By Mark Laperle

There is a lot of celebrating going on with Republicans lately, and with good reason. The only two governor’s races in the country were swept by the GOP—one of them in the very blue state of New Jersey. Despite the Democrats’ claims that this was not a backlash against the president and his Liberal cronies on Capitol Hill, we all know better. And while this Virginia voter is happy to be on the winning side, I can’t help thinking the REAL victory goes not to Republicans, but to Conservatives. Here are two examples of Conservatism making a stand without—and in one case despite—involvement from the GOP leadership.

For the first time in history a state law, passed by the legislature, which would have legalized same-sex “marriage” was defeated by a ballot initiative. The people of Maine (not necessarily all of them Republicans and certainly not the GOP leadership) rejected the agenda of the pro-homosexual, anti-family radicals within the ranks of their own lawmakers. This grassroots effort was formulated, funded and followed through by Conservatives. It was a hard fought battle. And the war rages on.

The other example is bit harder to convey as a victory for the Right. The battle for New York’s twenty-third congressional district seat was won by a Liberal Democrat. However, it was a Conservative who placed a very close second—and that in a three-way race. Let me say here that I am convinced the race was a Steele. That brings me to my point about how Conservatives (not Republicans) won the day.

Not only was Doug Hoffman (the Conservative) not on the Republican ticket, the “Republican” (RINO Dede Scozzafozzafalaffelsnuffelufagus) was endorsed by RNC Chairman Steele, Newt Gingrich and other GOP “leaders”. These folks miscalculated big time in thinking this was a Republican revolution. In the process, they blew the opportunity to send a solid Reaganite to Washington. Now it turns out Dede is a turncoat (so much for party loyalty). Again, the fact that Doug Hoffman, an unknown, lost by only four percentage points clearly demonstrates a shift to the Right—not necessarily to Republicans.

These recent events served to reinforce my conviction that—more and more—this country is divided not so much politically (i.e., Democrats verses Republicans), but ideologically (i.e., Conservatives verses Liberals). For all of my adult life I have labeled myself Christian, Conservative, Republican—in that order. I have been on a Republican voting streak all that time, not because of party loyalty or affiliation, but because the candidates happened to be Conservatives. Had I been able to vote in New York’s twenty-third district that streak would have ended.

Mark Laperle
"In God We Trust"