MARCH 2014
tions? Not necessarily. History suggests
that the American public elects presidential
candidates who have conviction in their
principles but who are also likeable. Successful candidates from either party have
been culturally conservative but functionally progressive. What is clear, however, is
that ultraconservative right-wing Tea Party
contenders will never succeed, just as the
desperate 1970’s Democratic experiment to
field anti-war, pro-union, far-left nominees
failed miserably. Ideological purity versus
electability is a false choice. Electoral reality is nothing but vote bank arithmetic, and
the compelling mandate for the Republican
national party should not just be to advocate ideological views but to select conservative candidates who can win elections.
Bey