GOP Must Define Its Basic Essence, Offer Clear Vision of Future

EDITOR’S NOTE: On Feb. 28, Orange County Voices carried columns on the future of the Republican Party from two thoughtful Orange County writers representing conservative and moderate viewpoints.

At that time we offered this page as a forum and invited readers to join the debate by submitting their views on the future of the GOP and what its themes, appeals and programs should be.

The comments published here are a representative sample of the responses received.

‘Right-Wing Zealotry’ at Convention Turned Many From Bush

The Republican party has entered a Dark Age of fundamentalist zealot fanaticism. It was this Christian, right-wing zealotry at the last Republican National Convention in Texas that turned so many middle-of-the-road voters away from President Bush on Nov. 3 and ensured the election of President Bill Clinton. It is this irrational crusade of putting religious moral issues into the Republican platform that will continue to make voters nervous about voting Republican in the future.

The Republican Party is controlled by the Christian Coalition that is being led by the Rev. Pat Robertson, religion-political Pat Buchanan, so-called Traditional Family Values minister-of-hate the Rev. Lou Sheldon and Moral Majority leader the Rev. Jerry Falwell. I do not see the religious right ever giving up their control of the second biggest political party in the United States. They will never be able to have this much power again, and they know it. Their ability to take over America and turn it into a fundamentalist Christian Republic can only be done through a tool like the Republican Party. It is either this way or not at all.

Men and women who are not Protestant, born-again, white Christians need not apply for membership in the Republican Party. Especially unwelcome are blacks, non-Christians, gays and lesbians, pro-choice advocates, and all other liberation or free-thinking individuals.

ALAN ALBERT SNOW

Santa Ana