The Republican Party is the default

[ProSense]

The Republican Party doesn't have to do anything to gain the advantage in elections.

They can vote more than 50 times to repeal a health care law despite the fact that people desperately need health care coverage.

They can spend all their time on bogus investigations from Benghazi to the IRS.

They can dismiss climate change as a hoax and support keystone.

They can vote to kill the EPA.

They can block immigration reform.

They can disparage and make fun of the poor, and cut the programs that help to keep them from becoming destitute.

They can dismiss inequality and support even more tax cuts for the rich.

They can block unemployment benefits.

They can block increasing the minimum wage.

They can block jobs bills.

They can do all of that and more and gain the advantage in the elections.

I guess the claim that a party has to earn people's votes only applies to Democrats.

If Democrats don't give people a reason to vote for them, then people will vote for the party that doesn't do a damn thing for them and is determined to ruin their lives.

[vi5]

1. For Republicans those ARE the reasons people vote for them.

Those people don't understand they are voting against their own interests, but make no mistake those things they are doing ARE giving the people that vote for them a reason to vote for them. Each and every one of those issues are red meat for their base.

And if Republicans DON'T do those things, then their base will primary them with even further right candidates and either get them out of office or force them to go even further right.

With this same information it's just as easy to turn it around and say that Democrats are the only ones that don't have to earn the votes of their base. Or that the base of the Democratic party are the ones that have to sacrifice their ideals and beliefs just to get a member of a party elected, regardless of their positions or what they will do when in office.

[ProSense]

2. Republicans

"For Republicans those ARE the reasons people vote for them."

...are not enough for the party to gain advantage in elections. You're talking about a base. They can't win simply with their base.

These things are not the reason people who are not their base vote for Republicans.

[vi5]

3. You'd be surprised.....

There are enough non-base Republicans for whom some of those red meat issues are important. Important enough that they vote for them.

Conversely Republicans couldn't win WITHOUT keeping their base happy, and definitely could not win by pissing them off and dismissing them based on those. I know people who are distraught economically and aren't hardcore Republicans, but will vote only because of immigration or only because of guns or only because they think the EPA needs to back off businesses.

Only Democrats can do that AND according to the leaders of our party and the ones calling the shots NEED to do that in order to win elections.

[ProSense]

4. Really?

"There are enough non-base Republicans for whom some of those red meat issues are important. Important enough that they vote for them."

So the notion that 70 percent of Americans support a public option is nonsense?

You are implying that a majority of people, including "enough non-base Republicans," support the Republican actions mentioned in the OP.

[vi5]

5. What?

What the hell are you talking about?

I'm suspecting this is just more of your rhetorical knot twisting to find your way back around to some variation of loyalty pledging or Democratic Party Uber Alles or "Leave President Obama alone!!!!!" but for the life of me I can't figure out how you're trying to get there this time around, so I'll just bow out now and save us both the annoyance. And based on the lack of response to the OP I'm guessing I'm not the only one, so....good day.

[ProSense]

6. "What the hell are you talking about? "

I should ask you that. I mean, your first response to the OP implies that Republicans gain an electoral advantage on those issues.

[oldhippie]

9. "So the notion that 70 percent of Americans support a public option is nonsense? "

It's a notion, not a vote. Lots of polls are proven wrong by elections.

[Cha]

7. Nice Long List of what the repubs can do, Pro Sense! Thank you!

[tritsofme]

8. In a two party system the out-party is always the "default"

For all the reasons you list, Republicans are doing their best to change that truism.

[Jamaal510]

10. Once upon a time,

the GOP had a few decent ideas regarding how to move the country forward and proved to be a reasonable conservative alternative in the 2-party system. But..not anymore. Not in decades.