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The GOP Power Vacuum
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Is Rush Limbaugh the leader of the GOP? AP Photo/Rob Carr
The Republican Party is out of power, divided, and really sputtering along as we sit a little more than a year away from the Mid Term elections of 2010. There seems to be as many as three major factions of the party; New Conservatives in the style of former President George W. Bush, Stronger Conservatives in the style of Former Vice President Dick Cheney, and the right wing whack jobs in the style of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
One thing though is becoming clear the GOP needs to get its act together and fast. Or they will get crushed yet again in the mid term elections, and be farther behind in their bid for the White House in 2012.
In a recent poll conducted by USA today, 52% of those asked could not identify the leader of the Republican Party. That is not a good number, and even I a conservative commentator would have to think long and hard about how to answer that question.
Of course I know Michael Steele is the Head of the party, and that there area few up comers guys like Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana but I see no one person as being at the head of this party.
If we look back in recent history to 1994 we see that having one person craft and define the message is how the GOP can come roaring back. In 1994 Newt Gingrich crafted his Contract with America and led a GOP revolution that ended up with Newt being the Speaker of the House.
Even though large portions of the Contract with America’s text were lifted from the speeches of Ronald Regan it was a rallying point. It was a tool for all GOP candidates to say this is what we believe in, and this is what we are going to do about it. The public ate it up and swept many GOP candidates into office.
This is exactly what the GOP needs today. They need a rallying point, a firebrand that can stand up and accurately say we are not happy with how things have progressed under President Obama and this is what we are going to do about it.
If we stop and think about 2010 has a lot of similarities to 1994. We have a very liberal President who is pushing a very liberal agenda. If the GOP could find their standard bearer there is a very good chance of repeating the mid term election success of 1994.
The problem is there does not seem to be a Republican out there who is capable of accomplishing this. This party needs a rallying figure that can bring the three factions of the party together and unite them against the liberals. Until that figure emerges the GOP may remain out of power.
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