What's Ahead For The Republican Party
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-11-08/whats-ahead-republican-party
Since Tuesday's election, many Republicans have called for a frank reassessment of what it means to be a member of the GOP. As one Republican strategist put it, "Our party needs to realize that it's too old and too white and too male and it needs to figure out how to catch up with the demographics of the country before it's too late." Diane and Republican analysts discuss the identity and future of the GOP.
Guests
Henry Olsen
vice president of the American Enterprise Institute.
Matt Kibbe
president and CEO of FreedomWorks, and author of "Hostile Takeover: Resisting Centralized Government's Stranglehold on America."
Leslie Sanchez
Republican-affiliated consultant, founder and CEO of Impacto Group LLC, and author of "Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other.”
David Winston
Republican strategist, president of the Winston Group and CBS News consultant. He has served as an adviser to the House and Senate Republican leadership for more than a decade.
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
The T-Party/Republicans are funded by millionaires and billionaires. They will only double down again as they did in 2008.The more of government is broken and dysfunctional,the more they win.
No matter what damage the T-Party/Republicans do to the people of our country,the Lame Stream,Mainstream media doesn`t cover the facts. There was no greater example than what the Republicans did to our fallen heroes at the Arlington National Cemetery scandal. No news,no coverage,no responsibility.
Money is becoming a cancer on our country. And being forever flush with cash is the best immunity you can buy.
The question is not if the republican party should abandon it's principles but what it should do in light of the fact that so many feel they are entitled to government handouts. Put this together with the fact that we have a liberal accomplice main stream media and liberal voting blocks that will absolutely not budge no matter what the facts are (Clifford). For the time being I would suggest republicans take a deep breath and see how things shape up for the 2014 elections. If any republicans think they can out democrat democrats with unsustainable handouts and illegal waivers for illegal aliens they will lose even worse.
There is always the possibility that the country is lost and will need to hit bottom before rationality can again take hold.
What's ahead for the Republican party? I think this sums it up nicely:
from Andrew Cohen: "May I suggest instead a simple, elegant overriding theory on why we won't have a Romney Administration in 2013? No serious political party in America -- no legitimate party in any viable democracy -- can win an election by suppressing votes. So long as the Republican Party endorses (and enacts) voting laws designed to make it harder for registered voters to vote, so long as Republican officials like Ohio's Jon Husted contort themselves to interpret those laws in a restrictive fashion, the Republicans will continue to play a loser's game."
"That's my theory, anyway, and I'm sticking to it. Having covered for the past two years the voting rights front in this epic election cycle, I have come to believe that the Republicans will begin to win presidential elections again only when they start competing for votes with the substance of their ideas."
If I were a Republican advisor I would be seeking to uncouple the party from fundamentalist Christianity. That union has led to many Republicans hanging on to their policy positions as if they were religious dogma. Fundamentalist Christians view any deviation from their understanding of their faith as a complete betrayal of that faith. There's no room for re-thinking creeds or compromise with fellow Christians with differing views. Even individual congregations have split over minor differences. Now Republican party positions are viewed in the same way. Religion and party are seen as one. Compromise has become impossible. I don't know how this uncoupling could be accomplished, but I believe it's necessary for the health of the Republican party, and our country.
More of the same. What were you expecting?
Dr. J. Rufus Fears, a conservative from the University of Oklahoma, states that America shares the fate of all the great empires of the past. If you are not familiar with world history, you might wish to take a refresher course.
I have to give partisan politics a little credit here. His idea that we would eventually "hit bottom" appears to be correct.
Last night, NPR....ATC-David Brooks:
"Well, the Republican Party has become the receding war for a lot of white people who are longing for a way of life that will never come back. Every other institution in American life has done this, every university, every workplace, they've adapted to a world with many more Latinos, many more Asian-Americans, and many more single women, single man, college grads.
Everyone has entered the 21st century except for the Republican Party. And so, they just need to stop living in 1980. And the way you do that - first, the way they think they can do it - a lot of Republicans are already saying, well, we need to downplay the social issues and we need to get our immigration policy right. Those things are necessary but not sufficient.
The central problem is they have an outdated story to tell about how people make it in America, sort of the lonely individualist. If you look at the polls, and I've been looking all day at Asian-Americans and Latinos, how they look at America, they believe ferociously in work. And they think some government programs help them work harder.
And so, Republicans have to get on the right side of that issue of work. How do we help people work harder and make their lives better?"
