Bob Dole: GOP should be closed for repairs, Reagan would be uncomfortable

Bob Dole no longer recognizes the Republican Party that he helped lead for years. Speaking over the weekend on Fox News Sunday, he said his party should hang a closed for repairs sign on its doors until it comes up with a few positive ideas, because neither he nor Ronald Reagan would now feel comfortable in its membership.

It seems to be almost unreal that we cant get together on a budget or legislation, said Mr. Dole, the former Senate majority leader and presidential candidate. I mean, we werent perfect by a long shot, but at least we got our work done.

The current Congress cant even do that, thanks to a furiously oppositional Republican Party, and thats what has left mainstream conservatives like Mr. Dole and Senator John McCain shaking their heads in disgust.

The difference between the current crop of Tea Party lawmakers and Mr. Doles generation is not simply one of ideology. While the Tea Partiers are undoubtedly more extreme, Mr. Dole spent years pushing big tax cuts, railing at regulations and blocking international treaties. His party actively courted the religious right in the 1980s and relied on racial innuendo to win elections. But when the time came to actually govern, Republicans used to set aside their grandstanding, recognize that a two-party system requires compromise and make deals to keep the government working on the peoples behalf.

The current generation refuses to do that. Its members want to dismantle government, using whatever crowbar happens to be handy, and they dont particularly care what traditions of mutual respect get smashed at the same time. Im not all that interested in the way things have always been done around here, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida told The Times last week.

This corrosive mentality has been standard procedure in the House since 2011, but now it has seeped over to the Senate. Mr. Rubio is one of several senators who have blocked a basic function of government: a conference committee to work out budget differences between the House and Senate so that Congress can start passing appropriations bills. They say they are afraid the committee will agree to raise the debt ceiling without extorting the spending cuts they seek. One of them, Ted Cruz of Texas, admitted that he didnt even trust House Republicans to practice blackmail properly. They have been backed by Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, who wants extremist credentials for his re-election.

At long last, this is finally drawing the rancor of Mr. Doles heirs in the responsible wing of the party. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said that negotiating on a budget was an issue of integrity. Roy Blunt, Lamar Alexander and many others have encouraged talks, and Mr. McCain (who was not above veering to the far right when he was running for president in 2008) now says the Tea Partiers are absolutely out of line and setting a bad precedent.

Were here to vote, not here to block things, he said last week. Were here to articulate our positions on the issues and do what we can for the good of the country and the let the process move forward.

Already, the mulish behavior of Congressional Republicans has led to the creation of the sequester, blocked action on economic growth and climate change, prevented reasonable checks on gun purchases and threatens to blow up a hard-fought compromise on immigration. Mr. Doles words should remind his party that it is not only abandoning its past, but damaging the countrys future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/opinion/bob-dole-misses-his-republican-party.html?_r=0

Olympia Snowe said the same thing. It would be great for the country if the fringe influences on the GOP could be quelled and some common sense could return. There's comedic level infighting when you see what Tea Party freshman like Ted Cruz are screaming.

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.

Bob Dole is a pretty awesome guy, and I respect him greatly. However, I bet the Democrats experienced an identity crisis in the past so I don't think "shutting down" the GOP is a good idea. The GOP should be able to moderate itself and rebound during the 2016 election or 2020 election, depending how the Democrats fare.

Olympia Snowe said the same thing. It would be great for the country if the fringe influences on the GOP could be quelled and some common sense could return. There's comedic level infighting when you see what Tea Party freshman like Ted Cruz are screaming.

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.

jimkabrhel

Maybe Bob Dole should run. 

I would be fascinated to see some kind of major change (or dissolution or split or something) in the GOP in my lifetime (I am 21) since the "Republicans" have been around since the 1860s.

Olympia Snowe said the same thing. It would be great for the country if the fringe influences on the GOP could be quelled and some common sense could return. There's comedic level infighting when you see what Tea Party freshman like Ted Cruz are screaming.

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.

jimkabrhel

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

Olympia Snowe said the same thing. It would be great for the country if the fringe influences on the GOP could be quelled and some common sense could return. There's comedic level infighting when you see what Tea Party freshman like Ted Cruz are screaming.

