Republicans should nominate a brawler

It has become an article of faith in the establishment media that Americans are looking for candidates, particularly Republican presidential candidates, who will reach across the aisle and compromise with Democrats.

New Jersey conservative activist and former Republican congressional candidate Bill Spadea recently published an excellent piece refuting this mainstream media myth.

Spadea’s blog begins by noting that despite “the short-comings of the top-tier, they may all be able to put up an effective fight simply based on the current economy and the President's own poor performance. Mishandling the economic crisis; the deepening of unemployment and under-employment; vast expansion of government beyond what is palatable for the average taxpayer; and out-of-control debt have all contributed to a general lack of enthusiasm for [Obama’s] re-election in recent polls.”

While it's true that – based strictly on the President’s failures – practically any candidate ought to be able to beat Obama, Spadea says to understand why there is a lack of excitement about the current Republican presidential field, one must discard the conventional analysis that some sort of compromise among Washington insiders is required for the GOP candidate to win and for that person to be an effective President.

Spadea’s point in this regard is something every conservative and Tea Party activist ought to keep in mind between now and the Republican national convention: “Only a candidate with the courage to polarize the electorate on the issues and present a stark contrast with the Democratic incumbent will win. We need someone to unapologetically pursue a new policy course focused on economic growth and individual liberty in order to win.”

Amen!

A quick look at recent history shows that being a conciliator and a unifier instead of a polarizer is a recipe for electoral failure. As Spadea noted, “There are plenty of successful Presidents who ran in the center and then governed from their partisan corner. Then there are a few who campaigned from a solid partisan position, specifically outlining an enemy, who won decisive victories… President Reagan and President Clinton were highly partisan political leaders creating vehement opposition from the other side… And each were winners of a second term because they appealed to the core of their own party and created enough momentum to show strong leadership on the issues of the day, which won over the average voter who only pays attention at the end.”

And as Spadea notes, this is a lesson Obama has already figured out: “Obama, like his predecessors, has embraced the role of polarizer-in-chief as he knows that his success is dependent on his aggressive far-left agenda energizing the core of the Democratic base. As long as he offers some hope for a recovery and continues to redistribute your wealth he's got a good shot at keeping the job.”

Do any of the Republican candidates understand that the same zeal on the side of individual liberty and economic growth is the only way for a Republican challenger to have a chance of unseating this President?

Bill Spadea believes that to remedy this deficiency Republicans should nominate a “brawler.” As Spadea argues the case, to win in 2012 we need a conservative candidate who will up-end the establishment media myth that Republicans must nominate a conciliator who will compromise with Democrats.

And Spadea’s favorite brawler is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Whether Governor Christie’s positions on the issues are solidly conservative, or if he even gets in the race, remains to be seen, but Spadea’s analysis of why we need a candidate like Christie is right on target.

“…the American people are starting to 'get it' and the anger that is growing among taxpayers regarding the over-reach and failure of [Obama’s] policies is becoming palpable. Many Americans seem ready to fire the President, but simply won't replace him with someone who will be perceived to do more of the same.”

Exactly. To win, the Republican candidate will need to convince voters that he or she will go to Washington and clean up the mess left by years of apologetic and weak Republicans and big government Democrats.

Or as Bill Spadea put it, “This is not the time to play nice… we should embrace the opportunity and select a nominee who will be unafraid to champion the free market...unafraid to put American interests first...unafraid to take the beating that will surely come from the political and media elite.”