Why the Republicans Must Lose (Part 2,395)
Every time the elections roll around, yet another disillusioned Republican comes along bemoaning loss of the old, small government, fiscal conservative roots of the party and the rise of the neo-cons and extreme social conservatives who hijacked the organization some years back. This season is no different, and Radley Balko comes along to fill the bill.
The truth is, unless you vote for a third-party candidate (which really isn’t a bad idea), you don’t have much of a choice this November. You can either endorse the idea of a massive, invasive, ever-encroaching federal government that’s used to promote center-left ideology, or you can endorse the idea of a massive, invasive, ever-encroaching federal government that’s used to promote center-right ideology.
Sadly, if the GOP does lose, it’s likely to be interpreted not as a repudiation of the GOP’s excesses, but as an endorsement of the Democrats’. When the only two parties who have a chance at winning both have a track record of expanding the size and scope of government, every election is likely to be interpreted as a win for big government—only the brand changes.
Ah, Radley, I feel your pain, my friend, but I harbor no such illusions. There was a time when I felt that a sufficiently severe session in the woodshed and a long trek through the wilderness would turn the Republican Party around and possibly even convince me to come back to the fold. However, political beasts have a more urgent sense of self-preservation than mortal man. The GOP seems to now be wedded terminally to the evangelical Christian Right and the “Projection of American Power” heroes who think we can turn the entire planet into a global Disneyland if we can simply crank out enough smart bombs and stealth planes.
His column points out the very desirable roots of the party which were near and dear to the oft-maligned RINOs before so many of us were finally driven out of the party in recent years. Will such principles suddenly show up in the 2010 platform, driving out a lot of the social conservative clutter that now occupies it? Unlikely, as I see it. I don’t know who these people will vote for, but I don’t see them coming back in droves to the Republicans either.
We’ll discuss this topic and others on a special early edition of Mid Stream Radio today at noon eastern time.
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3 Responses to “Why the Republicans Must Lose (Part 2,395)”
It's no different than repeating the laws of physics. We who bemoan the obviously right are also obviously right.
Man, I fit this bill so perfectly that I hoped towards the end of the article you'd throw me a line and tell me what to do about it. No such easy out for me!
Maybe I'll go fishing around in my box of memories and haul out my stuffed GOP elephant that I carried around as a wistful, hopeful Young Republican and meditate in front of it for a few hours while playing “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'” on my iPod in a loop.
They big problem is the moderate wing let it happen. They let socons and neocons take over the party for 30 years but didn't care because unlike before the GOP was winning elections.
If center right moderates, fiscal conservatives, and libertarians want a home in the GOP (unless they feel at home in Democratic party) they need to fight back. But the problem is where are the moderate leaders? I am glad Powell and the conservative intellectual crowd are fighting back but we need active political leaders to start the fight for control. The best way I see, is starting from the ground up, electing people at the state and local level.