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Republican Leaders Worry Their Party Could Divide in Two
Yahoo! News / National Journal ^ | February 14, 2013 | Ron Fournier

Posted on 02/14/2013 5:54:09 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Inside the cozy enclaves of GOP bonhomie—hunkered at the tables of see-and-be-seen Washington restaurants—Republican leaders are sourly predicting a party-busting independent presidential bid by a tea-party challenger, like Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., in 2016.

To them, the GOP apocalypse looms larger than most realize. Dueling State of the Union rebuttals and Karl Rove’s assault on right-wing candidates are mere symptoms of an existential crisis that is giving the sturdiest Republicans heartburn.

And yet, the heart of the matter extends beyond the GOP. My conversations this week with two Republican officials, along with a Democratic strategist's timely memo, reflect a growing school of thought in Washington that social change and a disillusioned electorate threaten the entire two-party system.

Seem like a lot to swallow? Allow me to describe my last few days at work.

Between bites of an $18.95 SteakBurger at the Palm, one of Washington’s premier expense-account restaurants, Republican consultant Scott Reed summed up the state of politics and his beloved GOP. “The party,” he told me, “is irrelevant.”

He cited the familiar litany of problems: demographic change, poor candidates, ideological rigidity, deplorable approval ratings, and a rift between social and economic conservatives.

“It’s leading to some type of crash and reassessment and change,” said Reed, who ran Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign and remains an influential lobbyist and operative. “It can’t continue on this path.”(continued)

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Florida; Kentucky; Issues; Parties; State and Local
KEYWORDS: 2016election; apaulling; apaulogia; demographics; election2016; florida; gop; gopcivilwar; kentucky; marcorubio; republicans; scottreed; teaparty
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
.... and a rift between social and economic conservatives.

And that rift or aka the ideological divide is getting bigger by the day with each new attack on the socials of the party otherwise known as the base by the Blue Blood RINO's like Karl Rove and company.

61 posted on 02/14/2013 10:08:28 PM PST by Ron H. (Hussein Obama, the 21st century American Balkanizer - 'Yes I Can')
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

hey! GOP! YOU foisted Romney, and the rest of the crowd of candidates on US!

It is YOUR fault! Not mine!

Talk to the uh, Hand, yes, hand!


62 posted on 02/14/2013 10:55:59 PM PST by Terry L Smith
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To: KC_Lion

63 posted on 02/14/2013 11:46:51 PM PST by GraceG
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To: laweeks

Why are you waiting for others to do the heavy lifting? Join your local Republican party and start changing things and convince other conservatives you know to do the same.


64 posted on 02/15/2013 2:38:44 AM PST by Grandma Conservative (Take back the GOP Now, not in three years or be prepared to vote RINO once again.)
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To: Cubs Fan

The GOPe rather liberals stay in power than conservatives obtain it. Bottom line is that if conservatives want the GOP to support our candidates, we are going to have to take the reins of power away from the GOPe and do it ourselves.


65 posted on 02/15/2013 2:45:26 AM PST by Grandma Conservative (Take back the GOP Now, not in three years or be prepared to vote RINO once again.)
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To: All
As usual, I see much complaining about the current state of the GOP and the GOPe in particular. If you don't like the way things are then change them. Every Freeper reading this thread needs to be involved in the Republican party. Go and join your local GOP as soon as possible. Get as many conservatives as you know to do the same. Griping on the internet is not going to cut it. Voting every two years is not enough. We need active participation in the party by as many conservatives as we can muster. The GOPe are no going to change things. They like the status quo and are not going to support our cause if they can help it. The future of the Republican party, the conservative movement, and our country lies with us not corrupt party big wigs.
66 posted on 02/15/2013 3:10:43 AM PST by Grandma Conservative (Take back the GOP Now, not in three years or be prepared to vote RINO once again.)
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To: Terry L Smith

Romney’s nomination was the fault of conservatives and the GOPe. The GOPe did not close the open primaries allowing moderates and liberals to vote for Romney in a year when the Democrat candidate ran unopposed. Conservatives did not take over the Republican party from the GOPe and change things to give a conservative candidate a better chance. Also, conservatives did not rally behind one candidate and split the vote. Currently, we have little control over the actions of the GOPe, but we are responsible for our own actions. We need to change or all is lost. The time to become pro active is now. We have a year to the 2014 primaries so I suggest we get busy.


