海角大神

Should Jim Webb be included in next GOP debate?

In an era when partisanship has sorted Democrats and Republicans into relatively homogenous ideological groups, Webb is not easy to pin down.

Jim Webb won many new fans with his performance in Tuesday night鈥檚 Democratic debate. The problem for him is that they鈥檙e mostly in the other party.

It鈥檚 true 鈥� GOP pundits and ordinary voters alike seemed surprisingly impressed by the former Democratic senator from Virginia. On social media, there was lots of speculation as to maybe, just maybe, Mr. Webb might decide to chuck this Democrat thing and cross over to run in the other side鈥檚 race.

鈥淩epublicans, let鈥檚 take a second look at Jim Webb,鈥� ran the headline on a post at

Why the enthusiasm? Republicans thought Webb sounded like a Republican, raised Republican issues, and talked tough, that鈥檚 why.

At the conservative National Review, Jim Geraghty wrote that Webb talked about the effect of affirmative action on poor whites, the need to respect gun owner rights, and the danger from threats Democrats don鈥檛 generally acknowledge, such as China. Webb told Bernie Sanders that Congress would be unlikely to vote to pay for all his expensive proposed social programs. In general, he seemed like an old-line Southern Democrat, said Mr. Geraghty.

鈥淲ebb has a good chance of winning the Democratic nomination in 1948. You almost have to wonder how Webb would be doing in the GOP presidential primary,鈥�

Then there was Webb鈥檚 closing-moment answer to Anderson Cooper鈥檚 question about what enemies the Democratic contenders were proudest they鈥檇 made. While most of the Dems on stage referred to lobbyists or other political actors, Webb鈥檚 was personal. A Marine officer who fought in Vietnam, Webb mentioned an enemy soldier who鈥檇 thrown a grenade that wounded him.

鈥淗e鈥檚 not around to talk to right now,鈥� Webb said, pointedly.

Some pundits found this answer creepy. A presidential hopeful openly talking about killing a man during wartime, and giving a half-smile while doing so? Perhaps it was a bit jarring in the context.

But others thought it tough, and a reminder that Webb had served his country when called.

鈥淭here was probably a time when liberal voters would have been impressed by someone who had served his country so valiantly.... Twenty-five years ago he might have been a star,鈥� wrote David Harsanyi . 鈥淭oday? He鈥檚 a man completely out of touch with the philosophical temperament of his party.鈥�

Webb鈥檚 real problem might be that he鈥檚 out of touch with both parties. In an era when partisanship has sorted Democrats and Republicans into relatively homogenous ideological groups, Webb is not easy to pin down.

He is conservative on many issues, and indeed, served President Ronald Reagan as a high-ranking Pentagon official. But at Tuesday鈥檚 debate, he also noted he鈥檇 have 鈥渘o problem鈥� with undocumented immigrants having access to Obamacare. On some economic issues, he is a populist closer to Bernie Sanders than Jeb Bush.

Still, if the GOP really wants the ratings for its next debate to explode, the Republican National Committee should invite Webb to participate on grounds of partial affinity. Imagine the ex-Marine dealing with Donald Trump鈥檚 half-answers on foreign policy. It could solve the party鈥檚 Trump problem, once and for all.