Morgan Smith notes odd items in the British weekly The Economist, almost always reliably aligned with the colonial Republicans on this side of the pond –
The cover story predicts a turn to the left in the country’s political future, unfortunately for the beleaguered American right. President Bush and his überstrategist Karl Rove could end up “driving the Western world’s most impressive political machine off a cliff.” However, the dissolving power of conservatism can’t be blamed wholly on Bush. He hasn’t done anything more than given the right “virtually everything it craved.” And, even if America moves left, its politics will still be conservative in a global setting: “Mrs Clinton might be portrayed as a communist on talk radio in Kansas,” but she’s still to the right of many “conservative” European leaders.
… A deeply detailed briefing finds American conservatism is “in the dumps.” It concludes with a crushing final blow to the Republican Party: They “have failed the most important test of any political movement – wielding power successfully.”
The Tories are not happy with their American cousins. Having power is not the same as governing effectively. No one claims things have gone well.
And the Baltimore Sun reports that there are consequences –
The Maryland Republican Party, reeling from the loss of the governor’s mansion, is nearly broke, according to a copy of its financial statement obtained by The Sun.
The state GOP treasurer’s report from July 31 shows the party had $4,615 in cash and $50,500 in debt. Because of lackluster fundraising, the party operated at a $103,536 deficit in the first six months of the year.
A report from the party’s accountants shows that funding from major donors has dried up, and that the party’s major annual fundraising event, the Red, White and Blue Dinner, netted $15,572, less than 10 percent of the amount the party had been counting on.
The poor fundraising comes at a time when conservative and moderate wings of the party are fighting over whether the party should take sides in state Sen. Andrew P. Harris’ primary challenge to Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, a stark contrast to the unity and strength that the party displayed during former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s term.
Karl Rove had this idea that the Bush presidency would usher in “the permanent Republican majority.” No. These jokers imagine things should be this way or that – see the Iraq War – but “making it so” is another thing entirely.
You might want to watch this video – on last weekend’s The Chris Matthews Show, Matthews asks David Brooks who among the Republican presidential contenders would be considered the rightful heir to the Bush throne and Brooks says something startling –
BROOKS: Bush… you gotta remember though… a lot of Republicans hate Bush. I mean, we look… we talk about the Democrats, how they hate Bush, in private…
MATTHEWS: What do you mean, “hate Bush?”
BROOKS: They think Bush is incompetent and destroying their party.
Matthews is stunned.
Hey, everyone knows the truth now. It’s time to move on.
