In a night when Republicans are celebrating wins in Virginia and New Jersey, one election (NY-23) has put a spotlight on the dangerous practice of Republicans throwing their own candidates under a huge Tea Party bus.
I love how Republicans always claim that they’re fans of “local control”. Really?? Then why did those same Republicans overturn the decision of local Republicans from New York? How would Orange County Republicans feel if New York Republicans spent money and energy undermining a candidate that was selected by their local party?
Let me be clear. This is not a post about ideology. I could care less how conservative or liberal Hoffman and Dede are. That’s not the point. The point is that at a time when Republicans should be coalescing behind the idea of recapturing a Congressional majority, they are being caught in a circular firing squad over exactly what kind of Republican should be part of that majority.
Can you imagine what would happen to the Democratic Party if they decided to eliminate Blue Dogs from their caucus? Political suicide, right? What makes Republicans think that it’s not the same the other way around?
Our country is not a hard right country. Our country is center right. What does that mean? It means the Republican coalition can not be made up of hard right Conservatives only. Ronald Reagan (who is ironically the sweetheart of those hard right Conservatives) understood this. He understood that the Republican Party could only thrive with a coalition of moderates and conservatives. So why does the Republican Party seem so hell bent on kicking those moderates to the curb?
For the sake of the future of the Republican Party, what happened tonight in NY-23 was God sent. If Hoffman (a third party candidate who does not live in the district) won, those purist Republicans would have every reason to continue their declared war on Republican moderates.
Christie and McDonnell beat their opponents by focusing on the economy and by talking about jobs. Republicans should take note of that, and 2010 candidates should model their campaigns accordingly.
Throwing moderates under the bus will spell doom for the Republican Party’s chances at taking back Congress. Let’s see if the Party grows up and realizes that politics is a game of addition, not subtraction. Talk about shooting yourself on the foot…
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