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The Republican Party's Rightward Shift Is Stunningly Represented In Its Birthplace
newrepublic.com ^ | 8/25/14 | Alec MacGillis

Posted on 08/26/2014 5:59:26 AM PDT by cotton1706

There’s been so much talk of late about the transformation of the Republican Party over the course of the last few decades that it is easy to become inured to reports of ideologically extreme new arrivals in the party’s ranks. After a while, the latest pronouncements of Michele Bachmann or Steve King fail to impress.

But what is going on right now in Wisconsin’s Sixth Congressional District is truly historic, and demands more attention.

The district, northwest of Milwaukee, has been represented for nearly half a century by only two men, both of whom were standard bearers for a brand of moderate Republicanism that has all but vanished from the landscape. The latter of the two, Tom Petri, is retiring after 35 years in office, and the Republican primary earlier this month to replace him was won, very narrowly, by Glenn Grothman, a proudly polarizing state senator (pictured above) considered by many to be the most radically conservative member of the Wisconsin legislature. The seat is solidly Republican and the Democratic challenger had only $42,000 in his account as of late July, so odds are that Grothman will take over for Petri in January and thereby pull off one of the most dramatic discontinuities in the annals of Congress.

The seat was won in 1966 by Bill Steiger, who at age 28 was the youngest member of the House and a highly promising prospect for the still-vigorous moderate wing of the GOP.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections
A lot of us have HAD IT with "compassionate conservative" me-too republicanism!

Moderate Paul Ryan wanted to be the wave of the future, but he couldn't even balance a budget in 40 years. Grothman is the wave of the future! And the left is scared.

1 posted on 08/26/2014 5:59:26 AM PDT by cotton1706
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To: cotton1706
Meanwhile the democrat party has gone so far to the left the Russians are warning us about the dangers of socialism.

But I've yet to read an article about that.

2 posted on 08/26/2014 6:01:01 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: skeeter

What “right-ward shift” are they talking about? This party has been moving left for two decades at least.


3 posted on 08/26/2014 6:02:35 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: cotton1706

There’s a shift all right....but who’s doing the shifting? Look at the record over the last 40-45 years...the answer is as plain as day.


4 posted on 08/26/2014 6:02:39 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Rat Party policy;Lie,deny,refuse to comply)
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To: cotton1706

No, it’s just that everyone else has gone so far to the left.


5 posted on 08/26/2014 6:04:17 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: cotton1706

Another foolish, young writer spews claptrap.

The Repubican party has most certainly NOT shifted to the right; if anything, it’s become far more Leftist than in earlier years.

What HAS happebed, is that the Democrats are now so far Left that they make the Russian Bolsheviks look tame by comparison.


6 posted on 08/26/2014 6:05:20 AM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: cotton1706

Disputed birthplace


7 posted on 08/26/2014 6:07:39 AM PDT by cripplecreek ("Moderates" are lying manipulative bottom feeding scum.)
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To: GeronL
Typical election year bullish*t. And the GOP falls for it every time.

If the GOP would come out unapologetically conservative it would blow away the field and the MSM knows it.

8 posted on 08/26/2014 6:08:07 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: GeronL
What “right-ward shift” are they talking about? This party has been moving left for two decades at least.
Who you gonna believe...the MSM or you lyin' eyes?
9 posted on 08/26/2014 6:09:45 AM PDT by Bratch
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To: cotton1706
one of the most dramatic discontinuities in the annals of Congress

Yikes! That's so scary!

Usually one must peruse global warming or gun control articles to find such idiotic breathless hyperbole.

10 posted on 08/26/2014 6:17:41 AM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: GeronL
What “right-ward shift” are they talking about? This party has been moving left for two decades at least.

I was thinking the same thing.

The rightward shift in the GOP began in the early 1960s and then vacillated until 1976 when Ronald Reagan became the first Republican since Teddy Roosevelt to challenge an incumbent GOP president for the nomination (so much for Reagan's so called "11th Commandment").

The leftward shift began on January 20, 1989 when President Reagan left office and has continued ever since.

11 posted on 08/26/2014 6:23:03 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: GeronL

And really, the Democrats are right-wing and left-wing.


12 posted on 08/26/2014 6:27:19 AM PDT by demshateGod (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: cotton1706

Grothmann sounds solid


13 posted on 08/26/2014 6:32:13 AM PDT by Viennacon
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To: cotton1706

The birthplace of the Republican party thing is disputed as to where it was.

The first official meeting of the party was is Jackson, Michigan in an oak grove on the edge of town.

Is it logical to believe the party was formed in Wisconsin and they all agreed...

‘Hey, I have an idea...let’s all travel 100’s of miles and have a meeting in a oak grove?’


14 posted on 08/26/2014 6:40:26 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Unions are an Affirmative Action program for Slackers! .)
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To: cotton1706

This article is a lot clearer if you “find and replace” every instance of “moderate” with “liberal”.


15 posted on 08/26/2014 8:11:33 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative." -Obama, 09-24-11)
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To: cotton1706

Moderate Republicans infiltrated the party loooonnnnggg ago and now comprise the GOPe. The differences between the “polarized” parties is very hard to distinguish for me.

I suppose the total dismissal of The Constitution vs. the total destruction of The Constitution should be recognizable.

Even then, which party is represented by either of these distinctions?

Or is it just the pace at which these processes are accomplished?


16 posted on 08/26/2014 8:26:25 AM PDT by Blue Collar Christian (quod est Latine morositate)
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To: Viennacon; All

Grothmann and Ted Cruz need to meet some where between the House and the Senate chambers and have lunch together at least once a week and leak the news that their meetings are held in a secret location. That should make John Boehner and Mitch McConnell crap down both legs.


17 posted on 08/26/2014 8:36:27 PM PDT by Din Maker (I've alwaerys been crazy, but, that's the only thing that has kept) me from going insane.)
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To: Din Maker; All

I like that...


18 posted on 08/26/2014 8:42:34 PM PDT by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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