Mark Halperin compiles a list of why the Republican Party is in trouble. Reason number nine:
The near impotence of the right's long-term Big Three issues (national security, taxes, and social issues).
I think this is interesting for a reason Halperin doesn't mention. There are three main categories of public policy, right? National security, economic policy, and social policy. Halperin identifies the GOP as having three issues (he means categories.)National security is national security. Social issues are social issues. But economic policy is simply "taxes."
Halperin is right that the Republican Party's economic worldview can be simply defined as a position on taxes. But isn't that in and of itself the bigger problem? Doesn't that not only explain the party's inability to connect in a country where most people's income taxes, but also the party's inability to manage the economy in office and craft compelling alternative policies when not in office? There's more going on here than an issue being taken off the table.
--Jonathan Chait