Republican Breakup?

PhxNews ^ | Joe Duarte

[hsmomx3]

If you put your ear to the ground, you can hear the rumble. It is the rumble of political discontent, obsolete bipolarities, and looming realignment. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the coming split of the Republican Party.

Years ago, Jeff Foxworthy blessed America with his “…you might be a redneck” jokes. Drawing upon his comedic methodology:

If you fear the one true God, define America as a “Christian Nation”, seek to make God’s Law the law of the land, think of homosexuals as freaks and sinners, and want to jail women who have abortions…you might be a Republican.

If you think history has bequeathed a destiny upon America to serve as the world’s policeman, to liberate oppressed nations, and you love to stay up all night strategizing on how to isolate the Saudis or punish France…you might be a Republican.

If you think it is the proper role of a Jeffersonian state to steal money from citizens to build civic plazas and university labs…you might be a Republican.

If you don’t care about ballooning budget deficits, and want to jack up government spending as though the rising debt never needs to be paid...you might be a Republican.

If you can’t stand deficits, are firmly committed to balancing the budget, and want to dramatically cut taxes and spending…well, you might have been a Republican in 1980.

There are at least five categories above, and all of them consist of people who identify with the GOP. They are, in order: theocratic Christian conservatives (there are, thank God, non-theocratic ones as well), neoconservatives, Chamber of Commerce Republicans who practice crony capitalism, the Bushies, and finally the blessed fiscal conservatives.

So what’s the problem? These people cannot possibly coexist in the same party for much longer. This is especially true now that Republicans in power have abandoned fiscal responsibility. They now stand for nothing – certainly nothing that would meaningfully separate them from big-spending Democrats.

Republicans were supposed to be about freedom – freedom from that monster which takes freedom away – government. The GOP was supposed to “get the government off our backs.” This hasn’t happened, and government at all levels is violating our rights now more than ever.

The above five groups can really be reduced to two kinds of people. There are those people that want to be left alone, and there are those people that refuse to leave others alone. The former simply want to be left alone to pursue their happiness, and are happy to leave others alone to do the same. They understand government’s proper role is limited to securing this freedom from those (criminals and foreign threats) who would aggress upon their peaceful lives. The latter group are all basically civil thugs. They want to impose their vision of the good on others by force. They don’t care if you’re living a peaceful, happy life. In fact, they might hold it against you. They want to take your money, or arrest you for any number of reasons. Got weed? To jail you go. Got a gay lover? To jail you go. Got a cancer treatment they haven’t approved? To jail you go. Got a successful business? How’s 40% off the top sound?

Republicans used to be the leave-me-alone crowd, and Democrats the thugs. Things are messier now.

What we can expect to see in the coming decade or two is a realignment. There are lots and lots of fine leave-me-alone people in the GOP. They don’t hate gays or brown people. They are pro-abortion and anti-tax. They are basically libertarians, but see themselves as too pragmatic to join the Libertarian Party.

There are also some leave-me-aloners in the Democratic camp. I call them smart gay people: they are too gay to be Republican, but much too smart about self-responsibility and economics to be real Democrats. Smart gay people are really good for America.

The theocratic Christian conservatives are a strong wing of the GOP. They will either grow to dominate the GOP or they will get their asses kicked out by the leave-me-alone Republicans. In any case, what we will see is a realignment that unites all the pro-freedom Americans under a major party. The religious nuts might have their own party, like the Religious Nut Party or something similar. It seems structurally impossible to break the two-party system into three or more parties, but I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility altogether. In any case, two parties might be enough to represent the major threads.

There are lots of unhappy Republicans today, chafing at their party’s abandonment of fiscal restraint and occupation by anti-sodomists. There are some number of Democrats that have tired of the drug war, expanded police powers, and foreign adventurism. These people need to find each other, for they are the best Americans.

[CyberCowboy777]

It means the same thing.

Yes there were slaves in Isreal - G_d did not establish the practice though, it was a creation man. Another product of the corruptable reasoning of man. It is about trusting G_d with your Freedom.

[CyberCowboy777]

[Ephesians 6]

6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
6:2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether [he be] bond or free.
6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

[jlogajan]

Wow, you haven't been banned yet for not drinking the GOP KoolAid!

[CyberCowboy777]

And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.

