On Bill Maher last night, Eliot Spitzer said that the GOP was splintered into three parties:

[applegrove]

the corporate faction represented by Romney, the social conservatives and religious represented by Santorum and the libertarians represented by Ron Paul. The is the cruxt of why they cannot get behind a winner. I forget where he said the tea party lay.

[joshcryer]

1. Except those three parties block vote. The Democrats have a similar breakdown...

...but they don't block vote. I wish Eliot Spitzer pointed that one out.

The Republican party is full of cronies, the Democratic party, not so much (except for within the factions that exist).

[anAustralianobserver]

10. But can Paul, Gingrich and Palin supporters be counted on to show up for Romney this time?

(even if Romney gets all the endorsements including Limbaugh)

And Santorum voters are probably as scared of Mormons as they are of married gay PP employees.

Many will show up so they don't have to look at Obama any more, but many Freeper types, Paulites and Fundagelicals would probably rather see a sacrifice in the (futile) hope of a 2014/2016 'conservative' revival.

[joshcryer]

11. I don't think so, the base has been moved so far to the right...

...that they probably can't pull it together. There's a demoralization process happening, like the Tea Party / 2010 elections, they're having their own crisis where the base just doesn't want to get out the vote.

[anAustralianobserver]

14. Right that's what I'm gathering.

And even if they put up a dark horse, that person would be unlikely to fare well, considering the party has lost its compass.

[RevStPatrick]

2. The Tea Party would be Newt.

Perry, Bachmann and Palin are also Teabags.
Although Perry has some BFEE Neocon blood as well.

[napoleon_in_rags]

3. Yeah, I've been saying this for a long time.

And I've also been saying that its positive. What do evangelicals have to do with people engaged in war profiteering? The divisions are nonsense, people have to stand up to what they believe.

[MrSlayer]

4. Just a nit to pick.

He described the Romney faction as the corporate faction, not fiscal conservatives. A more apt description really.

[applegrove]

5. Thanks. I have a learning disability and cannot remember things verbatum. I'll change my OP.

[grantcart]

6. The key difference between the Republicans and the Democrats group dynamics is

that the Republicans have different groups, fiscal, Evangelical, establishment, national security, rural/tea party and the Democrats have different groups, environmentalists, latino, African American, Labor, LGBT, Peace Activists, Working Class but while the Democrats fight all of the time over priorities and issues there is genuine friendship and solidarity between the groups while the different Republican groups only fight during transitional periods where new leadership is being selected BUT actually despise each other.

The Democrats have a messy party that we tidy up for an election while the Republicans have a neat and orderly committee meeting that is only minutes away from a knife fight.

[applegrove]

7. Interesting. I did not know that.

[applegrove]

8. Maybe it has to do with authoritarianism and how GOP are followers. They seem to

get behind one reality (low taxes, small government, no abortion, more religion) and stick with those platforms. One reality for all the sheep. Whereas the Democrats are all over the place (for global trade or against it) because they are less manipulated and controlled. Because the Democratic party is less authoritarian and the people more likely to be informed somewhat and wanting to think for their own damned selves. Democrats end up with the multiple realities a healthy group of people have. I don't know enough American history to comment on the GOP supporters of the past.

[joshcryer]

13. I see it this way. Dems have solidarity during elections, but factions when voting on legislation.

Republicans are at each others throats during elections, but somehow manage to show solidarity when voting on legislation.

So as far as legislation is concerned even if the Republicans are a minority they can still push their convoluted views more effectively than Democrats.

[wilsonbooks]

9. yeah

crazy, crazier and craziest.

[demosincebirth]

12. The Tea Party? The Know Nothings.

[quakerboy]

15. Tea Party is not a seperate party.

They are members of all the other groups, flocking to whoever says something hateful sounding with authority. As long as someone is there to pay their way in, of course. They have no true separate identity from the Republican party

[Cosmocat]

16. Things seem good NOW, but in the end

the Rs rally around one point VERY tightly - ANY D is the spawn of the devil.