There's nothing fundamentally unRepublican about class warfare. The fortunes of the middle quintiles of Americans have been eroding pretty much since Obama took office in 2009. It also may be the issue Obama now most wants to avoid, which explains his current focus on secondary issues like gun control and gay marriage.įor their part, Republicans need to make Obama own the class issue since his record is fairly indefensible. Yet, it's the issue of the day, as President Obama recognized when he went after patrician Mitt Romney. Of course, the whole idea of appealing to class may be repellant to most libertarian-conservative or country-club remnants of the Republican Party. What Republicans need is a transformative issue that can attract a mass base – and that issue is class. Yes, ideas do matter, but a simple defense of free markets is not likely to have broad-enough appeal. Ron Paul did best among younger Republican voters in the primaries. Others think pure market-oriented principles will, somehow, win the day.
Some Republicans want to push racial buttons on issues like immigration, or try to stop their political slide on gay marriage, which will steepen as younger people replace older people in the voting booth. As a Truman-style Democrat left politically homeless, I am often asked about the future of the Republican Party.