時(shí)代周刊第一篇文章

1、COVEROutsidersvs.Insiders:TheStruggleftheGOPsSoulByJOEKLEINThursdayJune162011BrooksKraftCbisfTIME“BarackObamahasfailedAmerica“MittRomneysaidunequivocallyathisfirstNewHampshiretownmeetingrepeatingthesignaturelineofhispres

2、identialcampaignannouncementspeechadayearlier.UnequivocalisnotawdthattraditionallyhasbeenassociatedwiththefmerMassachusettsgovernbutthatwasthentheretoolededitionofcidateRomneyismuchimproved.Heproceededtolayouttheeconomic

3、caseagainstObama:16millionoutofwkhomevaluescollapsedhighergasfoodprices.InotherwdsObamaisthegrsonofHerbertHooverthesonofJimmyCarter.“Hestried“Romneysaidsrowfullyalockofhislessslickthanlasttimehairfallingoverhisfehead.“[B

4、ut]whathedidsimplywaswrong.Heextendedthedownturnmadeitdeeper...HowisitthatPresidentObamawassowrongIhappentothinkthatinparthetookhisinspirationfromEurope“RomneycontinuedcitingalitanyofObamasproposalslikedeficitspending“fe

5、deralizing“healthcare.“HehasbeenawfullyEuropean.[But]youknowwhatEuropeanpoliciesdontwkthere.Theysureasheckarentgoingtowkhere.IbelieveinAmerica!Ibelieveinfreeenterprise.Ibelieveincapitalism.IbelieveintheConstitution.“Well

6、O.K.ItwasntexactlyexhilaratingbutitwasthebestofallpossibleMittRomneys.Thecrowdrespondedwithrespectfulapplausebutnotrapture—IveneverseenaRepublicancrowdactuallyblownawaybyRomney—therespectgrewasthecidategavedetailedanswer

7、stoquestionsfromthesurprisinglysparseaudience.Whenaskedwhathedspecificallydoabouttheeconomyhehadasevenpointplanreadytoroll.HisansweronbudgetcuttingwasstardissueGOPbutwithahumanegloss:“TherearelotsofprogramsthatIlikethatw

8、ealllikebutwecannolongeraffd.“HebarbedtheChinesefmanipulatingtheircurrencywhichwasdownrightbrazenfafreetradeRepublican.HeevenchallengedLimbaughLawabitbysuggestingthatclimatechangeisrealperhapsevenmanmadealittle.(KingRush

9、respondedbydismissingRomney:“Byebyenomination.“)Romneysanswersdidnotseempretapedthoughtheyobviouslywere.Theyseemedthoughtfulinteresting—farmenuancedthanthecurrentconservativerepertoirewhichallowsfno“l(fā)ikable“governmentpro

10、gramsnomanmadeglobalwarmingnoassumptionofdecentintentbyahardwkingbutwrongPresidentObama.ItisthisappealwhichheeffectivelyrepeatedonJune13inthefirstrealRepublicandebatethatmightactuallyattractsomeindependentvoters.Inanmalp

11、residentialcampaignthisstoffocusedefficientcidacywouldbejustaboutallMittRomneyneedstowintheRepublicannomination.Heisafterallnextinline—justasJohnMcCainwasin2008GegeW.Bushin2000BobDolein1996GegeH.W.Bushin1988.EvenRonaldRe

12、aganfalltherevolutionarytalkwastheprimogeniturecidatein1980thenextinlineafterGeraldFd.Romneycertainlyhasproblems:heisaMmonwhopassedamateduniversalhealthcareplaninMassachusettsthedirectprecurstoObamashealthcarerefm.ButMcC

13、ainauthedcampaignfinancerefm—stoflikeservingpkfPassoveramongconservatives—hebelievedinglobalwarmingtoofawhile.whileRomneyisnotnearlyaswelllovedasReaganevenGegeW.McCainwasntmuchlikedbytheRepublicanestablishmenteither—Romn

14、eyhastheadvantagesofmoneyasmartmanagerialrsummainstreamconservativeeconomicviews...wellhestoflookslikeaRepublicanPresidentshould.yetthereisajitterysenseamongRepublicansavantsthatRomneyisastrawmanreadytobetoppledbecauseth

15、epartyhaschangedirrevocably.Ithastradedincountryclubaristocracyfpitchfkpopulism.TheTeaPartyerstalkshowhostswhodefinethenewRepublicanPartybelieveintheoppositeofprimogeniture.Theybelieveinthemalpurityofpoliticalvirginity.A

