Who’s Really Running the Republican Party?

David Frum writes that the Republican strategy of non-cooperation was a huge loss for them, but that it’s not (entirely) their fault:

“I’ve been on a soapbox for months now about the harm that our overheated talk is doing to us. Yes it mobilizes supporters – but by mobilizing them with hysterical accusations and pseudo-information, overheated talk has made it impossible for representatives to represent and elected leaders to lead. The real leaders are on TV and radio, and they have very different imperatives from people in government. Talk radio thrives on confrontation and recrimination. When Rush Limbaugh said that he wanted President Obama to fail, he was intelligently explaining his own interests. What he omitted to say – but what is equally true – is that he also wants Republicans to fail. If Republicans succeed – if they govern successfully in office and negotiate attractive compromises out of office – Rush’s listeners get less angry. And if they are less angry, they listen to the radio less, and hear fewer ads for Sleepnumber beds.”

I think Frum is on to something. When interviewed, for instance, many Tea Party members say that they got their ideas from Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. I think Frum’s key insight is that a lot of the voter frustration is fueled by the continual failure of the agenda they support. People like Limbaugh who benefit from conservative anger can only continue to do so as long as the Republicans are the underdogs – or as long as they can make it seem like they’re the underdogs.

–Aaron Bekemeyer