Matt Welch (Small "l" Libertarian) On What Went Wrong With The GOP
Reason editor Matt Welch talks to The Daily Beast's Michael Moynihan, telling him that the GOP lacked narrative and failed to reach out to minorities, among other things, and that the argument should be on fiscal policy:
I think Matt Welch has ignored 30 years of history where the Republican base rid itself of moderate Republicans who were socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
What needs to happen is that the Tea Party members or some other group needs to repeat, ad infinitum, whenever someone wants support for a social issue: "Where is that program in the U.S. Constitution?"
This is an act to renew unemployment.
Where is that program in the U.S. Constitution?
This an act to renew the Dept. of Education funding.
Where is that program in the U.S. Constitution?
This is an act to renew Dept of Energy funding.
Where is that program in the U.S. Constitution?
They were supposedly going to do this at the beginning of the 2010 House, but apparently they realized how extra-Constitutional everything already was.
Jim P. at November 11, 2012 1:49 PM
According to Victoria Jackson of SNL fame via Twitter, what went wrong is that Christians didn't vote, evil won, and America died.
Ben Stein, on the other hand, tells Republicans not to worry, "We have enough votes in the Senate to block anything".
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57548140/ben-stein-the-gop-will-come-back/?tag=fdleft;fdrelated
No changes here.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at November 12, 2012 12:07 AM
I think Matt Welch has ignored 30 years of history where the Republican base rid itself of moderate Republicans who were socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
No No No
In the Reagan era, even Al Gore was involved with a socially conservative cause (Parents Music Resource Council), and Jesse Helm's Moral Majority was far less tolerant than today's evangelicals.
In the 90s it seemed as clear as day to almost everyone that Reaganomics were eternally correct. Giuliani combined market thinking with a middle-of-the-road social policy, but the closest thing to a national-level Giuliani was post-healthcare post-1994 New Democrat Bill Clinton. But even Clinton had to pander and famously attended a prisoner's execution to make clear that he was no bleeding heart.
It's not the Repub base have moved right socially, in fact they've moved to the left - just not nearly as far left as a lot of people in the big city elites.
The good news for would-be Giuliani-ites is that the SoCons have mostly given up trying to mold America in accordance with their ideals. They just want to left alone in their own communities.
Unfortunately the situation now is that if someone in Tennessee says he opposes the redefinition of marriage (a mainstream position until very recently), the entire GOP is accused of discrimination against gays.
Engineer at November 12, 2012 3:22 AM
It's the media. How can any candidate stand up to Obama when the mainstream media ignores or buries Obama's scandals and gaffes, yet is hypercritical of his opponents?
Big bird got more attention this election cycle than the "Fast and Furious" scandal. Obama's campaign was all snarky zingers and cutsey hashtags, and Americans with their goldfish-like attention spans ate it up.
If the mainstream newsmedia had treated Obama with the same vigilance they treated W. Bush, Obama would have lost in a landslide.
Perro at November 12, 2012 6:49 AM
What needs to happen is that the Tea Party members or some other group needs to repeat, ad infinitum, whenever someone wants support for a social issue: "Where is that program in the U.S. Constitution?"
Jim:
I agree with your stance, but have to say it'll never work.
"Commerce Clause"
"Commerce Clause"
"Penumbra"
"Commerce Clause"
etc.
If the USSC can find a right to unfettered abortion somewhere in there (for medical privacy), but the cops can forcibly draw blood from you at random on the side of the road after undergoing a 2 hour workshop to be "certified"....
There's nothing you can't find in there.
Unix-Jedi at November 12, 2012 9:37 AM
I'll say it again: all of this yammer about social conservatives is a smokescreen so that people who voted for entitlements and narcissism can feel good about themselves. "Those evil Republicans want me to pay for my own [fill in the blank]! That's the same as banning it! Waaah!" If working for a living and paying for your own stuff is a value limited to social conservatives, then I will proudly identify myself as a social conservative.
If people equate equate self-responsibility with social conservatism, and then say they voted against social conservatism, then the only logical conclusion is that they voted for irresponsibility. Which is pretty much what happened.
Cousin Dave at November 13, 2012 6:36 AM
It is simply impossible for the Republicans to out do the Democrats. The Democrats are the party of Santa Claus: here is a gimme for you, and a gimme for you, and a gimme for you, but you? here's your lump of coal.
I R A Darth Aggie at November 13, 2012 6:58 AM
Aw, bullshit.
Republicans lost because fiscal conservative libertarians were too proud and "cool" to be seen in the company of rightwing religious red-necks. So they decided to stay the fiscally disastrous course with leftwing cult of personality rubes. The fine people who have brought you the TSA, Fast & Furious, bowing to foreigners foreign policy, Obamacare, nontransparent government uber alles, the "science" of global warming, unaccountable czars, redistribution of things you didn't build, California, etc., etc.
Idiots!
Useless tools!
Wussies!
No, you are not as smart as you think you are.
AMartel at November 16, 2012 10:07 AM
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