NYC Letter: Drink The Kool-Aid: Big Government

Day 107 of CHOPE

The era of big government is over.

Bill Clinton,
then-president
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
WASHINGTON January 23, 1996 (White House)

Americans do want to pay taxes for services. Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less.

Colin Powell,
former Pentagon Chief of Staff, former SOS,
and centrist postiche for the media,
jerking the center hard left
WASHINGTON May 4, 2009 (National Journal)

We do? We are? [We search the national soul.] No. No, really we don't. We aren't.

OF COURSE YOU WANT IT, MR. POWELL SAYS SO
Official Beverage Of The Office Of The President

BIG GOV'T. STILL* VIEWED AS GREATER THREAT THAN BIG BUSINESS

PRINCETON April 20, 2009 (Gallup) - Gallup's recent update of its long-standing trend question on whether big business, big labor, or big government will be the biggest threat to the country in the future finds Americans still viewing big government as the most serious threat.

SCARY GOVERNMENT
Good Instincts

Gallup's history of asking this question dates back to 1965. Since that time, Americans have always viewed big government as posing the greatest threat of the three institutions tested, although the percentage naming it has varied over time.

Big government is inimical to the American enterprise, the American character. America was founded on throwing off a big distant taxing government.

Bigness quickens corruption. Corruption makes government less responsive and more oppressive, the usual remedy for which being more government.

REPUBLICANS TALKING THE TALK. WHERE'S THE WALK?
Big Tent, Big Spending

It is worth remembering that 50 or so years ago today's center was the left, which is fine by the left. The left has run a wildly successful campaign over the years of moving the right to the left with the lure of a center recently vacated by the left. This drift to a center shaped by the left is why the Republicans keep losing elections, that and -- at least at the legislative level -- a reluctance for hard governing and a penchant for reckless spending. When Republicans lose elections the party is counseled to move more to the center and pitch a big tent. The party ponders its soul. When Democrats lose elections they pout, they kick, and they blame the voters. There is no soul-searching, because there is no soul to search.

Today's Democratic party has no perduring principles, it has only exploitable interests. The moment a coalition interest is of less value in than out, it's out. For examples, gays in the military, civil libertarians, and once-upon-a-time pro-lifers. The Democrats have perfected this game. Republicans are outplayed before their big tent can be raised and guyed.

Big tent political parties evaporate at the edges. The Democratic party is not a big tent party, as Bob Casey discovered. It is a coalition party. It knits together small disparate disaffected interests, providing them more political muscle and exposure than they could ever muster on their own. The price to pay is fitting in with the rest of the coalition. So gays become greens become pacifists become socialists become gays.

We have argued elsewhere that when Republicans run as Democrats, Democrats win. There are many reasons why today's Republican party has shrunk. Being too far to the right isn't one of them.

So here's a suggestion for ersatz Republicans preaching Republican big tentism -- join the Democrats.**

CHOPE.

More taxes. More government. More horse hockey.

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* See here and here.

** Oh, and this guy.

Posted by Damian at May 7, 2009 05:45 PM