Dear GOP: Evolve or Perish
Once upon a time, the Republican Party had ideas. Agree or disagree with them, they campaigned on convictions. Politics has always had its share of mudslinging, but elections once resembled contests between opposing beliefs -- small government versus active government; low taxes and deregulation versus a leadership invested in its constituents' lives. Not anymore.
The Republican Party hasn't been about ideas for many years. 9/11 kept them afloat during the first half of the 2000s while they successfully played the national security card. By 2006, Americans began to catch on to the party's corruptions and moral bankruptcy. The economic crash of 2008 hammered the final nail in the coffin for Reagan-era values, wherein the boundless trust in the free market to solve all of America's problems proved catastrophic.
What does a party do when its core ideas have failed, when has nothing substantive to run on? Resort to ad-hominem attacks, scare tactics, trifling wedge issues, propaganda and lies -- anything but honest, reality-based dialogue. Every politician's game revolves around power, and its intoxicating lure makes good people do bad things. Once your moral compass breaks, you're susceptible to any wave in the sea you think will lead you to shore. Just ask John McCain.
Gasping for air, this is what the Republican Party has devolved into. Politically, their catering to the Dixiecrats, religious fundamentalists, corporate extremists and, lately, the Limbaugh dittoheads may have secured some constituencies. But substantively, these cynical pacts have drained the party of its integrity and convictions. The losers have been the American people -- as well as every country influenced by America, which is most of the world.
Now, after their late hero's philosophy turned out to be something of a fantasy, Republicans are even more beholden to inane platforms like doubting evolution, denying global warming, stripping rights from same-sex couples, prolonging the issue of abortion, vilifying immigrants and Muslims, pretending Islamic militants will take over America, supporting the sadism that is torture, and so on. They're stuck appealing to the basest elements of the American consciousness.
Bill Clinton said it best on The Daily Show in 2004: "If you're a Democrat, you win when people think." Voters tend to think most when they're facing adversity. The recessions of 1992 and 2008 led to Democratic victories. The better economic conditions of 1988 and 2004 allowed Republicans to snag voters by touting the Pledge of Allegiance and flag-burning amendments. But this strategy isn't sustainable. Ignoring the real issues doesn't really work when people are losing their homes, their health care and their retirement savings -- largely because of your policies.
The verdict is in: a dismal approval rating for Republicans alongside a popular Democratic president with a soon-to-be filibuster-proof Senate majority. Unless the GOP plans to make its opponents die of laughter, party leaders will take this nadir as an opportunity to restore common sense and dignity. There's an important place in American politics for honest conservative thought, but sadly, no party represents it anymore.
The only way for Republicans to escape this rush to oblivion is to reject the elements that are disintegrating their ideological core. Believers in limited government and individual liberty shouldn't legislate personal issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. Instead of denying climate change, devise practical, market-based solutions to mitigate it. Support the free market, but stop ascribing magical powers to it. End the silly wars against science and intellectualism. And crucially, stop letting religion infiltrate politics to such a chilling degree -- secularism is perhaps the most sacred American value.
Breaking from tradition won't be easy for the party of traditional values. But if Republicans want to remain a serious political outfit in the long-run, they need to kick their bad habits and stand for real principles. This means resisting the cheap but politically advantageous tides and instead leading the right-wing constituency in a more thoughtful and scrupulous direction. Do it for your country, conservatives. There's no better or more important time than now.
Nothing will be more ironic than if the party that snubs evolution winds up extinct because it refused to adapt.
Follow Sahil Kapur on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sahil_Kapur
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It's as if the Republicans would rather disintegrate than make changes. Their core support group is the size of a walnut and getting smaller all of the time. Aside from Rush Limbaugh dittoheads most conservatives are embarrassed to call themselves as Republicans these days. I predict that a 3rd party will evolve as an enhanced libertarian party. It's almost as if they are relishing their public death spiral.
Just cuz they are laying very still, have an unhealthy grey pallor, and no decernable heartbeat,
TRUST ME, drive a damn wooden stake through their chest...ju
Honest conservative thought is a myth. Any conservative thought is a myth. Attacking whatever moves, now that's conservative.
So says the guy whose only response is to essentially attack all conservatives as brainless. Pot...meet kettle.
yeah...he got tired of the wingnut sites where the "only response is to essentially attack all liberals as brainless"
You wanna dish it out...we are here to give it right back to you.
