A recent Iowa poll had a surprising result. A whopping 75% of Republicans who answered the poll, indicated that they are not happy with the Republican Congress. We are entering the 8th month of a Republican led Congress and Republicans are beginning to wonder and ask the question what have you done? Normally in the first 100 days you have a flurry of activity in legislation reflecting their vision of where they want to take the country. Silence has been the result. A political party has to be about something, for something other than being against things, and that is the problem with the current Republican Congress. The question for the voting public is where will the Republican Party go from here?

The popularity of the current top contenders for the nomination for President of the United States in the Republican Party resides in candidates far removed from Washington or elective office. No Republican elected is doing well in the polling. Donald Trump is leading and Ben Carson is second. Is this just a temporary fling with the anti-establishment, anti-politicians of the candidates, or is this expression of frustration with the beltway politicians for real?

I can understand the existing frustration with Congress, I think we for the most part agree that Congress has accomplished very little. If Republican elected officials had been paying attention at all to their constituents you would think that they would have passed something on immigration. If the public wants a big wall, why have they not passed a bill authorizing one and paying for it?

Are voters even listening yet to the candidates?

Donald Trump is talking about America for Americans. He is also expressing the wish for economic nationalism. Domestic control of the economy where you would put a tariff on goods to make foreign goods produced from cheap labor more expensive by placing a tariff on those goods. Protective Tariffs were used as a strategy to help build and protect American industry and manufacturing for years and years. It was used until free trade and globalization became the Republican mantra. Are we witnessing a split in the Republican Party regarding trade and the angst that many people feel about losing their jobs due to cheap labor overseas?

And what is Ben Carson’s vision for America other than having a nation where Biblical laws are to be adhered to more than the Constitution?

In the campaign musings of other candidates we hear the old refrain of the followers of nativism, the belief that native born Americans should get greater favoritism than immigrants, even legal ones.

Will the Republican Party  survive as we know it? Will a governor emerge from the pack who has been a successful governor? Where  will the Republican Party go from here? Inquiring minds want to know. The Nation awaits the answer.