Whigs: It's Time for a Comeback

With apologies to Tippecanoe...and Tyler too.

This is your chance. Come out from the shadows. I know you haven't been a political party in 150 years, I get that. But this might just be the chance of a century.

The leaders of the Republican Party have just finished convincing themselves that the reason the public was so turned off by their ideologically backward, anti-intellectual policy agenda was that it just wasn't ideologically backward or anti-intellectual enough. And by leaders of the Republican Party, I of course mean the folks waiting in line to kiss Rush Limbaugh's Oxycontin-dusted ring. That, by the way, might explain this whole thing. The Oxycontin. Kissing that damn ring. What else explains how a real-life group of adult people could make this many boneheaded decisions in a row? Michael Steele said yesterday that people didn't know what he was doing, and that's the way he liked it. Sounds like the Oxycontin to me.

President Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, wrote in an op-ed yesterday that "we may find out what it means for a political party to hit rock bottom." I'll tell you who knows just what that's like: The Whigs.

Less than 25 years after its founding, the Whig Party was toast. Chapter 7. Done. In under a quarter century. They were a strange coalition of folks, all with very disparate interests and expectations. The party never knew exactly where it stood or exactly what it stood for. They pushed, for example, for a central bank, but when Whig President John Tyler had the chance, he vetoed the central bank's charter. That was a pretty big deal by 1840s standards.

Ultimately the party couldn't unify its factions and lost total control. Sound familiar? It ought to.

It certainly can't be easy being a Republican these days. Must seem like a bunch of dead ends, what with President Obama's popularity higher than (dare I say it) Ronald Reagan, and with a party leadership that looks like it's straight out of an SNL sketch. (One of the funny ones. With Tina Fey.) But listen up wayward Republicans, there's hope for you yet, and no, not that icky kind the president loves to talk about.

It's time for you to unite, here, now, at this historic moment, and do what was meant to be done. It's time for you to bring back the Whigs.

Think about it for a minute. The Whigs came into existence for the sole purpose of opposing a Democratic president's agenda. I know you like the way that sounds. They were also big fans of state's rights and loved to talk about "adhering to the great conservative principles," and we all know that's something you can get behind.

Now, of course, you shouldn't be too worried about emulating the old party issue by issue. It's not something we've ever really been that big on. After all, Democrats used to be racists and Republicans used to be, well, Abraham Lincoln. So to some degree, you shouldn't get too hung up on what the Whigs used to be. Start thinking about what they can be going forward. Give it a whirl, see what you can come up with. Whatever it is, it can't be worse than Bobby Jindal.

The party system has been stable for a while, sure, but this nation has a long history of parties ebbing and flowing out of existence. Usually, when a party becomes so impotent, its leaders so misguided, that it can't even provide a coherent alternative to the status quo, that's when there's a chance for a new party to make its move. Jefferson got it done. So did Lincoln. Now it's your turn.

The rise of the Whigs starts with you. Make it happen.

 

 

 

Follow Dylan Loewe on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dylanloewe

Comments

[FreedomOneAlpha]

08:18 AM on 03/22/2009

I am a Modern Whig. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it say we need to maintain a two party sysytem. Yet, there it sits, like an armed fortress, while we citizens arrive with sticks, stones, and wooden spears. Why is this KEY?If we may step back from the "trees" and view the whole "forest for a second. Please review the last four pages of comments here. Do the comments represent policy views, are citizens voicing their opinions on our platforms, or are the majority of the comments related to the "red team/blue team" playing field? So, I have to go no further than these comments on Huffington to prove to you, my American brothers and sisters, that this red team/blue team duoploy tends to stifle true, intellectually vigourous, and policy relevant debate. We have been trained, like 300 million Pavolovian dogs to frame our political discussion in terms of Reps and Dems, red team/blue team.
You don't have to have an intimate knowledge of the U.S. Constituion, or of the nature of our Republic to see how dangerous this type of obfuscation can be to us as a collective.

Let the corporate parties holding on to their power doupoly take heed.Theres a new kid in town, and she only has one allegiance - WE THE PEOPLE.

