What it Takes to Make a Modern Republican- What GOP Stands For

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/jeb-bush-says-his-father-and-reagan-would-lose-out-in-todays-gop/

Republicans are supposed to be the "Grand Old Party", but the GOP acronym has evolved into a new meaning. 


Rather than Grand, the party is grumpy. Although Old, it's infiltrated with obstructionists.  Rather than a political party, recent obstructionist tactics, against improving our nation's economy, are partisan - even hyperpartisan.

At least former Republican Governor Jeb Bush has an awareness about the futility of his party's sharp turn to grumpy right wing politics.  He instinctively knows that today's GOP is more intent on winning ideological victories than governing. This grumpiness will lead to more of the same in the future, regardless of what political party is in control.  Governing will be more about 'tit-for-tat' than leadership.

Journalist Sushannah Walshe reported on the GOP hyperpartisanship comments by former Republican Governor Jeb Bush, son of President George Bush 41, and brother of President George Bush 43, made in New York City, for ABC News.

"On Monday, Bush said that both Ronald Reagan and his father, George H.W. Bush, would have a hard time getting nominated by the more conservative voters in today’s Republican Party. 'Ronald Reagan would have, based on his record of finding accommodation, finding some degree of common ground, as would my dad, they would have a hard time if you define the Republican party, and I don’t, as having an orthodoxy that doesn’t allow for disagreement, doesn’t allow for finding some common ground,' Bush said, giving the comments at Bloomberg LP headquarters in New York City."

Like an old story teller's lead sentence, I, too, remember a time when Democrats and Republicans learned how to get along.  

Recent ideological entrenchment is not demonstrating leadership. 

If the Grand Old Party wants to lead our great old nation, they must be less grumpy (personality implants needed for McConnell, Ryan, Walker, Bachmann and Cantor). They must lead rather than obstruct, and drop the partisan political entrenchment bullying, just because they can.

President Obama's political strategists should write up a list of the obstructionist tactics currently in place to confuse and block the administration's current jobs bill.  

Pictures and documentation of roads and bridges that can be repaired if Congress authorized highway safety monies, should be shown to the public- just as often as the negative New Majority Agenda runs it's brainwashing TV messages.

Do you suppose GOP legislators would pass a highway construction bill if President Obama wasn't president?  You bet. 

Rather than support good public policy that's good for our nation and the economy, the grumpy obstructionist partisans are sitting on their hands, labeling the fixing of roads and bridges is "big government".

Rather than praise government money needed to support public employees like police, firefighters, emergency services personnel and teachers, the Republicans preach about ways to fire them. 

Would GOP leaders out source public sector jobs to developing countries like the Philippines, if doing so found cheaper labor to fill the positions? You bet.

Jeb Bush said, since his  dad’s time and Ronald Reagan’s time, "...they got a lot of stuff done with a lot of bipartisan support, adding that Reagan would be criticized for doing the things that he did.”

Regardless of past political ideologies,  Americans wouldn't necessarily characterize either President Reagan or President Bush as grumpy, obstructionists or partisan leaders.  As retiring Republican Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine said recently, "there's a time for campaigning and a time for governing....". These leaders knew, or learned, how to govern.

Hopefully, voting Americans will figure out how grumpy, obstructionist partisan Republicans have stifled progressive public policy by voting in lock step against President Obama, rather than leading by consensus and compromise.

Republicans need a new leader to change the dynamics of the grumpy obstruction partisans back to the future of being a Grand Old Party again.  

Hmmmm. Is that leader Jeb Bush?