|
|
Free-spending
Republicans risk the destruction of their own base
by Mike Kole,
Libertarian Writers' Bureau
On the surface, it's easy
to analyze this recently concluded election. The Republican Party ran the table
with victories high and low. From the presidency to both houses of Congress,
from the governor's mansion to the Statehouse, Republicans enjoyed a November
like few before.
New majorities have been borne of these victories, and with them come rare
opportunities. Conservatives can look ahead to January, when Republicans can
accomplish a great deal of business through new legislation and policies. It is
a safe bet that the GOP will take advantage of the opportunity.
This is not breaking news. Pundits have spent much of the last month making the
case for pity on the sad sack liberal, who has only anguish and trepidation for
the near future. Liberals will helplessly look on as conservatives chart the
course of Indiana and of the country. While certain that bad policy will rule
the day for now, liberals can only dream about 2006 and 2008 and hope Democratic
leadership crafts a winning plan.
This is the kind of pain that delights most conservatives. For now,
conservatives are smiling.
But there is a group within the broad spectrum of conservatives that is gritting
its clenched teeth behind a half-hearted smile. While excited for the
possibilities Republican majorities bring, this group shares the anxiety facing
liberals in anticipation of the first wave of new policy. This group consists of
fiscal conservatives.
It was not a series of referendums on capping budgetary growth that swept George
W. Bush to re-election. It was a series of referendums on gay marriage.
It was not a promise of lower spending to diminish the $800 budget deficit that
Mitch Daniels gave Hoosiers. It was... What was it? There must have been more to
it than Joe Kernan's negativity. Was it really sufficient that Daniels wasn't a
Democrat?
For most fiscal conservatives there is a precarious balance between three
pressures. Fiscal conservatives trust Democrats to do one thing – to increase
the size of government – so they can't vote Democrat. Most fiscal conservatives
couldn't bring themselves to vote for Libertarian candidates for fear that
Democrats might win. They wanted to vote Libertarian, but they just couldn't do
it yet, especially because the possibility of a Republican majority was
imminent. Their trust in the GOP is waning, but fiscal conservatives were
willing to give them one more shot.
This thinking is rooted in the past. It used to be that Republicans grew
government, but at a much slower pace than Democrats. This still troubled fiscal
conservatives, who wanted government to shrink, but as the Bush Administration
has shown, Republicans actually grow government faster than Democrats. It used
to be that Republicans said, 'Only we can cut the size of government. Just give
us the tools!" Now?
Well, now they actually have the tools. Fiscal conservatives want to see the
chainsaws blazing and front end loaders scooping out pork, but are afraid they
will only see the penknife and the tweezers, if they see any cutting at all.
This leaves fiscal conservatives with a daunting prospect. If there isn't any
cutting, but only public-sector growth, where should fiscal conservatives turn
in 2006?
There isn't even the slightest chance that disaffected fiscal conservatives will
become Democrats. If their wishes are ignored, fiscal conservatives may finally
part ways with the GOP and turn to the Libertarians.
The Republican Party's largest base constituency is on the line. Since Ronald
Reagan left office, fiscal conservatives have put up with a lot of
disappointment. Is a 10 percent reduction in spending across the board too much
to ask? Is it genuinely impossible to find the courage to find a few redundant
offices and departments and to eliminate them when the power of the majority is
on your side?
If Republicans won't reduce spending this year, with majorities at home and in
Washington, fiscal conservatives will know that Republicans lack the will and
that it is time for them to find a new political home.
-----------------
Mike Kole is Chair of the Libertarian Party of
Hamilton County (Noblesville) and candidate for Secretary of State (2006).
|
