On Republicans and culture war

For the last generation or so, the GOP has been fighting an uphill battle against the media, of course, but also the culture. The nation is in the midst of a culture war, or a culture cold civil war, as John Derbyshire likes to call it. Most conservatives are at a massive disadvantage. The other sides want to talk culture while conservatives are trying to talk about policy issues.

The author has a bit of experience with this. In 1995 he was an intern with Senator Bill Roth (R-DE) and attacked to the Governmental Affairs Committee. That year the newly GOP congress tried to enact some reforms of Medicare and Medicaid that would have reduced the spending increases. I say against reduced the Spending Increases. Personally, the author was prepared to have a discussion about deficits, budgeting and the nature of government. Democrats wanted to accuse the GOP of starving children and throwing old people on the street.

The GOP never stood a chance.

There was a time when Republicans knew how to fight and win culture war. Today he is thought of as an nice old man but 25 years ago Bush the Elder had a reputation as a vicious partisan fighter. Here is a clip of of him socking it to Dan Rather:

Note, George Bush was sharp enough to insist the interview be conducted live.

And here is Bush's notorious 'Willie Horton ad':

That ad and a few others like it were devastating.

Bush, that old, out of touch ninny understood there was a culture war on, and understood how to fight it. Is there hope for the modern GOP?