The Republican Myth
Read the following statement by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) and tell me where the Republican Party is headed.
When asked by Chris Wallace what “conservative solutions” the GOP would bring to their current minority-party status, Pence said social issues like “the sanctity of marriage” will remain the backbone of the Republican platform.
“You build those conservative solutions, Chris, on the same time-honored principles of limited government, a belief in free markets, in the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage,” Pence said.
Look at that list. Limited government and free markets vs. sanctity of life and marriage? Could those issues be any further apart? Republicans must make up their minds. Either they want government out of people’s lives or in it. They can’t run on both. And the truth is they’ve only run on one. Limited government and free markets have been reduced to simplistic talking points. The last eight years have given us more government, and we all know what’s happening with the free of restrictions market experiment.
Republicans have become the party of bedroom governance – with abortion and gay marriage leading the way. Fiscal conservatism has become the ultimate oxymoron and we’ve learned, to our expense, that free markets can be costly.
Tags: National Republicans
I heard one of the GOP national leaders describe the problem as one in which the GOP incumbents espoused morality but failed to live up the standards self-imposed.
So it looks like now that there will be an internal ‘purge’ ala Stalin, meaning the GOP has still not hit what alcoholics and drug addicts call “rock bottom”. This proves the age-old edict that no matter how bad things are, they can still get worse.
GOP incumbents espoused morality but failed to live up the standards self-imposed
That is merely an ironic twist. Their social platform would still be wrong even if they lived up to it.
I agree, but just saying it looks like that the next two to four years will be spent by GOP leadership eating their own young and finger-pointing.
The cognitive dissonance of the GOP meltdown will be endlessly entertaining.
But we’re still stuck with a two-party system: Dems v. Libertarians
They are so conflicted. So far I’m seeing very few lessons learned. Ever since the election two memes are taking center stage.
1. America is center-right
2. Republicans weren’t conservative enough
Beyond delusional.
Whenever I hear a politician or political hopeful base his/her raison d’ etre on genitalia I pretty much shut down the listening mechanism.
Actually, I would welcome a two party system with the Libertarians, for at least that would be a honest choice between two ideologies.
I agree DD. What he’s espousing isn’t an ideology. I think most people agree that Republicans need to get out of the morality business. I think Republicans fail to realize that they’ve actually lost the culture wars. Yeah, they can point to banning gay marriage as a win but they’re going to lose on that one too, eventually.
It should be interesting to see what they’re going to do to “promote marriage.” Are they going to outlaw divorce? Sanctity of life? Is that still going to involve fetuses only or will it include actual living, breathing people as well? I don’t think it will go too well for the Republicans if these are the issues they’re pursuing.
Good thoughts, disbelief at comment #1. What do you think rock bottom will look like for the Republicans?
UI, the comment about the two party system not including the GOP may not be too far off the mark. The void will be filled by those disaffected with main-stream Dems, a la the Progressive Democrats. So rock bottom for the GOP may be a marginalized third party floating nut cases like O’Donnell.
Luv the irony…The Party of Exclusion has been, umm, excluded. 😆
Lose the cultural warrior bullshit, and you might have a chance again, GOPers!
The sky is falling and these dopes are worried about same sex marriage. Give me a break
Amen, TT. The Republicans are looking increasingly out of touch when they keep harping on these issues that don’t affect people’s everyday lives.
Disbelief,
I believe opposition to President Obama will actually come from the Blue Dogs + Republicans. Even if moderate Republicans defect to become Dems they will still act in opposition to a progressive agenda.
So will the GOP replacement be a more conservative Dem splinter group or less conservative Dem splinter group?
I think the conservatives Dems are more likely to be the splinter group. The Democratic party has pretty much shut down groups like the DLC, so they must be itching for more power.
Pandora, you make a good point in #6. My wife, who likes the neocon presidency for some reason, insists that the country leans more right than left. If that is the case, I asked her,why did the country just elect a decidedly left-leaning president, and why did the GOP take a hit locally and nationally?
Love him or hate him, Michael Moore made a good point several years ago prior to the Bush disaster in 2000. I heard him on TV talking about how there are more progressives and liberals than conservatives in the US and that the Democrats should never lose a presidential election. The GOP was just better at getting their folks out to vote. We may have witnessed a sea change this year.
