Free Republic
Browse · Search
GOP Club
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

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
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-78 next last
To: so_real

That seems to be the only the Conservatives are going to get anything again The Rovians will always attract the mbig money because they, like the Democrats, blackmail the big business sources. If you send us a lot of money we won’t pass legislation that hurts you and we will push legislation that helps you and/or hurts your competition. It is not so much stated as implied by the situation and the known character of the pols. There is no point in giving money to politicians who are not intending to hurt you or specifically help you.


21 posted on 02/14/2013 6:23:10 PM PST by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson ONLINE www.fee.org/library/books/economics-in-one-lesson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

They brought it on themselves. I will never again vote for an establishment Republican. I will vote for a third party candidate, if necessary, just to stick it to the Karl Rove’s of the world. The GOP thinks it can argue and reason its way to victory. It will never happen. The RINO establishment is so paralyzed with fear of losing the power it has now, that it will never fight to save the nation. As a result, they will almost certainly lose control of the House in 2014. They have no guts, no juice and no ability to lead.


22 posted on 02/14/2013 6:23:37 PM PST by AdaGray (squi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: laweeks
The TEAParty is simply a recent assertion of interest by the old Whig faction ~ they jumped on top after Taft and held on until FDR. The Conservative Taft faction, which held sway before Teddy Roosevelt's perfidy, never recovered the Presidency until Ronald Reagan.

Although you might imagine it would be good to have the Whigs back, they blew it big time back in the 1850s, and then again in the 1930s.

The Whig faction cannot properly govern without the support of a Conservative faction, and BTW, it's our turn again for the Presidency! Bring on someone charismatic, charming and intelligent. Another graysuited drone just won't cut it.

23 posted on 02/14/2013 6:24:24 PM PST by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Jane Long

If you send them one dollar it costs them more than that dollar to process it and send you a thank you letter. I like that little dig for the Democrat party.


24 posted on 02/14/2013 6:24:52 PM PST by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson ONLINE www.fee.org/library/books/economics-in-one-lesson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Don't want the party breaking in two? Stop trying to appeal to democrats.

Simple.

25 posted on 02/14/2013 6:31:14 PM PST by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

The DemocRATS are living in the Stalin/Lenin Zone and they aren’t having any problems raising money. The morons running the GOP believe that they have to be middle of da road “moderates” to get people to like them. Morons. The only thing in the middle of the road are yellow stripes and dead skunks.


26 posted on 02/14/2013 6:32:07 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Now Playing. Obama II - The Revenge of My Father.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: skeeter

The parasite class will never get this. We have to throw them out, and launch a hostile takeover.


27 posted on 02/14/2013 6:34:18 PM PST by Viennacon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: AdaGray

I agree with all that you state. HOWEVER-
Ron Fournier is the enemy and stirring up ****.


28 posted on 02/14/2013 6:34:18 PM PST by slapshot ("Were not gonna take it anymore" Twisted Sister)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: AdaGray

I agree with all that you state. HOWEVER-
Ron Fournier is the enemy and stirring up ****.


29 posted on 02/14/2013 6:34:37 PM PST by slapshot ("Were not gonna take it anymore" Twisted Sister)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Yep. No more Doles. Tell the RNC-e to recruit a Reagan type candidate that can communicate well and presto ... bit tent Republican Party re-emerges with grass-roots support. It’s not that complicated once you have a qualified candidate.


30 posted on 02/14/2013 6:37:57 PM PST by plain talk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Though I am an optimist, after the last election I am ,at least temporarily,cynical. Either way ,I truly believe that the largest majority of Republicans (”conservatives”), would switch their allegiance promptly if it meant more power and money for them and theirs. The same is true of the other side.


31 posted on 02/14/2013 6:39:35 PM PST by rsobin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I no longer consider myself a Republican. I am a conservative.
I will not vote for Karl Rove’s next presidential pick.
I live in the district next to Boehner’s and I fervently hope they throw him out in 2014.


32 posted on 02/14/2013 6:40:33 PM PST by Wiser now (Socialism does not eliminate poverty, it guarantees it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet; KC_Lion; RedMDer

Sarah Palin or bust.
Waiting for her, Dr. Ben Carson and others to step forward.
TEA Party!


33 posted on 02/14/2013 6:43:27 PM PST by onyx (FREE REPUBLIC IS HERE TO STAY! DONATE MONTHLY! IF YOU WANT ON SARAH PALIN''S PING LIST, LET ME KNOW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I like articles from http://www.nationalreview.com/


34 posted on 02/14/2013 6:44:38 PM PST by Bronzy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
COULD?
35 posted on 02/14/2013 6:48:02 PM PST by Baynative (I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I can't put it down.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Already Gone.
36 posted on 02/14/2013 6:48:31 PM PST by roamer_1 (Globalism is just socialism in a business suit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConorMacNessa

“The Republican Party is irrelevant as far as I’m concerned. I left it after the debacle in November and registered as a Conservative. The GOP is full of a lot of flaccid appeasers who have long abandoned the core values of the party.”

Ditto. Gone after working for Reagan’s election and convention and enduring poor candidates ever since. I realized that not a single POTUS candidate I ever voted for in a primary won.

Gone rogue, gone Galt, gone international, gone independent. Gone.


37 posted on 02/14/2013 6:48:52 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Gone rogue, gone Galt, gone international, gone independent. Gone.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

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.


38 posted on 02/14/2013 6:50:57 PM PST by River Hawk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Let it split and the strong portion, the Tea Party portion, will survive. The GOP is like lukewarm milk. I’s disgusting. The RINO portion can not survive. Let’s get this over with and get Conservatism going again.


39 posted on 02/14/2013 6:53:51 PM PST by RIghtwardHo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: so_real

Hard to understand these people. They see what they are doing by fighting the Tea Party Consrvative movement and yet they continue to want to turn the Republican party into the left leaning moderates.

It isn’t the Tea party that is destroying the republican party it is the RINO’s who are democrats in drag.


40 posted on 02/14/2013 7:02:09 PM PST by Venturer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-78 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
GOP Club
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson