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President Ronald Reagan, though conservative himself, was a "big tent" Republican. He wanted the party to be attractive to a wide spectrum of political views.
Although I disagree with Sen. Lindsey Graham on some issues (illegal immigrants for one), his political views fall well within traditional Republican conservatism, clearly under Reagan's tent.If there is no room for Graham in the Republican Party, there is no room for me. If there is no room for people like me, then the Republican party will cease to be a national party. A party limited to Rep. Joe Wilson and Sen. Jim DeMint think-alikes will never be a majority party.
How can I claim that? Look at what happened in the 23rd district of New York, where an avowed conservative endorsed by Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh could not win a congressional seat held by Republicans for more than 100 years.
A plurality of Americans are centrists politically. Because more identify as "conservative" than "liberal," a center-right coalition will win most national elections. Democrats generally win only when Republicans are deemed to have failed demonstrably.
Republicans failed miserably in governing between 2001 and 2006, turning a budget surplus into a huge deficit. Thus, voters gave Congress to the Democrats in 2007 and the White House in 2009.
With the national political parties becoming more and more idealogical, centrists are identifying themselves more as "independents" than as Republicans or Democrats. The party that has the support of centrists is the party that will succeed.
Paul Baird
Hilton Head Island
