Posted on 11/14/2008 3:30:22 AM PST by NCDragon
As Republicans the land over pick themselves up from the asphalt wondering what the hell just ran over them (it's called a "juggernaut") they need to confront the cold, hard fact that they no longer have anything remotely resembling a viable party organization.
Republicans have two organizational options at this point: They can choose to rebuild themselves according to the Obama-Dean plan, which means they have to figure out how to tap into the energy of grass-roots activists, or they can continue to imitate the Clinton approach, which means they can continue to rely on a collection of wealthy, well-connected insiders.
The virtues of the Obama-Dean plan are obvious. Not only was it successful, it was stunningly successful. Am I the only one who noticed, for example, that John McCain spent the last weekend of his candidacy fighting for his life in Indiana? Indiana, for heaven's sakes, one of the reddest of the red states. Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean has been camped out in Indiana for the past three years, President-elect Obama for two. Whether Dean-Obama won or lost Indiana is irrelevant: The important point is that they kept McCain out of Ohio at a time when he desperately needed to be there.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...
"Republicans need to do three things in short order. First, they need to clean house. Second, activists need to get power back into the hands of grass-roots county organizations. Finally, grass-roots candidates and activists need to take the initiative in all of this."
Republicans can’t tap into a base of grass-roots activists whom they consistently ignore, defy, and demean.
prisoenr6
Sounds like a recipe for splitting the party. The Southern version of the GOP is completely unlike most of the rest of the country. But, there are more grass-route Southerners and Southern conservatism (generally strong social) is likely to dominate even more than at present.
Thus my question: how can the Republican Party exist and be relevant to the entire country if all of the activism and eventual new leadership comes from only one region? Especially if that region’s issues are not aligned with the rest?
Online Etymology Dictionary
juggernaut
1638, "huge wagon bearing an image of the god Krishna," especially that at the town of Puri, drawn annually in procession in which (apocryphally) devotees allowed themselves to be crushed under its wheels in sacrifice. Altered from Jaggernaut, a title of Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu), from Hindi Jagannath, lit. "lord of the world," from Skt. jagat "world" + natha-s "lord, master." The first European description of the festival is by Friar Odoric (c.1321). Fig. sense of "anything that demands blind devotion or merciless sacrifice" is from 1854.
they need to confront the cold, hard fact that they no longer have anything remotely resembling a viable party organization.
Yes and no.
Republicans have two organizational options at this point: They can choose to rebuild themselves according to the Obama-Dean plan, which means they have to figure out how to tap into the energy of grass-roots activists, or they can continue to imitate the Clinton approach, which means they can continue to rely on a collection of wealthy, well-connected insiders.
We'll cannibalize both, thankyouverymuch. :)
lol! Oh, does this article author hope what he’s saying were true.. lol!
bookmark
The Obama/Dean “grassroots juggernaut” was Soros pumping in money through bogus credit/debit card transactions.
And even if they tried Republicans wouldn't be allowed to do that.
The country is very much in line with conservatives on both social and economic issues. Gay marriage has never passed a popular vote, even in extremely left-leaning states. The country is for many restrictions on abortion, just not for an outright ban. The country is for smaller government and balanced budgets. The GOP is right on the issues, just piss poor and spineless in executing them. When the country believes the republicans really stand for those things, republicans win. The GOP has just lost the completely faith and confidence of the public.
There are plenty of social conservatives in "blue states". Take a look at the California gay marriage referendum.
But who would do the day-to-day work? How can traditional Americans just walk off the job and become street rabble? That don't make a lick of sense.
I agree with you wholeheartedly.
I am personally a fiscal conservative first.
The GOP, however, has moved to throw red meat at the social conservatives almost exclusively. That is a result of the southern slant. If you think about it, the allliance between exclusively bible-thumpers and essentially libertarians doesn’t make much sense anyway. “Am I not my brothers keeper” is not exactly a libertarian stance.
Frankly, I also believe that being fiscually conservative does not mean making tax cuts during war time.
The GOP has had only one goal of late which was to retain power. Those who praised Karl Rove are hopefully eating humble pie.
I agree, mostly
Gay marriage has never passed a popular vote, even in extremely left-leaning states.
True, but most people are willing to allow civil unions. Gay marriage was overreach
The country is for many restrictions on abortion, just not for an outright ban.
Exactly, but the activists who push the for the ban scare those who want the restrictions. Not unlike those who wanted gay marriage and not just inheritance and shared health care benefits
The country is for smaller government and balanced budgets.
In theory yes - it is what they tell pollsters. In practice, they want healthcare, good roads and a good government services. I am not so sure the reality is in line with the theory.
The GOP is right on the issues, just piss poor and spineless in executing them.
The Bush-led GOP has been spending a lot of time focusing on scaring people and a lot less on inspiring them vis a vis the Reagan GOP.
When the country believes the republicans really stand for those things, republicans win. The GOP has just lost the completely faith and confidence of the public.
Agreed.
I'm going to throw something out that may seem crazy, but I think could be radically effective:
offer the RNC chairmanship to Rush.
I know, he "wouldn't take the pay cut." (wouldn't have to, and we all know that).
"Why give up 20 million listeners?" (1) Fairness Doctrine---which could NOT muzzle him if he was RNC chair, (2) instant on-air access almost anywhere, and (3) he speaks the principles of conservatism that, in fact, galvanizes the right.
I'm sure he would rightly demand a helluva lot of control, but I do think that his business experience in building a radio empire would serve him well on the organizational side and fundraising.
How can the Republican Party compete with this organization of the dregs of our society? Their numbers are now legion and their organization is almost flawless.
Steele is a gimmick. Think about it.
They can't.
The Republican Party, like the Democratic Party, consists of an old line insider club “the blue bloods” and a collection of interest groups (right to life, gun rights, tax watchdogs, etc.) The big difference between the Republicans and the Democrats is that Democratic interest groups (unions, environmentalists, gay rights, gun control, etc) are much more prone to help each other out than Republican groups. Republican groups typically operate in vacuums- there is little to no coordination between them. We see union bosses helping out the gun control lobby, but we rarely see gun rights activists helping out the traditional marriage efforts.
Among our other problems (this one is only #4 or #5), activists reject a restrictionist approach, and call Republicans who will work for restrictions while renouncing a ban "murderers".
The country would ban second-trimester and later abortions TOMORROW in exchange for an up-to-eight-weeks guarantee.
The activist base is SO out of touch with the mood of the country that what could be a winning issue is instead a huge loser.
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