Apparently, social conservatives aren’t too happy with efforts by Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to rebrand the Republican Party through the formation of the National Council for a New America:
The council, unveiled last week by Cantor and Sen. John McCain, is designed to be a “forward-looking, grass-roots caucus” that formulates policy prescriptions and communicates with voters in a way that could expand the Republican ranks. In announcing the formation of the group, McCain said he hoped the group would attract moderates and “like-minded Democrats” to a series of public forums around the country.
While Rep. Cantor, Sen. McCain, and the other members of the National Council for a New America want to reach out to moderates and conservative Democrats, the base of the Republican Party has branded the National Council for a New America as a misguided and weak-kneed initiative that is out of touch with the GOP rank and file. In fact, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who was not invited to join the National Council for a New America, said that it was “sad day” in Republican politics when “we think it is necessary to form a ‘listening group’ to find out what Americans think we should be fighting for.”
I think Mike Huckabee’s a smart guy, but I think his statement that it’s a sad day when Republicans form a group to listen to Americans is probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard a politician of his stature say. Republicans are in the mess they’re in right now precisely because they haven’t been very attuned to what attitudes of American people on the biggest issues of the day, and if Republicans continue to attempt to “fix” their party by simply getting more ideologically conservative/pure, they’ll find themselves increasingly marginalized. Most Americans aren’t far to the right or far to the left on the political spectrum; they’re in the middle. If the Republican Party continues to push moderates away, they’re in for a long rebuilding process.
Maybe what Huckabee was questioning is why we would have to or need to form a listening group at this point in time to find out what Americans are thinking. I’m not sure what McCain thinks he’s accomplishing but I don’t have any desire to be part of any group that includes McCain.
Huckabee 2012! 🙂
“Huckabee 2012!”
I was actually kind of surprised Huckabee wasn’t McCain’s choice for VP in 2008. I think he would have brought the solid conservative credentials that McCain was perceived to be lacking, and he had some personality too.
Yeah…me too. I have a feeling Huckabee didn’t want any part of a McCain administration. McCain taps Palin and then hangs her out to dry. McCain is a weasel (to steal capper’s name for Walker).
I knew I should have had that patented.
Ha!