Ah, Thanksgiving. A holiday when we honor the most treasured fundamentals of American culture: gluttony, parades, football and, of course, 5 a.m. department store shopping frenzies. However, if the overly-commercialized style of celebration isn't your cup of cranberries, don't fret. Buckle those shoes, grab some turkey and curl up with the newspaper of your choice - lucky for us, one of Thanksgiving's most time-honored traditions is playing out in politics right before our eyes.
The tradition is the breaking of the wishbone. A little history first: it dates back to the Etruscans in 300 B.C. The custom then evolved into a Roman one, which later became popularized in Europe. By the time the pilgrims relocated across the Atlantic, it was widely accepted that whoever ended up with the larger end of the snapped wishbone had their wish granted.
But the biggest wishbone struggle right now is not from anyone's turkey. It's in the Republican Party, and it has the potential for drastic effects in the political sphere. Pulling on one side are the moderate Republicans -like Senators Olympia Snowe and John McCain, former Senator Chuck Hagel and New York Times columnist David Brooks. On the other end of the wishbone are the far-right fundamentalist conservatives: Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee as well as media commentators Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
The schism in the party, in my opinion, began the day GOP messiah Ronald Reagan moved out of the White House. For the next two decades, Republicans coasted on his ideals and success. However, the disaster that was the Bush 43 administration left Republicans (and even the Reagan Democrats) asking, "What would Ronald do?" Rather than a unified restructure of the party, GOP politicians failed to find common ground with each other and their constituents. The moderates, recognizing the highlights of Reagan's philosophies and the increasingly open-minded public, lightened their stress on social issues and focused chiefly on responsible government spending and economic policy. However, a small-but-loud group ran in the opposite direction, illogically offering strict moral guidelines and religious values as the solution to the nation's myriad of problems.
The effects of this Republican wishbone-tugging are profound and dangerous, not only for Republicans but for the entire nation. First, the religious fundamentalism that is lately dominating Republican speech not only violates the secular principles on which our country was established (think, kids: why did the pilgrims came on the Mayflower in the first place?) but is also insulting to our intelligence. In June 2008, Sarah Palin said the war in Iraq was a "task from God." Our multi-billion dollar war should require more evidentiary support than a claim of a divine plan. The same goes for conservative faith-based justification of legislation prohibiting gay marriage, stem cell research and various other socially progressive ideas. If the public continues to accept religious dogma as valid political arguments, the government will lose its accountability and responsibility to make educated decisions.
The second major dilemma of the Republican wishbone is its effects on partisan politics. As frustrating as the political system may sometimes be, the two parties have always kept each other in check. Look at the history books - a single party rarely holds the White House for more than three terms. A pendulum-like arc has always existed in the government branches, preventing our political culture from deviating too far from center. However, if the GOP's resources and constituency are spread between sub-factions, the Democratic Party could succeed by virtue of plurality. And although I respect our senators and representatives, it is not safe to entrust either party with total control of Congress.
The ultimate question is whether the metaphorical wishbone will snap. Some conservatives seem to be betting that it will and are beginning to shift their platforms accordingly. Mitt Romney, who is being touted as the GOP presidential candidate for 2012, is a perfect example. In the 1990s, Romney was fiscally conservative and socially moderate, supporting pro-choice groups and gays in the military. Yet as he gained popularity and power in the early 2000s, he reversed many of his planks to maintain a solid Republican fundamentalist base. McCain used this same reasoning when he picked Sarah Palin, who appealed strongly to the less-educated, faith-dependent demographic, as his vice-presidential candidate in 2008.
The next big debate is where the GOP can go from here. In my opinion, they should get back to the basics by distancing themselves from polarizing figures like Limbaugh, putting social issues to the backburner (which is very Reagan-esque) and focusing on the economic climate. This will attract the moderate Democrats, swing-voting Independents and Libertarians. Then, the Republicans need to introduce innovators - economists, writers, pundits, anyone with an idea - who can help them create alternatives to the Democrats' expensive stimulus and health care plan. Americans don't want to hear constant complaints on Capitol Hill; we want to hear solutions. If the Republicans can accomplish that, then they may have something for which to be thankful: a wishbone - and a party - that's still intact.
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