David Frum, after surveying the wreckage of the decisive Republican loss in New York’s conservative 26th congressional district:
What does the GOP have to say to hard-pressed voters? Thus far the answer is: we offer Medicare cuts, Medicaid cuts, and tighter money aimed at raising the external value of the dollar. No candidate, not even if he or she is born in a log cabin, would be able to sell that message to America’s working class.
Actually, it might be worse than that. Let me rephrase:
What does the GOP have to say to hard-pressed voters? Thus far the answer is: we offer Medicare cuts for you and your children, Medicaid cuts for you and your family, reduced taxes for CEOs and other fat cats, and tighter money aimed at wrecking American industry by making our goods too expensive for anyone overseas to afford. Plus lots of wars and unquestioning support for the Israeli right! Don’t forget that.
That is indeed a tough one. Ronald Reagan himself would have a difficult time winning with that message hanging around his neck. But then, Ronald Reagan wouldn’t be able to win the Republican nomination these days in the first place. Too liberal by far. So I guess it’s a moot point.
