What do 2008, 1992, and 1976 all have in common? Each of those years saw the GOP out of power, serving as the minority. But more importantly, was what happen in the months and years after those defeats; strong leaders emerged and the GOP returned to its Conservative principals:
“…….Republicans are clearly better as a bottom-up party." The closer government is to the people, the better it is able to serve. What Barbour describes as a four part recovery plan is extremely similar to the type of approach that Ronald Regan recommended in 1977, and what has served the GOP well in the past:
- Rebuild state parties
- Rebuild the party's small-donor base
- Push the party to the cutting edge of political-communications technology
- Convince voters Republicans had fresh ideas
But at some point the GOP needs to stay committed to these four points, and stop “dusting” them off after each defeat. The fact that two of the four recovery points start with “rebuild” explains why the GOP currently is the minority.
What is more crucial is for the GOP, and in particular Conservatives, to resist the temptation of “Counterfeit Conservatives” to govern as moderates. The defeats in 2008, 1992, and 1976, all followed moderate (some would argue quasi-liberal) leadership on the part of the GOP. Fortunately, the Democrats lack of discipline has resulted in only temporary majority control in recent history. Lets hope history repeats itself.
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