The GOP and the marketplace

The GOP and the marketplace
Apr 11, 2006
by Bill Murchison ( bio archive contact )

Email to a friend Print this page Text size: A A And all this time we thought Republicans adored, defended, lauded and extolled the free market. Guess again.

Were their devotion to the marketplace as complete and authentic as they say, Republicans would not now be contemplating electoral debacle this fall. But they are. Or anyway, they're starting to think about the possibility of giving major ground to the Democrats in one or both houses of Congress. Why?

The merest glance at this week's demonstrations by Hispanic immigrants and native-borns -- which category outnumbered the other, no one can demonstrate statistically -- rubs in a painful point: The alleged governing party failed to address constructively a growing social and economic problem -- that of illegal immigration. Nor is it possible now to blame Tom DeLay.

SNIP

Yet another marketplace reality may be ready to rise and bite the Republicans. It's called the polling place. A free election is the marketplace. Up steps the voter. He scans the choices -- says yes to this one, no to that one -- as if he were buying a new car or a can of tuna.

A political party -- even when it makes space for principles larger and more enduring than mere political advantage -- largely succeeds by succeeding. By doing the right things, in other words, in accordance with its philosophy and commitments. The right things, if well and fairly implemented, are supposed to make life generally better. The recognition that life is generally better turns voters into satisfied customers.

It's good old Republican marketplace economics, only in a different context -- a political one. You would expect Republicans to understand in their bones that you don't win the "customer's" favor by punting problems downfield, or by just leaving the general impression of disorientation and fecklessness. It is the impression Republicans thought only Democrats left. That, alas, was when Republicans mostly knew what they were up to, what their purpose in Washington was -- namely, expanding freedom rather than scrambling for spending "earmarks," campaign contributions, lobbyist junkets and the occasional bribe.

What a bunch of blitherers this group of once-earnest reformers, with purpose and pedigree, has turned into. What confusion of mind they present to the customers. Would you buy a new car from them? A used one, even?

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The 'marketplace' is not this entire nation. If the 'marketplace' cannot sustain concerns that can't or won't pay going rates for labor and material those concerns should go 'belly up'. That's the way 'free enterprise' is suppose to work! Some portion of this nation thinks everything must revolve around the 'marketplace/business', that is 'not true' when the nations way of life and security are at stake.