Tightening up their primary schedule and holding an early convention seems to me they're putting the cart before the horse. First they need to decide on where they want to country and how they intend to get there. Then they have to decide if the big tent is really for them or like Governor Cuomo, declare that there is no place in the party for certain types. This is the tricky part.
Just who has the responsibility to bring the Tea Party and the main streamers together has been and seems to still be the biggest of their hurdles. Sure, fewer debates may keep the candidates from destroying one another - or will it? If there is no consensus as to what the party stands for, a one week debate schedule and primary season will do no good. They're going to have to decide whether or not the social issues should get the same amount of play as things like the economy and foreign policy.
Most of you know how I feel. The economy, jobs, national security and foreign policy effects all of us as a nation. That's what government is designed to to accommodate. Social issues like gay marriage and abortion are very personal issues and do not dominate the scope of interests of many of us. When those issues become the ones most discussed, those who feel it is not in the realm of governance are turned off and walk away from the process.
The Republicans need to create a strategy, too, to keep outside groups from making their issues for them. The hijacked Tea Party can be thanked for why Harry Reid still leads the Senate. If they're going to play in the Republican tent they need to abide with what the majority want; not their own interests to the exclusion of others.
They have a pretty good test case before them even before the convention hall doors close. A Michigan Republican Party committeeman, Dave Agema, has been asked to resign due to disparaging comments about American Muslims and the homosexual lifestyle. He gave the usual response as to how things said had been distorted and taken out of context. Perhaps, but then they all say the same thing.
However, when the top two officials of the National and Michigan party called for the resignation, there is probably a lot of truth to it. It's not just some disgruntled locals in a power play. Mr. Agema says he's drawn voters to the GOP. Perhaps, but not enough of the kind that win elections, only disrupt the purpose of them.
Ideally the RNC would have criteria for removing officials from their positions if they do not adhere to the guidelines or by laws of the party. Of course, it would help if they had some in the first place.
