Ronald Reagan lost his temper and he was angry. It’s the only time I can remember seeing “The Gipper” lose it. It was a 1980 primary debate in New Hampshire. Reagan’s campaign sponsored the debate, but George H.W. Bush, upon learning that Reagan had invited lesser candidates, refused to participate. At this point, the editor of the Nashua Telegraph, ordered the sound man to shut off Reagan’s microphone.
A very angry Reagan responded famously, “I’m paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!” (the editor’s name was actually, Jon Breen). It was this angry outburst that propelled Reagan to victory, which led a conservative movement that would eventually become known as the “Reagan Revolution.”
Reagan would go on to defeat an establishment Republican George H.W. Bush in the primary, but in true Reagan fashion he brought the party together by selecting Bush as Vice President.
The Reagan Revolution would endure and energize the GOP for several decades. However, by the time of the 2008 presidential election, the revolution had been stomped out by the moderate wing of the party that favored CNN regular Senator John McCain.
It was around this time that many conservative Republicans, including myself, were pining for Reagan who inspired us and filled us with hope that “it’s morning in America” and that America’s best days were still ahead.
The breaking point for conservatives occurred with the passage of ObamaCare. In the summer of 2010, conservatives took action, voiced their anger and rallied against ObamaCare, giving birth to the Tea Party movement.
Angry conservatives’ became a grassroots force that tipped the political scales in 2010 elections. In Florida, moderate GOP governor Charlie Crist lost to Tea Party candidate Marco Rubio in the race for U.S. Senate, first-time gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott defeated party favorite Bill McCollum, and Tea Party Republicans, such as Allen West, helped reclaim the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The 2010 elections were a turning point for millions of angry conservatives who channeled years of frustration and RINO falsehoods into a Tea Party movement. It looked like the Tea Party was now holding the microphone and influencing national policy that President Obama, Democrats, and moderate Republicans couldn’t shut off.
Indeed, it appeared the Golden Age of conservatism had once again arrived.
But something unexpectedly happened that caused Tea Party activists and establishment Republicans to have a falling out. In my opinion, it began with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision of upholding ObamaCare. Up to that point, ObamaCare kept the factions within the GOP aligned, but after the court’s decision, dissention rapidly spread within the party.
In 2012, we got our first sign of the infighting when Jeb Bush remarked that Ronald Reagan and his father would not be able to win in a primary given the ultraconservative posture within the GOP.
The defeat of Mitt Romney and failure of winning the U.S. Senate, led Tea Party leaders to criticize Karl Rove, making him the poster child of the establishment. Rove’s super PACs spent over $175 million in the 2012 general election, but none of the candidates the PACs supported won. Rove blamed the Tea Party for undermining the party’s efforts, citing the rape comments by Tea Party candidates Todd Akin in Missouri and Richard Mourdock in Indiana, both losing to Democrats.
This high-profile spat showcased the bitter division within the Republican Party, which came into full public view in the U.S. House of Representatives. Speaker Boehner was challenged by Tea Party members who tried to deny his reelection as speaker. He won it, but 12 Republicans did not vote for Boehner making it the largest defection of fellow party members since 1923.
Republicans have only a 17 seat majority in the House. The dissention within the ranks has resulted in the House being unable to pass policies addressing immigration, a farm bill and initially student loans. More importantly, it has politically paralyzed Republicans’ ability to capitalize on President Obama’s scandals and delays of ObamaCare.
Moreover, Republicans have been breaking Reagan’s 11th commandment of “thou shall not speak ill of a fellow Republican.” Tea Party Senator Rand Paul and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie exchanged barbs in the media, MSNBC Joe Scarborough and Fox’s Sean Hannity made public insults of each other and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has tangled with the Club for Growth and Glenn Beck over compassionate conservatism.
There is anger throughout the GOP and it has become a political cancer. The only time the House can unify and pass anything is when it votes to repeal ObamaCare, which they have done now a few dozen times with little impact.
We need more than ObamaCare to bring the party together.
A Pew Research Survey conducted in July found that by a margin of 54 percent to 40 percent, Republicans want to see party officials move further to the right. However, there are mixed views on various issues and whether policies need to be reformed or simply presented in a better light.
It’s going to take a strong candidate for president in 2016 who can reunite the GOP like Reagan did in 1980. There’s only one candidate that I can think of who has the conservative record, political fortitude and national recognition – Jeb Bush.
But until he runs and wins, party leaders and grassroots activists must summit to find common ground that will champion candidates who can win both in a primary and general election.
Our country cannot afford to have the GOP divided and angry. Not too long ago, the only wing of a party renowned for being angry and cynical were the liberals, while conservatives were visionary, hopeful and filled with optimism, but that’s missing at the national level.
The debate within the GOP between ideology and practicality is healthy, but we cannot afford to lose sight of the greater fight that transcends intraparty battles. That’s the battle to keep America free from tyranny both inside and outside our borders.
It’s not our nature as conservative Republicans to be angry and that has to change for the sake of our families, nation and the free world’s future.
Patrick Slevin is a communications strategist, political consultant and writer who lives in Tallahassee. Florida. He’s recognized as a national political “Mover & Shaker” by Campaigns & Elections Magazine. He is also a former Republican mayor. You can reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @patrickjslevin.
