Perkins: At This Rate, GOP Will Become Big, Empty Tent
In an interview with TPM just now, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins was sharply critical of Michael Steele comments in the GQ interview, elaborating on his statement today that Steele had assured him earlier this week that he would uphold the party platform.
"Well, I mean he said as party chairman he would be upholding the party platform. The interview he did with GQ was done from the chairman's office," said Perkins. "And if in fact his personal views are subordinate to the party platform, the evidence is pretty thin that that's the case. In every interview I've seen, I've heard him talk about his personal views, and have yet to hear him talk about the party platform."
I asked Perkins if he felt misled -- that Steele had told him he would uphold the party platform, when in fact Steele had done an interview two weeks earlier that had yet to be published, in which he made apparently pro-choice statements. "I understand the time difference here," said Perkins. "But I don't think the time difference is important."
I asked Perkins if he'd seen Ken Blackwell's statement that Steele should "get to work -- or get out of the way." Perkins had indeed seen it, but declined to say if he agreed that Steele should shape up or resign. "That's a party function, that's up to members of the Republican Party to have to decide. My only interest is, those are policy issues that we work on at the Family Research Council," Perkins explained. "What the Republican Party does is their interest, but you have mixed signals sent because the party has said this is where we stand on the issues, and you have a leader of the party saying something different."
"I don't think what Michael Steele has been doing is beneficial to the Republican party if they're hoping to rebuild a majority," Perkins added. "I mean this kind of stuff - this just reinforces the belief that's held among many social conservatives that you've got one party that's hostile to their views, and one party that just gives them lip service. And I guess you know which is which."
Perkins reiterated that the question of whether Steele should resign if this keeps up is ultimately for the Republican Party to decide -- he's not involved with that, his focus is one the issues. But he did say this: "If they desire to have the support of social conservatives, or desire to be place where social conservatives can gather and identify and be politically engaged, then yeah, I think they gotta make some changes."
Perkins concluded: "If they want to be a big tent -- I'll put it this way -- if they want to be an empty big tent, then they just need to keep doing what they're doing."
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
So, now that there is virtually no difference between the Republican party and the Democratic party leadership regarding abortion, the "value voters" can vote Democratic now.
March 12, 2009 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
just another example of the peter principle.
is anyone listening to the repugs these days?
March 12, 2009 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Money quote:
"I mean this kind of stuff - this just reinforces the belief that's held among many social conservatives that you've got one party that's hostile to their views, and one party that just gives them lip service. And I guess you know which is which."
To which I have to ask, "Are you just now figuring this out?" The Wall St. Republicans have NEVER given a rat's ass about social conservative values. The Republican party today is just a coalition of these two groups, but its a marriage of convenience - nothing more. If they split, the Republicans will go the way of the Whigs.
March 12, 2009 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Utterly fascinating. A self-sustaining negative vortex is become the GOP (read, they suck hairy moosewang).
None of the loudest of the mouths seem to remember what happened to Sen. Macaca. Karl Rove was correct about the permanent Republican majority only to the extent he was describing its lunacy.
When you live a life based on magic-thinking, you have to tune out a great deal of the local multiverse lest your silly-world come crashing down around you. It creates situations like Steele, where the pieces of his fractured mind are clearly not on speaking terms.
When criminal indictments fall (and they will fall first in the financial sector, the discovery from which will inevitably lead back to the previous criminal enterprise posing as a presidency), your Whig scenario will shift into high gear.
We're already seeing the end of the Raygunz Mythology.
Pax,
M.
March 12, 2009 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
With Perkins' help.
March 12, 2009 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Governor Rendell was right when he said about Steele: "He's in trouble because I just think that those who control the Republican Party don't want a big tent."
March 12, 2009 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
The next RNC will have a huge honeymoon period where all the Republican groups come together and sing Kumbaya - Steele is about them hitting rock bottom. At least that's what they'll be their talking point.
March 12, 2009 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
You are probably right. And it will do nothing to attract the people the GOP has scared away.
So long as they confront real problems with ideology (read, Rapture), the Dems will have free reign, esp. after 2010 and the Senate goes on steroids.
