David Brooks joins Paul Krugman in arguing that the GOP can't get away with a strategy of telling the public one thing, and continuing to do what the public opposes. He understands that the GOP base is too dependent on the South and rural America. The current anti-government message of the GOP won't in the areas of the country that are now looking to the Democratic Party for solutions. He also understands that its hard for leopard to change its spots. He suggests that the GOP should only slightly alter its anti-government message. It is not against government. It is against centralized government that is epitomized by Obama. That message would sell in the Northeast and other areas that now favor the Democrats. That would allow the GOP to hold onto its constituents in the South and the rural parts of the western states; it would also make the GOP more competitive in the rest of the country.
Brooks understands the problems with the GOP's dependence on the least educated part of white America. He also knows that globalization and other trends in the economy worry many Americans. Unfortunately, he does not offer a GOP solution for addressing those problems. He only offers a modified version of the GOP's anti-government message. It will become the anti-centralized government party. Unfortunately, the problems that most Americans are worried about, such as entitlement reform, and the hollowing out of the middle class, will require a stronger voice in Washington. The GOP strategy of making the country ungovernable from Washington, as long as a Democrat is in the White House, is also doomed to failure.
David Brooks is very smart and articulate. Its too bad that his ability is wasted on efforts to fix a broken political party.
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