Yesterday on Talk of the Nation, I heard Howard Dean eloquently express how the Republicans need to quit picking on gays, Latinos, Blacks, immigrants of color, and other minorities. A good portion of the nation, and particularly young people, are so over all that and have moved on into the 21st century, enjoying living in a diverse society where their social contacts go beyond people exactly like themselves. Those who resist this will find themselves left further and further behind.
I would add to that, stop invoking God to justify every political position, and promoting 1950's social values. The United States is becoming an increasingly secular nation, and one whose citizens are not interested in having their values dictated by religious advocates.
Also, keep in mind that political parties are not permanent entities. There is no longer a Whig party or a Federalist party in the US. Lincoln was the first Republican president. And at some point, there may be a last.
The Republican Party has ceded it's direction to the extreme right in a manner which borders on cult-like behavior. The fervor of the tea party came from the fervor of the religious right of the moral majority years. Quick mobilization of such fervor is most commonly fueled by fear. This is where the conservative movement has been dealt its most grievous blow, as those followers that live in the insulated bubble really, totally and completely, believe the tales of dread and the fictitious conspiracies swirling on their chosen media networks. Good vs. evil does not allow compromise. They seek only total defeat of their enemy. This s a lifetime mental state for most people. We will see the far right fringe only get louder now, as they demand loyalty within their party. The result will be that it will require humiliating defeat before people will turn away. Tuesday was a big set-back, but it was not humiliating. Those willing to gently lead the party back will be shouted down in favor of open revolution through force. It is still us versus them, and not a "we".
Honestly (and that's the only way I roll), if I were a member of a group currently out of favor, I would do what the unemployed do.......get an in depth rapid education in the actual principles, wants, needs, and feelings of those who put me on the outside.
I would be at least willing to set aside my penchant for unsuccessful mind reading and guessing about what makes others tick. I would do what successful sales people have done in the marketplace......actually figure out what works and discard bogus stereotypes. In this case, the outs should learn that the 47%ers are NOT lazy something-for-nothings; they are real people with serious aspirations to better their own lives and the lives of others. In fact, actual tax reporting (yes, the 47% DO file taxes) shows that the percentage of charitable donations are at a greater rate among the NON-wealthy. Social workers, charity workers, community organizers (sound familiar?), retirees, military, teachers, firemen, cops, working poor, middle income workers, and even welfare recipients bring home less cash, almost no investment income, but still do the brunt of hands-on charity work in the US.
The outs need to learn, walk several miles in others' shoes, and get true UNDERSTANDING to replace their defunct, ingrained, irrational notions. Heck, maybe they will end up on the INside and take on the beliefs of those they despise.
Teece Bowman wrote:"Republicans have to get on the right side of that issue of work. How do we help people work harder and make their lives better?"
Ask any republican and they will tell you that is their goal. What you are asking is that they abandon what you consider to be quaint philosophies that they know have worked in the past. It could very well be impossible to resurrect these ideologies and have them become main stream, but on the other hand to think that they should and could embrace what passes now for cultural norms that are so obviously failing is just as impossible.
partisan politics wrote:
"The question is not if the republican party should abandon it's principles but what it should do in light of the fact that so many feel they are entitled to government handouts."
There you go again with those expertly crafted Fox News talking points. I'm a liberal and so are all my friends. None of us are on any kind of government assistance like welfare, food stamps, or other specialized assistance. We vote for the Democrats because the Republicans lost their way starting with Newt Gingrich.
We vote Democrat because we believe, despite not being in that situation ourselves, that people who work hard in this country but fall on even harder times deserve a leg up given this is the richest country in the world. I'm not an illegal immigrant but I believe that those who were brought here as kids, are educated, and want to be productive members of society should be allowed to stay here. I'm a man but I believe a woman should have the right to choose what happens with her body, not some pale-faced politicians in Washington.
Empathy, sir. It's what the Republicans lack and they've replaced it with a "We must win, give no quarter" mentality that started with Newt Gingrich and has persisted ever since.
I probably agree with Republicans 1 time for every 50 times for the Democrats. I'd vote Republican if they aligned with my beliefs but they don't. I'd say the same is true for the majority of this country that voted for Obama on Tuesday.
Partisan: First, those aren't my words, they are David Brooks. He's a conservative....
Second, what is causing the problem within the Republican party is the philosophical inflexibility that you just described....."could embrace what passes now for cultural norms". What passes now for cultural norms is what is called....reality. You and the Republican party have to learn how to deal with that reality and not double down on your blind allegiance to conservative principles ,tax cuts and government spending reductions.
The electorate read what was in store for them under a Republican administration and they rejected it.
