Republican Breakup?

PhxNews ^ | Joe Duarte

[hsmomx3]

If you put your ear to the ground, you can hear the rumble. It is the rumble of political discontent, obsolete bipolarities, and looming realignment. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the coming split of the Republican Party.

Years ago, Jeff Foxworthy blessed America with his “…you might be a redneck” jokes. Drawing upon his comedic methodology:

If you fear the one true God, define America as a “Christian Nation”, seek to make God’s Law the law of the land, think of homosexuals as freaks and sinners, and want to jail women who have abortions…you might be a Republican.

If you think history has bequeathed a destiny upon America to serve as the world’s policeman, to liberate oppressed nations, and you love to stay up all night strategizing on how to isolate the Saudis or punish France…you might be a Republican.

If you think it is the proper role of a Jeffersonian state to steal money from citizens to build civic plazas and university labs…you might be a Republican.

If you don’t care about ballooning budget deficits, and want to jack up government spending as though the rising debt never needs to be paid...you might be a Republican.

If you can’t stand deficits, are firmly committed to balancing the budget, and want to dramatically cut taxes and spending…well, you might have been a Republican in 1980.

There are at least five categories above, and all of them consist of people who identify with the GOP. They are, in order: theocratic Christian conservatives (there are, thank God, non-theocratic ones as well), neoconservatives, Chamber of Commerce Republicans who practice crony capitalism, the Bushies, and finally the blessed fiscal conservatives.

So what’s the problem? These people cannot possibly coexist in the same party for much longer. This is especially true now that Republicans in power have abandoned fiscal responsibility. They now stand for nothing – certainly nothing that would meaningfully separate them from big-spending Democrats.

Republicans were supposed to be about freedom – freedom from that monster which takes freedom away – government. The GOP was supposed to “get the government off our backs.” This hasn’t happened, and government at all levels is violating our rights now more than ever.

The above five groups can really be reduced to two kinds of people. There are those people that want to be left alone, and there are those people that refuse to leave others alone. The former simply want to be left alone to pursue their happiness, and are happy to leave others alone to do the same. They understand government’s proper role is limited to securing this freedom from those (criminals and foreign threats) who would aggress upon their peaceful lives. The latter group are all basically civil thugs. They want to impose their vision of the good on others by force. They don’t care if you’re living a peaceful, happy life. In fact, they might hold it against you. They want to take your money, or arrest you for any number of reasons. Got weed? To jail you go. Got a gay lover? To jail you go. Got a cancer treatment they haven’t approved? To jail you go. Got a successful business? How’s 40% off the top sound?

Republicans used to be the leave-me-alone crowd, and Democrats the thugs. Things are messier now.

What we can expect to see in the coming decade or two is a realignment. There are lots and lots of fine leave-me-alone people in the GOP. They don’t hate gays or brown people. They are pro-abortion and anti-tax. They are basically libertarians, but see themselves as too pragmatic to join the Libertarian Party.

There are also some leave-me-aloners in the Democratic camp. I call them smart gay people: they are too gay to be Republican, but much too smart about self-responsibility and economics to be real Democrats. Smart gay people are really good for America.

The theocratic Christian conservatives are a strong wing of the GOP. They will either grow to dominate the GOP or they will get their asses kicked out by the leave-me-alone Republicans. In any case, what we will see is a realignment that unites all the pro-freedom Americans under a major party. The religious nuts might have their own party, like the Religious Nut Party or something similar. It seems structurally impossible to break the two-party system into three or more parties, but I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility altogether. In any case, two parties might be enough to represent the major threads.

There are lots of unhappy Republicans today, chafing at their party’s abandonment of fiscal restraint and occupation by anti-sodomists. There are some number of Democrats that have tired of the drug war, expanded police powers, and foreign adventurism. These people need to find each other, for they are the best Americans.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Modern liberalism refuses to leave anyone alone, ever.

The entire party could not sleep at night knowing there was one last grizzly old prospector out in the desert with his mule, living his own life, even if they had enslaved the rest of the world.

America was founded on liberty and the rights of the individual.

If I was a liberal, I wouldn't be able to guarantee that if you decided to invade my space or otherwise harrass me, I would blow your head off.

You're giving rednecks a bad name.

[Deb]

Nevermind. You have enough tragedy in your life with Paddy "The Dumbest" Kennedy representing you. But I thought all you leave-me-aloners were pro-defense and if you love me you should care that I might get blown to bite-sized pieces by followers of the religion of peace.

What kind of a damn friend are you anyways?

[snarkpup]

It seems to me that the 'Rat party is also a coalition of incompatible groups. E.g.: black supremicists vs. white liberals, homeless advocates who want free housing vs. enviros who want no housing built, apologists for radical Islam vs. radical feminists.

[putupon]

please tell me when they last heard the words "smaller government" from the mouth of any republican?

1983

[Little Bill]

There has been a fight going on in the Republican Party as long as I have been a member, the small gov types vs the Rino's. The RINO's are the co-opt the rat party types and they are loosing and have been since AUH2O. When the small gov types are in the majority the National Party will fall into line.

[Salgak]

Funny, I see a breakup of the Dems: the Liberals, the DNC-centrists, the Hard Left going over to the Greens, and at least two ethnic-spoils parties based on black and hispanic Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton types. . .

[CyberCowboy777]

Ho wmuch more power do you want to give Governmnet?

[Xenalyte]

I read this far and decided this mental midget knows not of what he speaks:

"If you think it is the proper role of a Jeffersonian state to steal money from citizens to build civic plazas and university labs…you might be a Republican."

(Thomas Jefferson would gag if he read this.)

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Oh, I worry about you all the time. That's why I pay so much in taxes, in the vain hope that they will protect you from being blown up. The world would be a darker place without you in it.

I'm just not worried about me.

[NeoCaveman]

When the small gov types are in the majority the National Party will fall into line.

It's the only option we got.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

My vision may be clouded from living in Smuggler's Cove among the Mooncussers for so long, but it looks to me like the small government guys are losing power.

[Little Bill]

The Conservitive movement has moved a LONG way to acheving dominance since I was 18 and Youth For Goldwater. If you are young and looking foreward, as opposed to me, old and looking backward, it is difficult to see the progress.

[MileHi]

"I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. ... The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom, and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is."- Ronald Reagan

Another lozertarian whackjob...

[CyberCowboy777]

"I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. ... The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom, and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is."- Ronald Reagan

[Little Bill]

If I lived in the Communist State of RI, and being a Masshole that is saying something, I would feel the same way.

To put it another way, New England, except NH, are the Warsaw Pact of the 21st Century. When these places have driven have driven their citizens (proles?) into penurity, set up the Republican razor.

[KarlInOhio]

I read this far and decided this mental midget knows not of what he speaks:

You need to turn on your sarcasm detector. Lots of Republicans out there looking to have pet multi-million (or billion) dollar projects paid for by the taxpayers. Contrasing their ideals with Jefferson's was meant to be a slap at them.

[CWOJackson]

Reagan was also a Democrat for many, many years. He finally hit his stride as a Republican though.

[Saundra Duffy]

Sometimes I'm ashamed to be a Republican.

[Little Bill]

Sometimes I'm ashamed to be a Republican.

Never give up, never surrender, never compromise, this is a God Blessed Nation, we just surrendered to Satan for awhile as a trial. It is slow but we will win!.

[CWOJackson]

Wow, breaking up again. Man, how many times is it going to break up?