By Mary Kate Cary Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Is whats going on in New Yorks 23rd Congressional District a GOP civil war or not? If you ask me its not. The media and their friends on the left including White House adviser Valerie Jarrett on ABC News are doing their best to turn Dede Scozzafavas withdrawal from the race and endorsement of her Democratic opponent into another example of Republican feuding over litmus tests.
They just cant help themselves. In fact Jarrett calls Republicans more and more extreme yet its the liberals who have worked themselves into a hissy fit of angry rhetoric. Take a look at Frank Richs column in todays New York Timesfar more extreme than anything being said on the right: The riotous and bloody national GOP civil war has devolved into a wacky paranoid cult that is re-enacting Stalinism in full purge mode.
Its not the people on the rightthe ones whove been outed as moderates supposedlywho are calling each other Stalinists. Ironically its the left who are upset about the Republican base.
Maybe its because they can see whats happening. Democrats can read the polls: Independent swing voters are moving toward the right and the Republican base. The wide American mainstream is broadening to include fiscal conservativesyes some of whom have all sorts of opinions on social issuesbut they are united in their concern about the growing size and scope of government. Wasnt that the lesson of Augusts tea partiesthat people of all stripes are concerned about massive government growth? Isnt that whats really threatening the left?
None of the Republicans in tomorrows races in New York Virginia and New Jersey has said much about abortion or gay rights. Instead theyve all been talking about the economy jobs and healthcare. Rich Lowry has a great analysis of the Virginia race and why Bob McDonnells strategy is working:
While tough on Deeds McDonnell has stayed upbeat both substantively and in tone. He has unleashed a flurry of policy proposals. Focusing on the pocketbook issues of jobs transportation and education his ideas emphasize regulatory reform competition and private-public partnerships. They are conservative but pragmatic meant to appeal to non-ideological voters. According to polls McDonnell is beating Deeds on taxes economic development education transportationand even issues of special concern to women.
In New York Scozzafavas record of raising taxes as an assemblywoman was attacked not only by Republicans but by ads paid for by the Democratic Partybecause even Democrats are realizing (too late) that more taxes right now are not going to sell with independents. Being opposed to raising taxes is not an ultra-right litmus test. Thats mainstream Republican Party and increasingly its mainstream American.
