John Podhoretz thinks that Republicans are pretty much cooked these days. I'm afraid I find little with which to argue in his analysis.
If you want to know why Republicans and conservatives are in a political crisis, you need only consider the fact that the Right’s deeply held view now boils down to this: Taxes should not go up on the wealthy, and your health benefits should be cut.
The conservative movement and the GOP had better figure this out, and soon, because they are right on policy and horribly wrong on the politics.
And the politics are going to win out every time until the country is on the gallows and realizes its error.
The political movement that came to maturity by advocating for dynamic American optimism has morphed into what it was at its most pinched and parched in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s: the eat-your-vegetables-and-shut-up party.
There’s no light at the end of the tunnel in the Republican message, no promise of better things to come. There’s only the present stagnation, followed by a slow decline. The public will continue to live in fantasy rather than accept such a harsh reality.
In actuality, following fiscal conservative policies for our times would lead to fine scenarios. Yet, as long as Republicans are incapable of communicating this to the public, we're all screwed.
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