The Republicans only held the house due to technical reasons. The way they set up redistricting after 2010 favored their candidates. The Tea Party got whomped. Akin, Mourdock, Walsh and West have all gone down to defeat, two of them by women.
Take another look back at what Brooks wrote. The people that he describes, the people you disdain, are workers...they want work, they want a fair shake. They knew that they were not going to get that from Republicans.
Teece Bowman wrote: : "First, those aren't my words, they are David Brooks. He's a conservative...."
No he is not, he is PBS's idea of a conservative.
A good start for Republicans would be for them to renounce the idea of all price supports, corporate subsidies, no-bid contracts, and other handouts. Also, since they claim to be the party of small government ... they should get the hell out of the personal lives of citizens and get back to the freedoms championed by our founding fathers. In other words, they should support Libertarianism. Which of course they won't since they are in reality (along with the Democrats) a party of Big Brother/Big Money government.
Can your guests speak to the inability of the Republican establishment to censure their titular leader for his racist and sexist (Sandra Fluke is a slut) comments on a regular basis. It even continued yesterday with his "open the borders" rant about bringing Latinos into the Republican party. Why doen't anyone in the party have the guts to call him on this boorish behavior? (and to my Republican friends, he is the leader of your party because of the way he dressed down the head of the Republican party)
I'll return to the Republican party when they stick to a focus on conservative, limited government and less on attempts to legislate morality. That, frankly, scares the heck out of me - even if I agree with some of their moral stances.
The guest just said "You (the voter) know more about whats best for your healthcare" - that sounds good but the Republican platform of, say, campaigning to make certain procedures and forms of research illegal on their moral grounds - completely and utterly hypocritical.
The far right morality platform the Republicans have drifted toward have ruined their chances of ever regaining a majority in an increasingly progressive and libertarian minded population.
The Republicans must back down their desire to export illegal immigrants.
Especially the idea of self deportation.
I'm a Democrat, but I believe in fiscal responsibility. Here in Indiana, in 2010, every candidate for state office ran on the same platform: The three most important issues was jobs, jobs, jobs; jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs, jobs, jobs. As soon as they were elected only social issues were of interest - they passed a law requires OB/Gyns to tell their patients that having an abortion would increase their chance of getting breast cancer. The national debt, fiscal responsibility and reduction of regulations are only issues when the Republican party is not in control of the administration. Why would any thinking person vote Republican?
The pp's and the TP's are never gonna surrender their own "handouts" but only complain when women or ethnics get equal access.
And what's this BS about hard work? George Bush: "We worked ha-ard... ha-ard werk! One time we even come in on Saddity!"
Americans must admit that drugery, or the pretense to exhaustion, is not a good in itself... and probably not even a social good. We could have full employment with a 32 hour work week, and improved leisure and family life as side effects. This worship of numbing stupid labor is another aspect of sadism, especially in an environment where even slave labor nations are implementing advanced automation. What a pack of idiots we must appear to foreigners with our insane wasted labor rhetoric.
Now I "work" about 48 hours a week in my counseling and social work (unpaid), but I'm a volunteer and I enjoy what I do. In my off time I have to garden and do farm work to keep from going to pot. Most people hate their work (they tell me) because of the way they're exploited and disrespected by authoritarian totalitarianism in the workplace, and the resulting stress and anxiety. So why worship work in its present repulsive form? Maybe some of you enjoy the predation (us and them mentality) your employers demand. Things will never improve until we get outside this craziness.
this is no longer a center right country. Texas could be a swing state in the next presidential election and could lean blue in eight years. If Republicans want to remain even slightly relevant they need to seriously look at their positions and policies and make some serious adjustments. What they tried this year did not work. Period. Keep doing what they are and they will continue to loose. I watched Fox News last night and they seem to be doubling down on their current views and the excuse for loosing was having a candidate that was too moderate. I really hope they come to their senses and accept the reality that they need to move to the middle. Can someone please ask Mitch McConnel how it feels to waste 4 years of not only his life, but of the countries time.
The GOP has spent the last 2 years trashing women, people of brown skin, gays. They have pushed the Bible, they have denied climate change. They have tried to control women's decisions about their bodies. I think the die is cast good luck getting people to forget. It won't help by just saying something like what Ann Rmoney said...."we love women"..actions speak louder than words...a party that relies on hate and fear eventually is irrelevant
Does the Republican party regard the use of ALEC which is supported by wealth and corporations as an honest representation of its constituents and a democratic way to govern?
