The Fight Conservatism Faces, Part II

Last week, I wrote about the internal battle the conservative movement faces.  Suffice to say, I do not believe the coming year will be pleasant.  If we are to convince people that were are a worthy and effective ideological force, we cannot do so while fighting amongst ourselves.

This week, I want to write about why the coming year will not be pleasant due to much bigger threats beyond the movement.  Namely, President Obama and the progressives.  The reelection of the president bodes ill for the nation.

November's debacle made two things clear: It maintained the status quo with regards to our elected officials and ensured that the progressive left will try harder than ever to push their ideology in the coming years.  Despite the slim popular vote margin by which Barack Obama won, many on the left seem to believe his re-election is a mandate for him to push farther to the left and force through even more unpopular, destructive legislation. 

"You know, I really admire Vladimir's political skill..."

As you may recall, President Obama once told former Russian president Medvedev that November would be his "last election" and he would be "more flexible" after.  That unguarded moment says much about his plans for this term.  Since it was his last election, it means that he will not have future elections to hold him accountable for his actions.  For someone like the president, who wishes to "fundamentally transform" the country, not having to worry about popularity is a boon.  It frees him to be the radical his writings and history tells us he is.

Already, the left is hard at work attempting to curb the 2nd Ammendment.  Shamelessly using the Newtown, Connecticut mass murder, they are attempting to curb our rights.  Support of gun ownership is likely too high for them to succeed, however, their anti-gun crusade is evidence of how they will approach debates in the coming years.  They assuming that winning immunizes them from being opposed.

They assume that winning allows them to ignore the Constitution.

I believe we can expect two major trends in the coming years.  The first is that, assuming the Republicans in congress actually grow a spine and begin to block major legislation from the the president without capitulating, there will be a dramatic increase in executive orders.  As the gun control debate has shown us, many of the president's supporters have no qualms with the use of executive orders to circumvent congress.  They effectively have no problem with the president behaving like a dictator or a king to ensure that the progressive agenda is implemented.  It is truly frightening how their desire for power and their agenda overides any sense of the rule of law and leaves them with no care to follow it.

We should also be prepared for even fiercer attempts to marginalize conservatives and libertarians in the coming years.  Remember, many on the left views those of us on the right side of the ideological spectrum as not just wrong, but evil.  We are not worth listening to and indeed, do not deserve a place in the discussion to begin with.  We can expect every effort taken to make us seem small and insignificant before 2014's midterm elections.

It will be a tough road ahead.  We must be prepared to weather it.