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GOP scrambles to fix its primary problem
Politico ^ | January 4, 2013 | Jonathan Martin

Posted on 01/04/2013 12:49:00 PM PST by Bratch

The disastrous 2012 election and embarrassing fiscal cliff standoff has brought forth one principal conclusion from establishment Republicans: They have a primary problem.

The intra-party contests, or threat thereof, have become the original sin that explains many of the party’s woes in the minds of GOP leaders. It’s the primaries that push their presidential nominees far to the right (see “self-deportation” and “47 percent”); produce lackluster Senate candidates (Todd Akin has almost become a one-word shorthand); and, as seen most vividly in the last two weeks, dissuade scores of gerrymandered House members from face-saving compromise while politically emasculating their speaker.

What to do about the primaries has become Topic A in many a post-election Republican soul-searching session, and now the first steps are being taken to address the issue. For Senate Republicans, that means a modified return to their 2010 posture of openly playing in primaries. A retiring House Republican is starting a super PAC to help House members challenged from the right. And an RNC commission is mulling over changes to the party’s presidential primary.

In the Senate, where at least five GOP losses in the past two election cycles could be attributed to primaries, Republican leaders are planning to intervene in selected 2014 races to ensure preferred candidates win the nomination.

High-profile Senate Republicans are going to try to pre-empt bloody primaries with aggressive, early recruitment and support — effectively trying to clear fields.

(Excerpt) Read more at dyn.politico.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: gope; gopprimary; noninclusive; partisanmediashills; politico; rinos
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It appears the GOP-e are trying to stack the deck against conservatives.
1 posted on 01/04/2013 12:49:06 PM PST by Bratch
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To: Bratch

It’s easy. Get rid of the RINOs or else.


2 posted on 01/04/2013 12:51:56 PM PST by LouAvul
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To: Bratch
It appears the GOP-e are trying to stack the deck against conservatives.

I thought they did that at the convention.

/johnny

3 posted on 01/04/2013 12:52:05 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Bratch

NOW do you all believe we’ll be forced to go Third Party?


4 posted on 01/04/2013 12:52:31 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Bratch

The GOPe does have a primary problem. I, for one, am going to vote for any same-party challenger to my two Senators, even my representative if he votes for anything in the way of a debt ceiling increase without a 1:1 reduction in spending. I’d sooner see a Democrat in those spots if they are going to act like Democrats.

At least I’ll then have something tangible to blame instead of a bunch of no-ball spineless bastard RINOs who have the gall to call themselves ‘Georgians’ while living it up 99% of the year on the DC high of being second in power.


5 posted on 01/04/2013 12:54:00 PM PST by Gaffer
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To: Bratch
It appears that the GOPe have identified the enemy, and it is the tax-paying, law-abiding, constitution-revering citizens they are targeting. In the end, they just want to make deals with the Democrats as they continue dismantling this country and our freedoms.

Sorry, but it is time for a new party.

6 posted on 01/04/2013 12:56:24 PM PST by Major Matt Mason ("Journalism is dead. All news is suspect." - Noamie)
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To: Bratch

What a twisted view from POLITICO (of course).

If the RINOs and conservatives in the Party don’t start working together for their common good there won’t be a Republican Party.


7 posted on 01/04/2013 12:57:56 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
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To: Bratch

The first two things, without which nothing else can work, are:

1) Only registered Republicans, who voted in the last two elections AS registered Republicans, can vote.

2) No more “winners” by plurality. “Winner” in the primary context means 50% +1, or more. In the event that every candidate is below 50%, NO delegate bonuses, NO rewards for “winning”. I would also set a threshold of 20%, below which no delegates are awarded.


8 posted on 01/04/2013 12:57:56 PM PST by Jim Noble (Diseases desperate grown are by desperate appliance relieved, or not at all)
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To: Bratch
The day that jourNOlister Jonathan Martin at Pollutico has something of value for the GOP is the day ...


9 posted on 01/04/2013 12:59:36 PM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Bratch

The days of me picking the “least liberal” to vote for is over. I have taken a personal pledge to never vote for or support another establishment/RINO/moderate/liberal/limp-wrist Republican again. If a candidate does not pledge, support and demonstrate he/she is a Tea Party conservative, they will not get my vote. Period!


10 posted on 01/04/2013 12:59:45 PM PST by Proud2BeRight
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To: Buckeye McFrog

You can go to a third party, but don’t expect electoral success any time soon. Don’t get me wrong, I am a conservative, but it took a revamped and rebranded Canadian conservative party 13 years before it had any electorial success.


11 posted on 01/04/2013 1:00:03 PM PST by Perdogg (Mark Levin - It's called the Bill of Rights not Bill of Needs)
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To: Jim Noble

Yep, that’s what needs to be done, especially #2.
The GOPe stacks the deck by putting “their” candidate up against 3 better conservative candidates who split the vote.


12 posted on 01/04/2013 1:01:19 PM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: Bratch
So the GOP would rather fight conservatives than the Democrats. Lessons not learned from the last election and setting up for debilitating primaries. Well, Boehner’s reelection and now this really looks like the GOP is preparing for loss of the House and further losses in the Senate. The powerless honorable opposition is maybe where the party is most comfortable.
13 posted on 01/04/2013 1:02:22 PM PST by Truth29
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To: Bratch

Removing Conservatives is its primary problem.


14 posted on 01/04/2013 1:03:28 PM PST by bmwcyle (We have gone over the cliff and we are about to hit the bottom)
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To: Bratch
Hey gop/e Nazis... you cannot... in any way... regardless of what you do... win elections without the base... and we are NOT with you. Do this and I can guarantee you that you will go the way of the Whigs. Check out state registration... your party is shrinking... and it isn't progressives that are leaving in droves... it is us... CONSERVATIVES!

LLS

15 posted on 01/04/2013 1:03:48 PM PST by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS!)
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To: Bratch

I smell a pig nosed bastard that wears glasses.


16 posted on 01/04/2013 1:04:14 PM PST by Sybeck1
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To: Jim Noble

There are some states that do not have party registration, such as the Commonwealth of VA.


17 posted on 01/04/2013 1:04:46 PM PST by Perdogg (Mark Levin - It's called the Bill of Rights not Bill of Needs)
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To: Bratch
It appears the GOP-e are trying to stack the deck against conservatives.

YEP! They want us out and I, quite frankly, am already out!!
18 posted on 01/04/2013 1:04:49 PM PST by Eagle of Liberty (Be the Enemy Within the Enemy Within...)
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To: Bratch
Did I scan it wrong or was their no mention of closing the Primaries to non R voters?

If this is isn't done it is way beyond time for us to move out...

19 posted on 01/04/2013 1:08:45 PM PST by taildragger (( Tighten the 5 point harness and brace for Impact Freepers, ya know it's coming..... ))
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To: JRandomFreeper

>> It appears the GOP-e are trying to stack the deck against conservatives.
>
> I thought they did that at the convention.

That’s the way I remember it too.
The rule changes were truly awful; and let’s not forget the retroactive rule change they did for one state’s primaries to deny Ron Paul delegates and cement more support for Romney.


20 posted on 01/04/2013 1:09:44 PM PST by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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