Though a stronger Senate would not bother me, esp. one that realized it has sweeping oversight powers. A Congressional subpoena used to have you shitting yellow in your didies. They need to compel the executive to cede the illegal power it continues to exercise through this precise moment.
Pax,
M.
March 12, 2009 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
A big, empty tent. Is he describing the GOP or the typical Republican's soul, intellect, you-name-it?
March 12, 2009 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's describing the big tent they're making out of Rush Limbaugh's pants.
March 12, 2009 11:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
The average republican's soul.
March 13, 2009 7:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think we might be looking at a couple dozen Republican pup tents before 2010, with very little traffic between them.
March 12, 2009 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is what happens when you build a party around a base that doesn't play well with others.
Pretty soon the GOP will be living in Tent City.
March 12, 2009 6:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
WOW! This incredibly inventive hip-hop, urban-suburban, off the chain strategy to rebuild the Republican party is workin' like a charm. First, you throw out a lot of stuff to play wacky mind games with 'em. You say a lot of stuff about Rush Limbaugh and then you take it back. Then you start sayin' crazy stuff like it's okay to be pro-choice, and then you take that back. It's all part of a big effort to help people understand what the Republican party stands for. And then you've got to empty out the tent in order to load in all the new folks rushing to join the party.
Single file, please!!!! No pushing! Plenty of room at the back of the tent!
March 12, 2009 6:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just love Steele. Just like I love Palin. Thank you fucked up republican tokenizing identity politics!
March 12, 2009 7:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Their big tent comes with a rigid, conservative ideological requirement.
Steele’s been slipping up, making remarks, here and there, that sound too moderate and off the narrow path.
Racial and ethnic minorities are tolerated, as long as they meet the stringent criteria to join the GOP's strictly conservative homo-hating members-only club.
NO MODERATES NEED APPLY
March 12, 2009 9:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Steele is problematic but he's not the problem. The GOP brought this mess on themselves years ago. Steele is merely a goofball front-man who crystallizes the absurdity of it all.
March 12, 2009 9:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
The funniest thing about the Steele debacle is Ken Blackwell would have been even worse!
March 12, 2009 9:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, if Steele does hang on does this "prove" that it's still the big tent party? Does the GOP convince 20something moderates and independents to eventually register as Republicans, because there really is room for everyone, even someone whose mouth clearly runs faster than his brain?
March 12, 2009 10:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know about that conclusion about a big empty tent. It's a three ring circus and there will be alot of spectators to watch the antics of the clowns and the elephants. Big full tent, just spectators to watch the show and implosion, no voters.
March 12, 2009 10:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
There has always been an unholy alliance between the social conservatives and the fiscal conservatives. They tolerated each other while they were screwing the rest of the country.
The problem is, their agendas have now polarized and the GOP is at war with itself. Michael Steele is probably what the Republicans need --he has some fresh ideas and sees creative potential.
The problem is, Republicans don't want that. They don't even want what they have actualy had. The lionize Reagan who was not an idealogue at all. Reagan was incredibly pragmatic.
I actually saw some GOP leader suggest Reagan's policies were strongly pro-life and that the Reagan Administration had some sort of lock on morality. That's nonsense, but the Republicans believe that sort of idiocy --which is what has caused their constant suicide attempts.
Republicans are dysfunctional upon themselves in ways the Palin Family can only dream about.
March 13, 2009 2:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Then there Mr. Perkins you all social conservatives, who want to make up the American Taliban, should go form your own party. Let's see how BIG that tent will be.
March 13, 2009 7:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just look at them backstabbing each other, trying to have it both ways, denying responsibility, slavishly licking the boots of their radio gods, throwing their tantrums. What a mess they've made of our country.
For years they sowed the seeds of ignorance, fundamentalist religion, racism, greed, class warfare against the poor and middle class, anger, and the division of their fellow countryman. Now they reap their harvest of political failure and minority status. Damn them.
March 13, 2009 8:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
It takes a Wide Stance to support a Big Tent.
March 13, 2009 9:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I believe you've just provided the theme for the 2012 GOP convention. Excellent!
March 13, 2009 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
octo-mom/palin 2012 !!!
March 16, 2009 9:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
......or chuck norris/joe the plumber 2012 !!!
March 16, 2009 9:10 PM | Reply | Permalink