16、fterSarahPalinamateurismhasbecomeaTeaPartyRomneysMassachusettshealthcareplan—hehadcalleditObamneycare—buthedemurredawkwardly.Pawlentywastherebycaughtintheactofactinglikeapoliticianwhichisthemostcommonmistakeinexperienced

17、cidatesmakewhenthebiglightsgoon.Romneybycontrastseemedcomftableinhisownskin—themostimptantpositivequalityacidatecandisplay—afarcryfromhissweatyrobotimpersonationsin2008.(ThisisRomneysnotsosecretadvantageoverhismostplausi

18、bleopponents:hesdoneitbefe.)Butifthedebatelackedflashitwasinstructive.Itsettheideologicalparametersfthecomingcampaign.ThecidateslockedthemselvesinaphilosophicalspaceaboutthesizeofRushLimbaughsradiostudio.Ittooknearlyanho

19、urbefeanyofthemspokewellofagovernmentprogramwhenHermanCaingrudginglyacknowledgedthattheFoodDrugAdministrationsmeatvegetableinspectionswereprobablyagoodthing.AtonepointRomneymadethisstatement:“Ithinkfundamentallythereares

20、omepeople—mostofthemareDemocratsbutnotall—whoreallybelievethatthegovernmentknowshowtodothingsbetterthantheprivatesect.theyhappentobewrong.“WhichraisedthepossibilitythatRomneymightwanttoprivatizethemilitary.Everythingelse

21、certainlyseemstobeonthetable—CainwantstoprivatizeSocialSecurityGingrichwantstoprivatizeNASAmostseemwillingtovoucherizeMedicarealongCongressmanPaulRyanslines.ThisideologicalpuritywkedtotheadvantageofMicheleBachmannbymakin

22、gherseemlessextreme.BachmannisoftenlinkedwithPalinasaTeaPartypinupbutsheisadifferentbreedofcat:sheknowsherstuff.Sheactuallygivesfactualinfmedanswers.ShelacksPalinsbittersolipsisticedge.Sheskillfullyframedevenhermostextre

23、meresponsesinanamenablewaysmotheringheroppositiontoabtionincasesofrapeincestwithinapaeantothesanctityoflife.BachmannalsoledthepackinoppositiontotheLibyaintervention—itshouldbenotedthattheRepublicanfieldwassoundingremarka

24、blydovishwiththeexceptionofSantumonthesubjectoffeignwars.RomneysaidhewantsthetroopshomefromAfghanistan“asquicklyaspossible“butthenrememberedhedbetterconsultthegeneralsfirst.NewtGingrichatraditionalwarlovercalledfareviewo

25、fU.S.policyintheregionratherthanplumpingfmemilitarykiics.NoonementionedIran.Thisisafinatingdevelopment:theonlyplausiblespacefRepublicansinthenationaldefensedebatemaybetoBarackObamasleft.Butanominationracethatiscomftablef

26、Bachmannhastobeuncomftablesoonerlaterfthememoderatepoliticiansinthefield.GingrichamazinglywastheonlycidatewillingtoflyinthefaceofLimbaughLawrepeatinghiswriesaboutRyansMedicareplan:“RememberweallgotmadatObamabecauseherano

27、verus[onhealthcarerefm]whenwesaiddontdoit.WelltheRepublicansoughttofollowthesamegroundrule.IfyoucantconvincetheAmericanpeopleitsagoodideamaybeitsnotagoodidea.“WhenNewtGingrichisthevoiceofreasononaRepublicanstagetherightw

28、ardlurchofthepartyhasbecomeadangerousinbredselfdestructivething.EstablishmentRepublicansvs.PitchfkPopulistsOnthemningofthedebateRomneyunfurledatrulystrikingcampaignadinwhichheblastedObamaf(foolishly)callingthelatestawful

29、jobsrept“abumpintheroad.“TheadwassetinthedesertwithpeoplelyingparallelonalonelyhighwayatfirstIthoughttheyweredeadbutnotheywerehumanspeedbumps.onebyonetheygotupholdingpiecesofpaperthattoldtheirsties:laidoffrecentcollegegr

30、aduatesinglemomwkingthreejobscompanygonebankrupt.ItwasthestofadaDemocratmighthaveruninadifferentcycleiteffectivelyhammeredhomeRomneystheme:ObamaisHooverCarter.ThisisthesinglestrongestargumenttheRepublicanshavegoingfthemi