Recording: A Crisis in Today’s Republican Party?
If you’re experiencing daily headaches and anxiety from the constant drumbeat of news related to the upcoming midterm elections, the daily exposure of ever more surprising revelations related to the seemingly unlawful behavior(s) of the former President, to the attacks upon our institutions and democracy, then you were justifiably optimistic turning to Class Colloquium # 15 for better understanding and a renewed sense of hopefulness.
Once again the Class turned inwardly, to radio host and traditionally conservative Republican savant, Michael Medved.
Michael exhibited a deep knowledge of party history, events, and precedents but admitted that none quite prepared him for those posed by the 45thPresident whose words and actions have overshadowed all others in the political and news spheres effectively shutting out or minimizing the voices of dissent and opposing views.
He addressed a brisk series of questions with solid responses based on party history and knowledge of the electorate.
He would not concede that the moderate arm of the Republican Party was dead, but he was unable to identify the Party’s savior, or when that transformation would occur.
He displayed the skill and sway of a committed Party spokesperson, promising that traditional Republican values would return with candidates
willing to commit to election integrity, reasonable bipartisan legislation, and support for the Federal government and its institutions.
Here is the recorded session. We encourage you to listen, enjoy, and draw your own conclusions. We do promise it is a good use of your time!
We got some good questions, some of which Michael got to:
- Is there a possibility of a third party of moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats?
- What role do you think the media plays in the current divisive atmosphere?
- How do you contrast the Liz Cheney approach of denounching Trump vs. McConnell ignoring Trump?
- What is the political future of Liz Cheney? What role might she play in the future of the Republican Party nationally?
- if the trump supported candidates suffer widespread losses, will the party then abandon MAGA?
- Many Democrats are voting for wacko Maga candidates. What if more changed party like you did. Might that have an impact?
- What do you think of HR 1 vs. the electoral reform law in GA
- Mike, What’s the likely impact on the election of the crisis on our southern border?
- Who do you think are the next generation in the Republic party (more obvious) and the Democratic party (more problematic) if Trump and
- Biden don’t/can’t run?
- How do you define a conservative, and do you still think of yourself as a conservative?
- Can we work together to have a positive influence on the Republican Party?
- How has the current political divisiness and vitriol affected you and your family personally emotionally and intellectually?
What has made tens of millions of Americans so susceptible to conspiracy mongering? My sense is that it’s not just “the media” (aka Murdoch) but something more anodyne: the 24/7 commercial goosing, groping, titillating, intimidating, tracking and indebting of Americans.
Half a century of this, ratcheted up as never before, is incentivizing ‘citizens’ to behave as impulse-buying consumers. It’s not malevolent; it’s mindless but algorithmically driven and very, very effective. Both parties are heavily invested in it — Hillary was on Walmart’s board for 8 years, and don’t even ask me about Bill –, as are many of us.
This critique is missing from our politics. No one will touch it. But what about Whitaker Chambers’ warning to Bill Buckley: “You can’t build conservatism on capitalism, because capitalism destroys culture”? !
A year or two ago I listened to an episode of the NYT Podcast “The Argument,” when Ross Douthat was the host, involving the interview of three younger (30ish) GOP activists and strategists. They were quite clear in their conviction, and belief, that the Republican Party of Romney, Bush, et al. was gone. They were prepared to make sure it never came back. They were critical of Trump but only insofar as his character was concerned – not his policies, to the extent one can articulate any ideological policies of Trump. When I survey the landscape, it’s difficult to find any “moderate” Republicans who are prominent in the Party, especially among they “younger” leaders, e.g., DeSantis, Rubio, Cruz, Hawley, et al. Maybe the closest to a moderate is Ben Sasse and he seems to have been marginalized. Maybe moderates will re-take the GOP but I don’t expect to see it in my lifetime.