I don't remember 2005 being like this for Democrats. I don't remember a stream of pieces coming out about how lost the Democrats were. I don't remember 2005 to 2007 being wilderness years for the party. Maybe I was too busy partying to notice what was going on in that party. But it's not 2005, it's 2013 and the GOP, if the articles are to be believed, is convulsing in fits of equal parts disbelief and rage at Barack Obama's reelection. And as much as the reelection of the "socialist" other Obama is, the real head-scratcher for the GOP faithful is how the heck they lost ground in the Senate, when they seemed primed to flip it as late as September.
Well add another article to the documented morass of the GOP circa 2013. Robert Draper has a long piece in The New York Times Magazine where young Republicans outline how crappy the party is, how it's picking the wrong battles, and how the party is a tribe of Luddites when it comes to technology. Draper raises the specter of obsolescence for the GOP, more to drive home the Luddite angle than to doom the party. Still at a time when Karl Rove wants to throw money at "electable" candidates and Gov. Jindal tells Republicans to stop being the "stupid party" without proposing any substantive policy changes to the platform, the article deserves a discerning read for a few reasons.
First, absolutely none of the young Republicans that Draper interviewed were obsessed with, or dare I say, even that interested in social issues. Perhaps we have the libertarians in the party to thank, perhaps it's just a matter of liberalism's march forward, but issues around gay marriage and abortion doesn't seem to animate these folks. It doesn't mean they'll be going to the next pride parade or raising a glass at the next anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I just got the sense they were past it. They seem completely disinterested in holding up the social conservative banner.
Personally, I'm not surprised. All the polling data suggests folks in my generation and the heinous millennials on my generation's heels may not agree with gay marriage or abortion, but they're disinclined to fight it. They have gay friends, they likely know of someone who had an abortion. Indeed, those interviewed seem to think there are bigger fish to fry so let's move on to the next issue.
That big fish is the size of the federal government. Make no mistake about it, these folks don't want a bigger federal government. They'd like to see lower taxes. They are traditional small government conservatives in the tradition of Joe Scarborough without the arrogant bombast. But I also noticed a distinction between their comments on small government and the standard dross that fills countless Congressional press releases. They don't sound like a bunch of Ayn Rand fanatics. This isn't a rabid pack of fascists who selectively quote Hayak or Friedman. They see a role for government, like Hayak and Friedman did. They want that role to be smaller than it is now, but they don't want to burn it to the ground. To a large extent they reminded me of the young adults profiled in Missoula, MT last week. To this point, it doesn't seem like the GOPoobas are listening to these young Turks within their party, except to pay lip service. But that ignorance holds a warning.
It holds a warning for Democrats. These young conservative Turks might be behind progressive circles on social media, organizing, analytics, and grass roots efforts, but they're running hard to catch up. And more then that, let's be really honest with ourselves. This is still a center-right nation. This is still a nation of people with a near instinctive aversion to "big government" perhaps owing much to the messaging put out by Republican presidents since Nixon (with an assist from Clinton and Obama). If this circle of folks can break through, can move the GOP beyond social issues, beyond government demagoguery; if they rise to the helm of the party, I'd reckon it's highly likely they could win several national election cycles and force the Democrats into the wilderness.
It would be folly for Democrats to think we've moved the center of gravity in the electorate, even with shifting demographics. Rather, President Obama, in pursuit of a sensible compromise, has chased today's GOP rightward into the wilderness. And it isn't just a liberal like me that sees that. There's a sizable group of young conservatives out there who want to make the nouveau GOP, a nouveau GOP that will win elections and cut programs Democrats believe in. Consider yourself warned.
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