Howard Dean: Sensible advice for GOP recovery
For the past few months I've noticed that Dr. Dean has been invited to speak on many a cable news show and a certain topic always seems to come up. The depressing (for conservatives) topic of fixing the evidently broken republican party is always addressed by the good Doctor with sound and reasonable suggestions. Dean says that the GOP needs to analyze their failures, find out what caused them and take it from there to build solutions. One thing he points out as obvious is that they need to expand their message beyond the radical conservative base that offers no chance at strong national standing toward something more broadly palatable. The advice is actually reminiscent of a few of the steps I saw Dean propose after the 2004 elections to Dems who were downtrodden post-Kerry. Of course we all know how successful the party has been since that time and that it had alot to do with Deans leadership on party-building and infrastructure. All this to say that it is sad that conservatives don't see the gifts from Dr. Dean for what they are and will more than likely disregard and in alot of cases never even hear of his wisdom. Too bad, I like competition and a good debate that they won't be offering anytime soon if that party stays on it's current course.
Advertisement
I hate to say it but it seems that you are rushing to judgement, a bit gleefully perhaps.
I remember very well the long gloomy pessimism over the democratic party, way before kerry, I remember the conventional wisdom that democrats had no fresh ideas, offered no excitement and had no charismatic leadership.
It happens and it will happen again, it's only a question of time. The two party system is like a political metronome, it just ticks a little slower than a real one.
March 27, 2009 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm just looking at the evidence here. If you look at the leadership in the Republican party (not Rush) you will find little evidence that there is a gameplan for resurgence. House Republicans have just released an embarrassment of an alternative budget that has recieved scathing reviews from the left and the right. Senate republicans are for the most part just as uncooperative when it comes to national policy and most of the talking points they present strike me as out of touch. Furthermore, there are still the problems of retiring members and worse, the infighting with radical conservatives (a majority in the Republican leadership) trying to weed out the moderates that make logistic strategy that much tougher. That says nothing of the organizational advantages for the Dems and high fundraising capacity of the President and others. So I don't think I'm being judgemental, just pointing out the facts.
March 27, 2009 10:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, this is all true. But it's only March. It took Democrats years to recover from some of our own problems, just as it took republicans years to recover from New Deal.
I'm not arguing with what you're saying, but it's just such a microscopic slice in time. If this is not kept in mind, the republican resurgence and the democratic crash will feel like a life-changing catastrophy when it happens.
March 27, 2009 11:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Point taken and something about hatching chickens.
March 27, 2009 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink