Policies and positions republican candidates must support to appeal to their base of voters

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IN one of several republican-oriented pundits' public panic over the competition among their presidential candidates to see who can be more extreme, 'The Economist', in a desperate article entitled, 'The Right Republican', compiled a pretty good list of requisites they lament that republican presidential aspirants seeking their party's nomination must adhere to:

That abortion should be illegal in all cases.
That gay marriage must be banned even in states that want it.
That the 12m illegal immigrants, even those who have lived in America for decades, must all be sent home.
That the 46m people who lack health insurance have only themselves to blame.
That global warming is a conspiracy.
That any form of gun control is unconstitutional.
That any form of tax increase must be vetoed, even if the increase is only the cancelling of an expensive and market-distorting perk.
That Israel can do no wrong and the 'so-called Palestinians', to use Mr Gingrich’s term, can do no right.
That the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education and others whose names you do not have to remember should be abolished.

I really don't want to promote their counsel to their republican flock by linking to it. I've even refrained from pointing to the curious missives from some Democrats taking pains to point out the republicans' strategic foibles.

Yet, I've had my own running list of requisite positions and views culled from the present batch of GOP crazies, ready-made for erstwhile republican candidates for president looking to stir their fearful and gullible flocks to the polls to vote against this president. Some are positions and beliefs that suit some camps and not others, but there's definitely a grab-bag of distortions, lies, and smears for these republicans to feed to their willing and conservative electorate.

Like, the 'Obama is a Muslim' thing. That's a sure-fire hook to draw out the McCain/Palin voter back to the polls. Or, the birth certificate ploy. That has a perpetual stubbornness that is a remarkably effective dog-whistle for racists and xenophobes who make up a sizable percentage of the republican base these days.

There's likely great comfort for these folks in the present republican field. You can choose between a closet racist in Perry (family hunting ranch that was once called “N ----rhead.”), and an open one in Paul who's called for the destruction of Israel.

If you fear minority poor folks, you can take comfort in Gingrich's advice to fire union janitors in schools and have the disadvantaged youth clean the bathrooms. That has to thrill them. If you worship and revere the rich (or if you are rich and fear Democratic economic reforms), you can take comfort in Romney's history as a corporate raider who will stop at nothing, yield to no one to achieve personal gain and profit. You can just imagine how America would benefit from that single-minded pursuit of profitability; to the exclusion of and disregard for all else we've come to expect our government to take responsibility for.

Plenty of options for a prospective republican candidate for president looking to attract votes from the republican base. Perhaps it's best not to give them any more ideas.

[PuffedMica]

1. Other mainstays of Republican campaign topics

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Strengthening environmental laws = anti-business laws

Anything favored by labor unions is anti- business

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