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March 21, 2006
Republicans Can't Decide What to Do Either
Republicans find themselves in much the same boat as Democrats in that they are having trouble defining a clear agenda for their constituents. As mentioned here, and in other publications and web sites, the Democrats have had this problem for quite some time. I would contend that when a political group lacks leadership, everyone struggles to agree on a message.
Republican efforts to craft a policy and political agenda to carry the party into the midterm elections have stumbled repeatedly as GOP leaders face widespread disaffection and disagreement within the ranks.
Anxiety over President Bush's Iraq policy, internal clashes over such divisive issues as immigration, and rising complaints that the party has abandoned conservative principles on spending restraint have all hobbled the effort to devise an election-year message, said several lawmakers involved in the effort.
While it is a Republican refrain that Democrats criticize Bush but have no positive vision, for now the governing party also has no national platform around which lawmakers are prepared to rally....
One Republican strategist, who asked not to be identified so he could speak openly about the party's problems, said divisions between moderates and conservatives have left the House and Senate Republican conferences in disarray. "Getting consensus on policy matters ..... is very difficult," he said. "That has caused stagnation and led to perceptions that Republican governance is going nowhere."
In this case Bush is losing control of his party. Fellow Republicans move away from his problems and start looking for alternatives. They won't align with him in November if seen as a liability.
If he and Karl aren't coaching the team and calling the plays, who is?
Posted by Chip Spear at March 21, 2006 9:45 AM