A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
**********************
I may be a bit premature
with this, well, I don't like calling it a prediction, because it isn't. So, let's just refer to it as a, uh, "future-probing observation."
So, here's what I THINK
I see as I probe the future:
First, though, we need to
consider what is happening within the GOP as I write.
There is an early
stage revolution in full bloom amongst the leadership of the Republican
Party. The so-called "establishment"
republicans are having their collective lunches eaten by the young lions from
the conservative corner of the party. Not used to being challenged, the blue
bloods and the country club republicans (sometimes
referred to as the "establishment" republicans) are having a
great deal of trouble holding their own.
In fact, they are losing ground as the passionate young conservatives,
tired of the pats on the head, the condescension, ... all the treatment they have received as
the red-headed step child of the GOP, are "kicking against the pricks"
of the party with a vengeance.
Currently, the GOP has no
national leader, at all! None! But that may be changing. In fact, I believe it is changing -- and if
early movement is any indicator, the new leader of the GOP will be younger and
far more conservative than any before him.
There is obviously a
transformation taking place within the roots of Republican Party out here in
the heartland. Young Americans are
becoming more and more involved in politics and many are finding they are
conservative. Their energy, their vigor,
their passion, their zeal has been
frightening to the old gray beards of the party.
These "young Turks"
are not the least bit threatened by the gravitas, the weight, of the establishment
republicans. They simply don't care. Going along to get along is NOT AN OPTION for
these youthful political gladiators.
They won't "go along" with their own party -- let alone the opposition.
The infusion of young, HOT, blood into the GOP could
not have come at a more auspicious time.
Without leadership, the party was/is adrift and has become something of
an after thought in Washington. While controlling only one
house of the Congress, the GOP has been relegated to fighting a holding action,
in
a defensive posture.
The young conservatives,
however, aren't interested in defending anything. They have scaled the
walls of the trenches, gone over the top, and are taking the fight directly to
the opposition in "no quarter" battle.
Consider this: In 2010, the Kentucky and Utah elected two U.S. Senators that would one day
become top GOP grassroot leaders. U.S. Senator Rand Paul (KY-R) and U.S.
Senator Mike Lee (UH-R). In the House of Representatives, Justin Amash (MI-3)
also won his Congressional race as a liberty candidate. This was a victory for
all liberty activists all around the nation. With Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and
Justin Amash winning their Federal elections, it sent a clear message to the
Republican Party. A message that rings loud today is the message that liberty
is taking over the GOP.
The liberty movement did not stop there,
and after two years the message still held strong. In 2012, Texas held a tough primary
election, but resulted in another win for the liberty movement. Now U.S. Senator
Ted Cruz (TX-R), has been fighting to put liberty on the platform of the
Republican Party. With a string of
election victories over the years, one can start to see the Republican Party
take a turn in platform."
SOURCE: http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/danherrera1/the-republican-revolution-a-future-for-liberty-and
There can be no doubt that
the Libertarian branch of the GOP has grown in influence and power in recent
years within the national party and more so, it would seem, at the grass roots
level.
There can also be no doubt
that the Tea Party Movement has contributed greatly to the revolution within
the republican party.
Look. Conservatives have begged and pleaded
with the GOP to take the fight to the
democrats and the party has simply refused.
Interpreting the hunkered-down position as a position of submission,
conservatives have decided that if they must go down they will go down swinging
-- in
defiance of their own party, if necessary.
Look for even more changes n
the 2014 election. More and more
moderate and liberal republicans will be challenged in primaries by young
conservatives across the country.
While we may not be seeing
the birth of a NEW political party we may be observing the death of an
old party -- and a rebirth of the SAME party under new management.
As I noted at the beginning
of this piece, this is NOT a prediction.
I am only attempting to follow the line of natural progression into the
future of the GOP, only -- as I see it.
The pale curtain that drapes
between the present and future prevents us from great accuracy in reading
events, which have not yet happened.
But projecting end results of current struggles and events would surely
lead a reasonable person to conclude that, once again, the Republican Party is
about to undergo a tremendous change.
One might say it is going "the way of the Whigs."
No comments:
Post a Comment