The end of an era? (Chrisitans/Economic conservatives fleeing Republican Party)

[marmar]

From OurFuture.org:



The end of an era?
Submitted by Rick Perlstein on October 4, 2007 - 8:57am.


My boss here at the Campaign for America's Future has a theory. It is that conservatism was an era. And that this era is over. They had their chance to govern; people are seeing the price in ruined lives, ruined institutions, lost treasure, lost everything, and are realizing, perhaps for all time, that they were sold a bill of goods.

I'm not quite so optimistic—Bob Borosage, a blessed optimist, always signs off his conversations with the command "be of good cheer"—but, well, maybe I'm getting there.

Here are two recent newspaper articles, one well-circulated, the other less so. The first is from the Wall Street Journal. Subscription only, so here are some big chunks.


New evidence suggests a potentially historic shift in the Republican Party's identity -- what strategists call its "brand." The votes of many disgruntled fiscal conservatives and other lapsed Republicans are now up for grabs, which could alter U.S. politics in the 2008 elections and beyond.

Some business leaders are drifting away from the party because of the war in Iraq, the growing federal debt and a conservative social agenda they don't share. In manufacturing sectors such as the auto industry, some Republicans want direct government help with soaring health-care costs, which Republicans in Washington have been reluctant to provide. And some business people want more government action on global warming, arguing that a bolder plan is not only inevitable, but could spur new industries.

Already, economic conservatives who favor balanced federal budgets have become a much smaller part of the party's base. That's partly because other groups, especially social conservatives, have grown more dominant. But it's also the result of defections by other fiscal conservatives angered by the growth of government spending during the six years that Republicans controlled both the White House and Congress.


There are hard numbers:

In the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in September, 37% of professionals and managers identify themselves as Republican or leaning Republican, down from 44% three years ago....

Federal campaign-finance reports document shifting support in some quarters of the business community. Hedge funds last year gave 77% of their contributions in congressional races to Democrats, up from 71% during the 2004 election, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan analyst of campaign finances. Last year the securities industry gave 45% of its money to Republicans, down from 58% in 1996, the center said.

"You see it in the lack of donor support" for Republican presidential candidates, says longtime strategist John Weaver.... Overall, Democratic presidential candidates have raised more than $200 million this year, about 70% more than their Republican rivals. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/end_era?tx=3