Quick, name the leader of the Republicans. Did you say Mitch McConnell? Undoubtedly the most powerful republican in the USA but his stealth tactics keep him from being identified as a leader.
Did you say Michael Steele, the new chairman of the RNC? So far the best description of his term of office would be to call it beleaguered. His gaffes and his performance to date have left many mainstream republicans in doubt about his choice.
Now you might mention John McCain, but really he is done for. You might mention Bobby Jindal or Tim Pawlenty, but those trial balloons haven't really risen very high.
And if you said Rush Limbaugh, or Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck you'd be right that they have reach and influence, but they are permanently located outside the arena where political battles are waged. They are the color commentators, not gladiators.
Fact is, the GOP is pretty much leaderless right now. In fact, in many respects it is a rudderless ship being battered against the rocks by the winds of change which seem to shift hourly.
A similar observation was made by Lisa Lehrer and Martin Kady writing for Politico today [STORY HERE].
Though they focused more on the lack of a consistent GOP message, what they describe is just one symptom of a much more serious affliction.
Despite the incredible energy boiling up among ordinary Americans no one in the GOP has yet to find a way to harness that power or even to tap into its populist appeal. And until they do, the triumvirate of Obama Pelosi and Reid will continue to move the country so far to the left, it may take an incredible leader to bring it back someday.
When Mitch White Tie McConnell is your leader, you're royally effed.
Posted by: PD | March 31, 2009 at 12:08 PM