is one of few few political leaders with any semblance of credibility. The man has tasted power and yet has preserved and even expanded his advocation of our constitution, our free society, our free market, and our national defense. He’s been tested, and unlike Belshazzar, was not found wanting.

and how did he come out if he was?

If he wasn’t on the list, why not? Thanks.

Tha fact that practically NO ONE in GOP leadership points to Sen DeMint as among the TRUE leaders right now…is a disgrace!.

Also, while filling out my straw poll at CPAC, I listened to twenty or so who were surrounding the table filling out their poll…..
THE ENTIRE GROUP STATED THAT THE NUMBER ONE LEADER RIGHT NOW, THAT THEY WISH WAS ON THE LIST….. IS SEN JIM DEMINT………UNANIMOUSLY!

Not actually having a top-down ordained leader is a plus in my opinion.

Those that rise to the top will, as Erick says, be “doing what other Republicans talk about — staying true to conservative values and recruiting conservatives.”

I, and many like me, are not looking for the figurehead, but for someone that “will one day be able to proudly say he did not just change his party, but his country too.”

Go Jim DeMint!

Here in Connecticut, just about all elected officials (U.S. House and Senate) just plain suck.

I’m stuck with Chris Murphy (D-CT 05), who has shown himself to be a complete sellout.

If Nancy Pelosi tells him to do X, he’ll do X.

My good lib mindless neighbors think he’sgreat.

These folks are proof that you can have a bunch of degrees and be really stuid. As if such proof is needed.

I’ve wondered for months why Sen. DeMint isn’t considered a contender for the R nomination in 2012. Can you imagine a DeMint/Bachmann WH, with Ryan for Treasury Sec’y, Petraeus at Defense, Coburn at HHS and Huntsman at State?

My only problem with him is that he has stated he is willing to support 3rd parties over Republican nominees chosen in a primary.

Jim DeMint has been my “conservative leader” (sharing it with Rush, frankly) for quite some time, but I think it could not be truly said until this year, when the parade finally started marching behind him, that he was the conservative movement’s leader.

It’s about time.

After Beck’s speech, He has moved way up the ladder as a movement spokesman.

I haven’t heard anything that good since Reagan.

Because aside from opposing the left, there has been very little of this. Remember, the mainstream media is openly sympathetic to President Obama and the Democrats. Also remember that most of the center-right middle gets most of their general info from the MSM – that includes what is NOT covered. It’s time to get some leadership beyond ‘No’ before President Obama and pals regain their footing and re-take the initiative on clear messaging.

No had gotten us this far – but to move any further forward we need a plan, a message and strong leadership. Period. And I am not seeing it from any of the usual suspects, so far.

candidate for President here at RS?

I’m a newcomer.

Other Senators should really take note. Through real action and substantive, real rhetoric, Jim DeMint manages to appeal to a large range of movement conservatives–from the center-right, to the religious right, to the Paul wing, and the Reagan Repubs. In fact, I think Sarah Palin is trying to take much the same route, though it’s debatable how much her support for McCain will ultimately translate.

So am I.

Same guy. DeMint. Can do and can think beats can talk, can pose, can look every time.

He’s my man…for what I’m not sure…but I want to see DeMint out front more. Let him pick the team.

I think you’ll (we’ll) agree.

If you had asked me, I would have said that the up and coming leaders, after a long spell in the political wasteland, were the Declaration and Constitution.

“A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.” –Alexander Hamilton

Study at Redstate University

“We hold these truths to be self-evident . . . .”

“We the People . . . .”

Art. I, Sec. 8

Ninth Amendment.

Tenth Amendment.

I wrote about this back in October, 2009 here:

http://www.redstate.com/coldwarrior/2009/10/14/enforce-the-constitution-and-demand-your-rights-or-not/

It is refreshing to see people like Beck and others, who have national audiences, actually talking about conforming our federal elected servants to the strictures of the supreme law of the land that was intended to bind them down. But to do that, we have to know what the Declaration and Constitution say. And we do that by simply reading and studying them.

Jim DeMint’s book, “Saving Freedom: We Can Stop America’s Slide Into Socialism,” tellingly has the full text of the Constitution set forth in the back. Bravo! But I have criticized it otherwise because in his last chapter, “Citizenship 101: How You Can Make a Difference,” he’s way to general. His Step 1 is to “Get Involved” and his Step 2 is to “Get Involved.” How? “Start Writing” “Write a Letter to the Editor” “Write an Opinion Editorial (OP/ED)” “Create a Blog” “Communicate with Elected Officials” “Support Political Candidates” and “Be a Candidate.” But, for most, who haven’t a clue about how to “do something” in politics to change the outcome of elections, it seems to me he should have told the readers the BEST way they could get involved (don’t you think we have enough blogs? And the congresscritters, especially post-modern Debtocrats, could care less about letters they receive) is to become a voting member of the Republican Party — a precinct committeeman. Sure, of course, run for city council or school board, but also get involved in the Republican Party as a voting member of it so you can change the leadership — and help get conservatives winning the all-important, traditionally-very-low-turnout primary elections.

