The Reagan Coalition is Dead

I like a good intraparty battle. I’m not opposed to the occasional primary or even a floor fight over a plank in the platform. Actually, I think it’s good for the party to have the battle. Especially the Iowa caucuses. Good stuff.

But, I’m already weary of the current squabbles in the Iowa GOP. I can’t get engaged if it isn’t a battle of right versus left. This is merely a personal squabble about who is in charge.

The right versus left war that has always raged in our party is a result of our big tent. That is no joke, folks. Remember that Reagan coalition of only three decades ago? Middle class union Democrats voted for Reagan in big numbers because the Democrat Party left them on economic issues. All socio-economic levels voted for Reagan because of the social issues, especially abortion, and because Reagan was not going to be a twit like Billy Carter’s brother on foreign affairs.

Conservatives lost the battle inside the party over social issues AND fiscal issues. That caused the losses at the Statehouse and in Congress. The Reagan coalition does not exist anymore.

The current fight is over who will lead. There are good people on the right and left that know what they want as far as policy goes. It is the squishy middle that have no ideological rudder whatsoever causing the rift. They can be given everything they want and they still are not happy unless they are in charge.

The pouting by moderates inside the GOP is embarrassing. “I’ve been kicked out of the party,” or “It’s all about the social issues.” When did we have the meeting to decide who we were going to kick out?

The fact is, the big government, special interest, moderate Republicans have killed the party. They scream it’s all about the economic issues, but then they torch us on those issues, as well. Joy Corning hasn’t been “kicked out” of the GOP. She’s upset because we didn’t vote for her to be in charge. Corning and those like her have taken their ball and gone home.

While Joy et al spread ill will in public, I will be talking with my family, friends and neighbors about the need to defeat terror, lower taxes, shrink government, protect the family, become energy independent, fight voter fraud, and a whole host of other good Republican issues. This current drama is not at all about the issues. It is an elitist popularity contest I want no part of.