Robert Reich. (photo: Richard Morgenstein)
’m writing to you today to announce the death of the Republican Party. It is no longer a living, vital, animate organization.It died in 2016. RIP.
It has been replaced by warring tribes:
Evangelicals opposed to abortion, gay marriage, and science.
Libertarians opposed to any government constraint on private behavior.
Market fundamentalists convinced the “free market” can do no wrong.
Corporate and Wall Street titans seeking bailouts, subsidies, special tax loopholes, and other forms of crony capitalism.
Billionaires craving even more of the nation’s wealth than they already own.
And white working-class Trumpoids who love Donald. and are becoming convinced the greatest threats to their wellbeing are Muslims, blacks, and Mexicans.
Each of these tribes has its own separate political organization, its own distinct sources of campaign funding, its own unique ideology – and its own candidate.
And white working-class Trumpoids who love Donald. and are becoming convinced the greatest threats to their wellbeing are Muslims, blacks, and Mexicans.
Each of these tribes has its own separate political organization, its own distinct sources of campaign funding, its own unique ideology – and its own candidate.
What’s left is a lifeless shell called the Republican Party. But the Grand Old Party inside the shell is no more.
I, for one, regret its passing. Our nation needs political parties to connect up different groups of Americans, sift through prospective candidates, deliberate over priorities, identify common principles, and forge a platform.
The Republican Party used to do these things. Sometimes it did them easily, as when it came together behind William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt in 1900, Calvin Coolidge in 1924, and Ronald Reagan in 1980.
Sometimes it did them with difficulty, as when it strained to choose Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Barry Goldwater in 1964, and Mitt Romney in 2012.
But there was always enough of a Republican Party to do these important tasks – to span the divides, give force and expression to a set of core beliefs, and come up with a candidate around whom Party regulars could enthusiastically rally.
No longer. And that’s a huge problem for the rest of us.
Without a Republican Party, nothing stands between us and a veritable Star Wars barroom of self-proclaimed wanna-be’s.
Without a Party, anyone runs who’s able to raise (or already possesses) the requisite money – even if he happens to be a pathological narcissist who has never before held public office, even if he’s a knave detested by all his Republican colleagues.
Without a Republican Party, it’s just us and them. And one of them could even become the next President of the United States.
I, for one, regret its passing. Our nation needs political parties to connect up different groups of Americans, sift through prospective candidates, deliberate over priorities, identify common principles, and forge a platform.
The Republican Party used to do these things. Sometimes it did them easily, as when it came together behind William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt in 1900, Calvin Coolidge in 1924, and Ronald Reagan in 1980.
Sometimes it did them with difficulty, as when it strained to choose Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Barry Goldwater in 1964, and Mitt Romney in 2012.
But there was always enough of a Republican Party to do these important tasks – to span the divides, give force and expression to a set of core beliefs, and come up with a candidate around whom Party regulars could enthusiastically rally.
No longer. And that’s a huge problem for the rest of us.
Without a Republican Party, nothing stands between us and a veritable Star Wars barroom of self-proclaimed wanna-be’s.
Without a Party, anyone runs who’s able to raise (or already possesses) the requisite money – even if he happens to be a pathological narcissist who has never before held public office, even if he’s a knave detested by all his Republican colleagues.
Without a Republican Party, it’s just us and them. And one of them could even become the next President of the United States.
+31
#
2016-02-16 13:04
RIP what was,
somewhat, a "democracy", many years ago (or just a better disguised
fascist terrorist regime than now - thanks to the free internet). We are
only seeing the last gasp of a dying war machine, thank goodness. The
stinking rotting corpses still sucking air and blood in congress and the
administration (and among all of the GOP presidential candidates, many
governors, many state legislators, and Hillary), are gruesome Zombies -
groping for yet more blood on the tracks.
+10
#
2016-02-16 15:04
Think I'll wait to see how the elections turn out before I decide if the GOP is dead. But, good article.
+5
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2016-02-16 15:53
Quoting Eldon J. Bloedorn:
That's right. They control state legislatures, which gerrymander and suppress voting so whatever is left of this party win elections, and do the bidding of the Kochs et al.
Think I'll wait to see how the elections turn out before I decide if the GOP is dead. But, good article.
That's right. They control state legislatures, which gerrymander and suppress voting so whatever is left of this party win elections, and do the bidding of the Kochs et al.
+16
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2016-02-16 15:12
Hillary is just Cruz Lite and Debbie is a zombie. The national parties are what you describe.
+18
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2016-02-16 13:54
There once was a man named Donald Trump,
Whose voice was all thunder and thump;
"His" people came to see him,
Their brains filled with whim,
What a vain bird is he they call Trump.
Whose voice was all thunder and thump;
"His" people came to see him,
Their brains filled with whim,
What a vain bird is he they call Trump.
+32
#
2016-02-16 14:13
Robert - what about the DFL?
It used to be the party of the people vs the GOP money party. Now it serves the interests of big money as well. Just look at the DNC's treatment of the Sander's campaign. HRC is not a DFL leader, she's a right-wing neo-con, well paid by WS and strong MIC backer. She is also strongly supportive of Israel no matter how fascist they have become. Let's face it, we need a revolution.
It used to be the party of the people vs the GOP money party. Now it serves the interests of big money as well. Just look at the DNC's treatment of the Sander's campaign. HRC is not a DFL leader, she's a right-wing neo-con, well paid by WS and strong MIC backer. She is also strongly supportive of Israel no matter how fascist they have become. Let's face it, we need a revolution.
+27
#
2016-02-16 14:24
You're right indian weaver. "Zombies-gropin g
for yet more blood on the tracks". These are the "me" people. There are
a lot of us out here who are "we" people. "We" have somehow learned
that if one of us fails, all of the species fails a little. "We"
understand that our greatest resource for the species are the
individuals of that species. The "me" people see only the trees and not
the forest. It's comforting to have someone like Robert Reich who sees
the trees and the forest.
+40
#
2016-02-16 14:30
Senator Sanders is
not perfect, but he is the best person for president, running this
election cycle. I believe that he will be motivated by the people to
change his ways if we insist he do so. He will owe his position to us,
not big money. But, just as he says, WE must make him and the rest of
our elected officials "toe the line". FEEL THE BERN! Vote for Bernie in
your caucus or primary! Vote for Bernie for president of the U.S.A.
