Congratulations to this newspaper for productively filling a space formerly squandered twice monthly on David Reinhard; reading Kathleen Parker's column feels like a breath of much-needed fresh air.
I only recently became aware of Ms. Parker's conservative view; her controversial column in the late-September National Review openly directed Sarah Palin to jump ship for the sake of saving John McCain's campaign. In the Nov. 19 edition of the Idaho Mountain Express, Parker's column again makes an intelligent (and similar) argument: the survival of America's Republican Party depends on the removal of God from this party's platform.
Although Parker doesn't state the obvious, that America was founded on separation of religion and government, she does make a strong case for how the combination of these two elements is sinking the Republican ship. Parker also mentions that party leaders will likely fail to recognize/admit/address this problem, which is probably fine with most Democrats; a Republican Party that stays the course is a fading entity.
I, for one, won't mind at all if this current version of the Republican Party disappears altogether. And I certainly look forward to a day when religion-based attacks on reproductive choice and gay rights are removed from the public sphere. But at some point in the not-so-distant future, America will again need a healthy two-party political system. Meanwhile, intelligent conservative voices like Kathleen Parker's can play an important role in the creation of a more inclusive Republican Party.
Jeremy Fryberger
Ketchum
