CNBC: Civil war in the Republican party if Bush is reelected....

[AntiFascist]

between the faith-based Republicans and reality-based republicans who feel that Bush does not do enough "hard work" in establishing a reality-based approach to his policies (foreign and economic). Democrats should be able to "capitalize" on this!

[meganmonkey]

1. i wonder how many repubs are closet kerry voters...

it wouldn't surprise me if there were a substantial amount.

[olddem43]

2. I have a feeling we are gonna find out.

[girl gone mad]

3. I think there are a fair number..

that would love the opportunity to retake control of their party.

[The Crazy Canadian]

4. If Bush is reelected, i doubt there would be a civil war.

I think it would strengthen the fundamentalist/neoconservatives part of the Republican party, the ones currently in control.

[calimary]

18. Welcome to DU! I agree - that kind of civil war will more likely happen if

bush is NOT elected. If he wins, they will read that as a "good job, sir." They won, so they'll conclude they did everything right and why change it. After all, aren't they the ones shouting "Don't change horses in the middle of a stream"? It's only if they lose that they'll see a need to do some housecleaning/realignment. Winning means they're right. Losing means they're wrong. The only sin with these people is to lose. They hate losing even more than they hate Bill Clinton.

[kohodog]

39. maybe not among the repubs,

But I will bring my pitch fork and torch to Washington.

Any one with me??

[necso]

5. True conservatives

need to realize that a defeat for the neo-cons in this election is the only hope for (true) conservatives to take control back over the Republican Party.

And it may be their last chance for quite some time.

[speedoo]

9. Sounds like their best bet is to stay home.

If the true republicans want their party back (I think they do) they want the shrub to lose but they also want Kerry not to have a mandate.

So they should just stay home on Nov. 2.

[necso]

11. Voting Kerry

sends a stronger message.

He is a man that they can trust to do the right thing.

[speedoo]

6. Can you tell us who said this?

Was it an anonymous repug insider?

[AntiFascist]

16. No, he was some reporter or author I think, being interviewed...

who had access to the whitehouse...it was asked if he was not welcome there because he had reported negative things in the past. I caught the tail end of the report.

[Edwardsgroupie]

7. The only split would be from those who think Bush is spending too much

and acting too much like a 'liberal' in that regard. Those people aren't going to look to the Democrats for relief.

[revree]

8. AWESOME. They will combust from within!

[Pithy Cherub]

10. Which one's eat their own?

republican alligators or republican crocodiles? Not quite sure where to get the throwback jersey to wear to watch this NASCAR sponsored demolition derby!

[calimary]

27. Who cares, just as long as they do.

The more they are in disarray, the more we can get accomplished, the more lost ground we can regain, and the more damage we can start repairing.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[meganmonkey]

26. what up, ypsilanti!

i recognize those digits

[Lefty48197]

35. 'sup monkey

ypsi twp actually!

[0rganism]

13. If bush is re-elected, then yes, any visible conflicts will be R vs. R

because the Dems will be OUT of the loop.

Minority in the Senate and the House. Minority on the SCOTUS. And not in the WhiteHouse. For Two Long Years, the republicans have had a lock on the Federal gov't, and look at all they've accomplished!

Abortions? Still legal. Gay marriage? Up to the states. Christianity? Still one religion among many. Defecits? Out of control. Revenue base? Diminished. Unemployment? Sky high. International Reputation? Shot to hell.

Who could be happy with this? Not the social conservatives, and certainly not the fiscal conservatives. Even the neo-cons are grumpy that their plans are backfiring. Of course there will be infighting on their side of the aisle, trying to push their agendas. Democrats might as well step back and let it run its course, laying the occasional parliamentary trap to maximize the effect. The more time they spend beating on each other, the less time they have to ruin America, and the less effective they'll be when they try.

They NEED the Democrats to push around, somewhere, otherwise they only have themselves to blame for their own obvious failings.

[onehandle]

14. No problem. Bush is toast. nt

[daa]

17. I feel a landslide coming on

I also believe there will be a lot of surprised repukes when 2004 is the reverse of 1994.

