The Crisis of 'Sam's Club' Republicans

[Liberty Belle]

The Crisis of 'Sam's Club' Republicans


By Reihan Salam, Reihan Salam writes for the American Scene, a weblog about politics.


Back in 2002, two die-hard social conservatives fought for Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial nomination. Brian Sullivan was a successful entrepreneur backed by the Freedom Club, a group of "pro-growth" millionaires lifted straight from Central Casting. With his zeal for tax cuts and his privileged background, Sullivan was a Bush Republican down to his wingtips.

His opponent was Tim Pawlenty, a state representative born on the wrong side of the tracks. Pawlenty embraced the state's populist tradition, insisting that Republicans "need to be the party of Sam's Club, not just the country club." And it was Pawlenty who ended up winning the GOP nod and the statehouse by wide margins.

What Pawlenty realized — and what President Bush apparently fails to grasp — is that the Republican Party has changed. The rich still vote for Republicans in large numbers, but they're not the party's heart and soul. To win elections, the GOP increasingly relies on socially conservative voters of modest means.

Which is why Bush's second-term agenda is so spectacularly wrongheaded. Social Security privatization (a good idea whose time hasn't come) and tax cuts for the rich (cast as "tax reform," of course) are on the front burner, and an amnesty for illegal immigrants (which would put even more pressure on native-born workers without college degrees) isn't far behind. The Freedom Club GOP is riding high — and the Sam's Club crowd is left in the dust...

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-salam11jan11,0,3818665.story

The GOP is alienating a big chunk of its base. Democrats need to take advantage of this opportunity and attract working class voters.

[Dover]

1. So long as they can steal votes, they don't have to tend their flock

too carefully.

[Stevepol]

7. Amen, brother. Demand a Voter-Verified Paper Ballot and Auditing

for all elections.

[keopeli]

2. Nail, meet head.

[aquart]

3. "Privatization of social security is a good idea..."!!!!

Who is this economically-challenged idiot?

[wellst0nev0ter]

4. No, No, I'm Sure He'll Point Out A Country Where Privatization Has Worked

eom

[hadrons]

9. Privatization quote seems to be sarcaism ....

or maybe the writer believes privatization is good in theory, but isn't too crazy about the Dumbya version

[bluestateguy]

5. The author makes a lot of good points

They can only fool lower middle class people for so long--a lot damage will be done in the meantime--before they realize that the Republican Party is not their party. That's why it's essential that Democrats embrace the "moral values" debate by redirecting it towards issues of economic fairness and the moral obligations of a just society to guarantee health care and education to its citizens.
If the moral values debates are about abortion and gays, Democrats will lose every time.

[KayLaw]

6. I wouldn't worry too much

People like Hannity and Rush will explain to them why all these things are just wonderful for them. When they have to move in with their parents or children, they'll say nothing because they want to be winners, not whiners.

[xchrom]

8. social conservatives signed on the dotted line.

they are tools of the rich -- the non-believing rich.
they can't back out of the contract now.
the rich don't care about abortion, gay marriage or any number of other issues -- they care about privatizing government -- as much of it as they possibly can.
as long as social conservatives go along with the program -- they are allies.

[maddezmom]

10. moving to Editorials

[tanyev]

11. "What Pawlenty realized--

and what President Bush apparently fails to grasp — is that the Republican Party has changed."

Oh, I think GW grasps this concept very well. They targeted the re-election campaign with pinpoint precision to the "Sam's Club" Republicans. What the writer of this editorial fails to grasp is that GW doesn't care. Now that he's back in the White House, it is all systems go with the policies that benefit his wealthy friends.

The Sam's Club Republicans should just be grateful that they occasionally get to rub shoulders with the Country Club Republicans.

[AmandaRuth]

12. not to worry - next election cycle

the pukes will whip another wedge issue, prolly abortion this time, now that the gays have been slapped back, and combine that with another smear group from GOP funded attacked dogs, ala swift boat liars, certain to guarantee another victory, especially when magnified by the right wing echo chamber.

Or the wedge issue will be a national religion.

What the Sams Clubs idiots should be worried about is when the rush hannity echo chamber starts yapping about how we need to cut wages and eliminate minimum wage laws and unions to be competitive with China.

edited because I can't spell

[bunkerbuster1]

13. My problem is, I think we can reach Sam's Club Republicans by

telling Sam's Club Republicans they're fucking themselves sideways with a rusty chainsaw by shopping at Sam's Club in the first place.

More diplomatically of course.

[nashville_brook]

14. the crux of the biscuit, for me -- living wage!

"Consider this from the perspective of a not atypical GOP voter — say, a young married woman with three small children living in Ohio. She voted for Bush because he promised to vigorously defend her family against terrorists and because he shares her values. But she has material interests too. She would like to raise her kids full time, but the money isn't there. Her husband is working long hours, but it's not nearly enough, and the tax cuts barely made a dent in their debts. At some point, she has to wonder, what has President Bush done for me lately?"

this ANTI-family bias IS resonating with voters (if we had a fair election, this would be evident).

i was recently laid off from Union Planters Corporate Marketing. The girl I worked most closely with was a working mother whose husband had just been laid off from his auto-manufacturing job when the factory announced it was moving to Mexico. then she was laid off. they have 2 small children -- 1 year and 5 years.

she would come into work after an hour commute and spend the next hour looking at parenting sites on the internet. then, balencing the checkbook online -- managing pennies and staving off collections. then the calls would come -- a child is sick, a child is acting out, the water heater burst, her father is in the hospital.

i sat behind her and just marvelled at how shitty it must be to go thru this every single day -- to not be with her kids -- to miss their first steps and first words.

what could be a more central Family Value, than keeping families together. a living wage and a secure job so that one parent can do the work of managing the family. it is criminal that we separate children from their parents like this!

and we wonder why they act out in school -- and drug them -- instead of creating a sane, healthy environment for children to flourish. it burns me!

btw -- workmate -- total, evangelical, daddy's-girl Republican. one issue: abortion.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

15. Tell your workmate that there have been 52,000 more Abortions

under Bush than under Clinton.

It's documented fact. And there's an obvious reason for it.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[nashville_brook]

16. i would, but we both lost our jobs b/c of the merger

terrible truth is that they don't have the "carrying capacity" for the traditional 2-kid family their belief system requires. ex-high school football star marries the cute, blonde cheerleader. both grew up in a small town. close to family and church. she went to tn tech and got a degree in english. he stayed behind to work at the factory and buy a house. they are an hour outside of a living wage. both will have to commute an hour to nashville. it can't be done. they are going to have to sell their land.

abortion is so, totally, the last thing she needs to worry about. i think she'll figure it out tho. i asked her a lot about why her husband wasn't union. she had crazy ideas about unions.

yes, fewer abortions b/c our carrying capacity was greater as a family. we could fiind employment. hell! i could find employment with a degree in philosophy. my husband's work experience was being in a traveling band. a liviing wage wasn't the plan. thank you clinton! thank you planned parenthood!

[dflprincess]

17. Pawlenty did not win the statehouse by a wide margin

He won with a plurality of about 44% of the vote in a 3 way race. 56% of Minnesotans voted for someone else.