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.

DevilMightCry

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

Olympia Snowe said the same thing. It would be great for the country if the fringe influences on the GOP could be quelled and some common sense could return. There's comedic level infighting when you see what Tea Party freshman like Ted Cruz are screaming.

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.

DevilMightCry

Olympia Snowe said the same thing. It would be great for the country if the fringe influences on the GOP could be quelled and some common sense could return. There's comedic level infighting when you see what Tea Party freshman like Ted Cruz are screaming.

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.

jimkabrhel

GOP could use a nice sledgehammer to the face.  Repairs needed indeed

Maybe Bob Dole should run. 

Slow_Show

Are you serious? The dude is in worse shape than Cheney (physically speaking)

Bob Dole is a pretty awesome guy, and I respect him greatly. However, I bet the Democrats experienced an identity crisis in the past so I don't think "shutting down" the GOP is a good idea. The GOP should be able to moderate itself and rebound during the 2016 election or 2020 election, depending how the Democrats fare.

leviathan91

You are absolutely correct that the Democratic Party has gone through their own "identity crisis" in the past. They did so under Reagan, H. W. Bush and W. Bush. in each case, the DNC then centered themselves on policies. Under Reagan, supply-side economic policies were absorbed in to the DNC playbook. With H. W. Bush, a refocus on domestic issues, such as the welfare state and a perceived drop-off in education allowed Clinton to dethrone a previously popular incumbant. With W. Bush, the general acceptance of limited foreign expiditions and the philiosophy that government's role with business/healthcare can be increased resulted in Obama defeating McCain, and later Romney.

The difference is that the GOP seems to entrench themselves in policies in dire need of updating. Tax cuts as a cure-all for both the economy and deficits seem counter productive to reality. Curbing spending is something worth exploring, but the GOP rarely offers specifics (and when they do, they aren't realistic). De-regulating business ignores the entire financial crisis, as well as the fact that labor laws are showing signs of wear. They oppose spending on national disasters and on foreign affairs, and then beg for money when the disaster hits near them, while complaining of lax security overseas on budgets they specifically cut. Gerry-mandered mapping has allowed them to retain the House, but that will not become permanent. Their stance on immigration seems to be moving from useless to "do as little as possible so that we can attempt to win Latino voters."

The GOP needs to re-brand itself as the party of responsibility. It held this title for thirty years. Until they push aside the more radicalized elements within, they will find the White House an uphill battle. The next presidential election should favor the Republican candidate. If they do not incorporate at least some of these fixes, they will likely lose in spite of the incumbant party-weariness advantage.

For all the complaining about a 'federal welfare state' they do, republicans sure eat it up when offered.

[QUOTE="DevilMightCry"][QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

Olympia Snowe said the same thing. It would be great for the country if the fringe influences on the GOP could be quelled and some common sense could return. There's comedic level infighting when you see what Tea Party freshman like Ted Cruz are screaming.

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.

Ace6301

[QUOTE="leviathan91"]

Bob Dole is a pretty awesome guy, and I respect him greatly. However, I bet the Democrats experienced an identity crisis in the past so I don't think "shutting down" the GOP is a good idea. The GOP should be able to moderate itself and rebound during the 2016 election or 2020 election, depending how the Democrats fare.

Chemistian

You are absolutely correct that the Democratic Party has gone through their own "identity crisis" in the past. They did so under Reagan, H. W. Bush and W. Bush. in each case, the DNC then centered themselves on policies. Under Reagan, supply-side economic policies were absorbed in to the DNC playbook. With H. W. Bush, a refocus on domestic issues, such as the welfare state and a perceived drop-off in education allowed Clinton to dethrone a previously popular incumbant. With W. Bush, the general acceptance of limited foreign expiditions and the philiosophy that government's role with business/healthcare can be increased resulted in Obama defeating McCain, and later Romney.

