Republican leaders have pushed for a shift to the far right by promising results their conservative platforms cannot deliver: banning abortions, eliminating the deficit, cutting federal regulations state, cut LGBTQ rights, and cut taxes dramatically. Mr. Gingrich’s “Contract with the US”—and the government shutdown it caused—set the stage for decades of unfulfilled promises and primary voters turning their backs on moderate and liberal elected officials, who who were once key components of the Republican coalition, especially in the Northeast, when such officials could easily be blamed for not fully supporting the party line.
As Republican voters and nominees adopt an increasingly radical agenda, even a Republican Congress cannot produce the results they promised. While Republican officials gave substantial tax cuts to the very wealthy and, under George W. Bush, put many conservatives on the federal bench, they failed to alleviate the tax burden. a meaningful way for working people and the middle class or fully aware of any culture war goals, instead gay marriage become the law of the earth.
These failures prompted a further rightward shift that led to the rise of the Tea Party. And when Tea Partyers can’t stop President Barack Obama and his Affordable Care Act, we’ve come to the 2016 presidential primaries and the rise of Donald Trump. The base of the party grew angry and alienated because promises from Gingrich’s days had not been fulfilled.
During this period, some Republicans in the Northeast swam against the tide. Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont, my predecessor in the United States House of Representatives, become an independent person before retirement. During his last term, Senator Snowe critical vote on the committee to bring the Affordable Care Act before the full Senate. She believes healthcare reform deserves a full Senate review, not a quiet death on the committee. She favors “management” over “control”.
But even in New England, long as a bastion of liberal and moderate Republicanism, the moderates are currently losing the Republican primaries. This year, a candidate backed by Trump win nominations for the governor of Massachusetts; the candidates endorsed by Donald Trump or those who denied the validity of the 2020 election won races in New Hampshire; and the Vermont Republican Party nominated a right-wing figure for the Senate. Increasingly, moderate candidates without a long electoral history will not be able to win nominations for major office.
There have been a few moderate and liberal Republican success stories, but they are anomalies, especially for people or circumstances. In Vermont, Jim Douglas, governor from 2003 to 2011 and current governor, Phil Scott, has built a long electoral career and personal brand that makes them more resilient to key challengers. Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts rose to prominence as a capable administrator in the 1990s, long before he ran for office.