And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

[Dane]

Just as Dane is broad brushing a person, this writer is broad brushing a group. That is my point

What broadbrushing.

All I did was bring up the fact that Ron Paul was right alongside the UN on Iraq. I guess it is just "conicidental" that Ron Paul was parrotting the UN line.

BTW, CC777, if you are going to mention me by name in one of your replies, I would request that you have the courage to ping me about that reply.

[Maelstrom]

Aye...
...Bump for freedom.

Do you recall my suggestion that many conservatives are conservatives simply from the "Leave me alone" drive? It's a year ago or more now.

[longtermmemmory]

Before every landslide this article comes up.

Republicans are killing each other
Republicans hate each other
The christians are leaving the party.
Abortion is going to end the republican party.
Tax cuts are going to end the party
yada
yada
yada

Its all barbras streisand. The writer forgets there is no other show in town. (that can win)

Unless you are homosexual, feminist, leftist, or a race baiter there is no place for you in the democrat party.

The democrats must be in BIG trouble if this article is comming out before the Republican convention.

[eccl1212]

John Adams (the second President of the United States)

---

Adams signed the Treaty of Tripoli (June 7, 1797). Article 11 states:
“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.”

[FreeLibertarian]

There's an awful lot of hue and cry over this article when it's essentially a very insightful analysis. I guess it rings a little too true for some people's liking.

Some people can't stand to look in the mirror!

[gcruse]

Can't say as I remember. :(

[xrp]

Why barf? The author is correct. As the Republican Party continues to track to the left, a split is inevitable. The Democratic Party is definitely waning and natures abhors a vacuum. A new conservative party will arise as the Republicans pursue their move to the center/center-left.

[CyberCowboy777]

Fine I will ping you. Not an intentional 'diss' to be sure.

Ron Paul wants to get out of the UN. His opinion (which I disagree with) on Iraq happened to coincide with the UN, that hardly put him in the same ideological bed.

I am with you on Iraq, but Ron Paul is no UNer. That is the truth.

BTW- You do not know me and I would appreciate it if you had the common decency to not question my courage over one overlooked courtesy.

[Young Rhino]

That last big split gave Patsy and the Brigadiers 1% of the vote.

The Greens alone are far more of a threat to the Dimwits that what the GOP is facing.

[CyberCowboy777]

I disagree with this piece and I love looking in the mirror......

We can argue the facts and ideologies without taking every opportunity slam the other side.

[Dane]

Ron Paul wants to get out of the UN. His opinion (which I disagree with) on Iraq happened to coincide with the UN, that hardly put him in the same ideological bed

All I did was point out the fact that Ron Paul agreed with the UN and liberal democrats about Iraq.

JMO, Ron Paul is not the infallible political savior as he is portrayed by some on FR.

That was my point, but when I do point it out, the rabid Libertarians(not you CC777, but tdadams) throw out their usual ad hominems.

No big surprise there.

[CyberCowboy777]

I agree that Ron Paul is not the infallible political savior as he is portrayed by some on FR.

I think he could do allot better at working with the GOP and not embarrassing them.

I might suggest he read Art of War, while often over rated, he could learn how to win battles and better win the war.

[mrsmith]

""If you think it is the proper role of a Jeffersonian state to steal money from citizens to build civic plazas and university labs…you might be a Republican."
(Thomas Jefferson would gag if he read this.) "

Yeah, using Jefferson to argue against taxes for public education is a sure sign of a whackjob. Jefferson was a strong proponent of publicly funded education.
A university lab is a perfect example of what he would desire to be supported by taxes.

Other examples of what he believed to be proper uses of taxes:
"...opening roads, clearing rivers, forming safe ports, and other useful works...
in making roads, openingrivers, building ports, improving the arts, and finding employment for their idle poor " (Notes On Virginia)

But of course he'd have a conniption fit at the idea of the federal government funding such projects!

[tdadams]

Was there some point to that or did you simply feel a momentary need for spontaneous preaching?

[xrp]

I'm quick to correct anyone who calls me a Republican

Yeah...talk about being INSULTED.

[CyberCowboy777]

I made mention to the passage so I posted it.

The other was the complete passage that you posted half a verse of.

Is that a problem? I really gave no sermon and you are the one to start the posts of scripture.