Just One Whig.

[RickyKarl]

07:42 AM on 03/12/2009

There's a great call for a new opposition party (Whigs are mentioned) along with a shredding of the current state of the GOP here:

http://www.meltingpotproject.com/mpp/2009/03/huffpo-hearts-the-whigs.html

Money quote:

"The GOP is crumbling. The number of true conservatives, classical liberals, and libertarians who have turned their backs on the party is growing every day - especially in the younger ranks. They're sick of seeing Republicans talk the small-government talk, but walk a suspiciously donkey-like walk. And if some other party can luck-box its way into the next Ross Perot - his name might just rhyme with "Foomberg" - the Republican Party could actually face a threat to its very existence."

[whig33]

07:55 PM on 03/11/2009

We are here and growing. Visit www.modernwhig.org

[revswirl]

01:40 PM on 03/11/2009

Bringing back the Whigs is a great idea. In fact, it's already happened.

http://modernwhig.org

The Modern Whig Party was formed by Iraq and Afghan war veterans to bring a moderate and common sense political party onto the scene. We currently have nearly 30,000 members and chapters in 27 states with parties officially recognized in both Florida and North Carolina.

Our basic tenets include:

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY — The Modern Whig philosophy is to empower the states with the resources to handle their unique affairs.

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE — Reduce dependence on foreign oil by developing practical sources of alternative energy. This will have the simultaneous effect of changing the national security dynamic.

EDUCATION/SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENT — Increased public and private emphasis on fields such as space, oceanic, medical and nanotechnology. Also, providing common-sense solutions to enhance our educational system from pre-school to university-level studies.

STATES RIGHTS — Each state can generally determine its course of action based on local values and unique needs.

SOCIAL PROGRESSION — Government should refrain from legislating morality.

VETERANS AFFAIRS — Vigilant advocacy relating to the medical, financial, and overall well-being of our military families and veterans.

So, if you read this article and agreed it's time for a Whig comeback... good news... someone's already done the work for you.

[frantaylor]

02:01 AM on 03/06/2009

If the disaffected Republicans were smart, they could split off and form a new party. With some catchy slogans they could skim off quite a few conservative Democrats. I have no ides what they would call themselves. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans could get anything done without them. Then we would have a coalition government more like other countries. It would be interesting. I don't see how it could happen, though.

[buggedabouttheus]

11:11 PM on 03/05/2009

Glad that I am not alone in the wilderness calling for a return of the Whigs. We can use another group of flaming nuts to take the place of the GOP. There were the precursor to them anyway bring back the real deal. Let's have some Whigs!

[rixter1965]

10:41 PM on 03/05/2009

There are plenty of things wrong with America's two-party system, and third-party candidates often get shortchanged in the media -- all true, but... Jesse Ventura's oft' repeated comparison of the two parties to Coke and Pepsi is misguided. The current political parties are a single party in one sense (institutionally, with regard to primaries and elections), but also coalitions in another sense(big unwieldy coalitions that shift and realign over time). Not all that long ago, for example, hardcore Southern segregationists were all Democrats (Dixiecrats) and then switched parties en masse. The GOP's problem right now is that their winning coalition of 1994-2004 (the complex of "base" voters + the complex of moderates, centrists, independents, and some conservative Democrats) fell apart. The more the extreme right of the party held sway the less it made sense fpr independents and moderates to vote for Republican candidates and an agenda not their own.

[frantaylor]

02:08 AM on 03/06/2009

If you compare our parties to the parties in other countries then you will see that Ventura's remark is spot-on.

[ThomH]

10:22 PM on 03/05/2009

Yes, we need a new party, but not a redux of the Whigs. All kinds of Libertarians, Conservatives, Progressives, Republicans and Democrats would subscribe to a platform that advocated everything jointly favored by Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich, but was less anti-government than Paul and less anti-business than Kucinich.

Thus:

-- End American Imperialism and cut by very substantial amounts the DOD budget. (Do we really NEED 10,000 H-bombs, or a navy bigger than the sum of the next 18 biggest, most of whom are ostensibly our allies?)

