Back to Reaganism, or something new? (Courtesy Ronald Reagan Library)
GOP traditionalists vs. reformers
The Bush chapter of the Republican Party is closing, said Jonah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times, and "the fight to write the next one has begun." On one side are traditional conservatives and Reaganites, "who believe that the party desperately needs to get back to the basics: limited government, low taxes, and strong defense." On the other side are reformists who insist that reform is the only way to win back middle-class voters.
The traditionalists will probably win the first round, said David Brooks in The New York Times. The party will "probably veer right in the years ahead, and suffer more defeats." Then Reformist donors and organizers will emerge, "and the cycle of conservative ascendance will begin again."
The problem for Republicans is that they're out of touch with the country, said Eugene Robinson in The Washington Post. They disagree with most Americans on abortion; they spout "xenophobic" immigration rhetoric that turns off increasingly numerous Hispanic voters; and "pork-loving Republicans in Congress" suddenly recall they're budget hawks just when massive spending is needed to save the economy.
When Republicans "stared into an electoral abyss" after Barry Goldwater's crushing defeat in 1964, said Henry Olsen in The Wall Street Journal, Ronald Reagan pointed out that it's liberal values that diverge from the American consensus, while conservatism's "war for freedom" is what the country's all about. "One thing is certain: A conservatism that abandons freedom is not American; and a conservatism that ignores reality will not win."
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Recent comments | 8 total
Conservatives are not out of touch, Obama won the election promising to cut taxes-a signature conservative belief. he had to down-play his extremism from religion, to left-wing domestic terrorists, to infanticide. and apparently being half black gives him carte blanche to make racist comments about rural poeple clinging to their guns and religion. or saying Sarah Palin will have to be scrutinized 'just like the guys' imagine if McCain had said Obama will be scrutinized 'just like the whites'. but of course, that would have been untrue because no one was allowed to criticize or even make fun of Obama in jest for fear of being called a racist, though he was happy to take racism in the form of people voting for him just because he is black.
Hmmm, Jesica. I seem to remember that McCain was promising to cut taxes, too. Racism worked in favor of Obama? Hard to prove - the white vote split pretty evenly, and the black vote has always been Democratic. The Republican defeat was self-inflicted, from the insistence on litmus-test social issues; to the bizarre pick of Palin, which completely nullified the experience argument that McCain had over Obama; to the erratic McCain performance (see "the economy is fundamentally sound" and "suspend my campaign").
Not out of touch? What do you call the last eight years? I wouldn't blame conservative ideas for everything, both sides have some hand in the mess we're in. But you do have to consider who has been in charge. Actually, it's not just Republicans...it's the Corporate world. When special interests are allowed to have a better seat at the table than the American people - I don't care what size the government is - then we lose our ability to have faith that the government is working for the people.
Frank, There definitely was black racism. Granted, they normally vote Democrat but not at the 97% level. They even voted against a white Democrat in the primary. Face it, Obama spent a lot of money advertising and registering voters, most of them black. It totals out that he spent over $ll per vote in this election compared to McCain $2.50. Money talks. But the gig thing is that black churches, black associations and most black leaders were telling their people it was their duty to vote for the first black to have a real chance at the presidency. The blacks may have ruined the Democtratic party (which might be a good thing) and get the middle class to come up with a new party that represents the majority of Americans instead of a right leaning Republican and a far left black Democratic party. As an Independent, I hate to see one party in control of both houses of congress and the presidency. It has always been bad for us as long as I've been voting (1952).
The simple fact of the matter is that over the last 8-10 years, Republicans have abandoned conservatism, and this is their downfall. Get it straight: Bush is no conservative. He (like his father) is a middle-of-the-roader. RR picked GHWB to balance the ticket (read as appease the left) just like GWB picked Cheney to please the right. McCain is also a moderate, so he picked Palin as a means to appeal to the right; her abortion position was all she offered. The GOP now lacks a dynamic leader who stands for something that resonates with the public; the Dems have one now and a few more waiting in the wings.
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