The Next Move in the Republican Meltdown
By Andrew Rosenthal, NYT
October 9, 2015 1:12 pm
If you need more evidence of how confused and rudderless the House Republicans are, look no further than today’s editorial in the conservative National Review calling on Paul Ryan of Wisconsin to run for speaker of the House.
It’s a rather bleak analysis of the state of the party, and a plea for attention from the increasingly irrelevant conservative establishment. “To be an effective force in moving public policy in a conservative direction, House Republicans need both unity and direction,” the editorial said.
The Republicans moved way past conservatism long ago. Their prescriptions for the country, even their ideas about the role of government bear almost no resemblance to conservative values as defined in American politics for generations. Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, even Ronald Reagan would be apostates in this Republican Party.
House Speaker John Boehner was driven out for not being right wing enough. Then, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, even more right wing than Mr. Boehner, was found ideologically wanting. That leaves a confused field of contenders, including Daniel Webster of Florida, a charter member of the kooky right. He is one of those Republicans who portray government as the enemy but has been feeding at the public trough for most of his adult life, first in the Florida legislature and now in Washington.
(More here.)
October 9, 2015 1:12 pm
If you need more evidence of how confused and rudderless the House Republicans are, look no further than today’s editorial in the conservative National Review calling on Paul Ryan of Wisconsin to run for speaker of the House.
It’s a rather bleak analysis of the state of the party, and a plea for attention from the increasingly irrelevant conservative establishment. “To be an effective force in moving public policy in a conservative direction, House Republicans need both unity and direction,” the editorial said.
The Republicans moved way past conservatism long ago. Their prescriptions for the country, even their ideas about the role of government bear almost no resemblance to conservative values as defined in American politics for generations. Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, even Ronald Reagan would be apostates in this Republican Party.
House Speaker John Boehner was driven out for not being right wing enough. Then, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, even more right wing than Mr. Boehner, was found ideologically wanting. That leaves a confused field of contenders, including Daniel Webster of Florida, a charter member of the kooky right. He is one of those Republicans who portray government as the enemy but has been feeding at the public trough for most of his adult life, first in the Florida legislature and now in Washington.
(More here.)
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