Values Voters and Huckabee Get Endorsement of Dallas Morning News, But GOP Rift Widens
Commentary by Daniel T. Zanoza, Executive Director
If there is anyone who does not believe the Republican establishment wants to break up the values voters coalition of the Grand Old Party, they haven't been watching what has been going on in recent years.
As a resident of Illinois, the attack on the Republican Party's pro-family base has been going on for nearly a decade. The situation in Illinois represents a microcosm of what is happening on a national level.
In 2006, Illinois' Republican establishment ran a liberal party stalwart for Governor. A conscious effort had been made by GOP movers and shakers to diminish the influence of values voters and the candidates they supported. Ultimately, Judy Baar Topinka, a pro-abortion, anti-gun candidate who favored special rights for homosexuals was the GOP's nominee. Her candidacy went down in flames because the pro-family base of the Republican Party stayed home on election day which led to another victory for an unpopular incumbent Democratic Governor, Rod Blagojevich.
While watching the current race for the Republican presidential nomination, it is clear Party bosses would like to diminish the power of the values voters contingent within the GOP on a national level as well, but things are going about as smooth as they did in Illinois two years ago.
Even though John McCain is virtually assured of obtaining enough delegates to secure the Republican presidential nomination, on Sunday the Dallas Morning News endorsed former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in the upcoming Texas primary. The newspaper's editorial board's decision is a slap in the face to McCain who usually has a positive relationship with the dominant media.
However, there is something bigger going on in the race between Huckabee and McCain than meets the eye. The Republican conservative base is not happy with the Arizona Senator and it doesn't matter which conservative base we are talking about. Fiscal conservatives have a problem with the feisty presumptive nominee because of an apparent need to buck the Party line. At the same time, values voters simply believe Huckabee is a better candidate.
Therefore, even though McCain may be the GOP standard bearer in November, the Republican Party may look very different in just a few short years as any remaining remnant of the Reagan coalition is torn asunder.
The fact is values voters no longer feel they are wanted by the Party elite and they are correct in their assessment. GOP leadership, including individuals like Karl Rove, believe social conservatives are a drag on the Republican Party and the quicker this base can be chopped into little pieces, the better.
The only problem is people like Huckabee and those who support him won't go away. To a lesser extent, the same can be said about Ron Paul and his supporters. The GOP's drastic attempt to out-Democrat the Democrats has always led to disaster. But now the Republican Party is devoting its entire future to this strategy of divide and conquer. However, the worse may be yet to come.
Huckabee may not win Texas or Ohio on Tuesday, but he represents a large portion of the GOP's base which does not appreciate the Party's snub. There will be much to be played out in the next few years regarding the future of the GOP. We are seeing a glimpse of what may be in store for Republicans and it doesn't look good.
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