On Thursday, the increasingly outspoken Lt. Gov. Bill
Bolling opened up about his decision to remain on the sidelines for a chance at
the governor’s mansion[1]
as well as the national Republican Party and its alleged introspection over
messaging and outreach.
Most amusingly, Bolling also had some “choice words” for
Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli whose comparison between the fight
against abortion and the abolition of slavery[2]
has caused something of a stir, to say the least.
Bolling remarked, “Any second that we spend being distracted
by discussions about whether or not abortion and slavery are comparable is a
wasted second.”[3]
Bolling went on, “I read the comments that Mr. Cuccinelli made and I don’t
understand why he felt compelled to make that comparison.”[4]
Indeed, it’s unclear why Cuccinelli says most of the absurd things that come
out of his mouth.
Instead of alienating votes, Bolling recommends that
Republicans find a broader message to appeal to a greater section of America’s
electorate. In what may well become a catch-phrase for the Republican Party in
the years ahead, Bolling stated, “We can be a conservative party, but we have
to be a mainstream conservative party.”[5]
While I would also like to see the Republican Party move
itself away from the far right of the political spectrum, it won’t be a purge
that is easy for more practical party members like Bill Bolling.
The element of ideology and far right extremism has by now
become a firmly embedded part of the GOP and Exhibit A is the Republican Party’s
post-2012 election answer to congressional losses and President Obama’s
reelection: it’s not the policy itself, it’s just a few REALLY extreme
candidates who dragged the GOP’s image through the mud.
But it’s not just the Todd Akin’s[6]
of the Republican Party that “scare” voters, it’s the Paul Ryan’s, the Rand
Paul’s, the Mitch McConnell’s who seem more interested in hoisting up ludicrous
ideological beliefs or big corporate backers instead of solving our country’s
greatest problems.
The Republican Party has a number of problems, therefore,
and they won’t be solved by a half-hearted attempt at soul searching. In order
for the Republican Party to truly step outside of the “wacko bird” sphere, it
will have to fundamentally purge itself, and I doubt that will happen.
Bolling’s fate within the Republican Party is demonstrative
of the outcome that others will meet who attempt to challenge the radicalism
that has engulfed the Republican Party.
[1] http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/bolling-rules-out-independent-bid-va-governor
[2] http://www.salon.com/2013/03/20/cuccinelli_compares_slavery_abolition_to_anti_abortion_movement/
[3] http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/bolling-gop-needs-new-outreach-not-slavery-rhetoric
[4] http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/bolling-gop-needs-new-outreach-not-slavery-rhetoric
[5] http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/bolling-gop-needs-new-outreach-not-slavery-rhetoric
[6] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/12/mccaskill-todd-akin-is-the-republican-party-base/
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