When Republicans cite wins in the House of Representatives as vindication for their economic policies, I'd like to know how many of those Republican seats were captured in districts that were drawn by other Republicans? This phenomenon may be less an endorsement of "conservative" philosophies and governance than a victory for gerrymandering.
For instance, Speaker John Boehner's district is just north of here and he ran essentially unopposed. Whether he was promising a chicken in every pot or increased reliance on slave labor, he was going to be returned to Congress: his victory in particular proves nothing regarding the will of the people (except, by extension, the apparent willingness of Buckeyes to be dominated by the GOP in Columbus).
"No he is not, he is PBS's idea of a conservative."
Look, this is why discourse with people like you is impossible. I see it everywhere. Brooks extols conservative principles that I don't always agree with, but for-the-love-of-god, he's at least willing to listen and admit when he thinks that his party is wrong.
Republicans at present are incapable of doing this..... as you, yourself have displayed here. This notion that your philosophy on what made this country great no longer has any merit. We are no longer that country, we are now trapped in a global economy and are subject to the rules that the global economy dictates. Capitalism is a cruel master.
This arrogant, "my way, take it or leave it mentality," is what has just lost you an election.
This belief that the country is lost, that there is nothing left to salvage is lunacy. I've listened to Limbaugh and Coulter go on about this for the past 36 hours. I've listened to the gnashing of teeth and the pulling of hair from my conservative and libertarian friends online.
You just don't get it.....it is not a nation of makers and takers.
It's sad that Americans have lost unity in our values. How can you ask a party to give up their values just to appease the general populace who is quickly losing common sense and values ??
One of the reason Mitt Romney lost is only because what the republican party fights for wasn't clearly communicated to the general public. Case in point the minimum wage worker who voted for Obama and does not realize that his taxes are about to go up and the government will begin to have more and more control over HIS money! Who exactly is going to pay for all the government programs increasing by the day?? Going to have to start teaching our young children how to protect their hard earned money from the government. I have worked hard all my life, my parents have too. It burns me when I see a women paying with food stamps while her nails are salon perfect and she is dripped in the latest fashions. You say its her right? Well just where does it stop! Lets get some common sense. We are headed just where Europe is now!
What is truly telling is that Tea Party shunned Republican Senator Richard Lugar has been "avenged." I hope this is a teachable/learning moment about extreme positions and helps to bring the country, especially the Republican Party, back together at a more agreeable middle. I sort of liken that centering to Angela Merkel's initiatives, i.e. 'Die CDU kann nict überleben als die Party von Waffenschutzen und Dirndln.' (The CDU can not survive as the party of crossbows and dirndls.) I don't think that is exactly what she said, but it's close and the sentiment is accurate, it also addresses the real America is the real America who people like Sarah Palin and Dan Quayle said so many times.
Too bad Michele Bachmann only barely kept the district that was gerrymandered/designed for her; I was hoping the fact and truth bungling congress woman would lose her congressional seat.
Alex
member and volunteer at WCPN Cleveland, Ohio
In the immediate days after an historic election, why is the first topic of discussion what will the Republican party do now? Of course, the Republican party needs to make some significant changes, but I am much more interested in the plans of the elected administration, the response of the voters who supported this administration, the assessment of the Democratic party, the long term agenda for Democrats, etc etc.
The Republicans take the mic in every situation, whether they are successes or failures. Let's talk about another cohort in this country, the majority cohort which wants its needs and values discussed.
Can your Republican guest be any more condescending and out of touch?? Wake up, and stop trying to tell me what women think. I know what I think! I don't want old, white men telling me what I should think or do. Having Hispanics up for election isn't enough. Republicans would have to show they care about others. I don't think it's possible.
I'm a democrat. I felt dismayed that the Republicans didn't put up a viable candidate that could really challenge President Obama without going down the whole chameleon (lying) road.
The Republicans had a lot to answer the American people for. The 2010 House of Representatives were elected to find ways to improve the horrible employment and economic situation in 2010. Instead they worked on abortion issues over and over and over.
The Republicans need to review their estimation of who is American and who is not. That is, anyone living in America and is eligible to vote, is an American.
One last thing, stop listening to Rush and Grover. In fact, be wary of all older white men. We are the most diverse country in the world. Start with that.
Diane, too many times your guests are leaning on a kind of "tokenism" to answer the questions about their demographic problems. Having token women, hispanics or other groups represent them with the same old policies is not the answer.
Romney himself fell into this trap in the second debate. I don't care about the handful of women he found for good jobs on Beacon Hill. I cared about his policy prescriptions, which I vehemently disagree with.