[meganmonkey]

19. Yup! when the pendulum swings it'll take congress with it!

[johnnyrocket]

15. Nothing would be sweeeter than a GOP civil war...

I'll get the popcorn for that one!

[Technowitch]

20. Actually, most partisan 'civil wars' come when the candidate LOSES

When Shrub goes down (and down in flames he will go on Nov 2nd), there's going to be a huge stink in the GOP between the RadCons (radical conservative fundamentalist types) and the moderates.

The RadCons will say they weren't extreme enough, and the moderates will say the Repugs abandoned the center of the political spectrum -- and this is how a party splits in two.

[JPace]

22. When has a party "split in two" in history?

just curious what it looks like and what happens.

[AntiFascist]

24. Interesting question.....

what would a reactionary neoconservative Party be called?

[foo_bar]

38. 160 years ago

Disappointment during the debates over the Compromise of 1850 led to many Southerners or "Cotton Whigs" joining the Democratic Party. The nominations leading to the Election of 1852 also led to further fragmentation of the Whig Party. The 1852 Whig Convention saw Southern Whigs discontented with the nominee, Winfield Scott, while Northern Whigs were outraged by the party's national platform. Scott's defeat in the 1852 presidential contest produced the further disintegration of the Whig Party into Conscience and Cotton factions.

http://www.middlesexcc.edu/faculty/John_Kruszewski/221supplementary2.html

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

32. heh..just like us!

...if Kerry loses we could see the same arguments.

[Piperay]

21. also civil war if chimp is

not elected, than the finger pointing and blame game will really start. Either way it is all good, the repub party will devour itself. :D

[Cha]

23. I read that wrong ..I thought you

meant if bush is not elected there will be "civil war".

Remember, he hasn't ever been elected.

[Free2BMe]

25. It is already happening..have you heard the quiet...!!!!

[The Chronicler]

28. More likely if he loses IMO (nm)

[Mr_Spock]

29. Civil war beyond Repukes if Chimpy is reappointed. n/m

n/m

[gordianot]

40. That would be a much bigger Civil War.

[DemocracyInaction]

30. There are some powerful moderate Dems who want the presidency

in '08 and told the RNC so; but they have no hope because of the loonies from the midwest/south who control the party. They want the loonies out of power. The moderates who want the presidency are: Hagel, Gulliani, Pataki, McCain. So you're going to see fights to either go against Bush plans or (as some expect) Bush has a surprise for the loonies---he's not going to dance to their music any longer.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

31. More likely if he is defeated....then the recriminations start.

If he wins..the "civil war" is postphoned to the '08 primarys.

[GRLMGC]

33. If this is true

why does Bush have so many votes?

[AntiFascist]

34. They don't want the GOP to self-destruct before the election.....

If Bush gets reelected they may try to radically change his direction, or rather, derail his radical direction. What the moderate presidential hopefuls should realize is that they probably would have a much better chance in 2008 if Bush doesn't get reelected.

[GRLMGC]

36. That's pretty disconcerting

Bush is clearly stubborn and he's going to keep going as far right as he can, in my opinion. Especially if he has four more years and doesn't have to worry about reelection. If moderates don't like his direction, which is cleary dangerous, I can't respect the fact that they're supporting him to keep the GOP from self destructing.

[AntiFascist]

42. there may be a lot more blind Bush supporters than there are....

moderates in the GOP who question what is happening, and the tax issues may be enough for them not to want to side with the Democrats. How many moderates want to support a fair health care plan on top of all the Pentagon spending that is already being allocated?

[Mz Pip]

37. I have no sympathy

If they are concerned about their damn party then they should vote Bush out of office and stop whining.

This is the guy you all got behind. Now you don't like where he might take you. SO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, YOU ASSHOLES!

MzPip
:dem:

[bushwakker]

41. civil war if he is NOT re-selected

GOPers will just toe the line for 4 more years if AWOL returns to the WH.

[gordianot]

43. I have serious doubts they would accept a Kerry Presidency.

There are too many potential high crimes to allow Democrats in the files.