[stevie_d_64]

“...the GOP is MORE conservative today, not less.”

I’m not going to get in the middle of that thing you got going with Norm...But...

Would you agree or disagree (I’ll make it simple)...

That it is the GOP base, those loosely affiliated Tea Party elements within the republican party the more conservative (you mention)???

Or would you agree or disagree that it is the GOP leadership, those unbending “elites/establishment” types that are more conservative these days???

We can go from there...

I just want to be sure where you view the faction side of this part of the issue...

[Kansas58]

In the days of Reagan, very few State Central Committees were dominated by grassroots activists.
Phyllis Schlafly and her “Eagle Forum” along with the Moral Majority and later the Christian Coalition began the long, hard practice of recruiting precinct candidates, nationwide, precisely because of this problem.
It is only natural, but the County level Party structure was often dominated by County level politicians and the road construction and vending and other commercial interests, as well as some true Republican activists, but often very few true conservatives.
The State Party was dominated by these people and a mix of Municipal Bond underwriters and other financial people, as well as a mix of elected officials and officers that rose from the County and Congressional District ranks of the Party organization.
When I first got involved in taking over the Kansas GOP, abortionist George Tiller was a contributor to the County GOP and to the Kansas GOP.
From my perspective, the Party Leadership is FAR more conservative today than under Reagan. This is actually true in most States.
Also, I think you have a very small number of outspoken liberal Republicans today, who are in office.
That was not the case under Reagan.