Is “Clown Car” Wave Of Future

Life for today’s Republican faithful is brutal.  Their hearts will not allow them to retreat from the party, yet their heads tell them a deeply embedded right-wing fanaticism and the resulting slate of presidential candidates is an absurdity.   Conservative columnist George Will pleaded for an end to this absurdity; “…that between now and 2016 both parties have to do some serious thought as to whether they can develop some filter to prevent this process, particularly with this mad proliferation of debates, from being hijacked by charlatans, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial charlatans.  The one who dropped out - Mr. Cain – he used this as a book tour in a fundamentally disrespectful approach to the selection of presidents.”

 

Peggy Noonan, conservative columnist for the Wall Street Journal, recently had a few choice words for the absurdity as well; “…Republicans look more and more like a clown car.”  

 

Nevertheless, there is still hope for the Republican Party.  It resides on two fronts.

 

This is not the first time a political party has been “hijacked.”  After the 1972 overwhelming defeat of George McGovern the Democratic brand was badly tarnished.  It was widely accepted that the Democrats had moved too far to the left.  To regain an image of political balance, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton spearheaded the creation of the corporate Democrat.  The Republicans are currently looking for a way to strengthen their image.  They too have chosen to move to the right.  However, moving further right for the GOP can only result in far right-wing fanaticism – the same fanatism that caused Democrats to eventually modify their positions.    

 

What is lost in the Republican message of today, and was lost in the Democratic message in 1972, is that neither the far right or just the Republican faithful, nor the far left or just the Democratic faithful, determines the outcome of a national election.  Those elections are determined by Americans who have not been indoctrinated by either party.  To reestablish credibility, Republicans will have to return to that reality. 

 

Secondly, there are still Republicans that are admirable and worthy of respect.

 

One such Republican has a clear message and vision for America.  While his political doctrine, is badly flawed, his courage to lead and his character in refusing to pander deserves our admiration and respect and thus our attention.  He is a rare breed today; “Some people want it either or – You either believe in something and you’re not in the race, or, you’re in the race and you don’t believe in anything.  I don’t understand why you can’t believe in something and still be in the race.”  He further states; “That is my goal- to make sure that campaigning and political activity represents true beliefs and a true understanding in what we are doing rather than saying superficially how do we win the race?”  This is not just political rhetoric.  Ron Paul truly “walks the talk.” 

A second admirable Republican is Buddy Roemer.  Roemer is a former four term congressman and the former Governor of Louisiana.  He is the only Republican presidential candidate with those political credentials.  He also clearly understands the single biggest threat facing our country today and has the courage to aggressively attack it; “You can’t tackle the jobs program, the budget problem, the tax problem or American rising without tackling the first problem – money in politics.  It is corrupt.  It is institutionally corrupt.  They spend their time getting big checks from big special interest.  It’s the special interest…who write the tax code. You can’t read it, it doesn’t work for America, it hurts jobs.  We give’ em away. They’re being stolen by unfair trade.  And nobody does anything.  You know why?  Corporations have never made more money they are right now.  They wrote the tax code and they really don’t give a damn about the rest of America.”

Roemer has been shutout from all the Republican debates.  In addition, the mainstream media have arbitrarily determined that both Ron Paul and Buddy Roemer are not viable candidates.  This is the same mainstream media and Republican Party that embraced the "entrepreneurial charlatan" with serious character flaws, Herman Cain.  Until the Cains’ of the party are replaced by the Roemers’ and Pauls’ – until their courage and character gain dominate national attention, the Republican brand will continue to suffer diminished credibility and widespread support.   

Republicans can survive, but they will need the help of the electorate.  Should Barack Obama, struggling with racist bias, rarely seen economic woes, and a badly fractured and misguided Democratic Party win reelection; and should the Republicans fail to hold the House and make no gains in the Senate; the stranglehold enjoyed by Grover Norquist and the John Birch Society “Tea Party” should be considerably lessened. The “clown car” will stall if not run out of gas altogether.  

However, should the “clown car” continue on a smooth unimpeded journey in the far-right lane of American political traffic, Americans will find some very rough road and very formidable potholes to traverse in the future.  But then, what’s a parade or American politics, without clowns????