I have heard two interesting things on the Fox News Channel today that I think that those who do not respect this organization should know.
1. The person that can help unite the republicans more than anyone else right now...Barack Obama. If his policies work, the democrats will be in charge for a long, long time. Otherwise, a window of opportunity will open...hopefully before the consequences are too serious.
2. The GOP leaders are on a listening tour right now...good idea since the other guys are in charge. Good thing they invited Palin...perhaps they need to help refine her a little bit without breaking the bank on a new wardrobe.
What are the reasons the GOP is not in charge right now? How about George W. Bush? An unpopular president fighting an unpopular war who left the nation in the midst of a serious recession. Now that I see this in black and white it is as plain as the nose on my face.
Now, do the Republicans need a leader right now...I mean other than Rush Limbaugh? Well, let's compare 1976 and 1992 to 2009. In 1976, the leader of the GOP emerged, former California Governor Ronald Reagan. In 1992, the leader of the GOP in congress was Newt. Newt had some skeletons in his closet. He had to retire from office. The lesson of Newt is that if you claim the moral high ground, you need to be worthy of it. That is the problem with putting social conservatism first is that it requires righteous people. Everyone has skeletons in their closet and only Jesus can make them perfect. Social conservatives, however, can be very unforgiving.
Rush runs a very successful commercial enterprise. Most broadcast radio institutions are struggling at this time. Even some conservative talk shows are not attracting listeners. If this recession deepens, radio as we know it may become a thing of the past. But Rush will find a way to beat the trend. He is not the leader of the GOP, but one of the few voices that people are paying attention to.
I do not know who will emerge as the leader of the GOP in the next two years. Jeb Bush is leading this listening tour right now, but the Bush brand is tainted right now. There will not be a Bush in the White House again. McCain is there as well, but he had his chance. The GOP has a habit of nominating people two election cycles too late. McCain should have been at the top of the ticket in 2000. Those that are left, Romney, Huckabee and Palin all have their baggage. Conservatives are going to have to learn to be forgiving if they are going to be viable again. Otherwise, let's make H. Ross Perot 20 years younger.
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