-- End the Federal Reserve system and its unsustainable fractional reserve banking; claw back to the government, where it belongs, the power to create money; eliminate the national debt by issuing Greenbacks, as Lincoln did, while increasing required banking reserves to 100%, insuring no inflation and a sustainable banking system.

-- Introduce serious campaign finance reform, so our government can truly represent the electorate, and cease being "the best that money can buy." No "campaign contributions" (i.e., bribes) allowed from ANYONE; finance electoral campaigns publicly.

-- Provide real freedom for all Americans, by establishing a meaningful social safety net, including Medicare for All and public education through four years of college.

[freeethnkr]

07:45 PM on 03/05/2009

Several points need to be made in response to this article (even realizing that it's tongue-in-cheek).

First, the year the Whig party went out of existence, a former Whig was elected President and is generally considered the greatest President we've had. His name was Abe Lincoln. So, the Republican party's demise would far from ensure that the next President elected is a Democrat (or a liberal).

Second, there is a strong resistance in this country to the emergence of a 3rd Party. Neither of the main two parties want to see it happen, because it will devastate the now-existing party that is most similar ideologically to the new one. Election laws are designed to make it hard to get on ballots. The media has no interest in publicizing a third party candidate -- regardless of the merit of the candidate's ideas (unless, of course, the candidate is a celebrity). Remember those debates last fall with Obama, McCain, Nader, and Barr? Me neither.

[Senzasord]

07:04 PM on 03/05/2009

It seems that the current crop of Republicans have already regressed past the Whigs and are now busy mutating into a 21st century version of the Know Nothings.

[Justin Clark]

06:51 PM on 03/05/2009

I wouldn't describe the Whigs as state's rights. They were opposed to a strong executive and generally opposed territorial expansion, preferring to shore up the banking system and develop infrastructure in the existing states. And John Tyler was disowned by his own party early in his presidency. (Or his Accidency, as some liked to say. He was put on the Harrison ticket (Tippecanoe and Tyler too) in order to bring in votes. He only became president because Harrison spoke too long at his inauguration, caught pneumonia and died a month later.

So, Tyler was a WINO. Whig In Name Only. :)

[ARonHenry]

02:42 AM on 03/06/2009

No mention of the man for whom the term "Big Whig" referred to: Henry Clay of Kentucky. He was their founder, and the man Lincoln refered to as "my beau idol of a statesman." Clay called his program "the American System," which called for using govenment funds for "internal improvements," the 19th century name for infrastructure; roads, canals, harbors, lighthouses, railroads. He advocated high tariffs to protect American industry. He favored a national bank to promote credit, investment, national currancey. A slave-holder who felt slavery deplorable, he wanted a gradual freeing of slaves over time. Of course he wanted to remove blacks back to Africa, an absurd and racist idea. Nobody's perfect. Clay opposed bringing Texas into the Union and the Mexican War, feeling they could lead to disunion and civil war. He was proven right about that. A strong Nationalist, he was alarmed by talk of succession by Southerns. In terms of political lineage the line runs from Hamilton through Clay to Lincoln, the Roosevelts and Kennedys. If he were around today he would be a liberal Democrat. He opposed Andrew Jackson, the Reagan of his times; a popular hero who's policies led to economic depression and ruin. Many historian speculate that if Clay had been elected president in 1840 instead of Harrison, there might have never been a civil war, slavery may have ended non-violently, and the great growth of American economic power may have began decades sooner. Clay was a giant.

[mulegino]

06:42 PM on 03/05/2009

It should be remembered-especially by Democrats giddy at GOP, Inc.'s demise, that just less than six short years ago, Commander Guy did his Mussolini impression on the USS Abraham Lincoln, enjoying stratospheric approval numbers, and would coast to reelection, while a grateful and sycophantic "Republican" majority reigned supreme in both houses of congress.
Political fortunes are about as ephemeral as ocean foam, and disappear just as quickly.
There are hopeful signs that the new administration is taking nothing for granted, and that is good.
The American people have, thankfully, been forced to demand from their elected officials more than good campaigning.

