The conservative dilemma in a nutshell

The movement's biggest stars are more concerned with their own empires than the Republican Party's fortunes

Jim DeMint
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Jim DeMint, the former firebrand senator from South Carolina who now heads The Heritage Foundation, has been on the speaking junket of late calling for the replacement of any Republican who has the good sense to oppose a purely symbolic and unwinnable vote on repealing ObamaCare. DeMint is an absolutist, and is revealing a sad truth about too many spokespeople for conservative causes these days: They play to an audience that does not understand (or does not care about) the demographic realities of electoral politics, and offer a message designed to line their own pockets rather than improve the party. This has to change if our party is to rise again.

Take DeMint. GOPers who are against the symbolic move to replace ObamaCare "should be replaced," he says. DeMint also says he's "not as interested in the political futures of folks who think they might lose a showdown with the president." These remarks highlight two of the most fundamental obstacles to the GOP's return to viability as a ruling party in this country.

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Jeb Golinkin is an attorney from Houston, Texas. You can follow him on twitter @jgolinkin.