Former Nev. Lt. Gov. Says She's Leaving 'Tea-Party Orientated' GOP

[DonViejo]

CAITLIN MACNEAL – JANUARY 29, 2014, 4:14 PM EST

Former Nevada Lt. Gov. Sue Wagner said Tuesday that she recently left the Republican party.

"It's grown so conservative and tea-party orientated and I just can't buy into that," Wagner told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "I've left the Republican Party and it's left me, at the same time."

Wagner reflected on a party that has changed over the past few years.

"I did it as a symbol, I guess, that I do not like the Republican Party and what they stand for today," Wagner said. "I've been a Republican all my life. My dad was active (in the GOP) in the state of Maine where I was born. It was more of a moderate, liberal Republican Party."

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/lt-gov-wagner-leaving-gop-tea-party

[monmouth3]

1. That's how I remember the repubs back when I was a kid. No way were my parents all that

conservative but they always voted republican, except for FDR. My mother adored him so I doubt she wouldn't have voted for him.

[Cha]

2. Always nice when someone wants to step out of

the depths of hell.

[kwolf68]

3. Sadly

Instead of serious concern the Republican Reich will rejoice at her leaving, which moves them one step closer to ideological purity, not to mention irrelevance.

[rhett o rick]

4. This is not good news. The more moderates that leave the Republican Party instead

of staying and fighting, the wackier the Party becomes. And if the moderate Republicans join the Democratic Party, they pull the party to the right. If this doesnt stop, we will end up with one Conservative Party and one Nutso Party. A win-win for the Powers To Be. Democrats pushing the TPP or Republicans pushing the TPP.

[kwolf68]

5. Interesting point

Still, I think the first order of business is full exposure of the radical right. Moving the Dems to the right is a gamble I would take for a short time while the theocrats, fascists and other radicals are put to pasture.

[struggle4progress]

6. I largely agree with that

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. Why is it assumed

That Republicans leaving the Party and becoming Dems necessarily pulls the Dems to the right? There will be and already are some more conservative Dems but there are still plenty of progressive Dems and there are signs that the conservative "Blue Dog" Dem wing is losing influence (and seats) and the progressive wing is gaining more traction- unless I'm misreading the current trajectory.

[rhett o rick]

8. It's really simple math. For every conservative that joins the Democratic Party that's

one more vote against progressive ideas.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. So what are they joining the Dems for?

The reason they're joining the Dems is that we're not a party of insane slash n'burn reactionaries. If they weren't interested in being progressive many of them would probably just become independents or something, wouldn't they?