Playing catch-up with Rudy and Mel
Comments (7)
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 | 01:05 PM ET
By Henry Champ
Sometimes defeat sharpens the focus, and softens the edges.
For a decade now, the conservative right, the Christian right, and many other right-wing groupings in the United States laid claim to the heart and, some would say, the throat of the Republican party.
President Bush and his chief political operative Karl Rove certainly paid court to these groupings.
The White House took strong stands against abortion and stem cell research for example. They also helped institute tax breaks for faith-based initiatives and charities and supported those in opposition to same-sex marriage and all forms of gun control.
But as in all political parties there are divisions. Rights and lefts and things in-between.
Today's headlines indicate that the moderates and the left-wingers in the Republican party are flexing their muscles.
For example, consider the recent comings-out of Rudy and Mel.
On Monday it was announced that Mel Martinez of Florida, the first Cuban-born senator in the U.S., will be made chairman of the GOP in January. He will become the first Hispanic to head the party.
Just a few days earlier came news that former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani — one of the heroes of 9/11 and a liberal by Republican standards — has set up a formal committee to study a bid for the presidency in 2008.
What do these straws in the wind mean?
Martinez's new duties should help address a considerable fear among Republican leaders. Republican support among Hispanics dropped to 29 percent this election, down from 44 percent in 2004. The party knows why.
Six-term Republican congressman J.D. Hayworth in Arizona called for tough anti-immigration measures and opposed citizenship for illegal immigrants. He was bounced. All through the southwestern states the Democrats collected votes and scalps.
The decision to name Martinez was made quickly. The Hispanic vote is the fastest growing in America, and to fall behind is to imperil the party for years, perhaps decades, to come. Protecting that vote, the party bosses are saying, comes before new immigration laws.
The Giuliani bid on the other hand, while still exploratory and no surprise to some, signals a change of a different order. Why's that, you ask?
Well, Giuliani is a national hero. Covered in the dust of the collapsed World Trade Center towers, he rallied New York City and the nation in the face of the terrorism attacks in September 2001.
Before that he was a crime-fighting district attorney who went on to become mayor and lower the Big Apple's crime statistics by 57 per cent. While mayor, he rejuvenated several neglected neighbourhoods. His administration won wide acclaim for public school improvements.
His straight-talking populist image has made him a media darling and a regular feature on magazine covers and late-night shows.
But Giuliani has always been uncertain he could win in the Republican party of George W. Bush and Karl Rove.
For one, he is opposed to an absolute ban on late-term abortions. He favours gun control and stem cell research and he supports same-sex civil unions. He also opposes the Bush tax cuts and he wants an increase in the minimum wage.
A shift to the centre?
But Friday, Rudy and his backers sensed a shift in the GOP. The fight for the nomination will have room for moderate and even left-leaning Republicans.
And if you can win in the centre of American political life, as Giuliani has proved before, maybe even right-wing ideologues will hold their noses to keep the White House.
The face of the Republican party is changing these days. Donald Rumsfeld is gone. Bush is waiting for a Congress-inspired study group to plot an exit strategy for the conflict in Iraq.
Key right-wingers such as Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, and Hayworth in Arizona were defeated. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist resigned and his presidential bid appears to be disappearing fast. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is history, and on it goes.
The voters and the Democrats met in the political centre in Tuesday's mid-terms. The Republicans are trying to play catch-up with Rudy and Mel.
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Henry Champ is CBC Newsworld's correspondent in Washington, D.C., delivering Canadian viewers the latest developments in the U.S. political arena. Recently, he has been a leading Canadian voice on coverage of the war on terrorism, the war in Iraq and the growing concerns over the Canada-U.S. relationship.
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Comments (7)
Gary Dare
One name that we won't seen in 2008, 2012 and maybe never is Jeb Bush. The senior President Bush (41) broke down and wept last weekend while giving a tribute to Jeb who must retire as the Governor of Florida due to term limits. Jeb was the favoured son who the family intended to run for POTUS and then W fell into the camp of the extreme right (social conservatives, neocons). Bush 41 probably realizes that Jeb can never be President due to W's mess-up.
