Recently Dick Cheney said it was a mistake for the GOP to moderate. I, however, believe that is exactly what the Republican Party must do in order to take back control of Congress and the White House. In an interview, Cheney said that it was the fundamental beliefs of the Republican Party that should prevail, and that if you compromise and “moderate” then you are not being true to the party. Remember the old saying, “cut of your nose to spite your face”? That is Cheney’s answer, and many other very conservative members in the Republican Party, to bring back the GOP. It can’t and won’t work.
Does it seem like the Democratic Party is more liberal today than in a long time? Yes. Is it because the party went more left and excluded moderates to win Congress and the White House? No, instead it was the exact opposite. Democrats won control because they appealed to moderates in both parties and independents. They ran very moderate to conservative Democrats in more conservative districts…and won. Cheney says it would be a mistake for the Republicans to mimic this strategy. Wrong to mimic a strategy that works? Do all the Democratic members in Congress agree on every point? Absolutely not, how could they? But, that is Cheney’s answer to saving the Republicans. They need to purify the party and only have members that believe in the fundamentals of small government and socially conservative issues.
This coming from former Vice President Cheney is no surprise. Over the past nine years, even longer by some accounts, the GOP has been slowly killing off the moderate and liberal Republicans by steering the party sharply to the right. There are very few Republican Congressman in the North anymore, with only three Republican Senators in the Northeast. Of course, the "true" Republicans called these people RINOs. Republicans in name only. But, the West and parts of the Republican stronghold in the South are turning more Democrat, too. Does this mean that everyone wants bigger government or everyone subscribes to the extreme liberal mantra? Not at all. I still tend to believe that most Americans, given the choice, what a smaller government, are somewhat fiscally conservative and don't like quick changes in social norms. That doesn't mean Americans are far right conservatives, though.
Looking at the trends from younger Americans, who will continue to make up more of the electorate, the Republican message of social conservatism will be grounds for making the GOP even smaller. Would Republicans rather have only twenty or thirty Senators, but stay true to their some of their core beliefs? Or would they rather moderate to prevent extreme liberalism and socialism from sweeping the country? Dick would rather have the former. Cut of his nose to spite his face. I guess his comments frustrate me even more, because it completely cuts libertarians out of the party, which probably will become a larger part of the Republican Party as Cheney’s generation fades into the pastures. We do believe in a smaller government. We believe in fiscal responsibility. But, we also believe that people should be allowed to live their lives however the heck they want to, so long as it doesn’t hurt others.
If the Republican Party continues to the right, they are doomed. They will ultimately regulate the party to permanent minority status, until they join up with a new party formed from moderate Democrats and Independents who can no longer stomach the far left and their ways. I'll call this party the Republicrats.
Life is built around compromises. We don’t live in a black and white world, but one filled with gray. We compromise with our jobs, our friends, our family...we compromise on everything. Why would it make sense for the Republican Party not to compromise? If it does, it brings in more members and at least can obtain some of its goals and prevent the extreme goals of the new Democrats. If it doesn’t, like Mr. Cheney suggests, its left to watch the Democrats do whatever it wants with America. Dick Cheney and his fellow ultra conservatives are wrong on this topic. If Republicans want to have a voice in Washington again, they need to make some compromises and invite back the moderates. Reclaim parts of the North, South and the West. Sure, the Republicans won't be able to agree on everything if this happens. But they will be able to agree on a lot more than they can with the Nancy Peolsi's and Harry Reid's of the Congress.
I hope for all American’s sake, that the GOP disregards Cheney’s advice and creates a party that invites conservatives, moderates and libertarians to work together in achieve the truly most important goals of smaller government and fiscal restraints.
