It's Rove and Co. vs. Tea Party: Let the GOP civil war begin

[Admiral Yi]

I have a question:  Is the "establishment" materially different from the "tea party"?  I mean ideologically.  Bobby Jindal came out two weeks ago with a speech about how the GOP needs to stop being the "stupid" party.  This meant, they need to stop saying stupid things that are repellant to voters.  However he also said that he didn't want the Republican party to really change it's platform or water down it's ideas.  These seems like an impossible task, stupid statements naturally flow from stupid policies and ideas.  So long as they hold to the same beliefs people are going to articulate them.  Just giving the car a new paint job won't help a car much if it has a cracked engine block.

Jindl and Rove probably don't have you in mind as the prototypical swing voter.

[derspiess]

To you they might as well be the same, Raz.  You despise anyone with an R next to his name.

[Ideologue]

I wonder if they'll turn to a strategy of simply not representing their base at all.  This is what Democrats have done, and till now it has worked, as the strength of the enemy, however inexplicable, has precluded the possibility of splintering or staying home, even while the Dems as an establishment have moved badly rightward.  On the other hand, the GOP base has been a lot more recalcitrant and unwilling to entertain strategic thinking, which is why they've encouraged if not dictated policies that so damage the Republican Party with centertards.  Splintering or staying home may be a much more attractive option for the ideologically pure.  This threat may keep the GOP dangling over the extreme right edge for years to come, and will continue to push normal people left.

And thank God, because a more moderated Republican Party, shorn of their racist-dominionist wing, is unbelievably dangerous to America, since Americans might have been stupid enough to vote for monsters like Romney and Ryan if they came bearing only tidings of economic catastrophe and not the message of Klansmen and abortion clinic bombers.

[Razgovory]

To you they might as well be the same, Raz.  You despise anyone with an R next to his name.

Not true, but irrelevant.  The reason why Tod Akin or Mitt Romney said a dumb things is because they believe dumb things.  So long as people believe those things they are going to say them.  The GOP needs a Clinton figure to sideline the kooks and bring the party closer to the center.

[derspiess]

I wonder if they'll turn to a strategy of simply not representing their base at all.  This is what Democrats have done, and till now it has worked, as the strength of the enemy, however inexplicable, has precluded the possibility of splintering or staying home, even while the Dems as an establishment have moved badly rightward.  On the other hand, the GOP base has been a lot more recalcitrant and unwilling to entertain strategic thinking, which is why they've encouraged if not dictated policies that so damage the Republican Party with centertards.  Splintering or staying home may be a much more attractive option for the ideologically pure.  This threat may keep the GOP dangling over the extreme right edge for years to come, and will continue to push normal people left.

And thank God, because a more moderated Republican Party, shorn of their racist-dominionist wing, is unbelievably dangerous to America, since Americans might have been stupid enough to vote for monsters like Romney and Ryan if they came bearing only tidings of economic catastrophe and not the message of Klansmen and abortion clinic bombers.

Wow.

[Valmy]

Wow.

Wow?  Did he say something you were surprised he would say there?

[Ideologue]

Whore pills for some, miniature American flags for others.

[garbon]

I wonder if they'll turn to a strategy of simply not representing their base at all.  This is what Democrats have done, and till now it has worked, as the strength of the enemy, however inexplicable, has precluded the possibility of splintering or staying home, even while the Dems as an establishment have moved badly rightward.  On the other hand, the GOP base has been a lot more recalcitrant and unwilling to entertain strategic thinking, which is why they've encouraged if not dictated policies that so damage the Republican Party with centertards.  Splintering or staying home may be a much more attractive option for the ideologically pure.  This threat may keep the GOP dangling over the extreme right edge for years to come, and will continue to push normal people left.

And thank God, because a more moderated Republican Party, shorn of their racist-dominionist wing, is unbelievably dangerous to America, since Americans might have been stupid enough to vote for monsters like Romney and Ryan if they came bearing only tidings of economic catastrophe and not the message of Klansmen and abortion clinic bombers.

[garbon]

Wow.

Wow?  Did he say something you were surprised he would say there?

No but just a reminder of how far off the reservation he is.

[Sheilbh]

Out of interest Ide, who are the Dems base?

[Admiral Yi]

Good God Ide.

[Admiral Yi]

Out of interest Ide, who are the Dems base?

Unions, blacks, professional women, peaceniks.

[Valmy]

peaceniks.

They are a pretty crap peace party.

[Barrister]

peaceniks.

They are a pretty crap peace party.

And the GOP is a pretty crap "small government" party, but that is still their base.

[Ideologue]

Out of interest Ide, who are the Dems base?

Tax-and-spend liberals.

Also, for better or worse, crypto-isolationists.

***

I'll admit to baiting a little bit with that.   But other than provocative characterization, what I said was pretty accurate.  The Dems have moved to a position where they are a centrist party with a disaffected left base from which they can nonetheless claim loyalty; the GOP is a rightist party with a base that is in large part obviously insane from which they have not so far escaped.