Posted on 10/23/2013 2:48:35 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
"...........[SNIP]...........But while the factions within the GOP prepare themselves for what is sure to be a “West Side Story” type rumble, it is possible that the “Establishment” may have overplayed its hand and compromised its position without even realizing it.
To the Establishment, the Tea Party is political plutonium, explosive and too hot to handle right now. They need to cut ties with it, bring it to heel, or spin it so that it seems like they are all one big happy family, which probably won’t happen. They believe that conservative voters want to see the individuals responsible for partially shutting down the government held to account. Well, things may not be as they perceive them to be.
It could be that instead of conservative voters demanding the heads of the Tea Party “rebel scum” they could be looking at the GOP Establishment in a whole new light. Instead of being seen as the sensible side of the Republican Party that worked with the Democrats and the President to re-open the government, many conservative voters feel betrayed.
They now see the Establishment Republicans for what they are, and that is the section of the Republican Party that represents business as usual in Washington, DC.
The very ideas that the Tea Party won elections on, the very ideas that the Tea Party has campaigned on, limited government and a change in Washington, are the very things the Establishment showed they wanted nothing to do with. The conservative principles which Republican voters hold dear are not reflected in the majority of GOP representatives.
What about those who agree with conservative values but voted with the Establishment?
They will have to choose sides soon in this GOP “civil war.” They will have to prove to those conservative voters that they truly do want to limit government, follow the Constitution, and balance the budget, and are not just reciting stump speeches to grab the “right leaning” vote. Or, they will have to prove to Establishment leaders and fundraisers that they can be good boys and girls and play nicely. These Senators and Representatives will have to decide whether or not they want to be part of the new school or the old school.
According to Gallup, 50 percent of those polled on October 18 were in favor of either “scaling back or repealing” Obamacare. And while partially shutting down the government may not have been the way of going about it, there is real desire and will out there among voters to see the ACA addressed with the intent of limiting it or even doing away with it.
So while Establishment Republicans believe that they did the right thing in dealing with the Democrats and turning on the Tea Party, the numbers and the polls do not suggest that they made the right move. Conservative voters could look at the deal as bad form. The problem with this is that the Establishment Republicans are touting this deal as the saving grace of the Republic. They think they are showing their base that they are willing to work with the Democrats in order to get their voices heard, and they think that caving in to the demands of the Democrats and President Obama was the way to do it. This is not the way to solidify your base in the conservative spectrum.
Now as conservative voters look at the choices they have of who to represent them in Congress they have only two options. On one hand, there is the Tea Party and the politicians who were so convinced of their righteousness that they were willing to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous negative media attention to achieve their ends. They were willing, and are willing, to sacrifice their political careers for the sake of their ideals.
On the other hand, there is the Establishment Republicans who are more than comfortable with business as usual, and who decided to cut their “losses”. The problem with cutting your “losses” in this situation is that you believed that your only losses would be the credibility of the Tea Party, who have been a source of pain for the right of center Republicans. And in an attempt to silence them the Establishment gave up one of the last vestiges of hope of confronting Obama on reckless spending and confronting Obama on the ACA. Their failure to realize that the “losses” they were cutting were not those pesky Tea Party kids, but their own credibility among their voter base, may ultimately lose them the GOP “civil war.” In addition, it may ultimately swing in more meddlesome Tea Party politicians, who will after the coming storm, be the only truly conservative voice left in Congress for those Americans who feel as though the Establishment made a deal with the devil to stick around the dance.
In the end, if Republicans cannot resolve their lovers quarrel the Democrats will take advantage of the “house divided” situation and make political gains in key gubernatorial and congressional races. But if the Tea Party is smart enough to capitalize on the Establishment Republicans miscalculation, then it will be the Tea Party who emerges victorious and better positioned when this “splendid little war” has run its course.
People like YOU are why the Iowa GOP is NOTHING but “GOP-e, RINO and BACKSTABBERS”. GO AWAY AND DIE RINO!
Strategy is to return to a limited constitutionally based govt.
Tactics are to clear out pro-big govt in the republican party first and expand from there.
Tea Party has been winning overall with a few setbacks...I’ll take 2 steps forward for every one step back. That’s a strategic view.
Tactic - eliminate a rino and replace with a tea party type
require the dems to move more to the center - they haven’t given a single inch since forever.
If the only person compromising is on one side that person loses the tug of war in the long run.
Here’s a tactic I want to see - funding requests to buy out a MSM platform to provide a conservative broadcast solution. The left have all the alphabet soups and Fox as a leaner “in the middle”. How about we balance that with a hard factually reporting right leaner. Alone we can’t do anything - together we can do a hostile takeover.
We will not win until we can counter the propaganda. But not just in the news, but in the schools.
Right now a large portion of the eligible voters view the TEA party with the KKK. The MSM is able to plant that perception with no recourse.
Publicity stunts just play into the other sides game plan.
Iowa elected Santorum in the cacusses.
The votes were filed for Mitt Romney before the actual votes were counted.
Not saying Santorum could have won, but it didn’t really matter. Mitt was selected before hand.
I know I was there(Was a Caucus Chairman). Paultards were there TOO. The Iowa GOP is a Sick JOKE!
Among other things, yes.
I'm much more optimistic than you, caver. Tea Partiers are the base of the party. You want 2014 to go to the Dems? All GOPe needs to do is to keep disparaging Ted Cruz and like-minded legislators.
Romney lost because too many of the base stayed home.
Mid-term elections are entirely about the base of a given party. The next few months will be a disaster for the Dems, as Obamacare will drag down the numbers for Democrats.
LOL!! Well Stated. :)
“The next few months will be a disaster for the Dems, as Obamacare will drag down the numbers for Democrats.”
I do hope you are right.
My prediction is that not much will change at all. Conservatives will still be dissatisfied and emasculated, CINOs will be in charge.
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