Pollster and political prognosticator Charlie Cook has
a piece in the
National Journal arguing that last week was as good a sign as any that Republicans need to do some "soul-searching" and move into the 21st century. It's something basically everyone in the universe except Republicans realize. But the debate over the Confederate flag and the dual rulings upholding Obamacare and legalizing marriage equality nationwide have put an exclamation point on it.
Though Obamacare has been a divisive subject, it is the controversy over the Confederate battle flag and the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision on gay marriage that bring to sharp focus the cultural and generational disconnect between the Republican Party's conservative base and the direction of the country as a whole.
In the aftermath of the tragic shooting in a Charleston, South Carolina church and the resulting focus on the Confederate flag, with the notable exception of Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina and to a lesser extent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the GOP contenders initially avoided taking a firm stand on the flag. That is fine with many in their base but not with moderate and/or independent swing voters, or for that matter, many Republicans. And the gay-marriage decision again put GOP presidential contenders in a position of choosing between their base and being on the wrong side of history—with all but a couple choosing the latter.
Simply put, Republicans are loaded up in a car, racing toward a generational cliff with their eyes focused on the rearview mirror, with many (but notably not all) oblivious to the societal changes taking place all around them and the growing wedge building between their comfort zone and presidential swing voters.
In some ways, it's hard to believe that Republicans live in a such a massive bubble of self deception that they haven't caught on yet. Then again, they were convinced based on internal polling that Mittens was going to win in 2012. Perhaps, gerrymandering has misled them into believing that their ideas actually have broad appeal.
