Situational Values

The LA Times is reporting a split in the GOP over Barack Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court justice. It is true that there is a split in the Republican Party, but it's not new. The divide in the GOP is not a recent development and it certainly predates the controversy over Sotomayor.

The Times article contends that the conflict in the Republican Party revolves around the potential negative impact that a contentious confirmation process might have on potential Republican voters in the Latino community. There is no denying the accuracy of this observation. Discussions and arguments are taking place throughout the right side of the political spectrum on blogs, forums and media outlets around the nation. The gulf between the two sides of the argument is wide and growing. And it has nothing to do with Sonia Sotomayor.

The current strife is simply the latest in a long series of allegorical representations of the struggle between two entrenched political factions of the Republican Party; expedience and principle. The GOP has been said to be at an 'Ideological Crossroads', but it would be more accurate to describe it as an 'Ideological Precipice'. The survival of the Party depends on it making a turn to one side or the other, lest it plummet out of sight into oblivion.

Since the election of George H. W. Bush in 1988 the faction of expedience has been steadily increasing its influence over the Republican Party. The faction of principle has been a consistent part of the Republican base, but the satisfaction level of this portion of the Party has been steadily deteriorating. As the stream of conservatives giving up on the GOP threatens to become a flood, those that are willing to write the conservatives off and re-brand the Party to seek new voters are becoming bolder and more vocal. This is the environment in which we find ourselves considering the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court justice.

The faction of expedience looks at the possibility of a contentious confirmation process and fears the possibility that potential Latino voters might be offended and lost as voters. The faction of principle looks at the possibility that large numbers of Latinos may closely follow the confirmation process and sees an opportunity to present the case for conservatism to a captive audience. The faction of expedience asserts that the candidate must be handled differently in deference to the sex and race of the candidate. The faction of principle contends that it is inconsistent with conservatism to decide which actions are appropriate based on anything but the candidate's merit. The two positions are irreconcilable.

As the demographics of the United States inevitably change, the demographics of the GOP must change as well. Any assertions to the contrary would be short sighted, and of questionable motive. The Republican Party can appeal to new voters from these growing demographic groups in one of two ways; successfully make the case for conservative principles or adopt principles that already appeal to the voters. There is a question that the GOP must answer as it stands at the brink of the ideological precipice. Will the principles of the Party be defined by what is considered expedient, or will what is considered expedient be defined by the principles of the Party?