Prophet Of Republican Diversity

At the "New Majority," Geoffrey Kabaservice profiles one of the most successful GOP vote-getters in the 1970s, Ohio Rep. Charles Whalen, who showed that a principled pragmatist could be a winner:

Whalen believed it was in the best interests of the GOP to leave room for moderates and liberals. He thought that ideological diversity within Republican ranks was “beneficial in that it provides the Party not only with the vitality necessary to keep astride of current political tides, but also the restraint that is helpful in making far-reaching decisions.” He opposed too much uniformity, whether within parties or in government as a whole. When one party had total control of government, he thought, there was a loss of perspective and balance.