By Edwin Cooney
Back in the 1960s when I was young and
Republican, people were always asking “who runs the Republican Party?” Of
course, the reason why that question applied to Republicans was because from
1961 to 1969 either John Kennedy or Lyndon Johnson was the undisputed leader of
the Democratic Party.
Traditionally, the unsuccessful presidential
candidate in the most recent election nevertheless remains the “titular” leader
(or leader in title) of the losing party. However, not since the days of
William Jennings Bryan (the Democratic presidential candidate in 1896, 1900,
and 1908) has there been an effective, titular leader of either party. A month
or so following John Kennedy’s 1961 Inauguration, Sen. Styles Bridges, a
conservative Republican from New Hampshire who was the most successful
senatorial vote getter in 1960, was asked on the national NBC program Meet The
Press to name the actual leader of the GOP. Being the experienced politician he
was, Senator Bridges wouldn’t answer that question. The proper answer,
according to tradition, was Richard M. Nixon. However, Nelson Rockefeller and
Barry Goldwater, as reflective of the GOP future, were definite leadership
possibilities.
Since Willard (Mitt) Romney is more of
a political trophy in Barack Obama’s political treasure chest than he is a
political leader these days, the GOP, with all the Obama bashing it has been
doing, appears to lack a rudder, let alone an engine, to propel it to victory
this fall. Oh, it has plenty of fuel (money) and lubrication (anti-Obama and
liberal indignation), but at present it is utterly leaderless and
directionless.
One recent political commentator
pointed out that with all the presidential candidates crisscrossing the
country, not one of them yet has received the endorsement of a single sitting
GOP senator. Even more, the party seems seriously split into two and perhaps
even more factions.
The “establishment faction” led by
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has the expected agenda such as rolling back
Obamacare, repealing government regulation of businesses, and defunding Planned
Parenthood. That faction was somewhat strengthened by Governor Nikki Haley’s
admonition against the “siren call of the angriest voices” in her response to
President Obama’s State of the Union Address last week. (One can reasonably
categorize Ohio Governor Kasich and Jeb Bush in the establishment faction of
the GOP.) Then there’s the socio/evangelical element of the party egged on by
Senators Cruz and Rubio and Governor Christie of New Jersey. Next, there’s the
Donald Trump faction of the party that, if not checked, could ultimately be the
death knell of conservatism as practiced by Goldwater and Reagan. I assert that
because a President Trump is very unlikely to gain power with the blessing of
the GOP establishment, it is unlikely that he would follow their dictates should
he assume ultimate power. There is little evidence thus far that Donald Trump
will follow any idea or ideology except his own!
Finally, it must be observed that both
political parties have largely obliterated their traditional moral influence
that usually inspires a popular sway that is often generational. Franklin
Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan held considerable
influence over the political direction of the Democratic and Republican parties
throughout the mid and late 20th Century. No longer do party leaders hold sway
over the moral direction of their party. As for the GOP, neither of its two
living former presidents (father or son) has a sufficient grip on party glory
to inspire the future direction of the GOP. If they did, then John Ellis (Jeb)
Bush would be a lot further advanced in his effort to succeed his father and
brother as the Republican candidate in 2016. Voter discontent, money, and
religious orthodoxy have largely replaced the leadership role model that once
prevailed in the Republican Party. Even Ronald Reagan’s shining star has begun
to dim just as Franklin Roosevelt’s did in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Ronald Reagan and FDR had one thing in
common: personal affability. Reagan’s and Roosevelt’s individual affability or,
if you prefer, amiability often extended beyond their political parties. Sadly,
there appears to be almost a total lack of either amiability or affability
among the current roster of GOP presidential candidates.
As I see it, three elements run today’s
Republican party. They are anger, ambition, and financially-fueled political
institutional animosity! Furthermore, today’s presidential candidates appear to
hold each other in little regard. Hence, how can John Doe and Suzie Q. Citizen
expect any one of the potential GOP presidents to really and truly like “we,
the people!”
As for the Democratic Party, I’ll offer
my assessment of its leadership next week!
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY
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