GOP is becoming America's dominant party

Miami Herald ^ | November 12, 2003 | Paul Crespo

[GaryL]

While an increasingly angry and alienated Democratic Party spouts gloom and doom, the picture appears bright for conservatives and the GOP. Beginning with Arnold Schwarzeneggers victory in California and following last weeks electoral successes in Kentucky and Mississippi, Republicans are consolidating their hold on state and national political offices.

With President Bushs signature of the partial-birth abortion ban, CBS's decision to drop its politicized hatchet job of Ronald Reagan -- one of Americas most beloved presidents -- and the recovering economy spurred by Bushs hefty tax cuts, the American ''right'' seems to be on a roll. Meanwhile, the Democrats seem to be careening further leftward -- and backward -- toward pacifism, pessimism, irrelevance and political suicide.

These are not just short-term GOP gains. While liberal Democrats feverishly try to spin away the reality, the truth is that conservative ideals of entrepreneurship, individual responsibility, smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense and traditional values have become increasingly mainstream during the past 20 years; the recent GOP successes simply reflect that fact.

In 1983 -- Reagan's third year as president -- Democrats controlled Congress and 23 more state legislatures than did the Republicans. Today the GOP holds both houses of Congress and five more state legislatures than do the Democrats.

That same year, there were 18 more Democrat governors than Republicans; today (after California, Kentucky and Mississippi) there will be 29 GOP governors (five more Republicans than Democrats). Also, the U.S. House had 103 more Democrats than Republicans; today Republicans lead by 24 members.

The Democratic strategy of turning the recent Southern elections into referenda on Bush also failed miserably. In Kentucky, Democrats tried to link GOP nominee Rep. Ernie Fletcher with the ''Bush economy,'' while in Mississippi, Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove tried to attack the Washington ties of former Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour. Republicans won both elections handily.

With these two wins -- which follow GOP gains in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina -- Republicans have recaptured the growing, dynamic South.

Soon 60 percent of Americans will live in states run by Republicans. With the exception of ''left'' coast enclaves such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, and parts of the ''granola'' Northwest, the GOP continues to dominate the West as well. The only true liberal Democrat stronghold nationally appears to be the Northeast rust belt.

For those who may not have noticed -- the GOP is becoming our dominant party coast to coast.

To bring the point home, U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., who recently endorsed Bushs reelection, titled his new book about the Democrats, A National Party No More. Miller argues that the Democratic Party has become dominated by parochial and extreme left-wing interest groups that are pulling the party further away from the mainstream even while America has shifted rightward since Sept. 11. He adds, ``Its obvious that a train wreck is about to happen with the Democratic Party.''

The GOP future looks good as America's youth also seems to be increasingly conservative. Despite the predominance of left-leaning academics on college campuses, surveys reveal that freshmen are far more traditional than many of their counterculture professors or liberal baby-boomer parents. A national Harvard University poll in October found that 61 percent of college students approved of Bushs job performance.

As the economy improves, Democrats will pin their hopes for success in 2004 on a Bush failure in Iraq. But hurting Bush on Iraq is not good either for Democrats or America. Most Americans -- regardless of party -- are rooting for victory in Iraq. Cynical defeatism in time of war should backfire and hurt Democrats.

Republicans are on the move across America. Democrats need to recognize and adapt to that, or they may find themselves trampled by the stampeding elephants of the GOP.

Paul Crespo is a public-policy analyst and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Miami.

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[GaryL]

Wow! I reqd this article this morning and suddenly I feel a whole lot better! We're in much better shape than we realize, especially if you compare our position twenty yeaers ago, as the author suggests. And twenty years ago there was no such thing as the conservative, alternative news media.

[hapy]

hey I have been telling you guys this for how long now?


the liberals are losing their people at a fast pace.

College kids are more and more becoming conservatives, they are scared shitless.. and the good news is they should be

[Brett66]

I guess there will be more and more people switching to the Republican party from the dem party. Polls seem to indicate this and the Republican party will be considered a "mainstream" party while the dems tack leftward. Something is going to give, the dems are going to have a split or slowly sink into obscurity. I can't imagine the conservative/moderate dems will just sit and watch this happen, they will split off from the dems to form a new party.

[50sDad]

Hah-HAW!

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

We must be careful not to get into the way of the Democrat! We must guard the integrity of the GOP's direction. And maintain a wide umbrella for all!

[AK2KX]

...Democrats seem to be careening further leftward -- and backward -- toward ... irrelevance and political suicide.

Sounds good to me!

[hapy]

but but how can this be?

we are the educated ones.......

so so how how can this be?

[randog]

Something is going to give, the dems are going to have a split or slowly sink into obscurity. I can't imagine the conservative/moderate dems will just sit and watch this happen, they will split off from the dems to form a new party.

Another freeper suggested about a month ago that the real ideological debate will shift from liberalism vs. conservatism to libertarianism vs. conservatism. I don't know if this is wishful thinking on the part of a libertarian, but it seems to me like it could happen.

[Galtoid]

I bet McAwful doesn't agree with this assessment. Let's hope he is still in his deep denial, and is still taking marching orders from Billary.
One thing this article fails to emphasize is Bill Clinton's huge losses for his party during his presidency.

[GaryL]

And if the Dems are drifting further leftward now, just wait - who knows what Al Sharpton has up his sleeve!! He may start threatening a third party run if he's not on the Democratic ticket in 2004! This would be the Democrats' worse nightmare and don't think that Sharpton doesn't know it.

I've been thinking about this scenario for a while and I think it's a distinct possibility. Sharpton will try to blackmail them into getting what he wants - which is more power for himself. And why shouldn't he, considering the numbers that blacks deliver to the Democratic party and the way the Dems take the black vote for granted. He's got a lot of leverage and don't be surprised if he doesn't use it - sooner rather than later! They know they can't win anything without 90%+ of the black vote! A threat like this could really pull them leftward - and leave the continuing widening "middle" open for the GOP!

[AZFolks]

Fascinating results which we all knew. A Pew Center Poll shows a massive migration to the GOP. This is reminiscent of the shift during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. I can recall when Reagan refused to "back down" to the Soviets, the left in America and the Western Europeans went wild with demonstrations and protests... the same as is happening today. However, Americans saw the truth as we do now and understood what is best despite the distractions.

[VRWC_minion]

With President Bushs signature of the ("so-called" ?) partial-birth abortion ban

How did that get past the editor ?

[freeangel]

It would seem, however, that the minority party can call the shots--witness the judicial filibuster.

[VRWC_minion]

Its op ed. No wonder.

[blackdog]

There are many democrats willing to let this happen. They will stand in the background, remaining silent, while the power elite in the party destroy it. Once they are all wearing trash cans on their heads and lining up at the Kool-Aide bowl, a few artful dodger types will emerge as the remade saviors of the party. They just can't do it now without being Arkancided.

[mgist]

Nice catch!

[Chewbacca]

IMHO the Democrates have proven themselves to be the party of racists, communist and baby killers.

No freedom loving American wants to be associated with that.

[trebb]

The political realignment of the South is having a spreading effect. The Dims don't seem to recall that while much of the South has been historically Democrats, they have been conservative Democrats. The further the Dims move to the left, the more they erode their power base and they can't seem to stop the knee-jerk move to the far left when things go wrong. Sweet!!!

[Terpfen]

I'm sorry, what are we university students supposed to be scared shitless of, and why?