1、COVEROutsidersvs.Insiders:TheStruggleftheGOPsSoulByJOEKLEINThursdayJune162011BrooksKraftCbisfTIME“BarackObamahasfailedAmerica“MittRomneysaidunequivocallyathisfirstNewHampshiretownmeetingrepeatingthesignaturelineofhispres
2、identialcampaignannouncementspeechadayearlier.UnequivocalisnotawdthattraditionallyhasbeenassociatedwiththefmerMassachusettsgovernbutthatwasthentheretoolededitionofcidateRomneyismuchimproved.Heproceededtolayouttheeconomic
3、caseagainstObama:16millionoutofwkhomevaluescollapsedhighergasfoodprices.InotherwdsObamaisthegrsonofHerbertHooverthesonofJimmyCarter.“Hestried“Romneysaidsrowfullyalockofhislessslickthanlasttimehairfallingoverhisfehead.“[B
4、ut]whathedidsimplywaswrong.Heextendedthedownturnmadeitdeeper...HowisitthatPresidentObamawassowrongIhappentothinkthatinparthetookhisinspirationfromEurope“RomneycontinuedcitingalitanyofObamasproposalslikedeficitspending“fe
5、deralizing“healthcare.“HehasbeenawfullyEuropean.[But]youknowwhatEuropeanpoliciesdontwkthere.Theysureasheckarentgoingtowkhere.IbelieveinAmerica!Ibelieveinfreeenterprise.Ibelieveincapitalism.IbelieveintheConstitution.“Well
6、O.K.ItwasntexactlyexhilaratingbutitwasthebestofallpossibleMittRomneys.Thecrowdrespondedwithrespectfulapplausebutnotrapture—IveneverseenaRepublicancrowdactuallyblownawaybyRomney—therespectgrewasthecidategavedetailedanswer
7、stoquestionsfromthesurprisinglysparseaudience.Whenaskedwhathedspecificallydoabouttheeconomyhehadasevenpointplanreadytoroll.HisansweronbudgetcuttingwasstardissueGOPbutwithahumanegloss:“TherearelotsofprogramsthatIlikethatw
8、ealllikebutwecannolongeraffd.“HebarbedtheChinesefmanipulatingtheircurrencywhichwasdownrightbrazenfafreetradeRepublican.HeevenchallengedLimbaughLawabitbysuggestingthatclimatechangeisrealperhapsevenmanmadealittle.(KingRush
9、respondedbydismissingRomney:“Byebyenomination.“)Romneysanswersdidnotseempretapedthoughtheyobviouslywere.Theyseemedthoughtfulinteresting—farmenuancedthanthecurrentconservativerepertoirewhichallowsfno“l(fā)ikable“governmentpro
10、gramsnomanmadeglobalwarmingnoassumptionofdecentintentbyahardwkingbutwrongPresidentObama.ItisthisappealwhichheeffectivelyrepeatedonJune13inthefirstrealRepublicandebatethatmightactuallyattractsomeindependentvoters.Inanmalp
11、residentialcampaignthisstoffocusedefficientcidacywouldbejustaboutallMittRomneyneedstowintheRepublicannomination.Heisafterallnextinline—justasJohnMcCainwasin2008GegeW.Bushin2000BobDolein1996GegeH.W.Bushin1988.EvenRonaldRe
12、aganfalltherevolutionarytalkwastheprimogeniturecidatein1980thenextinlineafterGeraldFd.Romneycertainlyhasproblems:heisaMmonwhopassedamateduniversalhealthcareplaninMassachusettsthedirectprecurstoObamashealthcarerefm.ButMcC
13、ainauthedcampaignfinancerefm—stoflikeservingpkfPassoveramongconservatives—hebelievedinglobalwarmingtoofawhile.whileRomneyisnotnearlyaswelllovedasReaganevenGegeW.McCainwasntmuchlikedbytheRepublicanestablishmenteither—Romn
14、eyhastheadvantagesofmoneyasmartmanagerialrsummainstreamconservativeeconomicviews...wellhestoflookslikeaRepublicanPresidentshould.yetthereisajitterysenseamongRepublicansavantsthatRomneyisastrawmanreadytobetoppledbecauseth
15、epartyhaschangedirrevocably.Ithastradedincountryclubaristocracyfpitchfkpopulism.TheTeaPartyerstalkshowhostswhodefinethenewRepublicanPartybelieveintheoppositeofprimogeniture.Theybelieveinthemalpurityofpoliticalvirginity.A
