Getting The "Old" Out Of The Grand Old Party
Realistically speaking, this was a turnaround election. No, this wasn't the sweeping landslides we had seen in previous elections like in 1972 or 1984. But it was telling enough. The political pendulum had begun it's swing away from the right about four years ago. It's moved further to the left now. It will likely continue to do so.
This is a common occurance. In the first thirty years of the 20th Century, we watched the pendulum swing toward the right. From 1929-1932 the pendulum made a complete turnaround and swung left, lasting about twenty years. The 50's (right) and 60's (left) continued the trend. Vietnam and Watergate left us stunned through the 70's. Since then, our nation moved further and further to the right. Beginning with the Reagan presidency, the United States has been a nation more conservative than liberal.
Obama's election has shown that all of that has once again changed.
This leaves the Republican Party in the unique position of having to redefine themselves. I do not pretend to be a political strategist, but I do consider myself an amateur historian and I am well aware that each time the pendulum has swung, the "losing" party has had to redefine and retool.
Here are some thoughts that I believe the Republican Party should go. These changes will help the party maintain its core principles and become more viable in the future. In doing so, America's system will improve.
Lose the Christian Right: God does not run the United States. Whether or not our nation was God's will is a subject of personal belief. And, as our first amendment thankfully states, we have the right to practice any religion. That also means the morale compass of one particular religion should not be the morale compass of our nation as a whole. The Republican Party of the last eight years has been kidnapped by the Christian Right movement. It has forced issues to the forefront of the Republican platform that really shouldn't be there. Creationism comes to mind, as does the ongoing battle they've waged against women's right to choose. And, when they aren't fighting those causes, they are creating fear that there is a "war on Christmas". The Christian Right is an extreme wing of the right side of the political spectrum, on par with Socialists to the left. Both are better left away from the forefront of a platform.
Look at Demographics: Times have changed. The voting pool is younger now. The Greatest and Silent Generations are voting in fewer and fewer numbers, while Generation X and the Millennials are voting in increasing numbers. Obama won each of the youngest three generations (Boomer, X & Millennial). More telling, the younger the generation, the greater the percent of Obama's lead. The Republican Party is out of touch with young people. The Millennials spent the last eight years -- years that shaped the foundations of their political viewpoints -- witnessing a Republican-led administration that wreaked havoc on America and the world. Making a case for Iraq doesn't exactly sit well with these people. This is a demographic that will inherit the future. They see a less than bright future ahead and blame that on Bush's Party. Republicans are going to need to address this major weakness.
Lose the Fear: McCarthyism, tying political opponents to the enemy, and labeling intelligince as elitism may have worked well in the past. All three came out in full force in this election, and all three failed. They failed because Americans have become more savvy. The cold truth is that these are tactics used when a party does not have a good platform. And while it has worked in the past -- and I am positive it worked on a small segment of our population even this time -- it is a tactic that will only continue to backfire. Fox News, once a strength as an ally to the GOP platform, has become the butt of jokes. As the daily soapbox for the agenda, it isn't healthy that is has become a caricature. Find your core platform. Stick to it. If you cannot sell your platform, then perhaps it is yor platform you should fear.
Expunge the Bushies: More important for the short-term success of the party is this one. George W. Bush and his administration did more damage to the United States than and presidential administration ever. He is the worst president we have ever had. He failed in every category and challenge he faced. And he is Republican. The quicker Republicans wash themselves from the Bushes, the better. They will need to be more proactive in correcting the blatant errors of the last eight years than Democrats in order to prove this.
Simplify the platform: The Republican Party needs to clearly redefine its platform. This may mean losing a piece of its core. But a party with a platform not properly defined, corrupted by big business and out of touch with the voting pool is not going to succeed. It can -- and should -- remain the conservative choice. But it needs to be more clear in how it seeks to achieve a better America.
It is my sincere hope that the Republican platform can use this loss as a tool for learning. The old saying goes that if you lose, don't lose the lesson. If Republicans can learn from this, they can become a better party. And in doing so, we can continue to improve as a nation.