As for the other stuff, I think we can safely eliminate the banner of fiscal responsibility and limited government. No one really believes the GOP stands for that any longer.
You are right UI that the Republicans can’t win by targeting morality. I don’t need politicians telling me how to live or what to believe. However, I hesitate to write their obituary; both major parties have been on life support before, only to bounce back.
neither idea works, so id todens’t surprise me that the GOP wants to continue down the wrong track no matter what belief they want to push
Has the Democratic party EVER been as weak as the GOP is now?
Well, we were pretty bad off in 2002, when we were completely out of power in all respects, but we had more Senators and Representatives and Governors than the GOP has now.
I think you have to go back to either 1952 or the 1920’s to find a similar situation
I was thinking 1984. That was a dismal election.
I heard him on TV talking about how there are more progressives and liberals than conservatives in the US and that the Democrats should never lose a presidential election.
I think that Micheal Moore is wrong on this, but I do think that if this was rephrased to say that more Americans agree with progressive or liberal policy than conservative policy, that would be right. Conservatives take their signals as to what counts as good policy from their elites — liberals are more famously diverse and just as famously not as easily herded into a single position.
Conservatives were able to sell their small government, low taxes, social conservative message to alot of folks who were never going to benefit from it (Reagan Democrats) and I think that now everyone sees the results of that. It was a bill of goods and was never meant to benefit anyone other than the very richest Americans.
You can’t legislate morality, because this is the one situation where what’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander. Everyone is against abortion until it’s their abortion, then there’s extenuating circumstances. Don’t like gays, well except that great neighbor, co-worker, family member, etc.
This is why the morality issue won’t fly. It hits way too close to home.
When DelawareDem is lining up the Republicans, he should add Michael Moore. 😉
What is completely strange to me is that 90% of the debate over the future of the GOP is happening on liberal sites.
Is it a case where the party has no clue, and no clear leadership to tell their sheeple base what to believe… is it disinterest, or is it that they are still in a mass amount of depression over the election?
Brian,
They are waiting for a leader. Right now they are completely leaderless. (I’m only being half snarky)
Hop around the conservative websites. Lots of names being tossed around. Even Newt is back.
And isn’t that really the Republican problem? Why are they looking to old (defeated) warriors to lead the way? What is the Future of their party?
I said something to that effect over at DEPolitics… and noone reacted.
I basically called them a bunch of bible thumping bigots looking at their legacy for inspiration when they need to look to the future…
and noone responded.
I was expecting to be chastised and called a blasphemer.. but nothing.
I said something to that affect over at DEPolitics… and noone reacted.
Does anyone read DEPolitics anymore? 😉
The Republicans need to find a new governing ideology, not flog the dead horse of the culture wars. Tax cuts for the rich didn’t work and led us into this mess we’re in. Perhaps they’ll decide to become deficit hawks but that still isn’t an ideology.
Liberals may be discussing this more is because we went through it more recently (we’re still doing it) but also because it is kind of exciting to think about renewal.
Hmmm… guess we like change. 🙂
Pence is a hypocrite. There are 16 sitting homosexuals in the big government. Pence was one of the ones who went into the Hearings on Pedophilia and Boystown and had the hearing shut down and all testimony put under national security. Why? Because it was the GOP on trial for using those Boystown kids as their sex toys. The kids were testifying to be forcibly taken on an airplane and delivered up at GOP fund raisers.
The question is one of civil rights not morality! Mormons and the black churches need some education on the topic. If they think this issue will keep their evangelical base plus bring black voters to their ranks using this issue..they will forever be left wandering the desert of disgust.
Tom Delay thinks he can fix it.
🙄
Love the bit at the end re: Americans not losing faith in conservatism. Guess Delay’s been out of the country for the past week or so.
Yup, delusional.
All the evangelicals I hang out with (18-30) happily voted Obama and one or two recused themselves from this election altogether, in confusion pending further direction. Most consider themselves Independents, and remain against gay marriage and abortion on a personal & church-mission (but not government-mandated) level. So I don’t think the Repubs ought to count their chickens with that base!