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May 5th, 2009 Archives

The GOP death spiral continues

Opinion

By Sean Illing

I lolled. Silly fanatical republicans. Eating their own tails.
29 Comments + Add Yours

Due to the defection of Senator Arlen Specter from the Republican Party, all that stands between Senate Democrats and the coveted 60-seat supermajority are a few half-baked lawyers - I'm referring, of course, to Norm Coleman's preposterous legal team. I suspect many Democrats think this a wonderful turn of events, a virtual guarantee that Obama will encounter little legislative resistance in the coming months. That may well be true, but I'm not so sure Specter's switch to the Democratic Party is a good thing for the country's two-party political system.

No one finds the post-Goldwater, 21st century GOP more repugnant and obscurantist than I do, but the fact remains: the country is decidedly better for having two viable political parties. Without an effectual opposition party to check the Democrat's excesses, the temptation to overreach is overwhelming. And granting the Pelosi-Reid brigade carte blanche in both chambers of Congress is no less terrifying a prospect than it was when during the Gingrich-Dole era.

Let's be honest, as practitioners of politics, the Democrats have time and again shown themselves to be as incompetent and self-serving as the Republicans. They desperately need, in other words, an annoying and recalcitrant minority party to moderate their ambitions. But the Republican Party, in its quest for ideological purity (which of late means its transition from a political party to a religious organization), has purged from its ranks everyone who refuses to adopt far-right positions on social issues, leaving no space for libertarian-minded fiscal conservatives.

Senator Specter is but the latest victim of this ideological rigidity, and his untimely departure is yet another victory for the teabagging, Palinite wing of the party, which is largely to blame for the steadily declining number of Americans identifying themselves as Republicans.

Already the masters of partisan hackery in the conservative world are attempting to spin Specter's defection as a political win for the GOP, as a necessary part of the cleansing process. No surprise there, as this is central to the self-fulfilling psychology of the far right, which renders true believers congenitally incapable of hearing or seeing anything beyond the conservative echo chamber.

Although slow to recognize it, people like Specter have merely noticed what the rest of us have long known, which is that, given current demographic trends and generational shifts in social attitudes, the future of the Republican Party - at least in its current manifestation - is bleak. Specter's defection indicates only that he had the good sense to abandon a sinking ship.

In any case, despite my general aversion for all things Republican, the GOP's demise strikes me as a bad thing - for the country, that is. The two parties have always served as vital checks to one another. Whether it's the Democrat's profligate spending or the Republican's efforts to legislate morality, the ability of one party to counteract the other is absolutely critical. Therefore Specter's desertion, however thrilling for liberals, should trouble us all.

Originally Published: May 5, 2009

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Comments

  1. I agree. I have been a Republican for years since started voting12 years ago. But the last election I have voted for Obama fearing that Palin would just ransack everything. Now, I am not the typical white male republican I am an Asian American, I am scared now that the prospect if the book of Revelations in the bible will come to pass soon.

    Filipino4ya | 2009-05-06 - 02:02:42 PM (CDT)

  2. I am not affiliated with either party. I find positives and negatives with the Democrats and Republicans. I can’t help but think the Republican party is being underestimated. With the press, politicians, talk show hosts, etc...being relentless in the opine that the Republican party was dismal and in disarray during the election...losing by a 53% to 47% in the popular vote. That is only a 3% swing. I would be very worried for the future if I were a Democrat. With the opposition party in such turmoil and losing by only a 3% swing, confidence would be the last thing in my mind!

    ja | 2009-05-06 - 02:16:32 PM (CDT)

  3. I voted for mc to help maintain the balance of power although he seemed to be saying the wrong things and changing himself to try to win voters in ways that backfired.

    miamiuniversityohio123 | 2009-05-06 - 02:16:39 PM (CDT)

  4. I agree. Regardless of good or bad, too much of either is destructive and compulsive. Both of which should be avoided.

    republic? | 2009-05-06 - 02:17:27 PM (CDT)

  5. Oh please, you are ridiculous--we need people to start thinking like educated, non-reactionary idiots! I believe in the two party system, but the Republican party is not the conservative party as was in the past, but a bunch of right wing relligous zealots. Why do they think they have the right to impose their fundamentalist beliefs on others. They don’t have the ownership of what it means to have religion.

    Joan Smith | 2009-05-06 - 02:18:02 PM (CDT)

  6. Given the large number of moderate, conservative Democrats and centrism in government in general, and also considering the generally repugnant political arguments the Republicans continue to make, I am not sure the idea of the Republicans providing a useful balance flies. Obama has given many opportunities for useful interaction and compromise with the opposition party, only to have the Republicans use them for worthless political stands. If this is how the Republicans plan to carry out their careers (and I of course am speaking generally), then I look forward to their demise. In the end, the Blue Dog Democrats (along with Arlen Specter) had more influence than the Republicans at large in curbing spending in the stimulus bill. Clinging to this notion that an overtly rhetorically based party has use seems dangerous, especially considering the polemic standard used by the current Republican majority. We have seen the country sway too far in one direction for the last twenty-eight years, so I think it’s about time to see the country balance itself on a grander scale than just the immediate political party balance.

