From Charles Babington A year after losing a presidential race many Republicans thought was winnable, the party arguably is in worse shape than before. The GOP is struggling to control tensions between its tea party and establishment wings and watching approval ratings sink to record lows. Its almost quaint to recall that soon after Mitt Romney lost to President Barack Obama, the Republican National Committee recommended only one policy change: endorsing an immigration overhaul, in hopes of attracting Hispanic voters. That immigration bill is now struggling for life and attention in the Republican-run House. The bigger worry for many party leaders is the growing rift between business-oriented Republicans and the GOPs more ideological wing. Each accuses the other of bungling the debt ceiling and government shutdown dramas, widely seen as a major Republican embarrassment. The problems dont end there. Polls show the GOP nominee trailing in a Virginia governors race that history says a Republican should win. At the national level, its hard to recall when Republicans seemed so leaderless. Romney has returned to private life. Potential rising stars have stumbled, as Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida did when he angered conservative activists by pushing the immigration measure through the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is preoccupied with his Kentucky re-election bid, squeezed between a tea party GOP challenger on the right and a well-regarded Democrat on the left. In the House, Speaker John Boehner of Ohio cemented his support among Republican colleagues only by letting them vote heavily against a bipartisan plan to avert an unprecedented default on U.S. obligations. The legislation, which also reopened the government, passed mostly with Democratic votes. Thats hardly the type of victory a Republican speaker hangs on his wall. Eyeing this troubling landscape, many Republican campaign veterans hope conservative die-hards will narrow their differences with the partys more pragmatic members before next years elections and the 2016 presidential campaign. If we dont find common ground and stand on the same side of the line, were going to have a very ugly and rough couple of years, said Sara Taylor Fagen, who directed political affairs in President George W. Bushs White House. Fagen acknowledged newfound tensions between business-oriented Republicans and pro-tea-party Republicans, many of whom refused to raise the debt limit unless Democrats agreed to politically unattainable demands. At risk in the impasse was a government default that would have hammered the economy. Yet it will be hard to close the rift between the two factions, Fagen said. I dont think they communicate. To John Ullyot, a former Senate aide to moderate Republicans, the big takeaway from this last battle was the true separation of the pro-business, establishment Republicans, and what they see as the rebels who are driving the party over the cliff. Many GOP donors, Ullyot said, are starting to hold off on any contributions for the time being, until the party figures out how to deal with these upstart Republicans. Other Republicans say the situation isnt so dire. GOP Gov. Chris Christie is coasting toward re-election in Democratic-leaning New Jersey. Many throughout the country are complaining about the troubled sign-up process for Obamas health care law, the Republicans favorite policy target. Talk of a party rift is way overplayed, said Henry Barbour, an activist from Mississippi and co-author of the RNCs post-mortem report on Romneys loss. He said Republicans of all stripes overwhelmingly agree on basic issues, including reduced federal spending, opposition to the health law and preserving freedom.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 14:54:00 +0000
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