Jonah Goldberg assesses the current situation within the GOP (
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NjIxMTJkOTZmMTY0YTExYzRjNWNhNGMzZDZkY2I2ODg=). There are now two camps: the reformers and the traditionalists. In their struggle for dominance within the party, they have to explain/account for 8 years of George W. Bush.
On the one hand, Bush did a lot of good for the conservative movement. He cut taxes, nominated two great Supreme Court justices, toppled a murderous dictator, and prevented another 9/11-type terrorist attack. On the other hand, the federal budget has grown exponentially with laws like No Child Left Behind and the new Medicare benefits, Republicans have lost control of Congress, he tried to pass a disastrous immigration reform bill, and the most left wing president in recent political history has been elected.
Now certainly we can’t lay all this at the feet of Bush. Congressional Republicans did a darn good job of shooting themselves in the foot. McCain was a born loser. The only reason most conservatives voted for him was because he wasn’t the other guy. I would’ve voted for an inanimate carbon rod over Obama.
Right now, the conservative movement has shattered among into its disparate groups: Rockefeller Republicans, big business, social conservatives, and libertarians (aka the tin foil helmet crowd). Is this permanent? Probably not. Just four years ago, people were discussing the decline of the Democrat Party. The fact is, this fracture is partially Bush’s fault.
Bush’s style has been largely one of accommodation. Did you know he let Sen. Ted “I-didn’t-kill-Mary Jo Kopechne” Kennedy write No Child Left Behind? He’s had nothing but praise for Nancy Pelosi when she became Speaker, even though she’ll criticize him all day long. Just recently after meeting with Prez elect Obama (with no aides present), Bush was shocked when details of this private meeting where leaked (
http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2008/11/11/20081111_204529_flashbol.htm). Bush never did learn how to deal with his opponents.
