Remember back when we were "turning the corner" in Iraq? Republicans tend to rely on a sort of hive mind, driven by talking points, that often results in them all "staying on message." That message is generally delivered almost verbatim, making the distinction between conservative officials and pundits a technicality -- it really doesn't make any difference whether that suit on a talking head show is George Will or Newt Gingrich or Peggy Noonan. They're all going to say what Frank Luntz -- the GOP's "messaging guru" -- tells them to say. So we get everyone on the right saying things like "turned the corner," "stay the course," "cut and run," etc. The hive dispatches the drones to spread the message.I bring this up for two reasons. First, Republican National Committee head Michael Steele has an op-ed at Politico titled "The Republican Party turns a corner." Second, the hive mind seems to be a little off its game. Steele, left pretty much on his own, has to go to the party's recycling bin to find a spiffy talking point and pulls out "we've turned the corner" -- which dates back to 2003, at least. Otherwise, his message is that the Republican party isn't going to change a damned thing. You wonder how long he lingered over "stay the course" before rejecting it. It's become too loaded now, but it just fits so well.
...We may be America’s minority party at the moment, but Republicans represent the views and concerns of a majority of Americans. Republicans across America -– from our national and state leaders down to our local activists and grassroots supporters -– have to get about the business of telling families how Republican principles of less spending, lower taxes, responsive and responsible government, personal freedom and strong national defense stand in stark contrast to the reckless policies we’ve seen from the president and Congressional Democrats in four short months.
"Principles of less spending, lower taxes, responsive and responsible government, personal freedom, and strong national defense" -- how refreshingly indistinguishable from the GOP that people voted out in droves in 2006 and 2008. And that whole "personal freedom" thing is undermined by the Republican stand against freedom when it comes to issues like reproductive freedom, sexual orientation and gender identity, and First Amendment liberties. The authoritarian party doesn't get to brag up its commitment to freedom, while seeking government control over people's lives... [CLICK TO READ FULL POST]
