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07 Nov 2008 02:26 pm

Get Rid Of The Rich Republicans!

They're social liberals, anyway. Ross considers the next Republican coalition:

A party that restores its reputation for competence and policy seriousness, as the Republicans desperately need to do, will win back voters across the income and educational spectrum, no matter what specific positions it takes. But insofar as there's a choice to be made, I think building a coalition of social conservatives and social moderates from the middle of the income and education distribution makes much more political sense than trying to hold together a coalition of social conservatives from the middle of the distribution and social liberals from the upper end.

Joe the Plumber and Joe the Office-Park Employee make much more plausible political bedfellows than Joe the Plumber and Joseph the Hedge Fund Guy. Moreover, I think a conservatism that's primarily oriented around the interests of the first pair of Joes is the better choice for America as well - because these are voters who face the most significant socioeconomic challenges in the current landscape, and who most deserve a government, and a right-of-center politics, that looks out for their interests.

I disagree. I don't think political programs should emerge from the shape of political coalitions. But I'm too tired to debate this now, and we'll have plenty of time for this debate in the coming months and years as the dust settles from the current GOP implosion.

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