"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36 (KJV)

The warning signs were clear. Barack Obama's first clue to the mood of the country should have been the 48 percent of voters who did not want him for president. With this dubious "mandate," he and his cohorts in Congress launched their agenda to "fundamentally transform the United States of America" (Obama's exact campaign rhetoric).

On April 15th and July 4th, millions of Americans gathered in what became known as the "Tea Party Movement." The White House attempted to marginalize them as fringe element wackos.

In August, we had our first chance to confront our representatives at town hall meetings. Nancy Pelosi called this movement "Astroturf." Jimmy Carter, whose death certificate will someday read "died of shame," declared that anyone daring to dispute the administration's torrent of lies is inherently racist.

Then, on September 12th, hundreds of thousands (some estimates put it as high as two million) law-abiding, tax-paying citizens descended on Washington, DC, to peacefully protest the socialist takeover of their country. Once again, this earned them the disdain of Democrat congressional leaders, the White House and the Obamatrons in the media.

Now comes the off-year election cycle. As I write this, voters in three states - Virginia, New Jersey and New York - are preparing to go to the polls and hand Obama a referendum on his Marxist policies and Fascist tactics. Virginia is poised to elect a conservative Republican governor.

In New Jersey, traditionally one of the bluest states in the country, incumbent Democrat Governor Jon Corzine may lose his bid for re-election, despite the fact that Obama has campaigned feverishly for him.

And in that closely-watched 23rd Congressional District race in upstate New York, liberal "Republican" Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, hand-picked by local GOP leaders as their standard-bearer, has withdrawn from a three-way contest in which she was running third in the polls. This has opened the door for Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman to defeat Democrat Bill Owens.

Meanwhile, Scozzafava has proven that ideology is more important to her than the party that stuck its neck out on her behalf. In a page right out of the Lincoln Chaffee-Arlen Specter playbook of great RINO leadership, she has now endorsed Owens, the Democrat she was attacking just last week.

Of course, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who were supporting Scozzafava up to the moment she showed her true colors, have major egg on their faces. Only now have they switched their support to Hoffman in an attempt to play catch-up with Sarah Palin and other conservatives who had the courage to do the right thing three weeks ago. Way to lead, guys!

Many in the GOP leadership have become more interested in retaking control than in aligning their philosophy with that of the GOP platform, not to mention the American people. A recent Gallop poll showed that 40 percent of Americans now identify themselves as conservatives, while 36 percent call themselves moderates. Running a distant third, at 20 percent, are those who self-identify as liberals. So much for change we can believe in.

Every national, state and local GOP official should have to read the party platform and then write a 500 word essay for their local paper on whether they agree with its basic tenets. This is not to say that every Republican must fall into lockstep with the entire GOP platform. But the platform is intended as a rubric under which the members must ask themselves, "Is this the party for me?"

In the context of the 23rd Congressional district, the GOP would do well to take note of Hoffman's success and make a paradigm shift back toward the Reaganesque principles he is espousing. Then, and only then, will they be able to muster the voice to shake down the socialist Wall of Jericho currently surrounding the seats of power.

Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid should try to enjoy the next year, because their reign will be short-lived. This week's elections are a bellwether. A political earthquake is coming that will shake them from their ivory towers and make it clear once again that in this land, the people rule.

© Copyright 2009 by Doug Patton, a freelance columnist who has served as a political speechwriter and policy advisor