Principled Republicans fading

Dan Warner, Las Vegas

Monday, July 22, 2013 | 2:01 a.m.

What has become of the Republican Party? The GOP once boasted the likes of Dwight Eisenhower, Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole, Jack Kemp, Alan Simpson, Colin Powell, Meg Whitman, Thomas Kean, Tom Ridge, Dick Thornburg, John Heinz III, Arlen Specter, Al D’Amato, Warren Rudman, William Roth and John Warner, to name a few. These were and are common sense conservatives, men and women who believe in less government and low taxes.

They also realized the government’s role in our lives. Their belief in our constitution and the Bill of Rights was unfettered. And they knew there was more to these documents than the Second Amendment.

Principled Republicans like this are quickly fading away. The few who are left — Orrin Hatch, John McCain, Pat Toomey and Chris Christie — are trying their best but their voices are being drowned out by what can best be described as the “plop plop fizz fizz” wing of the party, aka the Tea Party.

The likes of Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Paul Rubio, Rick Perry and Ted Cruz are great talkers. But for all their talk, they’ve accomplished nothing. Sound bytes are not soon forgotten, as Mitt Romney can attest. So for the party to become relevant again, actions must speak louder then words.

In the meantime, the party would be best served with a “two steps back to move one step forward” approach. With no realistic hope of capturing the White House in 2016, the party should nominate a Palin/Bachmann ticket or perhaps a Perry/Rubio ticket. They’ll lose in a landslide, and then the GOP can focus on rebuilding from within. With eight years to get rid of used tea bags, principled Republicans can then lead the party out of the abyss and become a force in 2024.