Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

For Republicans, Mounting Fears of Lasting Split
The New York Times ^ | January 9th, 2016 | By PATRICK HEALY and JONATHAN MARTIN

Posted on 01/09/2016 12:39:15 PM PST by Mariner

The Republican Party is facing a historic split over its fundamental principles and identity, as its once powerful establishment grapples with an eruption of class tensions, ethnic resentments and mistrust among working-class conservatives who are demanding a presidential nominee who represents their interests.

At family dinners and New Year’s parties, in conference calls and at private lunches, longtime Republicans are expressing a growing fear that the coming election could be shattering for the party, or reshape it in ways that leave it unrecognizable.

While warring party factions usually reconcile after brutal nomination fights, this race feels different, according to interviews with more than 50 Republican leaders, activists, donors and voters, from both elite circles and the grass roots.

Never have so many voters been attracted to Republican candidates like Donald J. Trump and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who are challenging core party beliefs on the economy and national security and new goals like winning over Hispanics through immigration reform. Rank-and-file conservatives, after decades of deferring to party elites, are trying to stage what is effectively a people’s coup by selecting a standard-bearer who is not the preferred candidate of wealthy donors and elected officials.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016election; alexanderburns; alexburns; conservative; cruz; demagogicparty; election2016; elections; immigration; jonathanmartin; memebuilding; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; patrickhealy; republican; schlonged; thiswillnotpass; trump; trumpwasright
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 141-147 next last
To: Mariner

We’ve been split for the last two Presidential elections. Took them a while to figure this out.


81 posted on 01/09/2016 3:05:26 PM PST by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hal ogen

As Mad magazine used to joke: Who me Care?

If they fold up and disappear next year, it will be a good thing!


82 posted on 01/09/2016 3:06:48 PM PST by Grampa Dave (Trump is kicking the ass of the GOPe/RINOs/the media. Don't like him? He must be kicking YOUR ass!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

The evolution of political movements and parties is interesting to study. A strain of progressivism existed in the Republican party from the beginning and it took over the party in the Lincoln, Grant and Roosevelt administrations. Taft, Harding and Coolidge represented the Conservative wing of the party after Teddy before Hoover took the party left again.

Robert Taft represented the right in the forties and fifties but he wasn’t the Conservative that would come later. Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Bush I, Dole, Bush II, McCain and Romney were all eastern internationalist hawks but most were weak domestically. I think it says a lot that George W. Bush was probably the most Conservative of that group.

If Trump gets the nomination he will be another of those eastern establishment types and I expect would resemble Nixon or Ford if elected.

I haven’t even mentioned the radical middle. George Wallace, John Anderson, Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan and now Trump all seemed to have appealed to the same group of voters. They may appear to be conservative on some issues and moderate or even liberal on others. Dig deep enough on a Trump supporter and you’ll find a Perotista.


83 posted on 01/09/2016 3:33:32 PM PST by Oklahoma
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Mounting fear for the gop.
Mounting joy for conservatives.


84 posted on 01/09/2016 3:34:07 PM PST by RKBA Democrat (I might vote. Why? Because I prefer a President Trump to civil war.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Norm Lenhart

Agreed! We need a HUGH shakeup!


85 posted on 01/09/2016 3:39:18 PM PST by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Mariner
...or reshape it in ways that leave it unrecognizable.

The author writes that as if he thinks it's a bad thing.

86 posted on 01/09/2016 3:39:58 PM PST by KevinB (Barack Obama: Our first black, gay, Kenyan, Socialist, Muslim president!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

And it will be permanent unless/until the GOPe idiots come to understand just who it is they work for. And it ain’t the wealthy country clubber donors.

I’ll give them a hint. It’s three very simple words printed very LARGE, that begins the Preamble to the Constitution.


87 posted on 01/09/2016 3:51:51 PM PST by AFreeBird
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

I split from that Party a long time ago. If they don’t move back to the fundamentals of conservatism then it will in deed be a long-lasting split.


88 posted on 01/09/2016 3:57:31 PM PST by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: montag813

Cruz/Trump = 45 state landslide


89 posted on 01/09/2016 3:59:57 PM PST by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

The GOPe will be left on the ash heap of history.


90 posted on 01/09/2016 4:02:49 PM PST by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nickname

My fear is the split of the Republican party will preclude any chance for conservative candidates and promise Democrat dominance for generations to come.


91 posted on 01/09/2016 4:05:03 PM PST by ArmyTeach ( Videteco eos prius (See 'em first) Sculpin 191)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Moonman62

Yes.


92 posted on 01/09/2016 4:05:47 PM PST by ArmyTeach ( Videteco eos prius (See 'em first) Sculpin 191)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

I want to see the GOP Establishment CRUSHED out of existence. They are the worst sort of back-stabbing scum-sucking traitorous hacks. Preibus and his cohorts are going to be floored come November- they really have no idea of the magnitude of the tsunami that is welling up to drown them.


93 posted on 01/09/2016 4:35:43 PM PST by WTFOVR (I find myself exclaiming that expression quite often these days!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oklahoma

With Trump you get a wall. No wall then he loses all support and is one termer then Cruz comes in and fills the void. He builds the wall then he gets 2 terms. Still Cruz comes after. It is win win.


94 posted on 01/09/2016 4:56:19 PM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: central_va

And should Cruz end up on SCOTUS, he’s there for life.

Salivating.


95 posted on 01/09/2016 4:57:49 PM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 94 | View Replies]

To: Oklahoma
If Trump gets the nomination he will be another of those eastern establishment types and I expect would resemble Nixon or Ford if elected.

You are right with that. I stand corrected on my group combining. I hesitated to mix the establishment with the Trump supporters because they hate each other so much. Truth is they do very much mix. The difference is they are vying for the same power, so they must be enemies whether they are much alike or not.

In your posts I read a very intellectual mind. You sound like a teacher of some sort.

96 posted on 01/09/2016 5:02:33 PM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

The republican party is not my grandfather’s republican party. There’s no split. It’s that the “leaders” have changed the party itself.


97 posted on 01/09/2016 5:42:50 PM PST by VerySadAmerican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Capt. Tom

“We” have been trying to change the gop for a long time. It can’t be done when the press and big money is on their side just as much as they’re on the democrats’ side.


98 posted on 01/09/2016 5:44:40 PM PST by VerySadAmerican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

DEATH TO THE GOPe!

DEATH TO THE UNIPARTY!

(But I repeat myself...)


99 posted on 01/09/2016 5:47:43 PM PST by Uncle Miltie (Rubio not voting on OmniSpend is RINO for 'smart'.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

“Rank-and-file conservatives, after decades of deferring to party elites, are trying to stage what is effectively a people’s coup by selecting a standard-bearer who is not the preferred candidate of wealthy donors and elected officials.”

They got that right.


100 posted on 01/09/2016 5:48:38 PM PST by Uncle Miltie (Rubio not voting on OmniSpend is RINO for 'smart'.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 141-147 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
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

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