Dick Morris, love him or hate him, is usually right about politics. Not always, mind you, but by my informal reckoning he's batting about 700, about twice as good as the next political analyst.
So last week Dick said:
But the data are becoming overwhelming that the nation is moving left and is likely to stay that way through at least the 2006 election — and, if President Bush doesn’t adjust, for a lot longer.... Why the leftward move? A big part of the reason is the success the Bush administration has had in solving and hence diminishing the importance of the Republican agenda. Taxes have been cut, we have not had a terror attack since Sept. 11 and trial lawyers are on the defensive. The issues that remain — energy, environment, healthcare and Social Security — usually are Democratic and liberal....
To reverse the situation, therefore, Bush has three options:
(A) Fight the Democrats on issues that are already in play but have a Republican skew.
(B) Raise new issues that have a built-in skew right and a Republican orientation.
(C) Recast Republican positions on Democratic issues that are already in play to make them work for the GOP....
For instance, dick recommends:
Two new solid Republican issues are begging for attention from the White House: immigration and drugs.
The administration’s guest-worker program is a good step in the right direction to appease Hispanic voters, but it must be accompanied by some red meat for the base — the border fence passed by the House. The fence without guest-worker rights will alienate the fastest growing bloc of voters, the Latinos. The guest workers without the fence will do nothing to move voters toward the GOP....
Bush should urge drug testing, with parental consent, in schools in his State of the Union address and put drugs back in play as a domestic issue. Crime is down, but drug use is still a vital Republican issue. Put it back on the agenda.
Finally, the Republican Party had better consign itself to defeat in the next two elections unless it does more to elaborate an energy/environmental policy. It must go beyond nuclear power and Alaska drilling in policies to achieve more energy independence.
Terrorism and pump prices have made this issue the dominant one in our political matrix. Bush needs to make hydrogen and hybrid cars a key part of his program and needs to challenge America to switch and end our dependence on imported oil.
On the environment, Americans have already decided that global warming is causing weather aberrations like the hurricane activity this summer.
Interesting stuff, Dick. Not the kind of opinions one hears every day from the new media.
What I'd like to see the GOP do:
Energy: Develop a short term and a long term energy policy. Short term = DRILL! DRILL!! DRILL!!! Alaska? Hell, yes! Florida? Yes! Drill in the middle of goldarned Pennsylvania Avenue if there's even a sniff of oil there. Kick those enviroweenie tree huggers to the curb and don't let 'em up until gas is $1/gallon. Long term = Nukeyulur (for real) and hydrogen (for fun). Clean sweep any and all reg's against nuclear now and put in place, from scratch, stuff that makes sense and will work. And maybe it'd be a good idea not to have most of our oil and natural gas infrastructure vulnerable to hurricanes. Let the Democrats be for $3 gas -- we'll be for $1 gas. See who wins.
WOT: Bomb Iran. A lot. 26 years over due.
Taxes: Cut 'em.
Homeland Security: Disperse. Spread the Federal Gov't all over the place. Why not?
Immigration: Wall + guest worker card with teeth.
Social Security: Come out and say "What were we thinking?" and repeal the federal free drugs for old people program. Why spend so much money on a program no one likes anyway? Then forget Social Security for '06, but make it one of the pillars of the '08 Contract with America.
The Courts: How to take maximum advantage of the complete fools the democrat senators have made of themselves? Break up the 9th Circuit into two or three circuits and pack 'em with conservatives. The Democrats have really made asses of themselves with respect to judicial confirmation hearings, and nobody believes anything they say anymore. Breaking the 9th would really drive them around the bend -- I mean, they would come unglued -- and would be worth it just for the entertainment value.
Drugs: Not a federal issue. Leave it to the states.
Foreign Policy: Make fun of France at every opportunity. We love it on the Right, and the Lefties never fail to step up and tell us all just how much smarter the French are then us stupid Americans. Talk about Lucy, Charlie Brown, and the football! Works every single time. (Full disclosure -- I did have a glass of French wine at a party the other night (and it was real good btw) but I didn't buy it.)
So that's my plan: Make fun of France, bomb Iran, drop Social Security, split the 9th, drill until gas hits $1/gallon, nucyuler power, disperse, and cut taxes. It would be fun and it would win.