My take on this subject (lost among the hundreds of comments tagged to Ms. Noonan’s column at wsj.com):
The first half of Ms.
Noonan’s column was the best she's written in some time. I was actually lulled
into thinking the entire column would be free of her usual vitriolic, personal
attacks on our President. Sadly, I was wrong. Nonetheless, she makes several
excellent observations about the many points of failure within the current
Republican party.
Listen up: if the Republicans truly want to become relevant again, they need to focus on the inherent truths in the first half of Peggy's column. They do look like "ants on a sugar cube." Here's how they can fix that:
Move away, far away from the DOA positions they embrace on "social issues." Safe, legal abortions are here to stay. The matter is settled. Deal with it and shut up about it. Americans are overwhelmingly fed up with the epidemic of gun violence that is unique to our sick, gun-worshipping culture. Stricter gun control laws WILL be enacted. Quit hiding behind the second amendment, which any thinking person understands has nothing to do with civilians owning AK-47's to hunt down Bambi in the woods. Grow a pair and be willing to stand up to the increasingly delusional NRA, and point out exactly where they are wrong. Get your nose out of people's bedrooms and accept the fact that Gay Marriage is, and should be, a simple fact of life. Move on.
Instead, Republicans, get back to the very basic "small government" principles that are supposed to constitute the essence of your party. Focus on fiscal issues, which really are your strength, and on which you will find widespread support from an overwhelming number of tired, spent, taxed-to-death hard-working Americans. Expose the long-term dangers of our ballooning national debt in terms that the average outside-the-beltway, apolicital non-wonk can actually understand and internalize. Put forth alternatives that will work (as opposed to your current, self-destructive, obstructionist and asinine ostrich act, in which "no tax increases under any circumstances" is the answer to every question.) Acknowledge that our current interventionist foreign policies are not only unwise, but unaffordable, and that the decade-old wars against ephemeral enemies have played a big part in arriving at this place of fiscal distress. Resolve to change course.
Do these things, Republicans, and you'll win the next election in a landslide - provided you float a candidate who understands the reality of real Americans enough to know better than to proffer a $10,000 bet during a debate.
Listen up: if the Republicans truly want to become relevant again, they need to focus on the inherent truths in the first half of Peggy's column. They do look like "ants on a sugar cube." Here's how they can fix that:
Move away, far away from the DOA positions they embrace on "social issues." Safe, legal abortions are here to stay. The matter is settled. Deal with it and shut up about it. Americans are overwhelmingly fed up with the epidemic of gun violence that is unique to our sick, gun-worshipping culture. Stricter gun control laws WILL be enacted. Quit hiding behind the second amendment, which any thinking person understands has nothing to do with civilians owning AK-47's to hunt down Bambi in the woods. Grow a pair and be willing to stand up to the increasingly delusional NRA, and point out exactly where they are wrong. Get your nose out of people's bedrooms and accept the fact that Gay Marriage is, and should be, a simple fact of life. Move on.
Instead, Republicans, get back to the very basic "small government" principles that are supposed to constitute the essence of your party. Focus on fiscal issues, which really are your strength, and on which you will find widespread support from an overwhelming number of tired, spent, taxed-to-death hard-working Americans. Expose the long-term dangers of our ballooning national debt in terms that the average outside-the-beltway, apolicital non-wonk can actually understand and internalize. Put forth alternatives that will work (as opposed to your current, self-destructive, obstructionist and asinine ostrich act, in which "no tax increases under any circumstances" is the answer to every question.) Acknowledge that our current interventionist foreign policies are not only unwise, but unaffordable, and that the decade-old wars against ephemeral enemies have played a big part in arriving at this place of fiscal distress. Resolve to change course.
Do these things, Republicans, and you'll win the next election in a landslide - provided you float a candidate who understands the reality of real Americans enough to know better than to proffer a $10,000 bet during a debate.
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