Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen news stories regarding the current state of the Republican Party. You know what I’m talking about: headlines like “Steele heading the RNC,” “Congressman disses Rush and then grovels at his feet” and “Steele disses Rush and then grovels at his feet.” This has gotten me wondering: What’s up with the Republican Party?
First off, it seems like they pulled a complete 180. During the election, it seemed like the RNC was all together, like one big happy family. Yet the Democrats were in each other’s faces, like angry pit bulls. Now, however, it’s been turned all topsy-turvy! The Democrats are united, for the most part, behind Obama. Yet, the Republicans are going every which way, except in the same direction.
There are those who are supporting the president, the budget and the stimulus. There are those who are swearing off the stimulus, like Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Since they’re the apparent front-runners for the 2012 election, they don’t want to be “tainted” by the “porky” stimulus. It seems like the only things that are being tainted are their job qualifications to be the Republican candidate. I hope that Jindal doesn’t need to be reminded that New Orleans, which IS part of the state of Louisiana (the last time I checked), is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, which was, oh … five years ago! And as for the great state of Alaska, the educational system is in need of a boost, but don’t look to moose-hunting, back-woodsy Gov. Sarah Palin for money. There’s even money in the stimulus being given to Alaska that would go toward improved special education. Remind me again, doesn’t she have a child with Down syndrome?
And then there are those behind Rush Limbaugh. Oh, Rush, where do I begin? First off, he’s a radio personality who’s been sending out the same message for the past umpteen years. Secondly, he’s secondhand news, yesterday’s trash, “out,” as some who have their fingers on the pulse of society might say. Talk radio, or at least certain fields of talk radio, is dying out. And as for claiming that he’s the “head of the Republican Party”? Wrong! The head of the Republican Party is … can you guess? That’s right! The head of the Republican Party is the head of the RNC. And that person is Michael Steele, who has been groveling at Rush’s feet.
Weird, isn’t it, that the RNC can’t seem to find stable footing? It seems like things were heading in the right direction; they chose a black Republican to head the party and they seemed united, but then Rush comes along, claiming that he’s the head of the Republicans and everything goes to hell in a handbasket for them. Where did they go wrong? Was it when Steele promised to bring the party to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings”? Was it when they blasted bipartisanship? Or was it when they didn’t come up with an alternative to the stimulus plan? All I can say is this: If they can’t get their act together soon, they’re going to find themselves up a creek sans paddle.