Given that we all usually have room for improvement in our lives, resolutions are always a good idea.  They are even more important when there is so much to be gained (or lost) for not bettering ourselves.  So it is with this coming election year for conservatives.

With that in mind, the following resolutions are offered up for conservatives everywhere in 2012:

#1) Don't be a cannibal.  No matter who you are for in any given race, don’t “go cannibal” on fellow conservatives over who they support.  You might win for the moment, but you’ll lose productive relationships in the long run.

As for the presidential race, whoever the Republican nominee is, he will not be perfect and will probably be "high maintenance" from a policy standpoint.  But as a movement, conservatives are much better prepared to deal with such politicians than in years past.  And remember, ANY Republican president, no matter how squishy they may be, will have absolutely no choice whatsoever but to sign a bill repealing Obamacare.  To borrow a phrase, keep your eyes on the prize.  read more »

2010 was a banner year for conservatives. Beginning with the election of Scott Brown in January, we then saw major Republican primary victories in the summer, dozens more conservatives elected to the US House and several more to the Senate. Add to that a record number of victories in state houses all across the country.

It’s a hard record to top. The danger of moments like these is that it is easy to rest and lose sight of what to do next. In short, conservatives need to stay focused.

With that in mind, here are three resolutions for conservatives in 2011.

First, conservatives must work to hold elected officials accountable.

Truth be known, many in the GOP’s leadership are worried about the newfound energy in the conservative movement because they have no control over it, and they instinctively know that many of the people generating that energy have no love lost for those who are currently running the show. Self preservation is an instinct that runs deep.

They’re worried that we seem “too angry”. But those who spend most of their lives in the Beltway don’t have a palpable sense of the frustration out in flyover country. And in many ways, they don’t even understand it. No matter.

What’s important is that the frustration is real and that the people it represents now have a better understanding of how to take political matters into their own hands. They have better access to the tools that can connect them with one another, to organize and become more effective – which is exactly why the elites are so concerned.  read more »