the exceedingly cautious 2011-2012 Republicans
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That is exactly how they are. Cautious, calculating and cowering. The simple truth is that Republicans don’t play to win. They are in a permanent defensive posture and they will never achieve any victories that way.
The establishment Republicans have made a deal with the devil, they can live opulent lives if they will only feign opposition publicly. They are the Washington Generals to the Harlem Globetrotters, but worse. Because they have made the deal with the Devil they also displace any threat to their seats by subterfuge. The tea-party and Ted Cruz types are attacked from within. Think about the GOP primaries, how Conservatives must be eliminated to pave the way for the establishment types.
Constitutional conservatives have two enemies, Democrats and Republicans; the only difference is that there are a few good Republicans, to be a Democrat one first has to embrace the way of the sociopath.