Say Anything Blog

The war between the base of the Republican party and the elite establishment of the party continues.  When a primary challenge from fiscal conservative Pat Toomey was so widely supported by the GOP base in Pennsylvania that it prompted Arlen Specter to defect to the Democrats the Republican elite called on Tom Ridge to come in and run against Toomey.  Now Ridge, no staunch conservative, is taking aim at Rush Limbaugh, calling him divisive and “shrill.”

(CNN) — Pennsylvania Republican Tom Ridge is taking direct aim at Rush Limbaugh, telling CNN’s John King the conservative talk radio host can be “shrill” and uses language in a way “that offend very many.”

“Rush Limbaugh has an audience of 20 million people. A lot of people listen daily to him and live by every word. But words mean things and how you use words is very important,” Ridge, the former Homeland Security Secretary under President Bush, said during an interview airing Sunday on CNN’s State of The Union.

“It does get the base all fired up and he’s got a strong following,” Ridge continued. “But personally, if he would listen to me and I doubt if he would, the notion is express yourself but let’s respect others opinions and let’s not be divisive.”

The comments come in the wake of a war of words between Limbaugh and Colin Powell, during which the former secretary of state suggested the GOP’s future was in peril if it went in the direction of the popular radio talker. Limbaugh quickly hit back, proclaiming Powell is part of the “stale, the old, the worn-out GOP that never won anything.”

The problem with the modern Republican party is that “winning,” for too many, is the only goal.  When really the goal should be advancing the ideas and principles of the party.  Granted, you can’t advance those principles and ideas if you aren’t winning elections, but if the people winning the elections aren’t advancing the principles and ideas of the party then what’s the point?

My problem is that the Republicans continue to call themselves “conservatives” who are in favor of limited government and individual liberty.  Yet so many of them that are elected to office really don’t support those things.  Instead they behave as somewhat less liberal Democrats.

Keeping those people in office isn’t doing the conservative movement any good.  People like Tom Ridge aren’t doing the cause of limited government any good.

And listen how Ridge arrogantly dismisses Rush Limbaugh as someone who is popular with the base but largely irrelevant.  That seems to be exactly how these liberal Republicans view the situation.  The conservative base is just something to be placated and pandered to so they can stay in office to pursue their real agenda.

Perhaps people like Ridge would be better off listening to the base instead of dismissing it.