Memo to Disaffected Republicans: Enough with the Funeral Already!
Former GOP Congressman Mickey Edwards has written a piece about how Ronald Reagan would not recognize the current Republican Party. Now there is much to agree with in his essay, but at some point, this is all tiring. I mean, haven’t we been hearing about how the GOP isn’t what it used to be for quite some time?
Goldwater-style Republicans, libertarians, people like me who tend to be more Rockefeller Republicans all whine and moan about the current state of the party and there is much to be said about how the party is no longer one of ideas.
But I keep thinking that all of this feels more like a funeral- a weeping for a dear friend that has been passed on.
And the thing is, I’m tired of funerals.
I think that instead of griping about the Republican party and blaming Karl Rove and George W. Bush, how about we do something about it? Instead of expecting the current leaders, who have brought us to this point, to change, how about rising up new leaders? Instead of bemoaning the fact that we have no new ideas, how about creating new think tanks and journals and blogs that present new ideas?
Listen, I am as upset as anyone about the state of the Republican party. But nothing will happen if all we do is whine. Lots of ink and bytes have been spilled to say the obvious over and over again.
I’ve heard Mr. Edwards talk about this subject over and over again, in his book, on Huffington Post and now here. Instead of writing sad songs about a lost history, how about using your expertise to fund a think tank or a PAC that helps good conservatives run for office?
Democracy is a verb. It is about action and politics is about who shows up. The reason that the Religious Right has such power in the GOP is because they did it the old fashioned way- they came in and ran for party offices, took part in platform committees, and found candidates that were to their liking to run for office. Contrary to popular opinion, the far right didn’t hijack the party- they took it over using the tools of democracy. I don’t like the Religious Right, but they did right in steering the party in the way they wanted it to be.
Those of us on the outside, the moderates, the libertarians and so on, have not done as much. We stand and wail about how the party has lost its way, but we do very little other than complain. For a party to change, people have to get busy and organize and fight for it.
More times than I can count, people complain about the party and then say they will leave it. Oh yeah, great idea. You’ve basically just told the religious right that they have won.
Years ago, I remember a person saying he wouldn’t be involved in the GOP until they changed their pro-life stance. Stupid man. Did he really think that the current GOP which is filled with powerful pro-life people is just going to change? No. It won’t change unless people get involved.
Our friends on the left as well as the Religious Right are correct in one sense: they know that to make change, they have to get involved. That’s why they are part of groups like MoveOn.org and so on. That’s why they go to party conventions and they spend money to put up the candidates they want.
But us disaffected Republicans? We want everything done for us. We want some magical person to come and change everything. But that’s fantasy, not politics. Politics, social change,is hard knuckle. It’s not a game and if you can’t handle that, then shut up and move along.
There are a lot of groups out there that work day in and day out trying to force change in the GOP. They are small and have a hard time finding people who are passionate in changing the party for the better. Maybe instead of whining, people might want to consider joining some of these groups:
- Republican Leadership Council
- Republican Mainstreet Partnership
- Republican Majority for Choice
- WISH List
- Republicans for Environmental Protection
- Real Republican Majority
- Log Cabin Republicans
- Progressive Republicans
- Republican Liberty Caucus
These groups could use support. But that means getting your hands a bit dirty instead of simply wringing them.
So, I am not interested in more sad talk about the sorry state of the GOP. Mickey Edwards can wail all he wants, but it won’t bring his beloved party back.
As for me, I am going to take Ghandi’s quote to heart: “be the change you want to see in the world.”
Enough with funerals. Time to start living.
6 Responses to “Memo to Disaffected Republicans: Enough with the Funeral Already!”
It's the BigOil GOP that is crying, kicking and whining the loudest. : (
The one thing I always liked about republicans is their shrewd business instincts. Recently I opined that they drop the old investment and influence of BigOil for the future money: alternatives. It would kill two birds with one stone. Their nest-eggs could be renestled in an industry sure to be booming in just a few short years (buy low, sell high!) and they would boost the image of the republican party as a whole. Imagine, shrewd and business-minded republicans promoting a green industry? Win win. Profits and image.
Here's an idea: kick anyone to the curb who takes the hateful position that “we're the only real Americans and the rest of you want Al-quaeda to win” . That includes Sarah Palin, Karl Rove, John Kyl, John Cornyn, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh. Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, etc etc. You can't be a party that claims to love America if you publicly hate and fear over half the people in it.
1. Rockfeller Republican, Dennis, or Gypsy moth? That, rather than the more broad and general “RINO,” is the term that at least used to be used for moderate to liberal Republicans, mainly in the Northeast. (You know who such people are today, both in Congress outside it, such as in Lincoln Chafee's case. Most of them should, to be honest, be Democrats, not Republicans. Are you actually like them, sir?)
2. The slander and scummy behavior directed against Sarah Palin (in addition to what was directed at Bush) makes her especially fit to be sent to a place where she would, even at her imaginably worst, constitute an asset and an improvement: the United Nations.
JDRhoades is correct- as long as the GOP is the party of exclusion, the Democrats can pick up the votes of all of the groups that Republicans do not consider “Real Americans”. That will ensure a permanent minority status for the party— which as a liberal- is just fine with me.
Their ideology has become stale and strangling— to the point that even their loyal representatives do not follow it. Face it — the GOP is no longer the party of personal responsibility, balanced budgets or even common sense.
Dennis, the basic truth is that your kind of Republican is the minority in the party nowadays. Push as hard as you like but you won't get anything done to change that for the foreseeable future. Look at the ratings that the venomous portion of the right wing media get. Look at the Republican convention and what got applause and roars of approval. Look at how uniformly far right the candidates for RNC chairman are. I just can't think of any indicators that show that moderate Republicans have any real power in the party.
Dennis Sanders: “Memo To Disaffected Republicans:
Asserts the black moderate-liberal Republican blogger: “Goldwater-style Republicans, libertarians, people like me who tend to be more Rockefeller Republicans all whine and moan about the current state of the party and there is much to be said about h…