Out of the Ashes

Slate has an interesting article by Jacob Wiesberg comparing Karl Rove to the turn of the last century political operative Mark Hanna. It says a lot of the usual about how Bush has governed from the right and how that hasn't lead to a sustainable governing strategy. What is fascinating is that like Hanna of old, Rove has an enemy that threatens to undo his strategy. Hanna didn't like Teddy Roosevelt and tried hard to keep him off the 1900 ticket. Rove doesn't like John McCain and helped shut down his presidential campaign in 2000. McCain admires, Roosevelt, the refromer and trustbusting president. There is still a lot of talk that McCain very well might be the 21st century version of the Bull Moose, who will pick up the mantle of a reform-minded Republicanism.

Rove thinks as did Hanna, that a majority can be built on the far right. But you can't build on successes by catering only to one part of the electorate. History shows that to win, you have to appeal to everyone, not just a few wingnuts.

A year ago at this time, people were bemoaning the proposed death of moderate Republicanism. Then a curious thing happened. People started speaking up and speaking out. People like former New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman and former Senator John Danforth began speaking out and against the religious right's hold on the party. John McCain keeps plugging away at refromist measures like his recent work to get the militiary to actually follow its own rules regarding torture. Log Cabin President Patrick Guerriero wrote a passionate essay urging gay conservatives to come out and be counted.

This a roundabout way of saying that there is a movement for change in the GOP. We are not simply the far right. As a Republican, I am dissapointed by President Bush for many things, but I am proud of the many Republicans who toil day and night to bring the party back to the center-right, because only from that standpoint can the GOP be a viable party with a lasting majority.

Bull Moose has a similar post about this very issue this morning. He hopes for a Democrat that can appeal to the center. My hope is that it comes from the GOP, but in reality it would be great if both parties fielded candidates that are concerned about what is good for America and not just for their Focus on the Family/MoveOn.org bases.

Hopefully 2008 will be a year of substance.