This is a common occurance. In the first thirty years of the 20th Century, we watched the pendulum swing toward the right. From 1929-1932 the pendulum made a complete turnaround and swung left, lasting about twenty years. The 50's (right) and 60's (left) continued the trend. Vietnam and Watergate left us stunned through the 70's. Since then, our nation moved further and further to the right. Beginning with the Reagan presidency, the United States has been a nation more conservative than liberal.
Obama's election has shown that all of that has once again changed.
This leaves the Republican Party in the unique position of having to redefine themselves. I do not pretend to be a political strategist, but I do consider myself an amateur historian and I am well aware that each time the pendulum has swung, the "losing" party has had to redefine and retool.
Here are some thoughts that I believe the Republican Party should go. These changes will help the party maintain its core principles and become more viable in the future. In doing so, America's system will improve.
Lose the Christian Right: God does not run the United States. Whether or not our nation was God's will is a subject of personal belief. And, as our first amendment thankfully states, we have the right to practice any religion. That also means the morale compass of one particular religion should not be the morale compass of our nation as a whole. The Republican Party of the last eight years has been kidnapped by the Christian Right movement. It has forced issues to the forefront of the Republican platform that really shouldn't be there. Creationism comes to mind, as does the ongoing battle they've waged against women's right to choose. And, when they aren't fighting those causes, they are creating fear that there is a "war on Christmas". The Christian Right is an extreme wing of the right side of the political spectrum, on par with Socialists to the left. Both are better left away from the forefront of a platform.
Look at Demographics: Times have changed. The voting pool is younger now. The Greatest and Silent Generations are voting in fewer and fewer numbers, while Generation X and the Millennials are voting in increasing numbers. Obama won each of the youngest three generations (Boomer, X & Millennial). More telling, the younger the generation, the greater the percent of Obama's lead. The Republican Party is out of touch with young people. The Millennials spent the last eight years -- years that shaped the foundations of their political viewpoints -- witnessing a Republican-led administration that wreaked havoc on America and the world. Making a case for Iraq doesn't exactly sit well with these people. This is a demographic that will inherit the future. They see a less than bright future ahead and blame that on Bush's Party. Republicans are going to need to address this major weakness.
Lose the Fear: McCarthyism, tying political opponents to the enemy, and labeling intelligince as elitism may have worked well in the past. All three came out in full force in this election, and all three failed. They failed because Americans have become more savvy. The cold truth is that these are tactics used when a party does not have a good platform. And while it has worked in the past -- and I am positive it worked on a small segment of our population even this time -- it is a tactic that will only continue to backfire. Fox News, once a strength as an ally to the GOP platform, has become the butt of jokes. As the daily soapbox for the agenda, it isn't healthy that is has become a caricature. Find your core platform. Stick to it. If you cannot sell your platform, then perhaps it is yor platform you should fear.
Expunge the Bushies: More important for the short-term success of the party is this one. George W. Bush and his administration did more damage to the United States than and presidential administration ever. He is the worst president we have ever had. He failed in every category and challenge he faced. And he is Republican. The quicker Republicans wash themselves from the Bushes, the better. They will need to be more proactive in correcting the blatant errors of the last eight years than Democrats in order to prove this.
Simplify the platform: The Republican Party needs to clearly redefine its platform. This may mean losing a piece of its core. But a party with a platform not properly defined, corrupted by big business and out of touch with the voting pool is not going to succeed. It can -- and should -- remain the conservative choice. But it needs to be more clear in how it seeks to achieve a better America.
It is my sincere hope that the Republican platform can use this loss as a tool for learning. The old saying goes that if you lose, don't lose the lesson. If Republicans can learn from this, they can become a better party. And in doing so, we can continue to improve as a nation.
posted by E-Luv at 10:20 AM
1 Comments:
I've read about the Generation Jones group. It may or may not exist, depending on whom you discuss. William Strauss and Neil Howe, considered the experts on generational sociology, did not include them in their book "Generations".
What I personally believe happens is that there is a period where the generations overlap. Those born in the early sixties probably share qualities of both, just as those born in the late seventies and early eighties likely share common traits between Xers and Millennials.
Sociology is rarely if ever an exact science.
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