GOP: State Of The Party

Thursday, April 07, 2005 GOP: State Of The Party Via Buzz Machine I found this WSJ article on the impending crackup of the republican party. It is a good snapshot of the present conflicts in the party, but the libertarian-versus-conservative tensions in the party are way overstated. Compared to the fissured democratic party, the republicans as a whole are in a state of bliss. Our guy won, and he is still overwhelmingly popular within the party both as president and as a person. Only the more rabid lefties are getting exercised over Delay and his alleged ethics problems. The recent Zogby poll shows that the Schiavo matter was probably not the loser for the republicans that an earlier flawed ABC poll showed. We do not know if the fallout from invoking the constitutional option over judicial nominations will help or hurt the republicans - probably it will break exactly along party lines, and no one's preconceptions will be changed if the option is used. My guess is that the republicans will actually gain on the issue. Gone are the days when the democrats can shut down senate business, blame the republicans, and get away with it. The two issues that actually might divide the republicans are immigration and the deficits. The mexican people are a blindspot for Bush. I can't really blame him, given the success he has had with mexican-americans politically, and given his family ties. But, I don't think it has really sunk in with the president that the issue of illegal immigration, for those that oppose it, really is an issue of national security and national sovereignty, and not a troglodytic fear of brown people. As for the deficits, and lack of will on cutting spending, well, the republicans have totally and completely sold out. For me, a republitarian, this is especially egregious, a betrayal of very first principles. This is the hubris that can undo their gains, and the issue that more than any other will limit the growth of the party. 12:38 PM | | |