Whenever I read articles like this that examine the political woes of the Republican Party, I am tempted to think about how I would do things if I went over to the dark side and was tasked with rebuilding the Republican Party. You could call it ‘pity’, ’empathy’, or whatever you want, but I just want to help.
It’s clear that the Republicans are suffering from two immediate and glaring problems. First, they do not have an appealing leader (or face) of the party that can go up against President Obama. Second, they have not yet developed a policy agenda that is suitable for the new post-Bush era. The second problem is bigger than the first. After all, the Gingrich revolution was led by Gingrich, who was never a particularly appealing personality. Gingrich’s personality held his movement back, but it didn’t prevent it from taking over Congress for a twelve year period between 1995 and 2007.
Developing new policies takes time, but leadership issues can be handled at any time. It’s mind-boggling that the Republicans kept both Mitch McConnell and John Boehner as their leaders. They need to jettison both of them immediately. McConnell should be replaced by Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. Senator Alexander is already the third-ranking member of the GOP caucus, so he’s a logical replacement. Once Alexander takes control, he needs to marginalize the crazies in the caucus and encourage a shift in priorities for the ranking members of his party. The focus should not be on killing legislation, or opposing it as a bloc, but in identifying areas where bills can be successfully amended. The inclination to offer amendment after amendment without regard for their prospects of passing needs to change. The Republicans need to achieve tangible successes that they can point to, but they need to do it within the context of the expansion of government that is occurring in Washington at this time. You can call this capitulation or you can call it adaptation. Such a strategy will infuriate the Republican base, with all that implies for fundraising and enthusiasm. But the Republican base is far, far too small and unpopular for their concerns to take first place in any strategy to rebuild.
In the House, Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin is the logical choice to replace Boehner. The other option is Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, who is currently the Minority Whip. Either one would be an improvement over the ineffective and dour Boehner. Ryan and Cantor can’t do much to change the culture of their caucus, which just seems dangerously detached from the reality-based world. But they can develop a set of policies that isn’t the equivalent of asking the world to stop spinning so you can get off the ride. They absolutely must realize how the GOP’s image has been shattered in northern and suburban America, and they must move immediately to repair the damage. Extensive polling should be done for this purpose, and campaigns in 2010 should be exquisitely poll-tested for effectiveness in the north and in the suburbs. All efforts should be made to prevent the national party from undermining the message of the local challengers.
I don’t know who should replace Michael Steele, but Senator Judd Gregg wouldn’t be a bad choice. He’s retiring anyway and he might be able to assure that his appointed replacement is a Republican, as he did when he was briefly the Commerce Secretary-designee. The Republicans have to present a non-southern face if they want to be a non-southern party. They also need leaders that recognize that the old battles are now beside the point. For the foreseeable future, the federal government is going to be doing big things in energy, health care, and education, and there is no point fighting over spilled milk.
It goes without saying that the party should slowly marginalize its old messengers, like Hannity and Limbaugh. They need to project seriousness and competence, and they cannot continue to alienate suburban voters with their racially tinged, misogynistic, and intolerant rhetoric. It’s hard to learn these lessons, particularly when your party has been trimmed down to its most nutty practitioners. But these are the things that I would do if I wanted to lead the Republicans back to power and give their presidential nominee a fighting chance in 2012.
