USA Today highlights a recent poll which found that 52 percent of Americans couldn’t say who leads the Republican Party. From the article:
Of those who could [name a leader], the top response was radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh (13%), followed in order by former vice president Dick Cheney, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former House speaker Newt Gingrich. Former president George W. Bush ranked fifth, at 3%.
So the dominant faces of the Republican Party are all men, all white, all conservative and all old enough to join AARP, ranging in age from 58 (Limbaugh) to 72 (McCain). They include some of the country’s most strident voices on issues from Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court to President Obama’s policies at home and abroad. Two are retired from politics, and one has never been a candidate.
While I don’t agree with the way USA Today characterizes the situation above, the question of who leads isn’t a new problem for the GOP. Even when Bush was in office, a significant part of the party’s base wasn’t happy with him. The GOP has yet to find a Reagan-like leader that all components of the party can unite behind.
At the same time, however, the poll isn’t as big a deal as some might make out. Recall the numerous discussions/debates/news stories during the Bush years about who led the Democratic Party — Nancy Pelosi? Harry Reid? Howard Dean? It’s often part and parcel of being an opposition party.