I am a moderate Conserative and while I agree with alot you have said, I do not think the American people have lost. When the extremist bubble to the top in either party, then we the Americcan people seem to adjust nicely and elect who tries to come across as a moderate in his or her party. President Obama tried and succeeded in doing that. His acceptance speech proves that. If the moderate conservatives do not take control of the Rebulican Party then the Demacratic Party is in for a long ride, until the American People realize that the extreme part of the Demacratic Party have taken over. How long do you think that will take?
The last time I read or heard anything about evolution is that it is a THEORY, not a fact, unless you are a non-believer of course.
On the issue of Gay Rights, I for one am not agaisnt everyone having the same rights, and if equal rights is really all that the Gay community wanted, then they could have already gotten them. Instead they are banging their heads against the preverbial wall in trying to change the definition of marriage! They need to get the law changed where domestic partnerships or civil unions have the same rights as marriage. Being together is being together no matter what you call it, so why fight the tough fight if really all you want is equal rights, if it can be obtained alot easier another way?
popular definition of theory:
"I think that might explain it."
Scientific definition of theory:
"I looked at possible causes, chose the most likely, subjected it to rigorous testing, and the most likely cause failed to be disproved.
Because Evolution has not been disproved and has fit available facts, it is a theory.
Creationism does not meet the criteria to be a theory, it is, at best, a hypothosis.
Oh, and by the way, it isn't intelligent design, an intelligent designer would not have built a 2 legged animal on a 4 legged chassis. If you want to say we were designed, use "idiot design," as your name for it.
Aaror:
I wouldn't grant creationism the dignity of a hypothesis because it is not at all testable in any form because it makes *NO* predictions, at all, ever.
Cheers
LF
you do realize that swine flu is proof (or, evidence, if you will) or evolution, right?
bigeking:
We tried that. Domestic partnership benefits met from *equal* opposition as same-sex marriage. Here in Oregon, the anti-gay rights forces said that they didn't care about civil unions or domestic partnerships, just *marriage*. Well, we lost in 2004 and they won. We came back in 2006 to get a civil unions law passed and guess what? The *very* same people who said that they just cared about defending marriage against redefinition were in opposition to civil unions which would give same-sex couples the same rights and responsibilities. I've heard this song and dance before. No one hates gays. Everyone has gay friends. They all agree with anti-gay rights opinions for some strange reason. You're not against equality, just special rights. For instance, do you think that a teacher should be fired for being gay? If you do, then you're for special rights--for heterosexuals who can't be fired just because they're straight. Do you think that the landlord of an apartment complex should be able to not rent to a lesbian couple? If you do, then you're for special rights--for heterosexuals who don't have to worry about that.
I'm not saying that YOU feel this way, I am saying that in my two decades out of the closet, I've heard this song and dance before and every time we in the gay community believe it, we lose.
Cheers
LF
Great post LF....I'm from Tampa originally living in Utah now. (I know, long story). Anyway about 20 years or so ago there was an ordinance that would have prevented landlords from discriminating against gays. It went down in flames as the electorate was hoodwinked into thinking that gays would be given "special rights".
Since when is equality a "special right" is all I want to know.
One other thing. When we in biology use the term "theory" we are not using it as a synonym for 'guess'. We are using it in a very precise manner which comes down to:
Well-tested model of a system, built up from testable, falsifiable hypothesis. The theory, as a whole, must be falsifiable. I could, without any more mental effort than it takes to type this message, come up with half-a-dozen means of falsifying evolutionary theory (ALL of which have been confirmed, by the way). I have yet, in over a decade, had a single proponent of creationism in whatever decade-disguise it comes dressed in, to provide a *single* falsifiable statement. Intelligent design has *no* falsification criteria. "Prove that there is no god" is not a falsification criteria, btw.
Cheers
LF
ladyfractal, you see this is how people get into the demeaning of one another. You studied the Theory of Evolution and decided that it was surely the way it must be, I studied the same thing, but I do not think that any person can spend any amount of time studying different animals and come up with proof that we all came from "whatever". What happens then, people like you and all of the rest of the intolerant ones start declaring that I, or anyone who believes as I do are stupid, have no common sense, or lack some intellectual prowess to understand what has to be true---in your opinion. I have never seen any proof to prove or disprove either Evolution or Creationism. I was raised to believe in Creationism, am I wrong, I do not know, but I would rather believe the way I do and be wrong than the way you do and be wrong!
