Is the G.O.P. Really the G.Y.P.?

“Politics is just a pile of tricks.”

- KRS-One

The Grand Old Party?

The Republican Party is often referred to as the G.O.P. short for the “Grand Old Party.” And this is excellent marketing. It sounds very regal. It Invokes images of the great and noble Abraham Lincoln founding the party in 1854 with big ideas and bold plans to save the Union and move the nation beyond the shameful shackles of slavery.

On the other hand, the Democratic Party or the “Democrat Party” as is the common pejorative, sounds pretty flakey, like it was formed in 1969 by Unwashed Berkeley Communist Radicals between bong hits and blowing up the Campus Cafeteria.

First of all, Cal Berkeley is awesome. Go Bears!

Second of all, according to the indisputable wisdom of Wikipedia:

“The Democratic Party of the United States is the oldest voter-based political party in the world, tracing its heritage back to the anti-Federalists of the 1790s.”

The Democrats’ roots go back to a congressional congress founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1792 which evolved over the years before adopting the name it still uses today in 1844, ten years before the formation of the Republican Party. (1)

So the Grand Old Party is actually the Grand Young Party.

Fox News: Fair And Balanced?

I think the folks in Republican Leadership should take a cue from their pals at Fox News. Under the guidance of Roger Ailes, Fox News had used the slogan “Fox News: Fair and Balanced” since it first launched in 1996. The slogan was certainly effective, but it strains credulity to believe that it was accurate. Fox News is many things, “fair and balanced” not being one of them.

Earlier this year, after Roger Ailes death, Fox News finally gave up the ghost and abandoned the “Fair and Balanced” moniker. Now they are merely “Most Watched, Most Trusted.”

So the question remains, given that the Democratic Party is actually older than the Grand Old Party, what is a more accurate nickname for the Republican Party?

The Party of Abraham Lincoln?

This is a good one. Who doesn’t love Abraham Lincoln? But, considering President Trump’s infatuation with the Confederacy it no longer seems to fit. Also, Honest Abe was a trial lawyer. Republicans hate those dudes.

The Party of Ronald Reagan?

As I am a former actor from California, it’s hard not to love Ronald Reagan. He beat the Ruskies and his presidential library in Simi Valley is Amazing! They have a full sized Air Force One you can walk through. They even have a life size recreation of the Oval Office.

But, from what I recall, Reagan was not a big fan of Russia. He even said the Soviet Union was an “Evil Empire.” Given that Vladimir Putin is President Trump’s bestie, “The Party of Reagan” doesn’t seem to fit. Also, Reagan was the president of a labor union. Republicans hate those dudes too.

The Party of Richard Nixon?

Getting warmer. Tricky Dick was pretty sneaky, as is Trump, so this seems to be a match. But, say what you will about Nixon, he was forward thinking enough to create the Environmental Protection Agency way back in 1970.

Given Trump’s rejection of the science of climate change and withdrawal from the Paris Accords, this doesn’t seem to fit either.

The Party of Trump?

“Things are entirely what they appear to be - behind them…there is nothing.” - Jean-Paul Sartre

Calling the Republican Party the “Grand Old Party” is clearly inaccurate. And rebranding themselves the “Grand Young Party” seems silly. Who wants to a bunch of adolescent whippersnappers in charge?

The Party of Lincoln, The Party of Reagan or The Party of Nixon is not correct either.

If you believe in the virtue of “truth in advertising,” today’s Republican Party is squarely:

The Party of Trump

When and If, Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan get around to impeaching the mentally unbalanced con man holding the nuclear codes, we may consider changing that.

(1) CBSNews.com, “What Does ‘GOP’ Stand For?” December, 3, 2002