dys·func·tion (also dis·func·tion): Abnormal or impaired functioning, especially of a bodily system or social group.
Does that definition describe the Republican Party? Some people would say absolutely, and others who have a blind faith in their political party no matter what the truth is, would say no. There is no doubt that many Republicans feel that the Party’s leaders are out of touch with the voters. According to a recent Rasmussen poll, seventy-three percent (73%) of Republican voters believe their party’s congressional leaders are out of touch with the party base. As a Republican this poll should cause pause to some degree, and as a conservative this should been seen as a challenge and an opportunity to improve the party.
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White House Chief of Staff Rahm Israel Emanuel infamously once said “never let a time of crisis go to waste”; and following that advice are several groups of Libertarian and Independent supporters that desperately want to overthrow the Republican Party from within. These groups do have some valid concerns and reasons for wanting to “overthrow the bad guys” of the Republican Party…too many to list here in fact. There is no doubt that the party needs some re-educating; but that pertains to some of the issues and does not translate into a complete platform wipe-out. Some well organized activist groups have even gone so far as to take over several county legislative districts by appointing Libertarian-Independents as local “Republican” Party leaders and “Republican” Precinct Committeemen. This move is a gut shot to the GOP establishments, because the local leadership and the Precinct Committeemen are the ones who choose which candidates will appear on the ballot for elective office and they decide what will be the policies of the political parties that provide the major support for those candidates. The GOP, as a whole, doesn’t appear to realize what is going on right under their own noises and are losing control of their party at the local levels. Based on what has happened over the last few years, party pride aside, that may or may not be a bad thing.
Then there is the third party issue that the GOP has to struggle with. We have already seen the affect that third party candidates have on elections; they can cause Democrats to win as seen in New Yorks 23rd District special election between Republican Dede Scozzafava, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman and Democrat Bill Owens. Having blind faith in the GOP and hoping that it picks up all of the Tea Party protestor votes isn’t very likely. Interestingly enough, a Rasmussen Generic Ballot test found that Democrats attract 36% of the vote, while the Tea Party candidate picks up 23% and Republicans finish third at 18%. Another 22% are undecided. That spells defeat for the GOP, and a victory for Democrats…again.
November of 2010 will be here before you know it. Right now is the time for the GOP to be focusing on stopping and reversing the statist agenda with a conservative principled plan; instead they have had to dedicate critical time and effort to fighting power battles within their state and county groups. The GOP has spent so much time and effort on maintaining local party cohesiveness and fighting the various civil wars within its own ranks that it cannot effectively focus on the real task at hand; and that’s campaigning to win elections. In Arizona for example; John McCain’s camp (which is seen among many as too moderate for the party) has recently caused some political waves among the conservative and libertarian groups for allegedly trying to engineer control of the state committee and the Governorship. Every state has similar controversies, and this kind of political party imploding happens every election cycle on both sides of the political fence; but in today’s volatile political environment the GOP cannot afford to deal with such fraternal problems and expect to win elections.
The GOP is vacillating support, but it can recover and improve its chances of winning future elections by following a few simple recommendations: 1) becoming more engaged with the public, 2) encouraging more conservatives to run for office and 3) by maintain the course of returning to the principle values of the party. The GOP needs to ground itself with its conservative base and the Tea Party followers; and based on the poll data this is what the People want – there just not getting it from the GOP. If it does not do this, then history may indeed repeat itself and the GOP could fail to acquire some of the Congressional seats that it so desperately is seeking to get in 2010.