After tough losses in the last two presidential elections, Republicans are faced with reexamining their policies. This reflection has brought about two different possible routes for the party to take. One is for the GOP to move toward the middle in an effort to attract more Independent voters. The other is for strong conservatives who are less concerned with compromise and more interested in standing one’s political ground to take a step back. Those supporting the latter may point to the recent success of some Tea Party candidates in the last few election cycles. Those people will soon be extinct.
It is no secret that despite isolated Tea Party victories, the party has gained a near infamous reputation among the majority of Americans. With most of the weight for the government shutdown being placed on the party’s shoulders, this black-eyed status is unlikely to go away. If one needs evidence of this hostility, they only need look to Google. When “the Tea Party is” is typed into Google, the first three results are as follows: “the Tea Party is crazy”, “the Tea Party is racist”, and “the Tea Party is ruining America.”
So, if the GOP cannot move further right and if it is taking on water where it is, the only logical course of action would be to move closer to the center. This is especially true upon social policies like gay marriage and abortion. One example of this is Republican Governor Chris Christie. Though voicing his opposition, Christie chose not to continue fighting as New Jersey became the 14th state to recognize gay marriage. This resulted in Christie as a widely liked politician, both by Republicans and Democrats. This should serve as a cue for most Republicans as the proper course of action.