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Inside the Messy but Moneyed Republican Plan to Neutralize the Tea Party (Empire strikes back)
National Journal ^ | Thursday October 24, 2013

Posted on 10/24/2013 9:47:14 AM PDT by Bigtigermike

It took a tea party insurrection that disabled the federal government and wrecked the Republican brand, but after months of handwringing, establishment Republicans are preparing to attack ultra-conservative ideologues across red America.

From Alabama to Alaska, the center-right, business-oriented wing of the Republican Party is gearing up for a series of skirmishes that it hopes can prevent the 2014 mid-term election from turning into another missed opportunity. But this will not be a coordinated operation. It will be messy, ugly, and prone to backfiring. And if the comeback succeeds, it will be in fits and starts, most likely culminating in the selection of a presidential nominee in 2016.

"Hopefully we'll go into eight to 10 races and beat the snot out of them," said former Rep. Steve LaTourette of Ohio, whose new political group, Defending Main Street, aims to raise $8 million to fend off tea party challenges against more mainstream Republican incumbents.

[...]

Tactics being discussed among Republican strategists, donors, and party leaders include running attack ads against tea party candidates for Congress; overthrowing Ron Paul's libertarian acolytes dominating the Iowa and Minnesota state parties; promoting open primaries over nominating conventions, like the ones that produced Republican hardliners like Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli and shutdown-instigator Mike Lee of Utah; and countering political juggernauts Heritage Action, the Club for Growth, and FreedomWorks

(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Alabama; US: Alaska; US: Iowa; US: Kentucky; US: Minnesota; US: Ohio; US: Utah; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: 113th; 2014; alabama; alaska; clubforgrowth; cuccinelli; defendingmainst; defendingmainstreet; establishment; freedomworks; gop; gope; heritageaction; iowa; kencuccinelli; kentucky; mainstpartnership; mikelee; minnesota; palin; rinos; shutdown; stevelatourette; teaparty; tedcruz; terrymcauliffe; utah; va2013; virginia
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To: bamahead

I don’t get it; going conservative and staying there will WIN elections, why don’t they see that?


81 posted on 10/26/2013 7:53:01 PM PDT by cardinal4
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To: SpeakerToAnimals

What party did you go to?


82 posted on 10/26/2013 8:58:11 PM PDT by GOPJ (Self-respect is the root of discipline...dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself-Heschel)
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To: Bigtigermike

The threat is from the TEA party on the right, and the libertarians on the left. The GOPe brand is neither fiscal nor social conservative. I expect the Dems (if they are smart) to start pushing to lower spending and legalize drugs to pull the libertarians out. With the GOPe attacking the TEA party full time, that pretty much means we will have the DNC in charge for a while.

The GOPe has decided to attack both in hopes of regaining their base. It won’t work.


83 posted on 10/27/2013 4:47:36 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: Personal Responsibility

Business wants
1. Amnesty.
2. Socialized medicine.

Votes don’t matter, money does. The money gets what they want.


84 posted on 10/27/2013 4:48:33 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: GOPJ

I am now a registered member of the Libertarian Party. If a Constitutional conservative like Cruz or Palin is on the ticket the Republicans can count on my vote. Last time I voted for Gary Johnson. He was an excellent two term governor, vetoing 750 steaming piles of laws. More vetos than all other governors combined.


85 posted on 10/27/2013 6:44:01 AM PDT by SpeakerToAnimals (I hope to earn a name in battle)
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To: SpeakerToAnimals

A Cruz/Palin ticket works for me. Thanks for sharing.


86 posted on 10/27/2013 7:13:31 AM PDT by GOPJ (Self-respect is the root of discipline...dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself-Heschel)
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