But why are so many bigwigs deserting the political party that is supposed to stand for small government, low taxes and fiscal conservatism?

Most average Americans have moderate viewpoints and opinions, yet the higher-ups in the Republican Party continue to focus too much on divisive social issues, resulting in a Republican Party that has fallen into the hands of religious conservatives more intent on banning gay marriage and ending abortion than balancing the federal budget.

While big business managers want to hear their party talk about trade, taxes and health care, religious conservatives seem to have a stronger, louder voice while pushing an agenda of God and gun protection.

Republicans now in office have not controlled the federal budget. While the current administration kept to its promises and its principles by cutting taxes, it forgot to cut spending as well. The result is a budget deficit that reached a $400 billion low and is currently at $160 billion.

Beyond simple money management, the Bush administration has proven time and again it cannot competently manage crises, from Hurricane Katrina to the ongoing saga in Iraq.

If there’s one thing big business owners understand and recognize, it’s competence with money.

Being associated with a political party that cannot manage money in a cohesive and competent way might damage the reputation of the upstanding businessman.

Bad reputations can chase customers away or discourage potential customers from even experiencing a business.

To those familiar with the Republican principles of free trade, laissez-fair and capitalist interests, the current Republican Party probably looks pretty foreign. While the Democratic Party doesn’t embrace all of the core principles of the big businessman, it sure has a better track record right now. They may support big entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security, but they have a better track record on spending than current Republicans.

For example, they’ve stuck to their “pay-go” rules, which require any new spending to be fully funded. This phenomenon likely explains why Democratic presidential candidates have raised so much more money than Republican candidates so far, which is rare for the Democratic Party.

It will be interesting to see how and if this changes the face of politics.