    John Paul | 2009-05-06 - 02:28:34 PM (CDT)

  7. The RepCons are all about making sure the haves get more, everyone else be damned.

    All the moralistic and patriotic posturing is just a devuce to allow them to garner the votes of people who they despise.

    We need a viable third party with enough seats in the Houses to have an impact.

    pudentane | 2009-05-06 - 02:29:07 PM (CDT)

  8. device (oops)

    p | 2009-05-06 - 02:30:45 PM (CDT)

  9. I totally agree with the author. You make a very good argument against the one-party dominance we’re currently seeing. Let’s hope things even out in the not-so-distant future.

    Lucy | 2009-05-06 - 02:38:01 PM (CDT)

  10. All of you need to bear in mind, that it was the dream of Republican former congressman Tom Delay, of Texas, to utterly destroy the Democratic Party. Leaving the GOP as the only viable political party in our country, much like the former Soviet Union or China, where only one "party" was allowed to have power.

    What we really need are about 5 to 6 viable political parties.

    That said, being a Texas white male middle aged independent voter I believe the GOP is getting exactly what it deserves.

    Johnanon | 2009-05-06 - 02:42:34 PM (CDT)

  11. Well said, Johnanon. The GOP is reaping what it has been sowing for some time. They wanted to be a primarily white, Southern evangelical party. Well, now they got it. And now they’re a shrinking and permanent minority party.

    RJ | 2009-05-06 - 02:45:22 PM (CDT)

  12. Twenty years from now, when liberal democrat governance has devolved American society to living under some Obamanized Shirea Law, everyone will, no doubt, be celebrating the fact that there are no Republicans around to "impose morality". (Cultural) suicude seems painless.

    xtradry488 | 2009-05-06 - 02:47:49 PM (CDT)

  13. Xtradry488,

    What is that gibberish supposed to mean, exactly? Spelling errors aside, what does Sharia Law have to do with anything? Oh, let me guess, you’re part of the Obama-is-a-secret-Muslim whose-Christian-preacher-is-a-Marxist crowd?

    RJ | 2009-05-06 - 02:57:03 PM (CDT)

  14. Wow you guys are so busy frothing at the mouth you can’t see how irrelevant it is now.

    The Dems just burned Spectre BAD. After promising to let him keep seniority if he switched they now busted him back to being a freshman basically. They stole everything that he has worked for his entire life.

    I cannot even put into words how bad this is. Now Spectre is NOT going to vote with the Dems no matter what. Why should he? His political career is over and he is going to burn as many people as he can before he goes down.

    More importantly this burns any possible bridge to Moderate Republicans. Now they know that they may not like the Republican party but peace is simply not possible with Democrats.

    rj | 2009-05-06 - 03:12:54 PM (CDT)

  15. I for one (a registered independent) could never bring myself to vote for the man largely credited with "The Magic Bullet" theory from the Warren Commission’s investigation into the JFK assassination. All he wants is to hold office for either party. He saw the writing on the wall (defeat in the R primary) and jumped ship as soon as he could. However, he may not make it through the next election without his new goombah Fast Eddie Rendell’s help.

    Richard | 2009-05-06 - 03:47:58 PM (CDT)

  16. WOW RJ is so busy "frothing" at the mouth that he can’t see anything else. First Specter has been a R for a long time. He does not start as a Freshman and will keep much of his seniority. He should not expect to come in equal with Dems who have spent their whole lives dedicated to the progressive cause.

    If Specter does not vote with the Dems he will simply be what he had been before. Except this time the Dem caucus will have real power where before they had none. Moderate should have been encouraged by this.

    Oracle. | 2009-05-06 - 03:53:16 PM (CDT)

  17. I’m a staunch independent. To get my vote I like candidates to compete, and the candidate with the best vision and arguments wins. That said, I’m quite disappointed with the GOP these days. There are many problems, but to me the biggest issues are: 1) They have abandon their core principals and seem to take up any argument that they believe will put them in power again. This makes me think they want power only for the sake of having power as oppose to wanting the power as a means to further a well articulated plan for advancing our country. 2) There is a serious lack of credible GOP talent. When Rush is the icon of your party, you’ve got a serious problem. The GOP would be well served by cleaning house, developing solid ideas on how to advance the country, and cultivating credible talent.

