I fear that there is a coming GOP implosion. 2010 will by accounts be great for those on the right, but after that? I don't have the warm and fuzzies. While the Tea Partiers are providing lots of energy they are also shrinking the tent. Fewer and fewer Republicans are going to be good enough. I applaud those would are strict conservatives for standing up for their principles; it is admirable. But what I think some people fail to see is that our nation is not governed by political parties, it is governed by coalitions. In order to have a conservative coalition we need to have moderates as well as strict conservatives. Sarah Palin did not help things yesterday:
Sarah Palin, in an unexpected poke at Senator Scott Brown, said that while Massachusetts may “put up with’’ the GOP lawmaker and “some of the antics,’’ Republicans in states across the nation wouldn’t tolerate his more moderate views and compromising ways.Palin, whose criticism strikes at the core of discord among top national Republicans over how closely to hew to the Tea Party movement, suggested in comments aired Wednesday on Fox Business Network that Brown is ignoring conservative voters’ wishes.
“But up here in Alaska, and so many places across the US, where we have a pioneering, independent spirit, and we have an expectation that our representatives in D.C. will respect the will of the people and the intelligence of the people, well, up here, we wouldn’t stand for that,’’ she said.
I have said it before, but it bears repeating- Brown is the type of Republican that MA will elect. They will not elect Jim Demint, Marco Rubio or Sarah Palin. Would Palin rather put up with the antics of Martha Coakley?
John Kerry? Joe Kennedy? Massachusetts managed to elect a moderate Republican for the first time in generation, but if that isn't good enough I am sure the state's Democratic party would be happy to supply the replacement.
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It's things like this that show the damage the Republican Party is doing to itself. A few months ago, someone did a study showing that Reagan himself would stand up as "Reagan Republican" according to the standards that the GOP has set up. The Party leaders have become overzealous and are unwilling to accept reality.
Moreover, Sarah Palin's comment about representing the will of the people falls flat upon inspection as well. If John McCain has to move further to the right to get re-elected, it begs the question: Is he really representing the will of the people? And if he's not "respecting the will" of his constituents, how many other Republicans are changing their stance to get re-elected, only to shift to their own, personal, agenda after?
I couldn't agree more. "My way or the highway" Republicans like Palin are seriously harming the GOP. I agree that it's fine to be to the far right. But follow Reagan's example and be inclusive and cordial to those you disagree with. Reagan would be denounced by today's self-styled Reagan Republicans. Reasonable and practical instead of rabid on immigration, signed a tax hike, etc.
Somehow or other, intemperance has been established as a virtue.
Sad, that.
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