All of these kinds of books, long on stating the problems but short on providing real solutions, I find to be coming from the Conservative Grievance Industry. (“CGI”) Beck’s, Levin’s, Ingraham’s, Malkin’s, and even DeMint’s books all fall into this category. We all know that things are bad, but how to fix them? Replace the current crop of elected servants with Constitution-respecting conservatives. How? By getting conservatives winning the Republican primaries. How? By getting involved as a voting member of the Republican Party at the grass roots level so you can join with other conservatives to get out the vote in the all-important primary elections.

Simply telling people to “get involved in the political process” is too vague. Some thing going to a Tea Party is “getting involved in the political process.” Some think sending $100 to the RNC to get a plastic card that says “Sustaining Member” and their name embossed on it is “getting involved in the political process.” With the Republican Party at half strength in the precinct committeeman ranks, we need to get conservatives to INVADE THE PARTY and fill up those unfilled positions so we can actually create a conservative revolution within the Party instead of just shouting and writing about it.

I’ve yet to find this explained in any of the CGI books.

A pity.

So I’ll just keep harping on it.

Thank you.
ColdWarrior
No More Scozzafavas!
Become a Republican precinct committeeman. NOW!

Ron Paul winning the straw poll makes us conservatives look like a bunch of kooks. How in the world…why in the world would they vote this way? I think we all agree that he has good ideas on the Federal Reserve but I wouldn’t trust him as the mayor of my city, let alone president.

So few in Congress, including the Republican leadership, are willing to stand up for constitutional government. You’d think that with the trouble this country is in, we’d have more than a handful of principled, strong, and fearless leaders – true patriots – who are willing to speak out and speak the truth. DeMint is one of these.

Paul may not run, and I expect this guy to pick up the torch of the libertarian movement. He is going to be all over the media for the next year – RedState had better get ready to embrace some libertarians in the Republican party… Give me Johnson over tired old hacks like DeMint and Romney any day.

When the health insurance takeover (there’s no ‘health care reform’ to it) started, and Sen. DeMint began to respond into the vacuum created by a lack of leadership by run-of-the-mill GOP aparatchicks, I’ve been telling people, “There’s the next U.S. President; there’s a guy who doesn’t sound like a bullshit salesman with a mouthful of samples.”

I think he’s the real deal.

and great conservative but he won’t ever be POTUS. He just doesnt have the charisma and broad appeal. I dont mean to knock him at all. I think he’d make a great president, but that just is not ever going to happen.

The one person I honestly believe would be a fantastic president is Sen. Richard Burr. I think RS should look at him. He may not be perfect, but he is really an impressive guy. I’ve gotten the chance to meet him a few times, and have seen him break down a complicated issue and explain it with real eloquence. I guess we have to get him re-elected first though. Just my 2 cents.

I shudder to think where conservatives in Congress would be without DeMint right now. After the 2010 midterms, conservatives should do everything it takes to see that he becomes majority leader.

And I believe this is how it should be. We understand what is wrong and we know what needs to be done to make it right. Perhaps not the nuts and bolts of the job, but we understand what We The People want. The Conservatives and Republicans and everyone else who wishes to chart a new course for this country would do well to listen to their leaders…the people. This is a position, like it or not, that the people have taken on since 2009. It is a position that has been mocked by Democrats and liberals as far up as the President of the United States. But I believe the people are right for the job.

Jim DeMint –
Is the only man in Congress that has any balls? He is the only one to stand up to Obumer. Are all the others afraid to speak their minds and question the actions of our great leader? What did we elect to keep America the strongest nation in the world — apparently some pussy-willows that are hell-bent to see America fall into the cess-pool.
Jim calls a spade-a- spade and makes no bones about it. He sees the person for what he really stands for and is not afraid to speak-up. With out Jim to fight for us, We are in a world of hurt. Jim, you have our many thanks.

Ps You can go duck hunting with me anytime.

I’m just curious what people on Redstate think of DeMint’s support for Romney in 2008. I’ve noticed that Romney is practically holds a persona non grata status on Redstate, while DeMints is well liked. I really like both of them. Any thoughts?

conservative, while Romney supported a quasi-fascistic medical scheme in Massachusetts.

Fascism is government control and direction of the means of production, while allowing a vestige of the veneer of private ownership to continue to exist. It transforms owners into government managers, and transforms a free society, albeit slowly, into a more subservient one.

That’s why I’m personally a huge fan of DeMint’s, but can’t stomach Romney.