George F. Will: Where Republicans Went Wrong
... Twelve years after the high-water mark of postwar conservatism, this is the Republican rallying cry: Democrats would be even worse than we are! Even worse about spending, about government intrusiveness, etc.
The Republicans' implosion began in March 2005 with their Terri Schiavo derangement, the attempt to intrude federal courts into a state's jurisdiction and a family's tragedy. Fourteen months later, after Katrina, Harriet Miers and the "Bridge to Nowhere," Republicans completed their immolation by briefly borrowing an idea from the epitome of failure, the Carter presidency. They flirted with the idea of a $100 rebate to almost everyone—even people without cars—as balm for the sting of annoying gasoline prices. Remember President Carter's 1977 idea to stimulate the economy with a $50 rebate? Actually, the $100 idea was even more risible: 100 of today's dollars are equal to 30 dollars in 1977.
Five days after the 2004 election, Karl Rove, appearing on "Meet the Press," was feeling his oats. He noted that George W. Bush was the first president since FDR to win a second term while increasing his party's strength in both the House and Senate, and the first president since 1988 to receive a majority of the popular vote—and a higher percentage of that vote than any Democratic president since 1964. Asked about having said that his goal was to create a permanent Republican majority, Rove replied:
"There are no permanent majorities in American politics. They last for about 20 or 30 or 40 or, in the case of the Roosevelt coalition, 50 or 60 years and then they disappear. But would I like to see the Republican Party be the dominant party for whatever time history gives it the chance to be? You bet."
But "history" neither giveth nor taketh away. What has taken away the Republicans' brio are Republicans' choices that have confused their voters—choices about Iraq and spending. Republicans stand convicted of not meaning what they say about limited government, and Democrats are suspected of not saying what they mean to do if put in charge of Congress. The most notable Democratic vow concerning how they would use power was last week's promise, emanating from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, that they would not impeach the president....
Read entire article at Newsweek
The Republicans' implosion began in March 2005 with their Terri Schiavo derangement, the attempt to intrude federal courts into a state's jurisdiction and a family's tragedy. Fourteen months later, after Katrina, Harriet Miers and the "Bridge to Nowhere," Republicans completed their immolation by briefly borrowing an idea from the epitome of failure, the Carter presidency. They flirted with the idea of a $100 rebate to almost everyone—even people without cars—as balm for the sting of annoying gasoline prices. Remember President Carter's 1977 idea to stimulate the economy with a $50 rebate? Actually, the $100 idea was even more risible: 100 of today's dollars are equal to 30 dollars in 1977.
Five days after the 2004 election, Karl Rove, appearing on "Meet the Press," was feeling his oats. He noted that George W. Bush was the first president since FDR to win a second term while increasing his party's strength in both the House and Senate, and the first president since 1988 to receive a majority of the popular vote—and a higher percentage of that vote than any Democratic president since 1964. Asked about having said that his goal was to create a permanent Republican majority, Rove replied:
"There are no permanent majorities in American politics. They last for about 20 or 30 or 40 or, in the case of the Roosevelt coalition, 50 or 60 years and then they disappear. But would I like to see the Republican Party be the dominant party for whatever time history gives it the chance to be? You bet."
But "history" neither giveth nor taketh away. What has taken away the Republicans' brio are Republicans' choices that have confused their voters—choices about Iraq and spending. Republicans stand convicted of not meaning what they say about limited government, and Democrats are suspected of not saying what they mean to do if put in charge of Congress. The most notable Democratic vow concerning how they would use power was last week's promise, emanating from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, that they would not impeach the president....