Conservatives are buzzing with how they should respond to President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration, which would keep five million undocumented immigrants from being deported.

The GOP was not happy about this order. But according to a Politico article, House leadership seems to be moving toward a strategy that would avoid a government shutdown.  Staying away from another shutdown is ideal for the GOP because it will allow them to satisfy the Republican base, while also properly positioning the party for the presidential election in 2016.

The plan that Republican leadership is proposing in order to avoid a shutdown is two-fold. It involves funding nearly the entire government through September 2015, but funding involving immigration enforcement will be renewed on a short-term basis. This plan is known throughout conservative circles as “CROmnibus.”  This word combines CR, or continuing resolution, which is a short-term funding bill, and omnibus, the more long-term way of funding the government.

This GOP strategy is ideal for a party that has developed a reputation of not governing in the recent past.  In October 2013, the House of Representatives and the Senate could not agree on an appropriations continuing resolution, or a bill to fund the government.  This government shutdown was largely caused by conservatives who wished to defund or delay the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.”

This move was largely considered to be a total disaster for the GOP.  Shutting down the government severely damaged the Republican brand.  According to a CNN poll from a few days after the government shutdown, 75 percent of Americans said “most Republicans in Congress don’t deserve re-election.”  The poll also indicated that 56 percent saw the Republican Party as too extreme, which was up from 48 percent in March of that year. Comparatively, the poll found that only 42 percent saw the Democrats as too extreme, which was unchanged since March of that year.

In a political climate full of gridlock and general frustration toward the incompetency of government, being seen as extreme is never good.  Considering that Congressional approval is now at 13 percent according to RealClearPolitics.com, the American people want the legislative branch to do its job.

Now that the GOP will have control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it has a great opportunity to regain lost ground.  In order to improve the conservative brand, the party must do what the American people sent them to Washington to do and govern.

What is so great about the CROmnibus plan is that it appeals to the general voting public while also satisfying the base. Hardline conservatives should be happy with the plan to keep immigration funding on a short leash because it gives ample opportunity to send strong messages against Obama’s executive action.

It is important to keep the base happy because it contains enthusiastic supporters who will turn out on election days in high numbers in order to keep the GOP in office. The problem with solely playing to the base is that when presidential elections come around, more than the base is needed to win office. National elections require support from the general public, especially moderate and independent voters.

As seen in the past, shutting down the government alienates the American public. But it is also important to play to the base and to present a strong front against the Obama administration. The CROmnibus plan is a good strategy for now, but ultimately, the GOP must govern effectively in order to set themselves up for success in the presidential election of 2016.

Chris Pulliam is a sophomore policy studies and political science major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at clpullia@syr.edu.

 

Published on December 3, 2014 at 12:01 am