Louisville Courier Journal: "A GOP Choice".
A GOP choice
Republicans are getting a lot of advice these days. Some of it is pretty good; some of it is dreadful.
In the latter category, place two familiar figures: Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney. Mr. Limbaugh isn't satisfied with the defection of Sen. Arlen Specter; he wants to run Colin Powell, one of the party's few visible African Americans and a widely respected former general and diplomat, off to the Democrats. Mr. Cheney cautions Republicans against moderation.
It isn't clear why anyone would take seriously a drug-abusing radio blowhard or a former vice president who left office with an approval rating of 13 percent. But if Republicans embrace their message — further reduce a shrinking party in the name of ideological purity — they may face a long stay in the political wilderness.
That would not be good for the United States. It wouldn't even be good for Democrats. The two-party system has served the nation well, but it requires a responsible, mainstream opposition party that offers ideas that a broad swath of Americans can support. That is not a description of the current national Republican Party.
One of the most thoughtful moderate Republicans of recent decades, former Sen. Howard Baker of Tennessee, is correct in arguing that no political shift is permanent. He is right, too, in noting that the Democratic landslide of 1964 was followed four years later by an election that put the White House into Republican hands.
But in the 1966 mid-term elections, Republicans expanded their national presence (as they grew in the South) and introduced a wide spectrum of appealing new candidates, from Ronald Reagan in California to liberal Mark Hatfield in Oregon.
Now, liberal Republicans are extinct, many moderate Republicans are switching to the Democrats, the GOP has lost congressional seats in consecutive elections and it is increasingly a regional party based in the South.
The best advice comes from people like Republican author Reihan Salam, who says that while the party really does need to change its stand on gay rights and other wedge issues, its biggest challenge is to show that it understands the economic challenges faced by ordinary Americans.
That isn't the message when CNBC commentator Rick Santelli rips "losers" (many of them Republicans) who can't pay their mortgages. It isn't the message when Republicans organize opposition to the Obama health plan before they even know what it is.
The Civil War and the Depression led to decades of one-party dominance. Whether that bit of political history repeats itself may turn on whom Republicans listen to.
Editor's comment:
I love the advice Bill Adkins gave Republicans in response to my post on Facebook (yes, you can find me on Facebook):
"Keep sending the moderates out the door", Bill commented, "- you [meaning Republicans] can have your next convention in two rooms at the motel 6".
Why is this quote important?
Bill was one of those Moderate Republicans who is now a County Democratic Party leader, so he should know!
Republicans are getting a lot of advice these days. Some of it is pretty good; some of it is dreadful.
In the latter category, place two familiar figures: Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney. Mr. Limbaugh isn't satisfied with the defection of Sen. Arlen Specter; he wants to run Colin Powell, one of the party's few visible African Americans and a widely respected former general and diplomat, off to the Democrats. Mr. Cheney cautions Republicans against moderation.
It isn't clear why anyone would take seriously a drug-abusing radio blowhard or a former vice president who left office with an approval rating of 13 percent. But if Republicans embrace their message — further reduce a shrinking party in the name of ideological purity — they may face a long stay in the political wilderness.
That would not be good for the United States. It wouldn't even be good for Democrats. The two-party system has served the nation well, but it requires a responsible, mainstream opposition party that offers ideas that a broad swath of Americans can support. That is not a description of the current national Republican Party.
One of the most thoughtful moderate Republicans of recent decades, former Sen. Howard Baker of Tennessee, is correct in arguing that no political shift is permanent. He is right, too, in noting that the Democratic landslide of 1964 was followed four years later by an election that put the White House into Republican hands.
But in the 1966 mid-term elections, Republicans expanded their national presence (as they grew in the South) and introduced a wide spectrum of appealing new candidates, from Ronald Reagan in California to liberal Mark Hatfield in Oregon.
Now, liberal Republicans are extinct, many moderate Republicans are switching to the Democrats, the GOP has lost congressional seats in consecutive elections and it is increasingly a regional party based in the South.
The best advice comes from people like Republican author Reihan Salam, who says that while the party really does need to change its stand on gay rights and other wedge issues, its biggest challenge is to show that it understands the economic challenges faced by ordinary Americans.
That isn't the message when CNBC commentator Rick Santelli rips "losers" (many of them Republicans) who can't pay their mortgages. It isn't the message when Republicans organize opposition to the Obama health plan before they even know what it is.
The Civil War and the Depression led to decades of one-party dominance. Whether that bit of political history repeats itself may turn on whom Republicans listen to.
Editor's comment:
I love the advice Bill Adkins gave Republicans in response to my post on Facebook (yes, you can find me on Facebook):
"Keep sending the moderates out the door", Bill commented, "- you [meaning Republicans] can have your next convention in two rooms at the motel 6".
Why is this quote important?
Bill was one of those Moderate Republicans who is now a County Democratic Party leader, so he should know!
Labels: Conservatism, GOP, Republicanism
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