What's happened to the GOP?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

First up, let's take a look at the 1968 election's Republican candidates:

1. A former famous actor and leader of the conservative movement
2. A former vice president
3. A decade-long governor of New York and a moderate leader
4. A popular governor of Michigan

And today, we have:

1. That former Michigan governor's hated son
2. Your crazy aunt who lives in the woods with her ambiguously gay husband
3. A blissfully idiotic walking stereotype of Texas Republicans
4. A delusional, racist old whose main achievement is voting "no" on every bill passed since 1787

...what the hell happened? Even with Nixon's sliminess, the fact is that in 1968 we had much more dignified candidates who were at least willing to sit down with political opponents instead of dressing as dead people and feeding red meat that the President is a secret Communazi Muslim spy. I don't particularly dislike Paul, but currently the only candidates in the race with a hint of dignity are tarred as RINOs, utterly ignoring the Republican Party's history.

Heck, we can say the same thing about the Democrats. In 1968 we had the strong if unexciting Vice President, the brother of a former president and civil rights leader, and another Minnesotan who managed to represent the base without worrying that the government was planning to use the Census to send us to death camps,

In 2008, meanwhile, we have an idealistic but naive young senator, the former President's wife who was only elected in a randomly picked state due to sympathy, an old Alaskan whose ads consisted of him standing and staring at you for 6 minutes, and the guy who seemed squeaky clean (if kind of a douche)until we learned that he cheated on his dying wife and had a child.

What's wrong with the GOP field right now? For them, where's people like Mitch Daniels, Jeb Bush, and Dave Heineman, and why are statesmen like Huntsman shunned over a caricature who is convinced that scientists are making up global warming to get federal funds? Why has the Democratic establishment seemingly lost any serious ability to negotiate, instead giving up at the first sign of trouble?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

You could say the same thing about the 1996 field:
-Dole, the one universally respectable candidate, but who was older than you grandma.
-Buchanan, well yeah.
-Forbes, why are we having a publisher who's never held elective office winning two primaries, and beating out several more respectable and mroe qualified candidates?
-Gramm, good credentials for deficit reduction, but was horrible to work with in terms of private relations, steam-rolling potential allies, etc. (see Woodward's "The  Choice")
-Bob friggin' Dornan...

I still find it surprising that two of the least qualified candidates in that field got second and third place, respectively.


Moving, on, there are some lines that you read, and you just have to crack up at (though they're probably funnier with the whole context of the paragraph):

1. That former Michigan governor's hated son

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[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Who knows. Outside of Mittens and Jonny, we do have an interesting crop of characters. I wouldn't call Paul a racist, but he still comes off as the crazy grandpa type who rants about nothing in particular.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The GOP field is pretty much either Mormons or total kooks.

[DrScholl]

It's not the same party as it was previously, the far-right faction has taken over and the more mainstream one has little power. Whoever talks louder and more over the top is who the primaries voters like now.

[AUH2O Libertarian]

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Come on, Bachmann lives 15 minutes from downtown Saint Paul.  I know East Coasters seem to think nothing exists between the Pittsburgh and the West Coast, but I can assure you that Stillwater definitely isn't some podunk town out in the sticks.

As to the rest of your post, I'm not even going to touch it.

[AUH2O Libertarian]

Double post...

[specific_name]

The Bush presidency and the 2006 and 08 elections happened to the GOP. That weakened, if not shattered, the coalition that had been built up since at least 1968. The moderate part of the coalition has slowly slipped away and the Southern conservatives that they courted for the last few decades have largely taken over the party.

The big tent idea doesn't really work when large demographics are either outside of the party entirely or at odds with each as they fight for the soul of the party. The GOP now seems a lot more like the Democrats post-68; an increasingly uneasy coalition of divergent groups that are at each others throats as often as they are fighting with the other party.

So now the GOP lacks a coherent foreign policy for the first time in ages, they just oppose whatever Obama does. The old ideas that they almost universally agreed on have been so heavily attacked and criticized that hawkishness now takes a back seat to an isolationist tone. Something that the everyone running for president other Paul is scared to get too close to.

