March 17, 2009

Familiar Foolishness from the GOP’s Man of Steele

How long did it take new Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele to fall prey to the old “try to expand the party by throwing social conservatives under the bus” trick? What, about 45 seconds?

From Not-So-Iron Mike’s interview with GQ, on abortion: “The states should make that choice. That’s what the choice is. The individual choice rests in the states. Let them decide.”

Except, Mr. Chairman, states do keep trying to decide, on matters like barring the act of yanking late-term babies from the womb and sucking their brains out, even as the High Court keeps inconveniently getting in their way, with Republican-appointed justices casting the deciding votes. That’s why your party’s official position, as you suddenly discovered the day after your interview appeared, remains that America might just need a constitutional amendment to bring these solons into line.

On gay marriage (big surprise here): “The states should have an opportunity to address that issue . . .  because they will then reflect the majority of the community in which the issue is raised.”

News flash, Mike: “The states” have already addressed the issue. The score where there is actually a referendum or legislative enactment on banning gay marriage – as opposed to a judicial diktat – is 37-0, and most popular votes weren’t even close. One – count ‘em – one state-level constitutional amendment to ban homosexual marriage has ever failed, and that vote was resoundingly reversed just two years later. So what’s your point, exactly?

Maybe the Man of Steele could take a lesson from slick pols like Jim Courter, the 1989 GOP New Jersey gubernatorial candidate who cleverly counted on expanding his reach by flip-flopping to a “pro-choice” position on abortion. Yepper. Hiked it to 37 percent – versus 61 percent for Democratic candidate Jim (“Dump”) Florio.

Or, coming at it from the other way: How about Republican icon Ronald Reagan? The Gipper’s unshakeable opposition to abortion and expanding gay rights clearly cost him big time back in 1984. He did lose Fritz Mondale’s home state of Minnesota, after all. (By some 0.18 percent of the vote.)

Here’s an unsolicited piece of advice to the new GOP boss: Stop trying to “Steele” the show. Your “Everyone Likes Mike” act is wearing a little thin. Old Dutch didn’t try to win friends by sucking up to voter groups that disagreed with him and chucking his party’s most stalwart supporters over the side. He earned respect by sticking to his guns.

If the last two elections taught us anything, it’s the cost of diluting the GOP “brand” by ditching core principles, like budget restraint or social conservatism. If you want to do something useful, encourage Republicans who are taking a page from the other guys’ playbook from the last election – applying party principles to addressing everyday life issues scaring Americans to death.

Like health care, housing, falling 401(k)s and lost jobs, all of which could be remedied with a single cure: replacing our current joke of a tax code with one or more consumption-based levies (with the added benefit that most Americans would never again have to fill out a tax form).

Your name will never appear on a ballot, but the halls of power are populated with young stars in an actual position to act, who must also carry the day in upcoming Novembers. Put them front and center, and help fashion a message and platforms to make them household names.

Ted Turner used to declare, “Lead, follow or get out of the way.” Mr. Steele would best do the former right now by practicing the latter.