Republicans' Anti-intellectualism, or 'Boob-baitism,' is a Long Road to Nowhere

The party’s loss of brains leaves it rudderless, without a compelling agenda. Hey, William Kristol, you can’t call your organization a “think tank” if your ideas are bad

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By Rocky Boschert

The main reason for the Republican Party’s defeat at the polls last month is the party’s loss in the national battle for brains. Here are some statistics: Barack Obama won college graduates by 2 points. He also won voters with postgraduate degrees by 18 points. And he won voters with an annual household income of more than $200,000 by 6 points – many of whom would get thumped by Obama’s proposed tax increases. John McCain wowed voters in Appalachia and the South.

The Republicans also lost the battle of ideas and solutions for real problems. They marched into the Presidential election armed with primarily insipid slogans. What about an energy solution? “drill, baby, drill.” Global warming? Make a joke about Ozone Al. Immigration? Send the bums home. How about torture and Guantánamo? Wear a T-shirt saying you would rather be water-boarding. Yes, very funny indeed.

And during the primary debates, almost half of the ten Republican candidates admitted that they did not believe in evolution.

The Republican Party’s divorce from their intelligentsia has been building steadily for years. Mr. Bush preferred listening to his “heart” rather than his “head." He filled the government with cronies like horse show executive Michael “heck-of-a-job with Katrina” Brown. And let’s not forget US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the perfect example for the argument to end affirmative action.

Not to be outdone, Mr. McCain dealt with the intricacies of the financial meltdown by looking for villains from 40-year-old Chicago political caverns. And in a desperate attempt to serve boob bait to Bubba, he appointed Sarah Palin to his ticket, a secessionist leaning, runner up beauty contestant who governs the corrupt energy complex, corporate socialism state of Alaska.

Educational and economic trends portend rejection of the 'low road'

If it continues, and it looks like it might, the Republican Party’s anti-intellectualism will exact further devastation for its future. Way back in the 1980’s, the party’s electoral success was driven by its ability to craft a message that resonated with blue collar Democrats (later called Reagan Democrats). It was a message that focused on entrepreneurship, law and order, and national pride. It also gave the party with a popular policy agenda. Now, the party’s loss of brains leaves it rudderless, without a compelling agenda. Hey, William Kristol, you can’t call your organization a “think tank” if your ideas are bad.

Ironically, this cognitive failing within the current Republican Party is happening at a time when the American population is fortunately becoming more educated. A quarter of Americans now have university degrees. Twenty percent of American households earn more than $100,000 a year. Seventy percent of Americans with college degrees call themselves “professionals." The number of jobs requiring problem solving and critical thinking skills has increased three times as fast as employment in general.

Comparatively, the Republican Party’s current “redneck strategy” seems to appeal to a shrinking and backward-looking portion of the electorate.

Why is this happening? One reason is that Chuck Norris-like chop-socky conservatism has lost patience with brain power. Many conservatives – particularly lower-income ones – are more consumed with their fury about immigration, gay marriage, and liberal do-gooders than addressing real solutions for Americans. They take their opinions from deeply divisive talk-radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. And on a bizarre note, they seem to regard Mrs. Palin’s apparent ignorance as something to be proud of.

Another reason for American conservative disarray is the degeneracy of conservative theory itself, similar to what happened to American liberal theory back in the 1970s. Seemingly trapped in an ideological cocoon, conservative thought is now defined by its fringe elements, ruled by a few dynasties and incapable of adjusting to a changing world. The modern conservative movement has little to say about today’s pressing problems, such as global warming and the reasons we got into Iraq, and gets all indignant about xenophobia, homophobia, and stem-cell research. They also keep mindlessly touting the benefits of free market theory with little knowledge of its basic tenets.

Additionally, many conservative leaders are engaged in their own version of what was once called “the treason of the learned.” They have no real heroes (other than Ronald Reagan) and have fallen into constructing cartoon images of “real Americans," such as Joe the Plumber, the Palin family baby machine, as well as some unknown folks in western Pennsylvania.

A Time for Reflection?

How likely is it that the Republican Party will come to its senses? There are some glimmers of hope. Fiscal conservatives worry more and more that their party will continue to lose the business vote, due to its adherence to a mindless form of free market deregulation.

Moderate conservatives are starting to complain that the Republicans are becoming the party of “white-trash pride." Anonymous McCain aides complained that Mrs. Palin was a “whack job." Many old guard Republicans and free markets thinkers endorsed Obama for the Presidency, including the renowned “Economist” magazine.

Unfortunately, the odds in favor of an intelligent conservative renaissance look long. Many conservatives continue to think they lost the US Presidency because they weren’t conservative or populist enough. Unless the Democrats blow it, if Governor Sarah Palin is the future of the Republican Party, the liberal party can almost be guaranteed victory after victory. Ever wonder why we never heard husband Todd Palin (the “first dude”) speak?

Some readers will say I am being mean spirited and kicking the conservative Republican Party while they are down. No, not really. I just want an America where there are persuasive ideas and solutions from all sides. America will be stronger and more interesting that way. In fact, maybe the social conservatives who seem to dominate the Republican Party these days should take it over and move their headquarters to Alaska.

However, even the Democrats need to monitor their own attitude. More and more we see political grandstanding and showboating on their part when it comes to past incidences of corporate irresponsibility and incompetence. When we look at the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac failures, Democrats need to take responsibility for its own cronyism and regulatory incompetence plaguing the current American economy.

Democrats could do with a little self assessing, too

Moreover, the Democratic Party must move away from its own dynastic tendencies and stop working from the belief that re-instituting the same old people in new positions of power is somehow going to recreate the questionable successes of the Clinton years. Remember, it was Clinton’s tenure that brought in NAFTA and allowed the repeal of the Glass-Steagle Act in 1999, a primary cause of our current economic crisis.

What America really needs is a new national third-party that adopts the best of both conservative and liberal tenets and even creates some of its own 21st century values. It could be called the Economic Common Sense Freedom Party, “headquartered” in thousands of local offices spread all over America and linked together by the internet.

It would be truly fiscal conservative – promoting the survival and success of small businesses – not bailing out spoiled, lobby money driven multinationals. It would be a party that focuses on decentralized, education-based environmental policies and fiscally responsive public and private education based on secularism and future thinking global economy skill building.

It would be a party that focuses on abortion as an education and prevention based issue that promotes responsible moral decision making and free will (a Christian tenet). Women should not be forced by law to be broodmares for the state. And regarding the homophobia inherent in the social conservative movement, I believe Jesus would have taken the same stance as the US Constitution when it comes to the individual rights of all Americans. A healthy American political party would do so as well.

In the end, a majority of voters on November 4 declared loudly that social conservatives need to live their lives the way they want and leave everyone else alone. Cultural diversity in America is just too complicated to be governed by a small cadre of angry, self-righteous political preachers. Besides, Americans are ultimately more concerned about feeding their families, keeping their jobs, educating their children, and being able to retire securely. America is a huge country with over 200 million people. It should be respected as such.

If the last eight years should have taught Americans one thing it is this: It would have been much more productive to intelligently “Question Authority” rather than robotically “Honor Thy Father.”

Rocky Boschert has resided in Wimberley since 1993. He currently serves as board president of the Katherine Anne Porter School (KAPS) in Wimberley. Mr. Boschert owns and manages Arrowhead Asset Management.