GOP: A post-mature product cannibalizes itself

Wall Street Journal

GOP Is Losing Grip On Core Business Vote
Deficit Hawks Defect As Social Issues Prevail;
'The Party Left Me'

WASHINGTON -- The Republican Party, known since the late 19th century as the party of business, is losing its lock on that title.

New evidence suggests a potentially historic shift in the Republican Party's identity -- what strategists call its "brand." The votes of many disgruntled fiscal conservatives and other lapsed Republicans are now up for grabs, which could alter U.S. politics in the 2008 elections and beyond.

Some business leaders are drifting away from the party because of the war in Iraq the growing federal debt and a conservative social agenda they don't share. In manufacturing sectors such as the auto industry, some Republicans want direct government help with soaring health-care costs, which Republicans in Washington have been reluctant to provide. And some business people want more government action on global warming, arguing that a bolder plan is not only inevitable, but could spur new industries...

It's quite a detailed article with some good stats/graphs on how bad the trend is. No surprise for the truly curious and self-aware. I have one particular client I admire very much, a very kind-hearted CEO, whose own prodigal journey into political cognitive dissonance is coming to an end after 20 years. That's not to say he's joining the Democrats, though. He'd most likely say "I'm just joining myself."

Tigers and pyschopaths and companies, oh my

Courage needs a companion

The Customer is always right. The Customer isn't always American. Ooops.

Okay, about that "rightness" thing...