As they do so, political analyst Stuart Rothenberg has some thoughts to share with the Republican National Committee chairman in his latest column in Roll Call."[RNC] Chairman Michael Steele's comments last month to RNC state chairmen calling for the party to turn the corner 'on regret, recrimination, self–pity and self–doubt' and to declare 'an end to the era of Republicans looking backward' weren't ill–advised or inappropriate," he writes. "They were just irrelevant."
Rothenberg observes that high–profile Republicans, from former Vice President Dick Cheney to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, from radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, have been squabbling about what it means to be a Republican and "[t]hey are focused on what divides them from each other rather than on what unites them in their opposition to President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party."
Rothenberg is correct when he points out that this is nothing new. This is a familiar pattern for a political party that has been beaten decisively in two consecutive elections. He is also correct when he says that the bickering will continue until Republicans "find something better to do" — specifically, "focusing on a common adversary."
In New Jersey, the immediate common adversary for the winner of the GOP gubernatorial nomination and the state's Republicans is likely to be Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine. He is opposed in today's Democratic primary by three candidates, but none are given much of a chance of upsetting the incumbent.
Thus, Corzine is likely to be the Democrat on the ballot in November. But even if lightning should strike and someone else carries the party's banner in the November election, that person will be the Republicans' common adversary.
New Jersey and Virginia are the remaining battlegrounds for the Republicans in this first year of the Obama era. They already lost the first showdown — in New York, where a Democrat was elected to take the seat vacated by Hillary Clinton's replacement in the Senate.
Minnesota won't elect its governor until next year, but the Republican who has held that job for two four–year terms, Tim Pawlenty, apparently will not seek a third term next year.
Pawlenty has scheduled a press conference for 2 p.m. (Central) today, and he is expected to announce his plans at that time.
At one time, Pawlenty was believed to be a contender to be John McCain's running mate last year. Current speculation suggests that Pawlenty plans to focus on a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.
In other political news from Minnesota, the never–ending Senate race between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken is in the hands of the state's Supreme Court.
The court must rule on Coleman's appeal of the trial court's ruling that Franken was the winner.
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