally, show how these positions fit into a vision or view of the future of the Commonwealth.
You may ask “why is Bwana harping on vision and such all the time?”
Because I think that a party without a vision of where it wants to go will not be able to articulate what it believes. Without that vision, without that constant star, there is a risk of losing voters over single issues. Consider Ronald Reagan, or Franklin Roosevelt, or Margaret Thatcher, or Churchill, or King, or any great leader. They had a vision of where they were going and how they intended getting there. When people differed with them on an issue the vision served as a safety net that reminded them”we disagree on this matter, but we agree on where we are going”. The vision defines the effort, the vision defines the cause, and the vision keeps support even when there is disagreement on single issues.
The Cooch and the GOP don’t have to compromise. They do have to articulate a vision. It is not enough to tell us they favor taking a path-they have to tell us where that path will lead and why that path is preferable.
Being ideologically pure and politically smart do not have to be mutually independent. But by offering issues without vision, by using fancy campaign tactics without offering substance, by offering a banquet of spicy themes without any meat and potatoes that stick to the ribs, the GOP will do something unique…
…They will stand for something AND fall for anything…and that is no way to win elections.
Renaissance Ruminations 
Well Bwana, once again, you have hit the proverbial nail on it’s proverbial head! “The Cooch” does not have a clue how to articluate a vision. He just is another one of “dose guys!” who are saying that you are not a TRUE Republican if you do not stand there and say “NO! NO! NO! and Hell NO! You don’t have to give reasons for saying no, it should be obvious!!
And in the meantime, “The Cooch” is doing nothing but feathering his own nest and making trouble for other colleague within the party.
I will say this publicly, “The Cooch” is exactly what is wrong with this party. Virginia, now more than ever, needs members of both the Executive and Legislative bodies who have a clear vision of where we need to go and why that is important. And we as a party need to stop cutting these people who have the courage to articulate a vision, off at the knees, just because they are articulating what they feel is the right and proper thing to do in serving everyone…not just the people who agree with them. To say “NO!” just doesn’t cut it anymore!
Its a tough thing. Cuccinelli is right to an extent. Part of our problems nationally as well as state-wide is that we say we stand for something, but the opposite happens. Nationally, we preached small government and fiscal conservatism; instead we got deficets, pork, and big government. Here in Virginia, we preach small taxes – but our legislature broke and raised taxes. So I think Cuccinelli is speaking to this when he says we need to stand for something.
But Bwana, I think you make great points, too. I think I like Cooch probably more than you, but his advice is woth listening too. In the end, we have to have SOME principle. Compromise? Sure, I think thats a worthy goal. Certainly if nothing gets done in this Assembly session, the GOP will have a hard time in Northern Virginia. We can’t just be the “No” party. The key to success will be developing an agenda that is within our principles but is forward thinking and does more than say no.
We are starting to see that. Albo-Rust and Jeannemarie’s bills both looked for a solution (whether you agree with it or not). Cooch speaks from frustration, I think, and its something we all feel. If we can somehow create a CucciWana, we could be in good shape!
Very well said Bwanna!
“Cucciwana”…just the concept is frightening!
First, you know I think you’d actually be surprised how many Democrats would stand with you if instead of saying NO to taxes, you actually did the hard work of finding waste in the system. Mainstream Democrats love low taxes unless its at the expense of schools, roads, and police. And second, how about we expand the discussion in regard to tax cuts, instead of cutting the taxes on inheritance- how about we eliminate the income tax for families making under $50,000? How about we totally abolish the grocery tax? How about a robust property tax exemption for seniors?
Hey there Bwana,
I gave a respectable critique/response on my website. Hoping to instigate a conversation! Short version: we have a vision in the F&P Agenda. Longer version is on the ol’ blog.
Hopefully your advice is getting through to the GOP leaders in the General Assembly. This is an excellent commentary.
Shaun Kennedy:
Your “freedom and prosperity agenda” is cute! Good luck with it.
See, I’m just a regular joe in a little city but the voters that I talk to expect the government to get things done. They don’t give a hoot in hell from where in the current budget the money will come from or what projects aren’t funded inside of VDOT. They want the #$%@#%$ roads fixed.
Personally, I don’t find this to be an outlandish request but it hardly matters. The counties have begun to fund road building themselves. This will spare the delicate General Assembly from having to take any action that might upset their tummies. Taxes have already increased, just at the local level.
I am a Democrat and I think Brimur has it half right when he says “Mainstream Democrats love low taxes unless its at the expense of schools, roads, and police.” The fact is ALL Democrats love low taxes not just “mainstream” Democrats. I have never met a person, Democrat, Independent, or Republican that actually likes high taxes, and I don’t expect to meet one anytime soon.
The key difference between Democrats and Republicans is not taxes – that is just a smoke screen – it is governance. Democrats believe Government is an agent for good, Republicans see it the opposite way. Democrats are for good government and Republicans are for no government. Good government does not come for free and sometimes you have to raise taxes to get it.
An excellent piece. When you lose the Vision War, you lose the Culture War.
Great post. People in northern Virginia pay so much in taxes, our real estate taxes are sky high. So we are very interested in hearing how taxes can be held, or even lowered.
I know that the General Assembly has no jurisdiction over real estate taxes but I would love an explanation for why the school system needs HUGE increases ($90 to $130 million) every year when there has been NO population growth for 4 years. And now the BOS says they may have to raise taxes! The average homeowner is already paying over $5,000 a year.
I’m with Ken, NO NEW TAXES. Let’s force Richmond to find the money for more roads. (Schools and police we already pay for here.)
Nicely done, Bwana.
Cuccinelli, who is my state Sen., is right because the Dems have plundered Northern Virginians’ taxes. When Dems controlled the General Assembly, they annually stole a third of NoVa gas taxes for downstate projects, per Wash Post. Ditto ed funding. Now Kaine wants to blow $300M+ on universal preschool while people are dying unnecessarily and wasting millions of hours on dangerous, gridlocked NoVa roads. Yet he refused twice this year to compromise on a roads plan. Kaine/VDOT won’t even respond substantively to my messages about specific road dangers, while my Delegate, who unfortunately is Steve Shannon, fails even to acknowledge receiving my messages.