Iowa Divided: Civil War Threatens the State's GOP

National Review ^ | 07/26/2013 | Robert Costa

[iacovatx]

Although a lot of people complain about Iowa’s position in the election cycle, it actually serves a fairly good purpose. The Iowa caucus gives candidates a chance to test their campaign organizations and fund-gathering potential. Being held in Iowa enables a test of voter behavior that is somewhat similar to voter behavior in a large part of the US, unlike in some other states, e.g., NY or Texas, where voters are more unique. There are problems, too, as when a candidate gains strength in Iowa but is weakened later during campaign season or when a candidate wins in Iowa but really can’t carry other parts of the US. It is a problem for conservatives in that a strong conservative might be more likely to gain strength in, say, Texas than in Iowa.

If there is a war in the Iowa GOP, there is tension in the GOP elsewhere and that may be necessary if the old guard, which has shown it is not able to win the big ones and lacks both conviction and clear values, is to be replaced with a new and strong GOP leadership. The GOP was given a gift when the Tea Party emerged a few years ago and the GOP has not only ignored this new, gift movement which was populated with energized, extremely honorable, and well-behaved traditionalists, and could have revitalized the GOP but has rejected it. That, and the loss of the Presidential elections of 2008 and 2012 should have led to a cleaning house of GOP leadership, but still they run the GOP.

The Dems did not reject the moonbat movement or the occupy movement and those movements are nuts. The old GOP’s foolishness is jaw-dropping.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I see this as a good thing, because it points out the obvious:

1) The leadership is small and liberal, and is trying to cling to power.

2) The rank and file, and now second tier independent leadership is much more conservative, and is tired of the liberal antics of the leadership.

I’d also like to point out that in similar situations, when displaced from power, liberal Republicans quickly turn on their party, and their treachery comes to the fore. They do not lose power graciously.

But the end result is a better party with better candidates, who become much more popular in their state because of their sound policies.