Naturally, the heart of it all is economics. The far right part of the party has seen and seized an opportunity to take control and openly attack the Fed and all the things that were considered embarrassingly fringe only a few election cycles ago. However, a large chunk of Republicans and right leaning independents are not up for a radical attack on the Federal government - in the sense that they don't want to loose their Medicare or SS.

The primary should be about the size and role of government and where the Republicans as a group stand on it. But every candidate is trying to out jocky the others, as you would expect, which makes it difficult to get a firm barometer on who actually believes what. Ultimately, a top tier will form and I feel it will be the Tea Party versus the rest - probably Romney versus either Perry or Bachmann. At this late stage no new moderate types are going to jump in - only someone seeking the Tea Party mantle (Palin? Christie? nota?).

[mondale84]

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Come on, Bachmann lives 15 minutes from downtown Saint Paul.  I know East Coasters seem to think nothing exists between the Pittsburgh and the West Coast, but I can assure you that Stillwater definitely isn't some podunk town out in the sticks.

As to the rest of your post, I'm not even going to touch it.

I think Pittsburgh is a little extreme...when I cross the Hudson over the GWB, I get off the first exit and I'm in Pacific Heights CA 8th baby!!!

[specific_name]

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Come on, Bachmann lives 15 minutes from downtown Saint Paul.  I know East Coasters seem to think nothing exists between the Pittsburgh and the West Coast, but I can assure you that Stillwater definitely isn't some podunk town out in the sticks.

As to the rest of your post, I'm not even going to touch it.

I think Pittsburgh is a little extreme...when I cross the Hudson over the GWB, I get off the first exit and I'm in Pacific Heights CA 8th baby!!!

Careful, never indulge a mid-westerner's inferiority complex, it'll only get worse. Sarcasm never caught on in Minasoota.

[Mr. Morden]

The GOP field is pretty much either Mormons or total kooks.

Hence, this graph from February:

http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/82634/preliminary-breakdown-the-gop-contenders

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[Simfan34]

Huntsman should be lower on the Mormon side, and Pawenty higher on the Sanity.

But the failure of Pawlenty and Huntsman to do well makes me wonder: are there really no people who beleve in fiscal conservativism, responsible government, family values and are not nuts?

[pbrower2a]

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Come on, Bachmann lives 15 minutes from downtown Saint Paul.  I know East Coasters seem to think nothing exists between the Pittsburgh and the West Coast, but I can assure you that Stillwater definitely isn't some podunk town out in the sticks.

As to the rest of your post, I'm not even going to touch it.

I think Pittsburgh is a little extreme...when I cross the Hudson over the GWB, I get off the first exit and I'm in Pacific Heights CA 8th baby!!!

I thought that you either turned off to get to Chicago (actually, stay on the Indiana Toll Road) or went all the way to San Francisco.

[greenforest32]

The conservatives have taken it over. Moderate and liberal Republicans barely exist anymore as they can't win Republican primaries because conservatives make up a supermajority of the Republican base and that trend has only been increasing: http://www.gallup.com/poll/148745/political-ideology-stable-conservatives-leading.aspx



Liberals and conservatives are on opposing sides of the political spectrum. Does that mean that they each have just as good rational justifications for their positions? No.

Fiscal and social conservatism is not compatible with rational thinking. It's just more false equivalency fallacies to say that liberalism and conservatism are both right. Conservatism is irrational, liberalism is not.

[rwoy]

Politics has become a parody of itself.  The best, the brightest, and the bravest are not seeking public office.  When the choice is between what is right and what is popular, what is popular wins out.

To say what today's Republicans are is conservative is a joke.  This is a party that would:

• Criticize Richard Nixon as being a tree hugger.
• Blast Reagan for spending too much (under him as Gov, California state spending increased by 177%).
• Hammer Barry Goldwater as too liberal on social issues (actually Ann Coulter said he lost in '64 because he was "too liberal").
• Attack Eisenhower as anti-American for cautioning against the Military Industrial complex

[Simfan34]

Politics has become a parody of itself.  The best, the brightest, and the bravest are not seeking public office.  When the choice is between what is right and what is popular, what is popular wins out.