16、fterSarahPalinamateurismhasbecomeaTeaPartyRomneysMassachusettshealthcareplan—hehadcalleditObamneycare—buthedemurredawkwardly.Pawlentywastherebycaughtintheactofactinglikeapoliticianwhichisthemostcommonmistakeinexperienced
17、cidatesmakewhenthebiglightsgoon.Romneybycontrastseemedcomftableinhisownskin—themostimptantpositivequalityacidatecandisplay—afarcryfromhissweatyrobotimpersonationsin2008.(ThisisRomneysnotsosecretadvantageoverhismostplausi
18、bleopponents:hesdoneitbefe.)Butifthedebatelackedflashitwasinstructive.Itsettheideologicalparametersfthecomingcampaign.ThecidateslockedthemselvesinaphilosophicalspaceaboutthesizeofRushLimbaughsradiostudio.Ittooknearlyanho
19、urbefeanyofthemspokewellofagovernmentprogramwhenHermanCaingrudginglyacknowledgedthattheFoodDrugAdministrationsmeatvegetableinspectionswereprobablyagoodthing.AtonepointRomneymadethisstatement:“Ithinkfundamentallythereares
20、omepeople—mostofthemareDemocratsbutnotall—whoreallybelievethatthegovernmentknowshowtodothingsbetterthantheprivatesect.theyhappentobewrong.“WhichraisedthepossibilitythatRomneymightwanttoprivatizethemilitary.Everythingelse
21、certainlyseemstobeonthetable—CainwantstoprivatizeSocialSecurityGingrichwantstoprivatizeNASAmostseemwillingtovoucherizeMedicarealongCongressmanPaulRyanslines.ThisideologicalpuritywkedtotheadvantageofMicheleBachmannbymakin
22、gherseemlessextreme.BachmannisoftenlinkedwithPalinasaTeaPartypinupbutsheisadifferentbreedofcat:sheknowsherstuff.Sheactuallygivesfactualinfmedanswers.ShelacksPalinsbittersolipsisticedge.Sheskillfullyframedevenhermostextre
23、meresponsesinanamenablewaysmotheringheroppositiontoabtionincasesofrapeincestwithinapaeantothesanctityoflife.BachmannalsoledthepackinoppositiontotheLibyaintervention—itshouldbenotedthattheRepublicanfieldwassoundingremarka
24、blydovishwiththeexceptionofSantumonthesubjectoffeignwars.RomneysaidhewantsthetroopshomefromAfghanistan“asquicklyaspossible“butthenrememberedhedbetterconsultthegeneralsfirst.NewtGingrichatraditionalwarlovercalledfareviewo
25、fU.S.policyintheregionratherthanplumpingfmemilitarykiics.NoonementionedIran.Thisisafinatingdevelopment:theonlyplausiblespacefRepublicansinthenationaldefensedebatemaybetoBarackObamasleft.Butanominationracethatiscomftablef
26、Bachmannhastobeuncomftablesoonerlaterfthememoderatepoliticiansinthefield.GingrichamazinglywastheonlycidatewillingtoflyinthefaceofLimbaughLawrepeatinghiswriesaboutRyansMedicareplan:“RememberweallgotmadatObamabecauseherano
27、verus[onhealthcarerefm]whenwesaiddontdoit.WelltheRepublicansoughttofollowthesamegroundrule.IfyoucantconvincetheAmericanpeopleitsagoodideamaybeitsnotagoodidea.“WhenNewtGingrichisthevoiceofreasononaRepublicanstagetherightw
28、ardlurchofthepartyhasbecomeadangerousinbredselfdestructivething.EstablishmentRepublicansvs.PitchfkPopulistsOnthemningofthedebateRomneyunfurledatrulystrikingcampaignadinwhichheblastedObamaf(foolishly)callingthelatestawful
29、jobsrept“abumpintheroad.“TheadwassetinthedesertwithpeoplelyingparallelonalonelyhighwayatfirstIthoughttheyweredeadbutnotheywerehumanspeedbumps.onebyonetheygotupholdingpiecesofpaperthattoldtheirsties:laidoffrecentcollegegr
30、aduatesinglemomwkingthreejobscompanygonebankrupt.ItwasthestofadaDemocratmighthaveruninadifferentcycleiteffectivelyhammeredhomeRomneystheme:ObamaisHooverCarter.ThisisthesinglestrongestargumenttheRepublicanshavegoingfthemi
