Charlie Crist made some GOP eyes roll on Meet The Press this weekend when he declined to identify a national leader of the Republican Party. Instead he said that the people should lead the party, and that Obama is our only national leader. He's right. We wish some other Republicans would get the memo.
Michael Steele, the party's new chairmen, was on Fox News saying that he's open to running primary opponents against the three Republican senators who voted for the stimulus package. To quote, he said, "Oh, yes, I`m always open to everything, baby, absolutely."
Which is ridiculous, considering the three senators, Arlen Specter, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe come from states that went blue in the presidential election. There may be some situations where they lose a primary, but we don't see how the primary winners goes on to beat the Democratic nominee. Or we see a Lieberman like situation, where the incumbents run as independents. Though, unlike Lieberman we doubt they'd be eager to caucus with their old party. Snowe, for example, won her last election with 74% of the vote. Collins won with 61%. They're some of the more popular Republicans in blue states.
To clarify, Steele said that he'd only support the primary opponents if
they State party recomended it. Though, it makes you wonder exactly how
eager Steele and his other GOP cronies would be to see Charlie Crist
run for Senate in 2010, considering he's become the tanned Republican
face of the stimulus.
Snowe, Collins and Specter along with
Crist and a few other figures like California Gov. Schwarzenegger
represent the nearly extinct centrist wing of the Republican party, and
it's ridiculously thick skulled that so many want to marginalize their
views in the party. Considering many Republican voters them self thought
they'd be getting a centrist Republican presidential candidate in John
McCain, until he succumbed to pressure from the base and unleashed
Palin and Joe the Plumber on the world.
Meanwhile, Utah Gov John Huntsman has harsh words for the Republicans in Congress, telling The Washington Times, "I don't even know the congressional leadership. I have not met them. I don't listen or read
whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential - completely."
"Right now, we are devoid of some of those big ideas that will allow us
to become a governing party once again. Until we get to that point, we are going to be sort of out there
gasping for air, and that's where we are right now," Huntsman continued.
Yes, we know many of the congressional Republicans who got knocked off in 2006 and 2008 were moderates, but there's no way the Republicans are ever going to win those seats back with strict conservatives.
Crist may not be offering up big ideas of his own, but at least he has
some. Meanwhile, other Republicans continue to struggle for a clear identity. Charlie is right, they don't have a national leader, and they
should be listening to the people. And with the popularity of Crist,
Snowe, Schwarzenegger contrasting with the horrendous elections returns
for Republicans in the past two national elections, we're thinking the
people would prefer their party take a few more centrists under the
wing.
Or, you know, they could always go the Truck Nutz and Jesus route.
