Is the Republican Party shrinking so that it and the Tea Party

[rurallib]

will be one and the same soon?
Seems like the way that anyone who was ever contrary to what the current orthodoxy is in the Republican Party will pay the price.
Seems the current orthodoxy is set by Tea Party radicals.
Seems like no matter how far in the past someone stated something that is now verboten, they will be punished.

If they aren't one and the same yet, they soon will be.

[bpj62]

1. Be careful what you wish for.

I have no doubt that the leaders of the Republican Party thought that they could control this little movement known as the "Tea Party' back in 2009. They thought that after the elections of 2010 that the Tea Party would just fold into the rest of the republican party. They had no idea that this group was hell bent on taking out anybody who didnt support thier views 100 percent and it does not matter if they have a R after thier name. I hope and pray the the Democratic Party has woken up to the danger that these people really pose. They are a threat to our well being. They are zealots in the truest sense of the word and they will not be stopped until they accomplish thier goals which is a complete dismantlring of most government agencies except for the Defense Department and maybe Homeland Security. This group is not going away and if Obama wins a second term they will get more desperate in thier actions. You cannot reason with a true believer just listen to the Timothy Mcviegh interviews for some insight.

[DJ13]

2. I hope not

If they shrink, where do the almost sane conservatives end up?

We dont need them taking over our party (anymore than they already have) as a result.

[Jennicut]

8. There are very, very few Republican moderates left.

Lugar is gone, Olympia Snowe will retire. I mean, who is there around anymore? Lindsey Graham was mentioned on MSNBC last night as the last one left and he is not even all that moderate.

[rurallib]

10. in what world is Lindsey Graham a moderate?

bizarro world methinks.

[AlinPA]

3. What? They have always been one and the same. Those GOP people are running the party, completely.

[KharmaTrain]

4. The Rushblucans ARE the Teabaggers...

It's GOTB operatives live Armey and the Kochs that funded this "grassroots" and faux noise gave them credibility. The thing is I have yet to see a teabagger attempt to run as a Democrat unless they're attempting to sabotage an election...or as an independent for that matter. If anything...it's the "moderate" rushpublicans who are headed toward "independent" status.

Look at most of the teabag leaders and most have some kind of relationship with the rushpublican party or a special interest group that has close ties to it. So it it walks and smells like a duck...

[RDANGELO]

5. They are definitely controlling the primary process

,and , as long as that is happening , it is bad for the Republican party. The only reason they are competitive in this election is the economy. They have been winning elections since the 1980s on tribalism. Now the demographics have turned that upside down. As long as they are dominated by tribal minded whites, they are going to have trouble winning national elections.

[LadyHawkAZ]

6. I hope so

I'd like it small enough to drown in a bathtub.

[Ikonoklast]

9. "I like the way you think..."

"I'm going to keep my eye on you."

[Nuclear Unicorn]

7. It's almost as if challenging a system from within

could actually yield practical results.

A political faction, small and scoffed-at, enters the realm of local politics to gain national traction. Small, isolated groups working with common purpose to achieve greater ends even though they must often fight pitched battles against the entrenched interests from within a larger group. Each tiny victory gaining them notoreity and recognition and perhaps even respect ass they build to a greater confrontation against their ideological rivals.

It's too bad progressives don't have a corresponding movement. We're told to dutifully pull the lever for the same ol' because we can't go 3rd party and if we worry about such silliness as primaries we'll give an advantage to the other side.

Primaries? HA! Like any schmoe could sign-up and actually make a dent. If that were possible you'd have incarcerated felons from one state make humiliating dents against incumbents in primaries in totally different states. Voters are to be herded, not inspired. Only fools believe "democratic" is a verb rather than just a marketing brand.

[madrchsod]

11. they have purged the moderate republicans

there is only a few moderate republican senators left. hell lugar is gone and he was one of the more sane ones in the senate.

the moderate republicans of the 50`s through the 70`s would be moderate democrats today. romney`s dad would be purged from today`s party. chuck percy from illinois and many others through the years would never be elected as a republican today.