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| Yes | 67% | 122 votes | Total: 183 votes | |
| No | 33% | 61 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesIn my opinion, if it's not broken, it's well on its way. It just doesn't stand for what it once did. The recent and present party officials in power have slowly been moving the party away from its once proud tradition of standing for smaller government and more personal freedom for all Americans.
John McCain has captured the nomination but he certainly isn't the most conservative candidate of the field. Indeed, he would be considered the least conservative. I can't help but think that this may lead to a Democrat in the white house. I think he would stand a better chance of winning against Hillary, but the momentum has shifted toward Obama and if it's a choice between Obama and McCain, Obama will win simply because the American public is sick of the war in Iraq and the Bush (Republican) administration in general. They will see Obama as the candidate of change and McCain as simply more of the same.
So why are the so-called conservative power brokers and the Republican Party backing him? Why are they backing the least conservative candidate in the field? I think they have strayed from the Republican Party's platform. It appears to me that they have moved the party more toward the left so it's not going to be as clear of a choice for the voters come November.
The Republican Party is the party of freedom, "the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person's dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored." Our personal freedoms are constantly being eroded away by the ever increasing intrusion into our lives by the federal government. The premise to limit the power and scope of the federal government and put more power in the hands of the states has always been a Republican ideal. But now they seem to be following the Democrats down the road of bigger and more government, higher spending and more involvement in the affairs of other countries.
Thomas Jefferson once said that we should have "Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations-entangling alliances with none" He knew that it was essential to have good relationships and free trade with other countries but wrong to get involved and try to influence or control their affairs. He was right then and it's right now but the Party has moved away from this simple premise.
In some ways, John McCain will appeal to the more moderate Republicans. A lot of people are conservative in some ways but lean more toward what is traditionally considered a liberal point of view on issues such as the environment, global warming and alternative fuels. John McCain will appeal to these more moderate Republicans but on one key issue, he will not.
I believe we are at a point in our history when a lot of Americans are starting to believe we should get our troops and influence out of most other countries in the world. The Republican Party is not offering any indication that this is their goal. McCain comes off as just the opposite, a person that easily commits our troops at the drop of a hat and believes that we should continue or even increase our influence around the world. This may be his downfall in the end. Anyone that believes we should get out of the Middle East and other places around the world will have a hard time getting behind him.
The only thing the GOP has going for it at the moment that will appeal to voters is the ideal of lower taxes. It's clear that either Clinton or Obama in office will result in much higher taxes to pay for all the programs and even more government control that they are touting.
Voters are faced with the choice of lower taxes but a continuing war or a promised withdrawal from Iraq but paying much higher taxes. In the minds of many voters, there is no clear best choice here. It's either one bad thing or the other bad thing.
We need someone that will bring our troops home from Iraq and around the world but also lower taxes and revamp the federal government by downsizing and making it more efficient. That's what the Republicans should be offering but they're not and I think it's a big, big mistake.
One thing seems clear. America has gone down the wrong road and I'm afraid that none of the present candidates, Republican or Democrat are offering the solution.
Learn more about this author, MJ Miller.
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No
The Republican Party, while it isn't functioning particularly well at the moment, is far from broken. The fact of the matter is that the party is strong, particularly at the grassroots, and that there are other significant forces at work that have created much of the party tensions that have occurred in the last decade or so.
One example that critics often use to suggest that the Republican Party is broken is the nomination of John McCain as the 2008 presidential candidate. McCain was far from the most conservative of the potential nominees, and he has, for many years, voted against the majority of the Republican party on important issues. McCain's nomination, however, doesn't reflect a brokenness in the Republican party; Rather, it reflects a brokenness in the primary system. McCain would never have won the Republican primary if it weren't for crossover voters from the Democratic party. McCain tracks well with Democrats, and this is what put him over the top. The primaries are no longer representative of what the party wants, but of what the general populous in a given state wants. If this problem isn't resolved, it will eventually break both of the parties, not just the Republicans, because the candidates will no longer truly be party candidates, but populist candidates. This is bad, for both parties.
The fact of the matter is that, at the grassroots level, there are many more Goldwater/Reagan conservative Republicans than there are Rockefeller/McCain moderates. This is not a new fight for Republicans. Conservatives maintain a strong hold on local and state Republican offices, and in the House of Representatives. Most of the Republicans in the Senate, as well, are on the conservative side.
The Republican party machine is functioning well. The fund-raising mechanisms and the organization are well-oiled, and are today demonstrating their health. While Republicans will always struggle with the Conservative-Moderat e debate, the fact is that, by and large, Republicans are of one mind. Fixing issues like the primary system will, in the long run, insure the continued success of the party.
Learn more about this author, John W. Paulus.
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