MEMO to GOP: Your Lock on the Business Community Is Slipping
The Wall Street Journal has a must read front page story that should scare the bejeezus out of Republicans. Here’s the title: GOP Is Losing Grip On Core Business Vote; Deficit Hawks Defect As Social Issues Prevail; 'The Party Left Me'.
Here are the opening and closing paragraphs:
The Republican Party, known since the late 19th century as the party of business, is losing its lock on that title.
New evidence suggests a potentially historic shift in the Republican Party's… "brand." The votes of many disgruntled fiscal conservatives and other lapsed Republicans are now up for grabs, which could alter U.S. politics in the 2008 elections and beyond.
[…]
Some business leaders are drifting away from the party because of the war in Iraq, the growing federal debt and a conservative social agenda they don't share. In manufacturing sectors such as the auto industry, some Republicans want direct government help with soaring health-care costs, which Republicans in Washington have been reluctant to provide. And some business people want more government action on global warming, arguing that a bolder plan is not only inevitable, but could spur new industries.
Nationally, support for some… causes espoused by social conservatives and hawks has declined… as Americans [grow] more concerned about economic matters… Between 1987 and this year, for example, support for "old-fashioned values about family and marriage" had dropped 11%. Those who said gay teachers should be fired dropped 23% [and] support for U.S. global engagement and "peace through military strength" also shrank.
But the number of Americans who share some classic Democratic concerns has risen. [75%] of the population is worried about growing income inequality, Pew found, while [2/3rds] favor government-funded health care for all. Support for a government safety net for the poor is at its highest level since 1987.
"More striking," …was the change in party identification since 2002. Five years ago, the population was evenly divided -- 43% for each party. This year, Democrats had a 50% to 35% advantage.
Let me summarize: in the eyes of the business community there’s a gap between what the GOP pushes and what they want. That gap means fewer businesspeople will give GOP. Fewer biz donations to the GOP mean far less money. Far less money mean the party has trouble competing with the liberal message of the MSM and the labor unions and other liberal special interests. Less message means fewer GOP Congressmen and Senators. In other words, find a way to appeal your message to biz's or go the way of the dodo bird!
A footnote: Can the GOP survive as a viable political alternative if it loses both the business community and the Hispanic votes? Is the Democratic party big enough to accomodate busiensses, labor, abortion righters, environmentalists, anti-war demonstrators and the GLTG crusaders? Is it time for a third party?
Here are the opening and closing paragraphs:
The Republican Party, known since the late 19th century as the party of business, is losing its lock on that title.
New evidence suggests a potentially historic shift in the Republican Party's… "brand." The votes of many disgruntled fiscal conservatives and other lapsed Republicans are now up for grabs, which could alter U.S. politics in the 2008 elections and beyond.
[…]
Some business leaders are drifting away from the party because of the war in Iraq, the growing federal debt and a conservative social agenda they don't share. In manufacturing sectors such as the auto industry, some Republicans want direct government help with soaring health-care costs, which Republicans in Washington have been reluctant to provide. And some business people want more government action on global warming, arguing that a bolder plan is not only inevitable, but could spur new industries.
Nationally, support for some… causes espoused by social conservatives and hawks has declined… as Americans [grow] more concerned about economic matters… Between 1987 and this year, for example, support for "old-fashioned values about family and marriage" had dropped 11%. Those who said gay teachers should be fired dropped 23% [and] support for U.S. global engagement and "peace through military strength" also shrank.
But the number of Americans who share some classic Democratic concerns has risen. [75%] of the population is worried about growing income inequality, Pew found, while [2/3rds] favor government-funded health care for all. Support for a government safety net for the poor is at its highest level since 1987.
"More striking," …was the change in party identification since 2002. Five years ago, the population was evenly divided -- 43% for each party. This year, Democrats had a 50% to 35% advantage.
Let me summarize: in the eyes of the business community there’s a gap between what the GOP pushes and what they want. That gap means fewer businesspeople will give GOP. Fewer biz donations to the GOP mean far less money. Far less money mean the party has trouble competing with the liberal message of the MSM and the labor unions and other liberal special interests. Less message means fewer GOP Congressmen and Senators. In other words, find a way to appeal your message to biz's or go the way of the dodo bird!
A footnote: Can the GOP survive as a viable political alternative if it loses both the business community and the Hispanic votes? Is the Democratic party big enough to accomodate busiensses, labor, abortion righters, environmentalists, anti-war demonstrators and the GLTG crusaders? Is it time for a third party?
Labels: Business Community, GOP, New Economy
posted by Johnathan Gay at 3:35 PM
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