Coda on the GOP's landscape
Referencing the large piece I blogged yesterday about the GOP's narrowing demographics, it's interesting that McCain campaign manager and Karl Rove protege Steve Schmidt is going to make a speech today to urge Republicans to get on the gay marriage bandwagon.
We'll call it a test case for my main point,
My guess is that Schmidt will be both applauded for courage and pilloried for message.
On the other hand, Sarah Palin's strict adherence to the current reactionary orthodoxy in her speech will likely be unanimously praised.
In a sense, the reaction to these two speeches is the core of the GOP's split. They can more desperately hang on to their orthodoxy and see their numbers dwindle to a passionate fringe, or they can recognize that issues like gay marriage are only going to become more accepted and move to accept them.
We'll call it a test case for my main point,
What they need is not necessarily new ideas, but a way to get their white, male, reactionary base willing to accept a message that appeals outside that white reactionary base to include more Hispanics or gays or women.
My guess is that Schmidt will be both applauded for courage and pilloried for message.
On the other hand, Sarah Palin's strict adherence to the current reactionary orthodoxy in her speech will likely be unanimously praised.
In a sense, the reaction to these two speeches is the core of the GOP's split. They can more desperately hang on to their orthodoxy and see their numbers dwindle to a passionate fringe, or they can recognize that issues like gay marriage are only going to become more accepted and move to accept them.
posted by mikevotes at
2:13 PM
6 Comments:
Republicans for gay marriage? What next, a Republican platform that is pro choice? Has Hell frozen over? Will they sup with the devil to get their votes?
By
Unknown, at 3:24 PM
That's exactly the question. Can they get their "base" to accept anything that appeals outside?
By
mikevotes, at 3:39 PM
The question is can they get their base to tolerate anyone BUT the base in their party. There is a distinction here. Not only does the base not accept ideas like gays a humans; they actively drive out those who do.
By
-epm, at 4:59 PM
I get your point, but I think if they can get them to tolerate the message coming out of GOP politician's mouths, that will get the something.
However, I don't think it really matters, though. I would expect there to be enough counter comments to outweigh anything Schmidt says.
By
mikevotes, at 5:36 PM
Somewhat interesting analysis at HuffPo about how the tea parties have turned off independents.
Wasn't the main thing with Schmidt's comments that his daughter is a lesbian? To me, that explains more than some kind of new-found tolerance among the Republican 'leadership'.
We just saw the Republican base in their 'glory' on Wednesday. It was not reassuring, at least to me. Anyone who would try to put a moderate position forward would simply be branded a "plant" or something along the conspiracy theory narrative. The leadership has lost nominal control of this fringe; they can "fire them up", but they can't apply any braking or steering. This will become obvious the moment anyone seriously tries to calm the base down and do something constructive.
You just saw 300k nationwide protesting the current tax levels, which are Bush's tax levels, and blaming Obama for it. Then they say that Obama will raise taxes, even though he says he will cut them. They know this because Obama is a "liar". No matter what Obama may say or do, they "know" what he "really" intends and wants, and they oppose it utterly.
Think about that for a moment.
They are protesting an imaginary President that exists only in their own minds.
This isn't a difference of opinion over policies - it's a complete schizoid delusion. You don't walk people back from that with a few scattered and nebulous remarks. They are really going to run against a fictional bogeyman that they have created, and they really think that this is a winning strategy.
And the people who came up with this brilliant strategy are supposed to be smart enough and sane enough to pull the Party back from irrelevance?
I don't see that in the cards.
By
Todd Dugdale , at 10:16 PM
Warts and all we saw that one segment of Republicans.
And you were on fire last night. "They were protesting an imaginary PResident." Brilliant.
Stealing and frontpaging that, too.
By
mikevotes, at 7:03 AM
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