The difference is that the GOP seems to entrench themselves in policies in dire need of updating. Tax cuts as a cure-all for both the economy and deficits seem counter productive to reality. Curbing spending is something worth exploring, but the GOP rarely offers specifics (and when they do, they aren't realistic). De-regulating business ignores the entire financial crisis, as well as the fact that labor laws are showing signs of wear. They oppose spending on national disasters and on foreign affairs, and then beg for money when the disaster hits near them, while complaining of lax security overseas on budgets they specifically cut. Gerry-mandered mapping has allowed them to retain the House, but that will not become permanent. Their stance on immigration seems to be moving from useless to "do as little as possible so that we can attempt to win Latino voters."

The GOP needs to re-brand itself as the party of responsibility. It held this title for thirty years. Until they push aside the more radicalized elements within, they will find the White House an uphill battle. The next presidential election should favor the Republican candidate. If they do not incorporate at least some of these fixes, they will likely lose in spite of the incumbant party-weariness advantage.

I would very much like a conservative party that wasn't afraid of big government.

liberal social views would also be a plus.

[QUOTE="DevilMightCry"][QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

Olympia Snowe said the same thing. It would be great for the country if the fringe influences on the GOP could be quelled and some common sense could return. There's comedic level infighting when you see what Tea Party freshman like Ted Cruz are screaming.

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.

Ace6301

It was hijacked by religious nuts about 10 years ago and they mutilated the hell out of it.

Now the tea party is doing it again.

Good news for liberals!

[QUOTE="DevilMightCry"][QUOTE="Ace6301"] Why is that whenever someone says they're a "true" whatever you can always tell they're about to say stupid things. Ace6301

Which means it's not a widely accepted term and people are just using it to make themselves sound smart.

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

Olympia Snowe said the same thing. It would be great for the country if the fringe influences on the GOP could be quelled and some common sense could return. There's comedic level infighting when you see what Tea Party freshman like Ted Cruz are screaming.

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.

mattbbpl

I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.jimkabrhel

1. It does not matter what Bod Dole thinks. 2. It does not matter how Ronald Reagan might have felt, and there is no way of knowing anyways.Laihendi

Clearly it does, since the GOP have basically canonized him.

[QUOTE="Laihendi"]1. It does not matter what Bod Dole thinks. 2. It does not matter how Ronald Reagan might have felt, and there is no way of knowing anyways.worlock77

Clearly it does, since the GOP have basically canonized him.

1. It does not matter what Bod Dole thinks. 2. It does not matter how Ronald Reagan might have felt, and there is no way of knowing anyways.Laihendi

[QUOTE="worlock77"]

[QUOTE="Laihendi"]1. It does not matter what Bod Dole thinks. 2. It does not matter how Ronald Reagan might have felt, and there is no way of knowing anyways.Laihendi

Clearly it does, since the GOP have basically canonized him.

I don't know, but I'm not a member of the party that evokes St. Reagan at every possible turn.

[QUOTE="worlock77"]

[QUOTE="Laihendi"]1. It does not matter what Bod Dole thinks. 2. It does not matter how Ronald Reagan might have felt, and there is no way of knowing anyways.Laihendi

Clearly it does, since the GOP have basically canonized him.

[QUOTE="Laihendi"][QUOTE="worlock77"]

Clearly it does, since the GOP have basically canonized him.

Ace6301

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]I'll hope for a third part that is fiscally conservative and socially iiberal.Laihendi

I've looked into the libertarian party. They do not fit my ideals, at least in practice by their politicians. Most that I've seen still look far more like far-right wing Republicans, particularly in the social area.

I find it interesting, as always, that you dismiss a well-known member of the GOP just beause you don't agree with him.

[QUOTE="Ace6301"][QUOTE="DevilMightCry"] Pardon your ignorance, sire? To be liberal is exactly the opposite of what the Democrats/Liberals are today. I don't see what's so stupid about calling yourself a true Liberal. The word is being thrown around like it means exactly what the definition of Liberal is. DevilMightCry

Social conservatism is a plague on the Republican party.chessmaster1989

[QUOTE="DevilMightCry"][QUOTE="Ace6301"] It's such an odd thing that the American right is now trying to claim themselves as libertarians or classical liberals yet retain the same ideas that they've had the last decade which of course is the ideology of neo-conservatism. Lying to yourself doesn't harm me in anyway but it will harm you. Also why do you presume others would become angry on a forum? Do you yourself become angry?Ace6301