No Country For Old Moderates

Over at The Moderate Voice, Jazz Shaw is still lamenting the Democrats' fiscal policy, but at least Jazz is now admitting that the GOP in its current state is no answer.

But this is also a time when looking to the GOP for a unified front offering sound, reasoned solutions to these shortcomings seems equally futile. I would first suggest that you take a look at Rick Moran’s column from yesterday, The Different Reality Inhabited by the Conservative Base. At first glance I thought some of the criticism in there, largely drawn from one study by James Carville’s Democracy Corps and a thought provoking column by Peggy Noonan, was a bit harsh. But on further reflection, it seems to me that it may not have even gone far enough. (By all means, follow the links to those two source pieces in addition to Rick’s essay. They are eye openers, and not in the usual partisan hack festival way.)

There has long been a reasonable amount of healthy debate in the Republican ranks, largely between the primarily fiscal conservatives and social conservatives. Such discussion is useful and productive. The problem is that, ever since their trips to the woodshed in 2006 and 2008, a variety of GOP tribes have been fighting intensely to lay claim to the mantle of being “true conservatives” and attempting to raise their standard as the definitive flag of the Republican party.

This has now reached the truly alarming stage after listening to certain “hard core” individuals who consider their definition of conservatism to not only be the single valid one, but a casus belli against anyone who doesn’t speak in the proper code phrases. The calls for “purging the RINOs” from the party in the primary process (which is partially how the party lost me back in 2005) have given way to much more hostile tones in some circles, as I found out while browsing the comments section of my column from Sunday at Pajamas Media.

Now, Jazz Shaw's idea of moderate is strictly in the Olympia Snowe/Evan Bayh model, but it's worth noting that while Obama is no moderate, he's not openly hostile to them like the Wingers are. The solution?

The point is, it can get rather depressing when you’re in the mood to have a reasoned discussion on the future of conservatism. Don’t get me wrong… I’m well aware that people such as the ones who left the comments I quoted above actually only represent a small but vocal percentage of an otherwise largely civil society. (As I pointed out in a previous column.) But the problem is that the chief forums today for such debate and productive discussion – almost exclusively on the internet – seem to be dominated by the loudest, most divisive voices. There is little room for reasoned discussion of serious problems which likely could be solved with sufficient elbow grease and cooperation.

The ideal solution, of course, would be the formation of a viable third party focused on moderate, states based approaches to social issues with a strong national focus on fiscal responsibility and accountability. Sadly, the two party system is too deeply entrenched (at least for the time being) and we’re unlikely to see that any time soon.

Blame both sides. This is actually an improvement, because up until now the problem was of course all solely with the Democrats.

Even moderates can be taught, folks.