Posted December 7, 2006 05:19 PM
Steve
So what do you think guys...could Hillary beat Rudy? or McCain? I would say McCains view on Iraq will cost him the presidency if he wins the nomination, even though he is the best thing the Repubs have seen since...since...since...Reagan? (I was going to say Lincoln, but that really wouldn't be fair)...I also would say the Dems are going to look at Hillary's baggage (unfairly in my view) and go for someone else...Obama? Maybe...Edwards? Maybe...not Gore or Kerry...
I think Rudy sizes up pretty well against anything the Dems can throw at him.
Posted November 22, 2006 12:53 PM
Gary Dare
Thanks for the second, TH. Arnold is a great example of a liberal/moderate GOP, and he's not the only one on the west coast with a green streak. Many pundits have been saying that a western political ethic is beginning to emerge in the US: socially left, fiscally right, with an individualist libertarian streak. Between the US and Canada, I have personally found the centre to be about the same ... but you will find more people as you go further to the right in the US, versus further to the left in Canada. On the left, it is harder to see the difference until you leave the cities in the northeast, Great Lakes (Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul) and west coast. On the right, the US has a larger religeous conservative demographic and a right wing nationalist anti-free trade faction that has no Canadian equivalent. (Mind you, I have seen their counterparts in Switzerland and the UK.) Protectionists are split between left and right Lou Dobbs wings with the same complaints and objectives but based on different sentiments.
Posted November 17, 2006 11:54 AM
TH
Toronto
I have to agree with Gary Dare...the US is not politically homogenous, the degree of left or right changes with geography. For example, California cannot be considered a right wing state by any measure and even their Republican Govenor, Arnold!, is more of a Red Tory, Blue Liberal than a neo con.
The north east part of the country is by far more Liberal minded, lefty than the south. In fact the northeast US has a lot of political commonalities with Ontario than Ontario has with western Canada. Alberta is a neo con haven that would fit very well next to states like Texas.
Just because some liberal or left minded US politicians vote for US interests does not make the US more right wing than Canada. Too simplistic an analysis.
Posted November 16, 2006 10:56 AM
Gary Dare
Having lived in a number of US locations (Chicago and now Portland, Oregon), I often wonder what measure is used by people who claim (other than hyperbole) that even Democrats are to the right of all the Canadian parties. The Democrats are a wide tent party and while Bill Clinton and the Democratic Leadership Conference (DLC) were Red Tory, Paul Martin types, there are plenty of Dems who would be at home in the NDP. Jesse Jackson, Jr., John Conyers (slavery reparations), Charlie Rangel (his riding is centered on Harlem, NYC) or my old rep on Chicago's north side & Evanston, Jan Schakowsky. Please show how any one of them could be at least a Red Tory.
Posted November 15, 2006 04:30 PM
Lloyd Billard
I thought President Bush and his
executive team had reached a dead
end quite some time ago. I think
it is about time now for the current president to resign and
take his whole team with him, including Dick Chaney. With all the
political talent the Americans have that they can call on, none of the
present Executive Branch would be very difficult to replace, even on
short notice. At this point I think this is their best option.
Posted November 15, 2006 08:25 AM
Joe
Halifax
It may not be believed by most Americans but the Democratic and Republican parties have become essentially two sides of the same coin over the last 20 years and both exist to the political right of nearly all Canadians. Recent moves by Giuliani along with others only indicate a potential return to a Republican agenda much more in line with their traditional roots (while still remaining slightly right of the Democrats).
With the distinctly neo-con version of Republicanism loosing strength along with the truly bizarre and dangerous political power of the Christian right, America seems to be swinging left although in terms of the rest of the planet, will no doubt remain right of centre regardless.
What this means is that in the end and despite Democratic gains, if trends continue, the "small R" Republicans could also win the next presidential election. America is still politically right. People are just getting sick of the war in Iraq and tired of the many short sighted mistakes and neo-con agenda of Bush and crew.
Recent Democratic gains could ironically, have been the best thing to happen to the Republican party in years.
Posted November 15, 2006 08:12 AM