There are clear fundamental differences.
Differences over specific issues? Of course.
Fundamental differences? Nonsense. Both of these entities strongly oppose the Marxist/Socialist trends America is on. Both of them understand the threat of Tyranny from ever-expanding government. Are there disagreements over foreign & domestic policy, interventionism, immigration, the Tyrannical Drug War, etc.? Of course.
But there is broad-based agreement on the general parameters. Both groups are united for limited government, the Constitution, the entire Bill of Rights, opposing authoritarian collectivism and mob rule, opposing RINO compromises, anti-Communism, corruption in government, etc., etc...
IMHO, the differences are far less significant than the commonalities, and when such relatively related factions are pitted against each other, I can only imagine that this is something our Enemy delights in, and indeed tries to engineer at every opportunity. They try to do the same thing with race, religion, any fault line they can exploit.
The People should not fall victim to these strategems. I, for one, would be delighted to see a President from either of the groups you mention, and I would readily and energetically vote for any such candidate, regardless of policy differences, as opposed to a Democrat (the Party of Perjury and Obstruction of Justice) or a RINO from the GOPe.
Look, there are several issues, such as the 2nd Amendment, that I would litmus-test almost any* GOP candidate on, but any bona fide member from one of those two loosely classified groups you mention would be a thousand times better than the most palatable Establishment candidate from either party.
* I, sadly and with great reservation, might have voted for Romney, the architect of 0bamacare and a man with, at best, a questionable record on the Second Amendment. Oh yeah, and McCain, too.
Sargon, your analysis is spot on. I am for less statist tyranny, and I’ll vote for anyone who will bring this FedGov beast to heel.
The GOPe loves big government - in all its soul crushing forms.