Despite nearly being dead, the GOP can still put on a great show.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, once hailed as the next Barack Obama for the GOP, resurfaced last Tuesday berating President Obama's address to Congress. Jindal's rebuttal speech came after the first tonally gratifying Presidential address to Congress in eight years, and it fell humbly flat. The Louisiana governor never had a chance with a speech he delivered by channeling his inner Mr. Rogers.
Not only was the rebuttal condescending, but it was also lacking in reason and logic; instead reverting back to the tenants of conservative principles, unoriginally deriding "tax and spend" Democrats.
And that moment, when Jindal referred back to principle instead of reality, is when the modern Republican Party died.
Undeniably, there are a few remnants of the once Grand Old Party. Republicans like California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who have accepted the stimulus bill money for their states, are examples of moderate Republicans, who instead of being hailed as the saviors of the party, are dismissed as cop-outs to the holy canon of conservatism. Last week, Gov. Jindal took to the Sunday talk show circuit, pledging not to take the money the stimulus bill had already set aside for his state.
Later, the American public found out Jindal would reject a whole two percent of the stimulus money. Oh boy!
Again, Jindal exemplified why America is tired of the Republican Party: Another Mr. Rogers character preaching moral values only to be caught with his pants down in the proverbial Minnesota bathroom stall.
This country needs a two-party system, but with the GOP effectively dead, our government is split between a faction of ideologues and a majority of pragmatists. Republicans desperately need to reinvent themselves, not just for their sake, but for our democracy's sake.
Conveniently enough, I have a plan for their political redemption: refocus on education.
For far too long, Republicans have constantly stressed the importance of a sound education system, but they have only gone as far as initiating vague educational mandates without providing adequate funding to school districts. Instead of trying to fix our state deficit by cutting education, increase the tax on cigarettes and tobacco products that will ultimately lessen the burden on our health care system. Instead of forcing school districts to lay off thousands of teachers and personnel, damaging the quality of education Florida's students receive, create revenue by taxing alcohol. Instead of cutting the funding for higher education, damaging the caliber of future Floridian workers, simply cut other areas of the budget.
College students across the state of Florida understand that increased access to quality higher education will ultimately curb our economic woes, and they will be rallying in Tallahassee on March 4 to demand the attention of the State Legislature. I'd suggest that our Republican lawmakers listen.
It may not be the principled conservative decision, but it will be the smart one.
Matthew Christ is a political science freshman. His column appears on Mondays.
