Self described Republicans have long acknowledged that the rise of the Republican Party was a direct result of the coalition between ?Fiscal Conservatives?, the flock of ?Social Conservatives? driven to the polls by the Evangelical right, and the shoot first ask questions never ?Neo-Cons,” the folks who gave us the Bush/Cheney preemptive war doctrine. Physics and gravity, concepts roundly rejected by many Republicans these days, provide that if any one of the legs of a stool becomes unstable, the stool is in danger of collapse. Here is a great quote regarding the GOP’s current state:
“The Republican party still is a long way from civil war. But that stool is looking awfully wobbly right now.”
The war now being waged between the traditional old time GOP business first funding base, and the let’s burn this house to the ground with all of us inside Teabully insurgents just might mean the GOP stool is in the process of sawing off a leg or two.? The question is, what happens after the fall?
Rachel Maddow ended last night’s show with extensive coverage of the presence of the American Christian Right in Russia promoting the passage of new Russian laws designed to take children away from openly gay and lesbians Russian citizens, and to make any public support for gay and lesbian rights illegal for the next 100 years.? Massachusetts Pastor Scott Lively has praised Russian President, Vladimir Putin, as the ?defender of Christian Values?.? Will the Neo-Con members of the Republican Party be able to stomach this kind of open praise of the former KGB Chief and cold warrior?? Probably not, but would their views find a home under the big tent that is the Democratic Party?? Probably not.
When it comes to social issues, the traditional old time GOP business first leg of the stool, is much closer to the views of the American public at large on social issues. Some 55 percent of Americans support same sex marriage, and 65 percent support not overturning the Roe v. Wade case that set the rules for safe and legal abortions.
Younger self-described Republicans, along with self described Fiscal Conservatives, who often masquerade as ?Independents?, are also more in line with the American public at large on these social issues.? And real Libertarians, not the fake, Christian White Supremacist variety, should also be strong supporters of same sex marriage as well as abortion rights. Will these folks be staying in the GOP? Probably not, as the majority of Tea Party voters want the GOP even further to the right on these social issues along with further reductions in Government spending. From the?Huffington Post:
“Tea party voters mostly think the party should make a stronger case for its current platform, and are more likely to want more conservative policies on issues like gay marriage, abortion and government spending.”
Undoubtedly, given the movement towards the right by the Administration and by Democratic Leadership in Congress reducing spending and cutting the deficit, many of these ?Fiscal Conservatives? will naturally find their place under the big Democratic tent.
Current polling data shows that public support for the Teabully dominated Republican Party hovering at around 28 percent, a figure near an historic low. That 28 percent approval rating comes mostly from the Teabully base that has been tying the hands of Speaker Boehner and Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell.? Polls show that some 75 percent of those folks approve of the job being done by the Republicans in Congress.? Almost 70 percent of those folks believe that the Republicans in Congress are demonstrating strong leadership.
Even Koch Enterprises has joined the growing chorus from the business community to end the pointless and destructive Government shutdown orchestrated by the Teabully base. ?And we now know that the mainstream GOP big business funders will be backing primary challengers to current Teabully Congressional members.
In districts where an even more extreme Teabully challenger ousts a sitting ?Moderate Republican?, the ?Fiscal Conservatives? and ?Neo-Cons?, will have to choose a path.? Support the views that are bringing down their GOP and the country with it, vote Democratic, or sit out the election?? In districts where a more traditional and reasonable GOP candidate emerges to run in the 2014 general election, the Teabullies and the Neo-Cons will have to choose to vote for one of two candidates that do not represent their views, sit out the election, or attempt the daunting task of putting up a third party candidate.
The history of third party candidacies in the United States is that they are as rare as they are unsuccessful. The most successful third party candidate in our history was Teddy Roosevelt who ran as a Progressive in 1912 winning the Presidency with 27.5 percent of the vote. No other third party candidate has won the Presidency. So would a third party candidate have much of a chance in a Congressional race?? Probably not.? Speculation is that that a third party Congressional candidate from the right would only serve to increase the likelihood of a Democratic victory in any such race.
We just might be getting front row seats to the spectacle of the once formidable GOP stool collapsing before our very eyes as a result of its members sawing off all three of the legs. The question would then become, which group of lumberjacks will pick up the GOP name and brand??Let us hope that the traditional old time socially moderate ?Fiscal Conservatives? use their influence, funding, and power to hold onto the GOP brand and let the Teabullies move on towards the dust bin of history with their childish and nonsensical antics.? The country needs a loyal and reasonable opposition in order for our democracy to function properly.? And the sooner, the better.
Edited/Published by: SB
