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It seems eons ago that in the aftermath of the election Republicans debated where they wanted to go as a political party and what they should do next. Throw out social conservatives, some suggested. Get rid of big-government moderates, others retorted. Pundits debated whether to advocate reform or return to the party's roots, or whether the former could rely on the latter for inspiration. But now it is crystal clear what the party's task must be: defend the free market and oppose the vast expansion of government which the president envisions. There is no getting around it. The opposition party must oppose.Exactly. The Vichy Republicans would alienate conservatives and do nothing to placate liberals by moving to the center. Voters who want big government have already got the choice of voting Democrat. What's the point of a "me, too" centrist GOP policy? Even if you could elect a Republican majority on such a basis -- and I don't think you can -- the result would be similar party, with only a change in personnel implementing the policy.
Rubin is right: "The opposition party must oppose." Read the whole thing.
At the risk of tedious broken record-ism, all you have to do is raise the Constitutional WTF? argument in a positive way, and let the facts that you're the opposition party and you're opposing be delivered en passant.
ReplyDeleteThen again, if you wrestle the pig long enough, it may tire and afford the opportunity to apply lipstick. I suppose. But haven't you got some hillbilly wisdom to recite against that?
A-freakin-men.
ReplyDeleteI'm sick and tired of the Brooks/Moran/Frum/Allahpundit wing of the party that is deathly afraid of it's own conservative shadow, and even more afraid to oppose this giant lurch towards socialism.
The Republicans tried to be "pragmatic" for decades before Reagan came on the scene, and all they received for their troubles was permanent minority status. Now these guys want us to repeat that bit of history as if it's something new and different.
If opposing Obama's unprecedented expansion of government (in both speed and scope) on its own merits is bad for the Republicans, then there is no reason for the Republican party to exist.
Vichy Republicans indeed.