To say what today's Republicans are is conservative is a joke.  This is a party that would:

• Criticize Richard Nixon as being a tree hugger.
• Blast Reagan for spending too much (under him as Gov, California state spending increased by 177%).
• Hammer Barry Goldwater as too liberal on social issues (actually Ann Coulter said he lost in '64 because he was "too liberal").
• Attack Eisenhower as anti-American for cautioning against the Military Industrial complex

[J. J.]

I think you could make the same comments about 1968.

1968

Nixon - A McCarthy-like, slush fund holding, shady guy known as "Tricky Dick."

Rockefeller - A plutocratic philanderer, that made John Edwards look like John XIII.  Liked to spend money, and got to where he got because his last name was Rockefeller.

Reagan - A former B-movie actor ("Who will Secretary of the Treasury be, Jack Benny?"), that was a right wing reactionary who'd start World War III.

Romney had dropped out by that point, but there were questions about his mental health and, oh, if he was eligible to be president because he wasn't born here.

I think you are looking at history through rose colored glasses.
 

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

1. That former Michigan governor's hated son

lol what?

Who hates Romney, exactly? You?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

1. That former Michigan governor's hated son

lol what?

Who hates Romney, exactly? You?

Massachusetts.

@JJ: Of course they were. But at least Nixon and Rockefeller were genuine statesmen, and even Reagan and Goldwater were positively golden compared to today's field. In any case, the GOP during the New Deal era and up into the 1990's at least served America first. Now, both parties are appendages of the bankers and CEOs.

[Likely Voter]

I feel like the GOP is missing an historic opportunity. The country is growing dissatisfied with Obama, but they arent enthralled with the GOP either. I am one of those independent Obama voters who now disapprove of him. However, I am not too keen with what i see on the other side. I could vote for John Huntsman or another Republican who I felt would steer a centrist route and wouldn't be anti-science, etc. But people like Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry will inspire independents to return to Obama.

A moderate appearing GOP could control all 3 branches of gov by 2013.

With demographics working against them and as today's youth become tomorrow's middle-aged, the GOP must lurch back to the middle or they will be toast.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

1. That former Michigan governor's hated son

lol what?

Who hates Romney, exactly? You?

Massachusetts.

Well, Democrats in Massachusetts, sure. But Democrats everywhere hate Mitt Romney, so what does that prove other than Massachusetts has a lot of Democrats?

[opebo]

Well, come on man, if you want to compare the present with 1968 there isn't a single damme thing which is as good as it was then.  Everything is worse - in point of fact the Democratic party has declined even more precipitously than the GOP.  After all, in the case of the GOP it was never any good, just less bad. 

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

1. That former Michigan governor's hated son

lol what?

Who hates Romney, exactly? You?

Massachusetts.

Well, Democrats in Massachusetts, sure. But Democrats everywhere hate Mitt Romney, so what does that prove other than Massachusetts has a lot of Democrats?

He was elected there, wasn't he? Plus, Scott Brown and William Weld aren't faring too badly.

[Link]

Politics has become a parody of itself.  The best, the brightest, and the bravest are not seeking public office.  When the choice is between what is right and what is popular, what is popular wins out.

To say what today's Republicans are is conservative is a joke.  This is a party that would:

• Criticize Richard Nixon as being a tree hugger.
• Blast Reagan for spending too much (under him as Gov, California state spending increased by 177%).
• Hammer Barry Goldwater as too liberal on social issues (actually Ann Coulter said he lost in '64 because he was "too liberal").
• Attack Eisenhower as anti-American for cautioning against the Military Industrial complex

You are failing to take into account massive widespread ignorance and convenient revisionist history.

Exhibit A

[TheGlobalizer]

Politics has become a parody of itself.  The best, the brightest, and the bravest are not seeking public office.  When the choice is between what is right and what is popular, what is popular wins out.

To say what today's Republicans are is conservative is a joke.  This is a party that would:

• Criticize Richard Nixon as being a tree hugger.
• Blast Reagan for spending too much (under him as Gov, California state spending increased by 177%).
• Hammer Barry Goldwater as too liberal on social issues (actually Ann Coulter said he lost in '64 because he was "too liberal").
• Attack Eisenhower as anti-American for cautioning against the Military Industrial complex