So What Now, Republicans?

As Republicans are hurled out of power, party leaders find themselves at a crossroads. They've finally gotten what they deserve for abandoning their core principles and priorities. Their path ahead looks daunting, murky and uncertain. So, what's their next move?

Republicans can develop fresh ways to add a populist spin on the economics of greed, the politics of fear and the culture of apathy. They can search for new and innovative methods to slander liberals and scare up votes.

They can continue seeking new ways to disguise elitist economic policies as desirable for the average Joe. (The only trouble is that prosperity hasn't trickled down to ordinary Americans all decade. And someone should remind Joe the Plumber that Democrats can't take away your wealth when you don't have any.)

The party can maintain its march of cultural ignorance and continue pursuing the aggressive and militaristic foreign policies that have exacerbated global security and weakened America's stature as a world leader.

It can continue to discard robust scientific theories such as evolution and global warming and instead appeal to irrationality and corporate fetishism.

Republicans can continue to alienate intellectuals and lambast those who like to read and learn and be educated. They can further debase themselves in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Or, the party can do some soul-searching, rediscover its core values, and once again come to rely on ideas and principles rather than fear, lies and propaganda. Here are some suggestions.

First, the party needs to rediscover fiscal conservatism. Republicans have become the party of big government, reckless spending and low taxes. It's no wonder there aren't enough digits on the debt clock; party leaders continue to spend like Michael Jackson while refusing to tax.

Second, the party needs to rethink its hawkish foreign policies. September 11, 2001 was a mandate to take more rigorous action to protect the United States and the world from terror, but Republicans immediately exploited it to further their hegemonic and political agendas, thereby abusing and destroying the trust of Americans.

Third, Republicans need to start questioning the principles behind their social conservatism. They can't be the party of limited government and individual liberty while invading people's bedrooms and personal lives. What a woman chooses to do with her body is between her, her family and her doctor. The love between two individuals, no matter their gender, is no business of the state.

Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) laments in 2006 his party's disintegration "from the big ideas and vision of 1994 to cheap political point-scoring on meaningless wedge issues." Armey explains that "Republican lawmakers forgot the party's principles, became enamored with power and position, and began putting politics over policy."

It comes down to this: Republicans can continue scraping from the bottom of the barrel, or they can reject the barrel in favor of a new and improved one. They can once again prioritize ideas and values, or they can continue eluding reason and trading integrity for votes.

The answer should be clear. As Republican loyalist and former operative John J. Pitney Jr. declares, "You can regain political support only through the power of your ideas."

Regaining America's trust will be a long road; it'll require patience, fortitude and sacrifice, but it'll restore the conservative soul and save the party, maybe even the country in the long-term. Nobody wants a permanent one-party government, not even a committed progressive like me.

Whatever path they choose, it'll be good news for the 90% of Americans disgusted with their governance. The truth is, until Republican leaders choose to take a good, honest look in the mirror, they can forget about returning to power anytime soon.

I know you guys don't like change, but it's time.

Comments

[Horus45]

They still refuse to face reality, it is going to be a very long road to their recovery, if ever.

[rbenjamin]

The faction of the GOP that believing in reasoned foreign policies, fiscal responsibility and social tolerance made a Faustian bargain with big business and social conservatives to grow the party and win elections. Basically the Southern Strategy. It worked, but tarchietects of the strategy are now a party minority, and national demography and national affairs have shifted under their feet. Sure, the Old Old Guard may search for ways to get back to the pre-Nixon days, but the other elements of the party are also searching their souls - about how to be even more socially conservative and how to sell this better to the voting public. Soul searching = market research. Social conservatives have a niche - the South - where they can continue to dominate for a while, but it's a shrinking niche (think VA, FLA & N ). I see no clear regional niche from which the Good Government Wing can regroup, and would wager they 're the wing with the least funds and troops. Win over the social conservatives? Never. Big business? No they will gravitate to those in power, who happen to be Democrats now. Fiscally conservative, but libertarian republicans are basically an intellectual wing of the party. If they want to see their ideas implemented they need to bolt the GOP and run as independents, with an eye towards creating a new party unburdened by nativists, fundamentalists, bigots, crooks, Yahoos and a discredited brand name.

