To The Editor:
I applaud Dean Pagani’s criticism of the mavericky nature of the GOP in 2008, as expressed in his Nov. 17 column “Can The Republicans Rebuild By 2012?” The emphasis on mavericity weakened the party’s image for seriousness, issues orientation and leadership.
I think we are at or near the trough of Democratic decline and that the next 30 years will be marked by the domination of the Democrats.
GOP renewal depends too much on Barack Obama’s failure. However, an Obama failure would not presage a GOP comeback. Should Obama fail, the public will not come back to the GOP, and instead will enter a period of political lability, resulting in extreme labor unrest and civil disorder.
The GOP cannot come back as a conservative party. It must restore its moderate wing and if possible develop a liberal wing that offsets Democratic dominance in urban America.
Conservatives will find a home with the Democrats in conservative dominated areas and find ways to become electorally competitive with the GOP. Being a minority within the Democrats will enable them to sharpen their message and to carry the conservative gospel effectively to the unbelievers. The GOP simply does not offer this prospect.
Moderates will continue to find a political home in the Democratic Party as long as the GOP allows itself to act as the political organ of the evangelical right. The Republicans will require many years to work this out.
Unless the GOP is willing to embrace liberals like Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Gov. Donald Carcieri of Rhode Island and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York, they will cede half the population automatically to the Democrats. The GOP simply will cease to exist as a national party if it cannot find urban liberals willing to run as Republicans and provide Republican solutions for the ills of urban America.
The leadership of the GOP is too old and bound by ideology to respond to the challenges presented by Obama and the resurgent Democrats.
Similarly, the GOP activist base is too accustomed to negative campaigning, to complaining about media bias and too entrenched in the tried and true to venture out of safe GOP cantons.
Purple America will become increasingly blue, and the Democratic ascendancy ever more inexorable.
Robert Chapman Lansing, NY
