Bring Back The Reagan Years!
Sunday, June 10, 2007 12:38 PM
Base to GOP: Hasta la Vista, Baby!
Base to GOP: Hasta la Vista, Baby!
By Ken Connor
Success in politics depends on the ability of a candidate or a party to forge and maintain coalitions. One of the most successful coalitions in modern political history has been the “Reagan Coalition”, which brought together economic and social conservatives under the umbrella of the Republican Party. Preserving that coalition brought the Republicans great success, including occupancy of the White House and twelve years of control over the House of Representatives. The coalition that Reagan fashioned is fraying, however, and is on the verge of unraveling. The causes are many, but the coup de grace is likely to be the current controversy over immigration.
At first blush, the union of economic and social conservatives seems an odd one. The most influential among the economic conservatives are the “blue bloods”. They are fiscally conservative, but often socially liberal. They enjoy the trappings of money and power and see politics as a means of increasing both. Consequently, they invest in political campaigns as a “cost of doing business”, expecting that if they ride the right horse across the finish line, they will get a “return on investment” which usually comes in the form of tax breaks, financial subsidies, or limited accountability for their misconduct. Cash is the currency of the rich and powerful, and they do not hesitate to invest it in political campaigns. Financial concerns are at the top of their list.
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