Maggie Haberman writes an excoriating piece on the New York State Republican Party in Politico today. It was precipitated, of course, by the ugly loss of NY-26 on Tuesday, the seat once held by conservative icon Jack Kemp.
What is most striking in the story is how open the rebellion within the GOP has become. The New York Republican Party was traditionally a buttoned-up affair. One never spoke out publicly about Party leadership, certainly not on-the-record. But it has become a virtual free-for-all in the press now. Names are named freely.
That’s not a bad thing – not in the long term. It shows life in the Party. If there were no fight, the Party truly would be in trouble.
Most of the ire is focused on State GOP Chairman Ed Cox, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the open revolt soon spread into each of New York’s 62 counties. It should. It is the counties, after all, where leadership has become most calcified. These individual power fiefdoms need to be roiled to let in new opinion and energy. A good half of the county chairman need to be outright overthrown.
Once that is done, though, the Party will need iron-hand central leadership to put the pieces back together. Death for the Party would be a widespread 100-Years-War situation.
In the meantime, New York public unions solidify control over the Democratic Party. Indeed, the lock-step Democrats are beginning to look like the Republicans of old, and vice versa, with Republicans now a pathetically fractured lot.
Those Democrats should be in real trouble in around 2036…
It is the counties, after all, where leadership has become most calcified. These individual power fiefdoms need to be roiled to let in new opinion and energy. A good half of the county chairman need to be outright overthrown.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. 🙂
It will happen organically in time, but will that be in time?
Hope not:-)