Immediately following the election of Barack Obama just under a year ago, there was a great deal of talk about “bi-partisanship” or the more honorable “post-partisanship”. In building his cabinet, Obama gathered experts with a wide diversity of opinions with little regard for political party. The term “post-partisanship” has since become kind of a point of mockery among conservative pundits. Who knew that the Republican party would be the one forced to deal with post-partisan problems, not with moderates as Obama supporters were looking for but with the ideological right?
One of the reasons for success for conservatives in the past has been the ability to accept center-right members into a coalition with the farther-right. This does not appear to be the case anymore. The NY-23 race is shaping up to be a showdown between different grades of conservatism. With newly energized conservative activists, there is no need for a large political party or to include moderate donors because the money is coming from elsewhere. For one, Fox News’ coverage has definitely moved away from a flailing Republican party. Example: Glenn Beck. He’s angry at anybody that disagrees with his view of the world, regardless of party affiliation. He has also managed to orchestrate a number of respectable crowds at his 9/12 tea party protests.
This will not end well for the Republicans or the conservative movement as a whole. Opinion polls put Republican’s support at dismal levels just a year before the midterm elections. With their current direction, Republicans look to be headed toward self-immolation.
