The angst of American conservatives
The Republican Party enjoys most of its support from white working class people with minimal education
The writer has a Master’s degree in conflict-resolution from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California and blogs at http://coffeeshopdiplomat.wordpress.com
America’s Republican Party has devolved into an out-of-control carnival. After two consecutive losses in the presidential elections of 2008 and 2012, instead of working on its image and distancing itself from the ranks of extremists, the Grand Old Party (GOP) has dedicated itself in earnest to wooing the most intolerant voters. The party’s radicalisation has now reached a point where leading candidates are trying to outdo each other in their outrageous statements based on shock value — from Donald Trump insinuating that all Mexican immigrants are rapists and murderers to Ben Carson claiming there is no room for Islam in the US Constitution. In a nation built upon the efforts of immigrants and where one in every four children has a foreign-born parent, this campaign tactic seems incredibly shortsighted.
The front runner for the Republican Party, Trump, has recently introduced proposals that are reminiscent of the Third Reich. Last month, he was in the spotlight for stating that he would “certainly implement” a database to track Muslims. Harsh media criticism forced him to backtrack briefly from that idea. However, after the San Bernardino shooting, he suggested banning all Muslims from entering the US. He was also noncommittal when asked whether or not he would have supported the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during the Second World War. His response was particularly odd since the US has been globally shamed for the camps and has issued apologies as well as paid reparations to those interned.
On top of Trump’s ridiculousness, it has been increasingly difficult for the Republican Party to move away from the hallmarks of the Bush era. George W Bush left the nation with a crippled economy and misguided conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The latter planted the poisonous seeds which led to the creation of the Islamic State (IS) and has arguably caused more losses of American lives rather than protecting them. Also, instead of dealing with the crisis at hand, the Republican Party’s publicly stated goal after Barack Obama’s election as president was to deny him a second term. It spent the last seven years repeatedly threatening to shut down the government or force a fiscal default if its irrational demands were not met. Obama’s re-election should have served as a message to Republicans from the voters at large. Instead, the Party reacted by forcing a two-week government shutdown. These occurrences are fresh in the minds of Americans and they do not have the stomach for any more misadventures by radicals in government.
The Republican Party enjoys most of its support from an increasingly marginalised demographic — white working class people with minimal education. Ironically, this is the group that is hurt most by Republican policies of blocking affordable health care and slashing pension funds and so on. They were also the hardest hit during the economic collapse. Whether the party nominates Trump or not, rhetoric like his means that Republicans are most likely to suffer a loss in 2016 to a Democratic opponent. Will three straight losses be enough to encourage a shift away from policies of hatred, which seek to paralyse the government rather than serve constituents? Realities will eventually force a shift in the Republican Party’s approach, but coming to terms with a modern and more diverse American society is proving to be a tough pill for its followers to swallow.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2015.
The front runner for the Republican Party, Trump, has recently introduced proposals that are reminiscent of the Third Reich. Last month, he was in the spotlight for stating that he would “certainly implement” a database to track Muslims. Harsh media criticism forced him to backtrack briefly from that idea. However, after the San Bernardino shooting, he suggested banning all Muslims from entering the US. He was also noncommittal when asked whether or not he would have supported the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during the Second World War. His response was particularly odd since the US has been globally shamed for the camps and has issued apologies as well as paid reparations to those interned.
On top of Trump’s ridiculousness, it has been increasingly difficult for the Republican Party to move away from the hallmarks of the Bush era. George W Bush left the nation with a crippled economy and misguided conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The latter planted the poisonous seeds which led to the creation of the Islamic State (IS) and has arguably caused more losses of American lives rather than protecting them. Also, instead of dealing with the crisis at hand, the Republican Party’s publicly stated goal after Barack Obama’s election as president was to deny him a second term. It spent the last seven years repeatedly threatening to shut down the government or force a fiscal default if its irrational demands were not met. Obama’s re-election should have served as a message to Republicans from the voters at large. Instead, the Party reacted by forcing a two-week government shutdown. These occurrences are fresh in the minds of Americans and they do not have the stomach for any more misadventures by radicals in government.
The Republican Party enjoys most of its support from an increasingly marginalised demographic — white working class people with minimal education. Ironically, this is the group that is hurt most by Republican policies of blocking affordable health care and slashing pension funds and so on. They were also the hardest hit during the economic collapse. Whether the party nominates Trump or not, rhetoric like his means that Republicans are most likely to suffer a loss in 2016 to a Democratic opponent. Will three straight losses be enough to encourage a shift away from policies of hatred, which seek to paralyse the government rather than serve constituents? Realities will eventually force a shift in the Republican Party’s approach, but coming to terms with a modern and more diverse American society is proving to be a tough pill for its followers to swallow.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2015.