Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Meghan McCain keeps trying to convince America that there is such a thing as a "progressive Republican." Here she is, speaking to the Log Cabin Republicans, that sad group of misguided (mostly) gay men who actually think the Republicans may some day give a shit about them:

(1) Most of our nation wants our nation to succeed; (2) most people are ready to move on to the future, not live in the past; and (3) most of the old school Republicans are scared shitless of that future.

You know the old problem. Political discussion just breaks down into bickering and fighting instead of solving. And Republicans have a tendency to get way too hung up on words. I'm not just talking about the occasional profanity. When someone says they 'hope the President succeeds' they say it with the hope that the country gets better, the economy improves and people can feel safe, confident and free to live their lives as they choose. And may I add in full equality with each other. I believe most people get that, and more people are getting it everyday.

I believe most of our nation wants our nation to succeed. I feel too many Republicans want to cling to past successes. There are those who think we can win the White House and Congress back by being 'more' conservative. Worse, there are those who think we can win by changing nothing at all about what our party has become. They just want to wait for the other side to be perceived as worse than us. I think we're seeing a war brewing in the Republican party. But it is not between us and Democrats. It is not between us and liberals. It is between the future and the past. I believe most people are ready to move on to that future.

We know a party that was thriving at one point on a few singular issues cannot see long term success. Even worse, we've seen how it has contributed to some serious problems in our nation and world. Let me blunt, you can't assume you're electing the right leaders to handle all the problems facing our nation when you make your choice based on one issue. More and more people are finally getting that.

Simply embracing technology isn't going to fix our problem either. Republicans using Twitter and Facebook isn't going to miraculously make people think we're cool again. Breaking free from obsolete positions and providing real solutions that don't divide our nation further WILL. That's why some in our party are scared. They sense the world around them is changing and they are unable to take the risk to jump free of what's keeping our party down.

What I am talking about tonight is what it means to be a new, progressive Republican. Now some will say I can't do that. If you aren't this and that, then you're clearly a 'Republican in Name Only.' Also affectionately known as a RINO. Suggesting the notion that one can be faithful to the original core values of the GOP while open to the realities of our changing world has really hit a chord with people. And it seems to be the next, natural stage of the journey I've been traveling.

It would be easy to say my generation views politics very differently from others. Maybe we're more progressive, socially liberal or just hate arguing in lieu of actually solving the problems at hand. But what I've learned though my experiences is that these feelings are not contained to one age group. They're the growing beliefs and desires of people of all ages, races, genders, faiths, persuasions and political parties. ...

I am concerned about the environment. I love to wear black. I think government is best when it stays out of people's lives and business as much as possible. I love punk rock. I believe in a strong national defense. I have a tattoo. I believe government should always be efficient and accountable. I have lots of gay friends. And yes, I am a Republican.

No, Meghan, you're not. You don't seem to realize that the core values of the GOP have changed -- they're no longer whatever you think they are, and where you got that idea, since you're a mere 24 years old, I have no idea.

Maybe you got it because your father used to actually sound a little more like you do now. But that was before he decided he wanted to be president and realized that he had to win the GOP base to even get the nomination. That meant that all those "progressive" ideas he once held went out the window.

The core values of today's Republicans can be summed up this way: We're right and you're wrong, so whatever you want to do we'll oppose.

Well, that's the legislative values of the Grand Obstructionist Party. Republicans, Meghan, are concerned about the environment just so long as business doesn't have to do anything to protect it. They think you look good in black, especially something low cut., after all, black is slimming. They think government should stay out of people's lives and business as much as possible, but not if you're gay or liberal or they think you might be sympathetic to terrorists, and by terrorists, they mean Muslims. They think punk rock is the devil's music, and tattoos defile your body. They agree with you on the strong national defense, but government should be accountable and efficient only if the Democrats are in charge. And yes, everybody has lots of gay friends, except maybe the Christian extremists, but that still doesn't mean they should have the same rights as everybody else.

Meghan McCain's Republican Party is something else entirely. And it doesn't exist. It probably should, and maybe someday it will. Or maybe people like Meghan McCain and those poor deluded Log Cabin Republicans should opt for an entirely new party. One that doesn't have all the exceptions Republicans have for their "core values."

Leave the GOP to the extremists. They already think it's theirs -- make it official. Take Michael Steele and the Maine senators, that guy Schmidt who ran John McCain's campaign, maybe Arlen Specter and start a party that isn't based on fear. It'll be a lot easier on them. Just imagine -- they won't have to twist themselves into such pretzilian logic-shapes that they're no longer recognizable as human just to somehow align their human-like ideas with their decidedly inhumane party's ideas. They'll probably sleep easier, too, knowing they no longer belong to the party that sullied the name of this great country with torture.

Meghan McCain is very much right when she said that most people in this country want the nation to succeed and are ready to move out of the past into the future. And that the old school Republicans are scared shitless.

Problem is, the old school Republicans own the party. They're not going to change, and it's going to be too long (Eric Cantor, Rick Perry, Jim Thune, Norm Coleman, etc.) before they're gone.

So my advice to Meghan McCain and anyone who thinks even remotely like her: Cut your losses now and get out before you become embittered old fools who wasted years trying to change the unchangeable. Start new.

Because frankly, if we had another political party, one that didn't tie itself down with more and more outlandish attempts to stay in power -- and more and more outmoded ideas about society -- then we could really have a debate about how to proceed.

But in order to do that, we need to start with some common ground -- and that would be the recovery and success of this country, not the failure of one party so the other can regain power.

Meghan McCain has the right idea, but she's looking in the wrong direction to get it done. There's not one single "progressive Republican" in the House of Representatives, and maybe three in the Senate. There's not many in state legislatures, state governors' mansions or local governments. That's because they keep running as Republicans and losing.

There's an old saying about not changing horses in midstream. Meghan, you've been left on the opposite bank.

Find a new horse. Then, if you think the old guard is scared shitless now, wait till they realize what happened while they were stirring up their hateful, bigoted, paronoid base and find out just how small it really is.

News Writer
AWOP Political Contributing Editor
Author of Stop the Press!

Cross-posted at Stop the Press!

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