Advance Indiana brings us news of First Republicans, a group apparently devoted to returning the Republican party to its roots. (Or at least as far back as Eisenhower and Goldwater — I’m not sure they’d be in favor of Lincoln’s expansion of the federal government’s powers or Teddy Roosevelt’s trust busting crusades.) They are proponents of fiscal conservatism and social tolerance, and they certainly have my ear. That sounds like the Republican party in which I was raised, and I would certainly be pleased if the principles espoused by this group were once again embraced by the Republicans. My suspicion is that, federally anyway, the Republicans will have to spend a season or two in the wilderness before folks like these will be able to wrest control from the social conservatives who currently dominate the politics at that level.
And, they have a blog.
Very interesting. At first, I was going to suggest that First Republicans and New Democrats reach out to each other to form a new centrist party. Then I remembered that all Democrats are now New Democrats and decided that I am just silly.
Thank you for the attention, Doug. We have added you as a link.
My pleasure. I hadn’t realized until I read your blog that you have Indiana roots.
Perhaps not directly on point, but closely related to this is a story in today’s (27 Sept. 2006) Wall Street Journal, page A4, entitled “Why Some Republicans Want to Lose”. It quotes a former congressman, Joe Scarborough as saying: “We ran in 1994 against runaway spending, exploding deficits and corruption. But with the Republicans in charge of both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue, what do we have? The same runaway spending, record deficits and culture of corruption.”
I would take issue with him just a little over his use of the word “same”, I think it is worse, but he makes the point.
Actually, it is very much related, as it happens. The First Republican blog mentions the WSJ article in a recent post.
I thought to add that Rep. Mark Souder is, in my opinion, a poster child for went wrong with the GOP class of ’94.
Incidentally, Doug, I think you’d find the group much in tune with both Lincoln and Roosevelt.
Thanks. Just goes to show the mess I make when I write “analysis” on scant investigation.
The First Republicans have been around for a good while now. I’m glad you’re helping them get more notice! However, I feel obligated to point out that Chris Douglas is a regular contributor to bilerico.com and he posted about First Republicans on our site yesterday as well – before Advance Indiana did, I might add. Either way, it’s good to see moderate Republicans getting more attention!
The First Republicans sound a lot like The Libertarian Party of Indiana…
Mike Sylvester
Mike, I think First Republicans has a different unified theory of government than the Libertarian Party, and would tend to approve the use of government in insuring basic welfare and social justice. While we might be more identified with the libertarian impulses of the Republican Party, as opposed to the social conservative wing, we are not Libertarians.