[aofh]

02:14 AM on 03/06/2009

Political fortunes have a lot to do with keeping your eye on the ball. Bush and company drew a wild pitch and confused it with a home run. The runners advanced a base but didn't seem to notice that the catcher was putting the ball back in play. The Republican House was called out at the plate in '06,' the Presidency and Senate doubled-up at second in '08.' But Republican runners still don't seem to understand that the ball is in play (many, but not all, of the Governors do). What is so puzzling and disconcerting is that amid all the chaos, confusion and real fear these guys just don't get it. They seem to believe and act on the notion that reality is whatever it is they happen to say; that words, not deeds, make a thing so and real. They seem to act as though they have absolute knowledge not in the sense that they know everything but in the sense that they look out from the center of being and, therefore, are not subject to the limitations of perspective like the rest of us.

[RepugsOut08]

06:00 PM on 03/05/2009

You know this could actually be the most opportune time for a new party. If Obama fails, the voters would have two glaring examples, partywise, of what doesn't work.
A well crafted third party built on common sense views, rather than the usual extreme views these parties offer, would have it's best chance ever.
Of course, unlike Limbaugh, I'm hoping Obama will succeed beyond our wildest dreams, but even if he only succeeds at getting us heading back in the right direction, the Repubs, as they stand today, are probably finished.

[rmm4402]

05:30 PM on 03/05/2009

It is beyond me why there are so many articles on this site either celebrating the demise of the Republican Party or giving advice on how to fix the GOP.

I find it very troubling that Media Democrats, Congressional Democrats and the Obama administration all seem to be stuck in campaign mode...... they ran a very effective campaign and still seem like they want to stick with it. They seem to need someone to campaign against. You won - you have a big Congressional Majority and the President has high approval ratings - yet instead of setting the course for the nation - you seem obsessed with talk show hosts and the minority that lost the election.

If a Democratic strategists like Mr. Loewe need something to do now that they have won the election - there must be a candidate somewhere runnng for something that needs your help....

[wltdnfaded]

05:56 PM on 03/05/2009

Rmm,

It's not that the Obama Administration needs an enemy in order to succeed-- it's not the Bush Administration. And frankly, Obama has had nothing to do with this latest dark carnival of the soul the GOP is putting on. It's that the GOP is making it no secret that they do not have America's best interests at heart, nor do they intend to work with the new POTUS whatsoever. Yes, they lost. But they can't understand WHY they lost, even though it's so obvious-- their way of thinking, their brand of "Americanism" is OBSOLETE.

So please, stop pinning this on the Dems, who are doing frankly NOTHING to fan the flames. If you want to get p*ssed at someone for blowing this out of the stratosphere, blame the MSM. Last I saw, the Dems were too busy working into the night to save our nation.

[rmm4402]

12:01 AM on 03/06/2009

Good luck with saving the nation..... I hope for success.

[GuyRC]

06:23 PM on 03/05/2009

So are you saying that this is the official site of the Democratic Party? Most community colleges teach google now, or you could ask a 6 year old in your neighborhood how it works.

Or maybe you are saying that since all Republican dominated blogs are spamming the love for Obama we Democratic Bloggers should join in the love fest?

Or maybe you are saying that Democratic strategists should stop strategizing. Cause we know that the Strategists of all the Republican Presidents never strategized after a victory. Not Nixons staff, not Reagans staff, and certainly not the Bush-Bush staff.

[rmm4402]

11:58 PM on 03/05/2009

That's the trouble - there's never a 6 year old around when you need one.

If Raul Emmanuel wants to play paddy-cake with Rush Limbaugh - that's his choice. My point is that I think his time would be better spent elsewhere.

I tried to keep it simple this time to avoid all those "maybe you are sayings..."

[BethStuart]

05:26 PM on 03/05/2009

Having just read Doris Kerns Goodwin's "Team of Rivals", it does strike me that today's Democratic Party resembles the party of Lincoln while today's gop resembles the southern branch of the democratic party of that time. This does not bode well for today's gop.