In the Agora: MetroGOPuals

February 12, 2007

MetroGOPuals

The Weekly Standard notes that the three leading candidates for the GOP nomination--Giuliani, Romney, and McCain--are not exactly Republicans straight out of central casting. That is, they're not Southerners or Westerners who wear their personal piety and social conservatism on their sleeves like the current White House occupant. McCain, though a Westerner, has made a media career of tweaking social conservative sensibilities and the GOP establishment. Romney was the governor of the bluest of blue states, is the son of a former Michigan governor, and, regarding his Mormonism, doesn't exactly talk like Ken Jennings. Giuliani is a real New Yorker whose personal and political foibles have been documented by ITA's writers this past week.

The Weekly Standard terms these guys "Metro Republicans," and wonders whether the rise of the Metros can help stem the GOP's massive losses in inner suburbia the past few election cycles. The wealthy Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. suburbs, for example, have shifted tremendously towards the Democrats in recent years; the loss of the suburban professionals is one of the those pro-Democratic trends that have some experts bullish on the party's long-term future. McCain, Giuliani, and Romney play well to these types, and Giuliani at least also still appeals to rural Southerners and Westerners. Might nominating one of these nontraditional Republicans reverse the party's losses in suburbia? It might be worth a shot.

See also:
Endangered Yankee Republicans by yours truly.

Posted by David Darlington at February 12, 2007 03:05 PM

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The wealthy Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. suburbs, for example, have shifted tremendously towards the Democrats in recent years

As for the Philly suburbs, I think there are two factors that explain the shift in voting patterns as much or more than individual voters changing their party allegiance: 1) there has been a demographic shift, with the Democratic base moving out of the city and into the suburbs, and 2) the local party is out of touch and has done a terrible job of finding good candidates. In my congressional district, they ran a pro-choice Republican in 2002 and 2004, and Raj from The Apprentice last year. None of these candidates connected at all with social conservatives.

Posted by: Eric Seymour at February 12, 2007 05:53 PM | permalink

Perhaps the anti-gay Brownback could be termed a "retrosexual"?

Posted by: philosopher at February 12, 2007 08:40 PM | permalink

lol...philosopher, I actually like that term. I prefer it in reference to fashion, though. Maybe a traditional man with a bowler (or fedora),lots of tweed, and elbow patches.

Posted by: John at February 12, 2007 11:55 PM | permalink

Stem Republican losses in Philly suburbs? That may be an uphill battle. The national political realignment that started in the South is about complete and the counter-realignment in the Northeast and Midwest is well on it's way.

Looks like the political lines are drawn almost the same as they were just prior to the Civil war, except that now the South is Republican and the North is Democratic.

Posted by: JohnS at February 13, 2007 06:59 PM | permalink

February 12, 2007

MetroGOPuals

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