67 posted on 02/15/2013 3:50:44 AM PST by Grandma Conservative (Take back the GOP Now, not in three years or be prepared to vote RINO once again.)
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To: Jane Long

I did the same, but wrote a big “Resign Reince!” and a “I’m a conservative not a Republican” written on the stub.


68 posted on 02/15/2013 4:03:14 AM PST by Textide
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To: SkyPilot
Not to mention the pro-defense Republicans and the “burn it all down then” Republicans.

Exactly - there are already 3 or for factions with their own litmus tests and no candidate can make all of them 9or even one of them) happy. They will all "stand on principle" as they destroy each others' candidates and we will continue to get "unthinkable" results like Zero for a second term. Our side of the aisle is incapable of holding to a game plan and becoming a cohesive unit with a goal in mind.

69 posted on 02/15/2013 4:31:20 AM PST by trebb (Allies no longer trust us. Enemies no longer fear us.)
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To: DManA

Time for the Liberty Party to be born out of the Tea Party Movement. Let the Rovian Republicans die on the vine. Lets set a date for the New Party to form. If the GOP couldn’t defeat Obama with his track record—they never will defeat another Democrat/Liberal.

If you don’t want a new party-—lets bolt the GOP and join an existing 3rd Party and take it over! Any suggestions? Even if we threaten to do this—or Sarah Palin/Donald Trump make some noise on this, the GOP might cave in and let the Tea Party have some say in the direction of the Party! Its worth a try-—because what the Republicans are doing now just aint cutting it!


70 posted on 02/15/2013 4:51:35 AM PST by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: River Hawk

“The bottom line is the demographics. There are a lot of good, well-documented articles on the topic ona website which is prohibited here at Free Republic, it’s called VDARE.COM, I invite readers to check it out for themselves.”

I second that. One of the great mistakes here at FR has been to prohibit VDARE.COM. The treachery of GOP elites has been spelled out there better than any other site on the web.


71 posted on 02/15/2013 5:47:03 AM PST by Pelham (Marco Rubio. for Amnesty, Spanish, and Karl Rove.)
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To: Pelham

Why is VDARE prohibited?


72 posted on 02/15/2013 6:09:18 AM PST by Grandma Conservative (Take back the GOP Now, not in three years or be prepared to vote RINO once again.)
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

This begs the question: if conservatives can’t take over the Republican party from the GOPe, what good would moving to a third party do? As tarnished as the Republican brand is, it is seen as the only viable alternative to the Democrats, and most conservatives still turn out to vote for GOP candidates. That’s not something we should give up without a fight. Plus, a third party would still remain vulnerable to RINO infiltration. We need to stand together, organize, and take over the GOP from the corrupt elite who occupy it. We out number them, but we lack the will to fight.


73 posted on 02/15/2013 6:17:07 AM PST by Grandma Conservative (Take back the GOP Now, not in three years or be prepared to vote RINO once again.)
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To: Grandma Conservative

“Why is VDARE prohibited?”

I have no direct knowledge but my understanding is that John Robinson was personally offended by something that one of VDARE’s founders wrote about him.

If that’s the case I wish JR and VDARE would bury the hatchet so that we could link to its articles.


74 posted on 02/15/2013 6:45:59 AM PST by Pelham (Marco Rubio. for Amnesty, Spanish, and Karl Rove.)
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To: rsobin

No.

Conservatives believe in the rule of law.

Progressives believe any end justifies the means.

Your argument is in not based on easily observable facts.


75 posted on 02/15/2013 9:01:12 AM PST by SatinDoll (NATURAL BORN CITZEN: BORN IN THE USA OF CITIZEN PARENTS.)
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To: SatinDoll

Joe Scarborough is an observable fact. As a Representative he had me very convinced as to his conservative credentials.The only time Senator Lindsey speaks truly conservatively is for about 6 months every 6 years. Sorrowfully there are many more examples.


76 posted on 02/15/2013 11:53:43 AM PST by rsobin
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To: rsobin

I suggest you reread what I wrote.

Neither Scarborough nor Lindsey are conservatives.


77 posted on 02/15/2013 12:36:30 PM PST by SatinDoll (NATURAL BORN CITZEN: BORN IN THE USA OF CITIZEN PARENTS.)
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To: Little Ray

They will never win again without the conservative vote.


78 posted on 03/05/2013 1:44:34 PM PST by cradle of freedom (Long live the Republic !)
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