[jmpurser]

The Republicans have never "abandoned their core principle" which is "to make rich people richer." Everything else is smoke screen and window dressing.

[timm0]

HuffPost's Pick

Neoconservatism is a logical result of determined anti-intellectualism. It is conservatism, overdriven with bigotry, hate, and anger. But the Republican Party has been taken over by the neocons - not unlike Africanized bees have taken over hives from European honey bees in Mexico and southern US.

My observation is that about half of the Rs are neocons. That was bolstered by the surveys showing 60% of Rs supporting the palin to run in 2012. They are completely dysfunctional and have proved many times over that they are only capable of combat. They can't achieve anything positive and can't govern. They can start fights and perpetuate fights, but that's it. The insanity in Iraq is a non-accidental "macro" manifestation of their mindset and skill.

However, the OTHER half of the Republican Party's rank and file members are rational conservative people who can be productive participants in an effective government. They don't have access to the party machinery and are therefore not going to be capable of getting into office without political guerrilla warfare - and then ONLY if the Dems absolutely blow their shot at the helm. If Obama can lead the Dems and this nation out of this hole we're in, then these folks will ultimately stay home on election days or migrate into the Democratic Party. The Rs will go the way of the dodo in that case, which leaves us with one-party rule, which isn't good for anyone.

None of your thoughtful suggestions can take root.

[BCubedReg]

Well thought response timmo.

[Donkslayer]

Not a bad article, with some good points. However, I think the GOP will always be anti-abortion to some degree, and you'll be surprised (or maybe not) at how much of a winning issue that can be for them if the country doesn't have a more pressing worry to deal with (i.e., the economy).

Your "90%" claim toward the end of the article is disingenuous; the article is from Oct 2008, and that figure of dissatisfaction certainly includes both Congress's record-low approval rating (which has been Democratic since 2006) and GOP voters who don't like Bush's big gov neocon policies.

[Bagger]

Actually abortion is a losing issue for Republicans. More people in this country are pro-choice than anti-choice. If the Supreme Court were to overturn Rove v. Wade the Democrats would sweep many elections afterwards because of all the people, in particular women, that would vote to their rights back. It helps Republicans that abortion is still legal because it fires up their base but if the pro-choice crowd were ever fired up it would be over for Republicans and they know this.

[WorkingClass]

If Republicans do as you suggest they will be Democrats. The Republican party is permanently screwed because they cant get to the right of Obama. The Democrats are the new Republicans. The lunatic fringe is all that remains of the Regan revolution.

[zanzig]

In Australia we have just celebrated a year since we got rid of our conservative government after 12 years. Let me tell you that in those 12 years John Howard did his damndest to take us back to core principles of the 1950's: white supremacy, dismantling all trade unionism, military intervention in Aboriginal communities, anti-terrorism laws that mimicked your Patriot Act, a return to the good ol' days when everyone went to church and there were no gays or lesbians. I never want to see the like again (and before you say how could we put up with that for 12 years, it was because we had an even bigger bunch of dysfunctional losers on the other side, than you have had in the Dems for the past 8 years). Do not encourage the Republicans to go "back" to anything, that way lies madness. Make them go forward, kicking and screaming. There is no hope for the world otherwise.

[drec1500Madrid]

Their core values? Their core values have been to aid the wealthy at the expense of the working class. Period. The whole social conservative movement was pandering by the party leadership to the lowest common denominator in order to get enough votes to win elections. Now that the people who actually believe in in that stuff have risen to the top it's panic time. And bobby jindal isnt the answer.

[strifeknot]

The Republicans can sit comfortably by, knowing O, his conservative cabinet, and a Congress headed by the spineless Reid and Pelosi will continue their duplicitous work for them.

[MartaA]

Excellent. I look forward to more articles from the writer.

[LeftRight]

One could HOPE that they would come back to even the conservatives that I knew growing up in the 90s! I would RATHER have them go back to the principles of the 50s, but I don't think that one's gonna happen for a LONG time!