    Mark | 2009-05-06 - 03:59:39 PM (CDT)

  18. Sean,

    I always find your articles fascinating and well-written, but I’m usually turned off by your overly liberal bent. I must give credit where credit is due, though. This is a pretty balanced piece, and suggests you’re more of an independent thinker than I thought. Well done.

    Javon N. | 2009-05-06 - 04:03:33 PM (CDT)

  19. Social Republicans are not good for the party. If the GOP ever wants power again, they’re going to have to stop focusing so much on social issues and stick to lowering taxes, lessening government power, and giving more back to the people.

    Kevin | 2009-05-06 - 04:03:33 PM (CDT)

  20. I respectfully disagree with your conclusion. I do agree that the Dems are often as bad as the Reps. But the Reps are fundamentally opposed to everything I believe is good in humanity and society.

    There should be an opposition to the Dem party. But it shouldn’t and can’t be this Rep party. This Rep party needs to crash and burn. If what replaces it calls itself the Rep party again, fine I don’t care. But it needs to expunge all remnants of the extremists currently controlling the party.

    If what replaces the second party changes the formulas of our politics, then that is fine too. Who says we can’t have more than 2 parties. I would like to see a genuinely progressive leftist party (but I’m not holding my breath).

    OOT | 2009-05-06 - 04:06:40 PM (CDT)

  21. I believe a two party system is better for the country. However, I believe a new party that is further left of center would be more helpful; have you listened to the illogical, non constructive Republican ideas? They’re just in denial about the issues we face and get in the way of actual constructive debate. I don’t want to waste any more time discussing whether Obama should have shaken someone’s hand, worn a lapel pin or if climate change is real (or if teens should practice abstinence only and never hear other options). I want to actually learn something about policy and choices.

    Josie | 2009-05-06 - 04:17:31 PM (CDT)

  22. I disagree with this writer. Legislative gridlock is not necessarily a good thing. The Democrats will have two years to accomplish their objectives. If they do a poor job of guiding the country, at least the House will change hands in two years.

    What we need is not a revitalized Republican party, but a replacement to it altogether. Better to scuttle a sinking ship and build a new one.

    Bill | 2009-05-06 - 04:18:20 PM (CDT)

  23. Good take, but I’d have to disagree with you on a few of things.

    I don’t think the GOP is actually in any real danger of becoming a permanent minority party. Forty Five percent of Americans ended up voting for John McCain. That is enough of a base around which to rebuild a party. Once the party has been out of power for a few years, the purists will be replaced by the pragmatists who will try to recruit moderate and liberal GOPs to run in blue states. This has already happened before, see the Democratic Party in 2000s, Howard Dean, 50 state strategy, etc.

    Also, I would be a little(emphasis on little) less worried about absolute power corrupting the Dems. It’s not that they are any better morally than the GOP, they’re politicians for crying out loud, but the fact the dems have blue dogs and DLC coalitions will keep a check on the liberal side. This is far different than the rather monolithic GOP where the coalitions are much more informal (Social Cons and economic Libertarians).

    b1gdon | 2009-05-06 - 04:20:46 PM (CDT)

  24. People seem to have difficulty distinguishing between (1) I personally find the Republican party reprehensible and (2) the Republican party is not viable. For all the liberal rhetoric about tolerance, there seems to be precious little appreciation of the validity of political views widely divergent from your own. Suffice it to note that about 45% of the population disagree with you, rightly or wrongly, and to this day more Americans identify as "conservative" than "liberal", though the Republican brand has taken a well deserved hit. Anyone familiar with 20th century political history should be aware that the Republicans are in fairly good shape for a minority party in terms of representation and constituency.

    DJC | 2009-05-06 - 04:21:43 PM (CDT)

  25. You reap what you sow! For too long, the Republican Party had been sowing the seeds of dischord ( a la Tom Del Lay et al), puritanism (even in the face of acts of moral degeneration and blatant hypocricy) and undisguised trenchant towards unitarism by its members. Now they need to reap the FRUITS of their labor! What we are witnessing is the outcome of the deliberate violation of natural laws. Of course, there will be consequences!

    T. Lewis | 2009-05-06 - 04:45:03 PM (CDT)

  26. LOL@GOP

    Ha Ha | 2009-05-06 - 04:52:30 PM (CDT)

  27. The GOP deserves everything they get! Nice article.

    McLovin | 2009-05-06 - 05:42:52 PM (CDT)

  28. How long will it take for Republicans to recognize what they’ve done to themselves and the country?

    ? | 2009-05-08 - 02:43:25 PM (CDT)

  29. I lolled.
    Silly fanatical republicans. Eating their own tails.

    lolling guy | 2009-05-25 - 05:58:35 AM (CDT)
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