It’s that time of year again, when congressional Democrats and Republicans face off in a battle royale over the operation of the U.S. government. No other major power in the world encounters this tradition of hawkish, dogged resistance to the act of governing, and for good reason. The shutdown in 2013 cost an estimated $24 billion and disrupted the lives of millions of Americans employed by the federal government.
Last year, the Department of Homeland Security was held hostage in the battle over spending by congressional Republicans, and this year, it’s Planned Parenthood. Opponents of the women’s health organization are fired up after a recent video leaked of higher ups in Planned Parenthood discussing fetal tissue in an insensitive manner.
The annual budget threats are becoming less appealing in the eyes of many in the GOP establishment, as public opinion on the refusal to govern by Republicans has increased animosity between Congress and the electorate. Those with extreme views from the right have an increased influence in Congress and may steer the party completely away from more moderate voters. The extreme right’s influence has become especially apparent with the recent resignation of House Speaker John Boehner.
After announcing his plans to resign, Boehner has made appearances on news outlets denouncing the extremist factions in the GOP. In an interview with CNN, he said, “The Bible says beware of false prophets. And there are people out there, you know, spreading noise about how much can get done. I mean this whole notion that we’re going to shut down the government to get rid of Obamacare in 2013 — this plan never had a chance.”
As politics becomes more about showmanship and less about results, congressmen such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, can get away with wasting the American people’s time as long as he performs. And not performs in the sense of governing but performs as an entertainer. What Boehner and other members of the Republican leadership see is a drastically changing demographic in the United States.
Short-term gains now, created through dazzle and flash that excites a small but vocal minority of mostly white, mostly male right-wing voters, will inevitably fall to long-term loss. When the fervor sizzles out, as they all do, the GOP may be left with an irreversibly damaged image in the minds of Americans. The generation being raised now is the most diverse yet and is witnessing the bombast and policy failures of the GOP’s extreme elements. When they come of age, the chance to change their perspective on the party will be an incredibly difficult task.
The Daily Iowan Editorial Board wants the U.S. government to govern. It believes the loss of Boehner to be unfortunate, not just for moderates and establishment Republicans, but for the GOP, as the resignation is an indicator of the power extreme elements of the right wing have and the real threat of the irreparable damage they can do to the Grand Old Party in the years to come.