I’ve been reading and hearing much about how the Republicans are wringing their hands, trying to figure out how to keep their party from imploding. Some take the perspective that, “We need to tone down our message and stop insulting people!” Others say it’s because of changing demographies. Everybody has a different idea.
Me too.
Republicans cannot appeal to, or win the hearts of the people they think they seek, without becoming something Republicans are not. It’s rather simple, really. You can’t expect to fill your ranks with voters you despise and constantly and consistently attack and seek to subdue. The recent presidential election just demonstrated that even throwing billions of dollars at the task won’t bring about the result you want.
Look at the face of Republicanism. Think about how the preponderance of people would paint that face. Of course it’s white. Of course it’s aging. And of course it has an intolerant look.
Everybody in this country, not to mention the world, knows that Fox News is a direct reflection of Republican core values. If you want to know what the average Republican believes in his or her heart, tune in. How do you possibly expect to win new converts when the drum you pound pounds against them? It’s not a matter of simply toning down your message; it’s your MESSAGE!
Regardless of whatever the GOP says, reality exists in the actions of Republicans. What do they do when they’re in power?
1. They gerrymander voting districts to ensure the spread of Red.
2. They create state legislation that chokes (and often eliminates) the availability of health care and family planning for poor women.
3. They protect the wealthiest among us from paying taxes that are comparable to what middle income taxpayers must pay.
4. They create state legislation that authorizes armed militias to patrol international borders. (How’s that immigration policy coming?)
5. They enact county and state laws that restrict and otherwise interfere with poor and minority access to voting.
6. They seek to curtail access to basic healthcare for millions by cutting funding to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
7. They give corporations the same rights as individuals. (Corporations are persons! Who knew?)
8. They fight any kind of gun control at every turn, and empower the NRA and gun manufacturers.
9. They continue to expand military spending at the expense of basic needs for citizens.
10. They do everything possible to fight against equality for gays and lesbians.
I don’t have the time to continue that list, but it goes on and on.
Let’s get real here. The core constituency of the GOP is white, male, middle-class or wealthier, Christianist, anti-women’s choice, rural (and proud of it), monolingual, mildly racist (or worse), mildly homophobic (or worse), incurious, under-educated, not well-travelled, and fearful of the “browning” of America. They get news of national and international events from Fox News; the wealthier, better educated Republican will include the Wall Street Journal editorial page.
That core will never allow the GOP to become something they, the core, are not. It won’t happen, and attempts to remake the party into something it cannot be will either force one faction or another into forming a new political party, or the party will eventually fizzle into frustrated non-relevance.
Believe it or not, I don’t want to see the GOP become permanently irrelevant. Seriously. At the very least, our nation needs two, distinct political parties that represent the views of the citizenry. But both (or more) parties must be willing to compromise and work together for the common good, not just the good of a fading (ignorant and bitterly bigoted) segment of society.
And Fox News needs to move to another planet.
Soon.