I am truly sorry if the same people who said you should change the laws about civil unions are the same ones who blocked that also. Shows that there are intolerant people on both sides, and that is what is going to destroy our Country. It amazes me how people on both sides of an issue can think that there ideas or believes are the only ones that are right!
Oh no, they won't become extinct! GOD will save them! Evolution is impossible, as the bible makes clear!
So ironic...
Great article, but absolutely loved the closing:
"Nothing will be more ironic than if the party that snubs evolution winds up extinct because it refused to adapt."
Ironic, indeed.
Oh that is ironic....
Can we make that sooner rather than later?
I think what we can say is the GOP has lost its way from profligate spending and mismanagement of the iraq war. Your other arguments are baseless. It is the left that are the extremists. We do not deny global warming, we deny global warming is caused by humans. There is no evidence whatsoever that demonstrates that CO2 is the cause of global warming. In fact more and more scientists are agreeing to this fact on a daily basis. With regards to evolution, there are so many holes in the myth of evolution. Even that famous lucy which was touted for so long as the missing link was proved to be a fake, and the list goes on.
No one villifies immigrants or Muslims. The fact that we believe in borders does not mean we villify immigrants. California is sinking into the abyss because everyone with means is leaving, and the burden to the state with regards to supporting the migration of illegal Mexicans is growing by leaps and bounds.
the reason Republicans have lost is because they do not stick to their principles
Mark
http://mar
Are all of the rabid right forbidden from reading any science books or articles? That is the only way that you could say global warming is not as a direct result of human activity.
Rather than repeating talking points just take a minute, read some reports and think for yourself. I know it is hard when you are not used to it, but it is still possible.
PS: The reason the Republicans (which I used to support 12 years ago) are in the toilet is because they have become a bunch of religious and conservative fanatics. It is only the rabid right which still believe the myths of unregulated free markets and creationism.
As an independent who used to identify with conservatives, i have to disagree. My political position hasn't moved - the Republican tide went down (and to the right).
I'm glad to see you own Iraq as a problem, even though you cite 'mismanagement' rather than 'deviously manipulating the country into a war.'
But it really IS deeper than that. All of the good conservative values - fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, etc. - those are good and real. You're not the only ones that believe them. But the right has taken them to an ideological extreme that has become damaging.
If you really feel that there aren't any extremists on the right, then you have closed your eyes and mind, and nothing I can say will point out the madness of the last 8 years.
But listening and hearing isn't why you are here, is it?
I would love to see the "more and more," scientists who are agreeing that global warming is not caused by CO2 rise.
You know that CO2 levels are at the highest level in millions of years, right? We tested the ice caps (while we still have them) and confirmed this.
The idea that Humans are not affecting our enviornment is a pipe dream, whatever you are smoking, I can't have it, I have a piss test coming up...
"I would love to see the 'more and more' scientists who are agreeing that global warming is not caused by CO2 rise."
I have a feeling that the response you receive will be: Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
Isn't this what they call a straw man argument: There is no evidence whatsoever that demonstrates that CO2 is the cause of global warming.
CO2 in high concentration is bad for everyone human or not.
The same people who go crazy over person smoking choice with laws about where you can smoke and second hand smoke, shouldn't all these people also care about the CO2 levels?
It's good for health to get CO2 lowered, it's good for business to invest in conserving (so ironic R don't get that conservation doesn't just mean cling to tradition) materials, energy, nature. It's good for national security. It's family value. Quality and long term thinking are always cheaper then quick fixes. So dealing with lowering CO2 output now is saving money too. GOP should get behind that.
You want to bet the R&D of big pharma isn't developing a pill that helps people plagued by high CO2?
Mark all you can point to is scientists funded by oil companies. Get over it.
What principles? Racial superiorit
Right...he
Sadly, I do not see the Republican party change. I am a staunch Democrat, but I agree that we need a two, and even better three party system. However, the cancer is too integrated into the Republican party to be removed. Best hope, in my opinion, is that the current GOP split into a moderate Republican party and the party of Limbaugh, Beck, Cheney, and the rest of the fringe crazies.
Exactly...
Buckley must be rolling over in his grave with the village idiots running the show now.
we should just start referring to them as the whigs and get it over with
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