"... it is a declaration of war by the Republican establishment on the party's base."

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2013/3/18/93831/6524

The War is Now On

by BooMan
Mon Mar 18th, 2013 at 09:38:31 AM EST


Michael O'Brien of NBC News has a useful breakdown of the details in GOP chairman Reince Priebus's 100-page report, the "Growth and Opportunity Project." The report is part analysis of why the Republicans did poorly in the 2012 election cycle and part blueprint for how they can make a comeback.

My immediate reaction is that it is a declaration of war by the Republican establishment on the party's base. You can see this in several distinct elements of the report. On the policy front, the report is explicit about comprehensive immigration reform.

snip//

As Mr. O'Brien points out, the all-out assault on political consultants at last week's CPAC conference anticipated this RNC report.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin encapsulated the sentiment during her speech on Saturday before the Conservative Political Action Conference.

"Now is the time to furlough the consultants, and tune out the pollsters, send the focus groups home, and toss the political scripts," she said, "because if we truly know what we believe, we don't need professionals to tell us."

Palin's sentiment is perfectly suited to ensure that the "Party’s appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only." Will the base follow Palin's path, or the path laid out by Priebus?

[WCGreen]

1. Problems with the base...

It's hard to see that this will end without major problems for the GOP.

The pragmatic will stay but the true believers will bolt...

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Fanatics don't compromise.

I predict that Beck, Limbaugh, O'Reilly & the like will be given the assignment of political re-education for the Baggers. They will need to be re-programmed to think that thy have ALWAYS stood for…whatever is in the new script.