On the EDge: RIP, GOP

January 8, 2018 Utah Channel 3

OPINION — RIP, GOP. It was an interesting run, but now it is over.

Your roots were an odd mix of social viability to big-business cheerleading, establishing the Republican Party in 1854. As such, you truly were the party of Abraham Lincoln basing your tenets on standing against slavery and encouraging an all-embracing rectitude rather than the exclusionary self-righteousness of today.

But, 163 years down the road, you have lost your moral compass, your economic integrity, your heart, your soul.

The unraveling of the Republican Party began during the Reagan Era, when conservatism took a turn for the worse. Oh, there were loose wheels previously. Barry Goldwater and his libertarian flavor of conservatism comes to mind. But even Richard Nixon, his felonious activity aside, was a true, red-blooded Republican.

The neo-conservative movement, today called the Alt Right, can be traced to the Ronald Reagan era.

He looked presidential, he acted presidential, he sounded presidential, but that can be traced to his B-movie Hollywood training. As far as his acumen and ability at free thought, well, his former simian co-star Bonzo could deliver a better ad-lib.

But, Reagan knew how to stick to the script and his handlers crafted a shiny façade that secured his image as The Great Communicator.

There was more of the same with Dubya, who had more hands up his backside moving his lips than Kermit the Frog. His credibility was fractured by the presence of Vice President Dick Cheney and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, who really called the shots for the dimwitted leader who always seemed like he’d rather be taking in a Three Stooges film festival than running the country. Despite this, I’d rather have him in office than what we are saddled with today.

The fatal blow to the traditions and ideology of the Republican Party came when the GOP decided it needed to be more female friendly and pushed Sen. John McCain into picking Sarah Palin, the ne’er do well governor of Alaska, as his running mate. Suddenly, there was a living, breathing politician who believed in the burgeoning neo-conservatism of the drifting right wing instead of simply mining it for campaign donations and votes.

Before we knew it, the party rallied behind Palin, Joe the Plumber and Newt Gingrich, who redeemed himself after some foul sexual scandals. The party rushed to embrace Jesus, white nationalism and the demands of the investor rather than the men and women who fueled the economic machine.

In Utah, we saw that manifested when lifelong Republican loyalist Sen. Bob Bennett was ingloriously sacked in favor of Mike Lee, an ultra-rightist who would make John Birch blush. Rep. Mia Love was swept into office on that wave. Jason Chaffetz, who caddied for former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. during his campaign, then tenure, also emerged and was elected to the House of Representatives. The feeling here is that he is waiting in the wings quietly before taking on Mitt Romney to take over the seat that will be vacated when Sen. Orrin Hatch calls it a career.

Hatch wisely decided to go out of his own volition, rather than be KO’d in the late rounds by some upstart. You see, according to the new rule, Hatch is a RINO – Republican in Name Only – whose history of bipartisan negotiation didn’t sit too well with the disgruntled neo-conservatives. Of course, at the end of his run, Hatch was ticking off everybody from the left and the right and will leave office ingloriously after his hometown paper, The Salt Lake Tribune, wrote a scathing editorial demanding that he step down.

For what it’s worth, although I was miles apart from Bennett and Hatch in political ideology, I respected their traditional Republican positions. It’s from such fundamental differences that we grow and learn.

There was a certain statesmanship to guys like Hatch and Bennett, regardless of your political persuasion. They were savvy politicians, to be sure, but they were sincere in their conservatism. I spent a lot of time with both of them and we frequently had ideology sparring matches. But, they were always gentlemanly, always courteous and always passionate.

They were throwbacks to a time when politicians held more respect.

They were neither rancorous nor bombastic, although Hatch did take on a bit of an antagonist pose these last few years.

But, they were clearly old school and I always had the feeling that despite all the bluster and arrogance that comes with the territory of being an elected official, deep down inside somewhere they were more concerned with the welfare of the American people than in padding their own bank accounts or the wallets of the fat cat investors who give outrageously to political campaigns.

They were the guys in shiny suits and dull ties with wives in beehive updo hair styles and modest dresses.

They had bad haircuts and drove Plymouths.

Their kids attended private schools and held real jobs.

Now, of course, Armani has replaced J.C. Penney, stylists have replaced the neighborhood barber and trophy wives are de rigueur.

Instead of the diplomatic language and quaint customs of the House, Senate and White House, we have grunters and grumblers tweeting out monosyllabic threats and utter nonsense. The elements of truth that once were vital to legitimate campaign and leadership have been reduced to a few very fine grains of veracity and we are more liable to hear one of our Republican leaders describe an opponent as an SOB rather than “my friend across the aisle.”

The party has also become vindictive. If you disagree, you should be locked up, hung in the town square, have your lights punched out. It’s a good thing dueling was outlawed long ago, otherwise the steps of the nation’s capitol would be blood-stained.

No, this is no longer the party of Lincoln.

Not by any means.

The social conscience that was at the heart of the GOP’s anti-slavery stance has disappeared. Instead, Republican stalwarts are more liable to build walls, take steps to ruin your nation financially or condemn your religious beliefs than to embrace a burgeoning world community and its many differences.

When the change went down, the Republicans, who started out all touchy feely and into social advancement, swapped ideology with the Democrats, who, yes indeed, supported slavery and the Klan in the early days but evolved into the bastion of the fight for civil rights; took a firm, hard stance on building treasure instead of treasuring its nation. But, when the roots of modern politics were sewn, we still had a common goal.

Not now.

Of course, Democrats remain their own circus, an unpredictable, rowdy bunch more apt to roll in the mud cuss each other on the way to consensus. But, that’s the Democratic Party and, hopefully, it will remain so. The loss last year was shattering to some, still stings for the rest of us. But, it is not surprising. Remember, the Dems brought us Michael Dukakis, Jimmy Carter, Bernie Sanders, who may technically be independent, but in all other respects, is a solid Democrat.

But, I doubt the party will get all slick and pretty as it prepares for the 2018 mid-terms. They’ll wrestle around, duke it out and come out swinging at their opponents in unison this time.

The damage done to Republicans meanwhile, which has escalated dramatically in the last year, will result in a party that is DOA in the mid-terms as a result of self-inflicted wounds.

RIP, GOP.

You will be missed.

Sort of.

No bad days!

Ed Kociela is an opinion columnist for St. George News. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.

Email: edkociela.mx@gmail.com

Twitter: @STGnews, @EdKociela