Politically, they’re in the wilderness, with Barack Obama’s popularity stubbornly high, and wide Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. But there’s also a deeper sense of crisis: a worry within the movement that the Republican Party has lost its identity as the party of ideas. Full Story »
Posted by Derek Hawkins
This is an interesting and important story about conservatives and some new ideas. Two concerns come to mind. First none of these idea sources are part of the current political system. And second for any of these ideas to advance and become widely acceptable, they must be acceptable to current political conservatives.
This is the positive part. Getting new ideas to be acceptable to current and upcoming political leaders is the hard part.
Putting "conservative" and "thinkers" in the same title creates an oxymoronic starting point, given that the present GOP is neither conservative nor thinkers. It does not get much better when he puts forth that the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan were meant to spread freedom. Then he taps into an economist who embraces the free market myth. He adds a sociologist who mistakes correlation for cause and effect. A blogger, and a Palin supporter round out his cast of thinkers.
The GOP has never been the party of ideas. It has been the party of big money with an ability to market bad ideas and foist them on the public against the interests of that public.
“It can take a long time,” she says, “but bad ideas do tend to die.” More »
A strong democracy requires a loyal opposition. But not just any old loyal opposition but rather one that brings to the field of battle a platform built on strong intellectual underpinnings, not mindless dogma. Today's GOP has sold it's soul to the lowest common denominator base.
There is no shortage of ideas. Obama is the biggest force working for the Republicans. He is digging a big hole for the Democrats.
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