End the GOP
A Democratic consultant makes the case for a real conservative party
Pollster Stefan Hankin, whose previous contributions have included “The Day Data Died” and “Rule by Minority,” argues that the only way forward for our democracy is to end the Republican Party and build a new conservative party.
by Stefan Hankin
The time has come to end the Republican Party.
Over the course of one lifetime, the Republican Party has become the party of science deniers, the party of xenophobia, the party of reactionary and intrusive values, and, as previously argued, a party unified by its distinctly anti-democratic mission to suppress the votes of people who disagree with them. Starting in the mid-1960s, the GOP made a conscious decision to focus on consolidating the support of white voters by any means necessary. In the nineties, Republicans did the math and realized this strategy was not enough to keep them in power, so the party pivoted towards organized voter suppression. This pivot was successful both in devaluing the voices of Americans whose opinions diverge from that of the GOP (aka the majority of Americans) and in contributing to the party’s stubborn efforts to dig its own grave.
Today’s Republican Senators and Members of Congress are enablers, architects, and creators of the political inflection point we unwillingly find ourselves in. Virtually all incumbent Republicans have ‘stood by and stood down’ as Trump erratically trampled on everything that gave their jobs meaning, including the oath they took to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Complicit, selfish, naïve, and criminal: these words only begin to describe their actions over the last four years. Sure, Senator Mitt Romney gets some credit for his impeachment vote, and we all know that Senator Susan Collins is very concerned, but these are extremely low bars considering the illegal activity and general havoc of the Trump administration.
Today’s Republican Senators and Members of Congress are enablers, architects, and creators of the political inflection point we unwillingly find ourselves in.
At this point it is clear Republican politicians have no backbone and no scruples. However, there is hope among former Republican voters and consultants who in 2016, sounded the alarm about the direction of the GOP. Their party, once led by President Abraham Lincoln, had strayed too far and they would not be getting on board the Trump train, private plane, or golf cart. Supporters of The Lincoln Project, a PAC started by anti-Trump Republicans, have turned their frustrations into action and have made significant political, financial, and creative contributions to the cause of defeating Trump in November. For decades, these Republicans have been part and parcel of the apparatus that got us here and they should not get a full pass, but props to them for coming to the conclusion they did. A more accurate prognosis about these Republicans, including whether or not they have fully regained consciousness, will come after the election.
For all those “never Trumpers,” there should be no going back.
Earlier this month, former Vice President Joe Biden delivered a speech at Gettysburg in which he spoke of President Lincoln’s faith in the “rescue, redemption, and rededication of the Union.” In our current moment where Trumpism has overtaken the Republican Party, if Lincoln Project-esque Republicans believe in a future with a redeemable GOP, they must set their sights beyond 2020.
Should Trump lose in November, the odds of him leaving the White House quietly seem close to none. When this time comes, the GOP will have a choice: to either join Trump while he further erodes our democracy every second that he contests the election… or to repudiate his actions and distance themselves from him immediately. This choice seems simple, but elected Republicans are scared to death of his supporters, intimidated by FOX News, and chiefly concerned with losing their jobs; hence why they consistently put their narcissistic interest in their own career ahead of country.
There is no redemption for today’s GOP so ‘never Trumpers’ should push for the only solution that both stops the bleeding and secures them a future in American politics: let Trump have his own party, or even better - let him take the GOP. This is an opportunity for anti-Trump Republicans to create an entirely new party for the modern era that is reflective of the conservative, economically focused ideology that once meant something to the Republican Party. It is clear the founders of the Lincoln Project –or as Trump suggested they be called, “The Loser’s Project”– are gunning for this type of reinvention. It is promising to see some officials, like Governor Charlie Baker, positioning themselves for leadership in the forthcoming era of conservative politics. Let us hope they are successful.
This is an opportunity for anti-Trump Republicans to create an entirely new party.
Yes, it is strange for a Democratic consultant to be advocating for a modern conservative party, but for our democracy to function we need two parties that come to the table with a willingness to compromise and respect for the Constitution and our democracy. It is essential for both parties to see eye to eye on facts and goals, even if there is disagreement about how to achieve those goals because this disagreement is what creates a functioning government. This ideal form of governing is not a pipe dream; Germany’s current government includes the center-left and center-right parties (the CDU and SPD) working together in a power share agreement. It is also the vision of our Founding Fathers, a government run by the majority, but kept in check by the minority (not the rule by minority we currently have).
How would this work in the US? First, a new party needs to be built from the ground up starting with a plan to run candidates in congressional races in 2022. Next, you make it crystal clear that no one in Trump’s party would be supported for congressional leadership positions or attributed any respect for sticking it out on the Trump pavilion. At the same time, leadership in the House (and later on the Senate and White House) would start legislating with power share agreements made up of the Democratic Party and the freshly branded conservative party (this would require probably about 15-20 seats in the House). The same approach could start at the state level where at least two Governors would likely switch to this new party right away (Baker and Vermont Governor Phil Scott come to mind).
This ideal form of governing is not a pipe dream.
The reinvention of conservative views on current issues makes for a more challenging pivot, but there is definitely room both socially and economically for a reinvented conservative party platform. This new party, to be successful, would have to be a party with progressive views on social issues (or at least non-draconian views on social issues). Economically, a conservative view based on last century’s economics is not a recipe for success. Instead, the focus should be on creating a more robust economic system that keeps the US as the global economic leader. This means shedding some of the thinking of the past century (or at a minimum, update the thinking).
Today, we don’t operate in a “free market.” Instead, we have a decidedly “free then closed” market: a market that is at first wide open for companies to enter and then cuts off competition as quickly as possible once one or two companies come through the door. This framework asks the market to be open to and supportive of new ideas, but once an enterprise is established, the anti-regulation GOP keeps the markets as closed to competition as lobbyists demand and as their influence allows. This stifles competition and has fueled the wealth gap that has grown at an alarming rate in the past few decades. More competition and upward mobility are not exactly anti-conservative ideals.
The next step is to stop making corporate America the defacto social safety net. In the end, it is not good for businesses or the economy. If companies are responsible for providing healthcare and retirement benefits, US companies will not be able to compete long term in the global economy. Let’s please stop with the ridiculous argument about government run healthcare versus individual choice. We pay more for healthcare than any other 1st world country yet experience some of the worst outcomes. If this is logical to you then you are neither “business minded” nor a good investor.
The new party can start focusing on what is good for the people while also unbinding businesses from unpredictable and unsustainable costs. This means creating a healthcare system that works for America, (likely similar to systems found in Germany and Japan, i.e. a cross between private and public systems). This means thinking about how we deal with helping people at the lower end of the income scale. We would recommend a conversation with Andrew Yang about his idea for universal basic income as a replacement for things like unemployment and food stamps. And yes, actually creating competition in markets. A transition to this new kind of conservative policy agenda is not possible under the umbrella of today’s Republican Party given its current configuration and lack of leaders who have any understanding of our modern global economy.
It is a privilege to represent the citizens of the United States, and the GOP lost its privilege to do so the moment it became clear that it would let itself be steamrolled by a President who lacks any regard for the Constitution and the future of this country, and lacks any sort of moral compass. Hopefully the results of this election will prove to be some kind of reckoning, but regardless there is no escaping the Trumpism that has become the Republican Party. The question now becomes how the anti-Trump factions will proceed. Will they do what they need to do to ensure there is a viable center-right party or will they try to put a little shine on the ever-shrinking coalition of older white people yearning for the 1950’s and live the rest of their lives on the fringes of the far-right?
For the sake of our democracy and our country, this Democrat sure hopes it’s the former.
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