I got a bit of pushback on Twitter and elsewhere regarding my GOP "wish list" to the effect that what I'm proposing actually already exists as ... the Democratic Party. That's very badly wrong, as should be evident in my phrases such as "Offers generally market-oriented economic proposals..." "Seeks to limit the growth of government..." "Recognizes that a key reason why entitlement reform is needed..."
There are also significant problems for the Democrats in practice, regardless of their rhetoric, in areas that I mentioned such as "Takes environmental issues seriously..." and "Includes civil liberties among its key concerns..."
The good news, from a partisan perspective, is that we Republicans are not alone in having mistaken self-perceptions regarding a party's strengths and weaknesses. That's a Democratic vulnerability too, and one that can be exploited in future elections.
