Blog
What now for the GOP?
1st February 2009
I have penned an article for the forthcoming of first past the post, tutor2u’s digital Politics magazine, on the future of the Republican Party. There has been, as is often the case when parties lose elections, some navel gazing going on at the heart of the GOP. Essentially the party seems torn between deciding that it has been too conservative, while others believe it is not conservative enough.
In the short term the party seems determined to focus resolutely on tax cuts and government spending. In my article I write that this alone will not be enough to restore the party’s credibility. Anyway, an article by Paul Harris in today’s Observer picks up on some of the latest developments in the world of the GOP.
‘After lying low during the collective euphoria which accompanied Obama’s inauguration as the country’s 44th president, the Grand Old Party is finally stirring. All sides of the defeated Republican party machine are busily trying to devise a strategy of opposition to an administration that enjoys extraordinary levels of goodwill in America and abroad. While Steele’s appointment is intended to send a message of inclusiveness and outreach to voters, the hugely powerful conservative wing of the party has also been putting out its own message: back to basics. That message is not based on doing anything different. It is based on doing the old things better.
The Republican conservative establishment had been steering the party in the direction of strident opposition to Obama and a return to the principles touted by Bush of low taxes and small government. Despite intense lobbying for cross-party support by the White House, Obama’s huge economic stimulus package failed to get a single Republican vote of support last week. It was a remarkable slap in the face for the new president, who had made several key concessions to Republican demands in his attempt to get them on board.
Experts see the Congress vote as a vital point for the Republicans. “By opposing the stimulus package, the Republicans have decided to make that a political issue. There is risk if the package works. But if it doesn’t, there is also a possible reward,” said Steven Mitchell, chairman of political polling firm Mitchell Research.’