Republican establishment declares war on GOP voters
That makes sense to those whose sole goal is winning a majority in Congress rather than changing the course of government policy. Seen from the outside, though, it sounds like the professional politicians are saying that the only way to win is to pick more candidates like the insiders. Hearing that message, the reaction of many Republican and conservative voters is, “Why bother?”
That’s why more than two-thirds of Republican voters believe GOP officials in Washington have lost touch with the party’s base.
The Republican establishment has two choices. They can act as mature party leaders of a national political party, or they can protect their own self-interest.
Mature party leaders would spend a lot more time listening to Republican voters rather than further insulating themselves from those voters. They would try to understand why just 37 percent of Republicans nationwide believe the economy is fair. They would give serious thought to why just half of GOP voters have a favorable opinion of House Speaker John Boehner, the highest-ranking elected Republican in the nation. They would acknowledge that government spending in America has gone up in every year since 1954 regardless of whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge.
Blowback
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Maybe for once they could stop stabbing their own voters in the back and remember who sends them votes and money.
John Boehner is not the Speaker because of John Boehner.
He is the Speaker because of Tea Party activists.
NeoKong on January 13, 2013 at 10:59 AM
When even Rasmussen sees it…
Kraken on January 13, 2013 at 11:00 AM
It’s not war it’s the kind of passive aggressive behavior that makes people want to pull an OJ.
CorporatePiggy on January 13, 2013 at 11:00 AM
So they decide that the only way to win is to become democrats. When you can’t tell the difference between the parties it’s time for another party.
Dr. Frank Enstine on January 13, 2013 at 11:01 AM
The GOP establishment, a/k/a/ Rockefeller Republicans, a/k/a/ RINOs, would rather run the party than run the country.
We got three dull, uninspiring “moderates” from them (Dole, McCain and Romney – four if you count Bush41 on his own), and each one lost.
Wethal on January 13, 2013 at 11:02 AM
This voter to Republican establishment: Go suck a lemon.
Flange on January 13, 2013 at 11:03 AM
I’ve got $50 that says I know which option they’ll go for…
RoadRunner on January 13, 2013 at 11:05 AM
I have an idea..Let’s (GOP) form a circular firing squad..We are getting good at it..
Dire Straits on January 13, 2013 at 11:08 AM
Mr. Limbaugh has been saying this for years.
SouthernGent on January 13, 2013 at 11:09 AM
As voters we need to declare war on the GOP and really put our backs into booting out the RINOs. It means a serious commitment and effort.
dogsoldier on January 13, 2013 at 11:11 AM
Angelo Codavilla’s essay in AmSpec and later book nailed it. We really have two parties here, the Ruling Party and the Country Party, not the Dems and GOP.
The Ruling Party tells its respectrive sheeple what it thinks will get the sheeple to vote for the Ruling Party. The Ruling Party, regardless of party affiliation, lives in the same neighborhoods, sends its kids to the same private schools and Ivy League colleges, and go through the revolving door of government to lobbying and think tanks. They have no real philosophy except that they think of themselves as entitled to lead the sheeple.
Although O’Donnell was an poor candidate in DE, she did reveal how this works. The RP in DE takes turns with the three congressional seats. It was Mike Castle’s “turn” to be a senator. Then he would retire and Beau Biden would run. The opposition in an election would be no-name (O’Donnell ran aginst Biden in 2006), or a junior RP who needed name recognition. (Coons was the 2010 Dem pick for name recognition.) But the Tea Party upset this. Castle did not get his turn, Coons jumped the queue, and Beau Biden will have to wait until Carper retires to get his “turn.” Hence Castle’s, Rove’s and the DE GOP’s fury.
Wethal on January 13, 2013 at 11:12 AM
Right. They don’t care how they win, or even which party they’re in. The do whatever they think is most politically expedient for them. That’s why we see so many politicians flip flop so often and so shamelessly — what they say at any given moment is entirely poll driven and designed to further their careers.
Timin203 on January 13, 2013 at 11:12 AM
I miss Flora Duh…
#WAR
…and Breitbart.
Fallon on January 13, 2013 at 11:14 AM
Republicanism is not democracy, so maybe the party elite is on firmer philosophical ground than insurgents care to admit. Too bad it’s too inarticulate to defend itself. Or just too busy attending fox hunts and debutante balls?
Seth Halpern on January 13, 2013 at 11:20 AM
GOP Voters to Republican Establishment:
GO TO HELL.
portlandon on January 13, 2013 at 11:22 AM
Remember, it’s only the nutty tea partiers that want to cut spending.
The sane people want to spend our future into oblivion.
Lonetown on January 13, 2013 at 11:23 AM
^^^This x 1,000
trs on January 13, 2013 at 11:27 AM
This infuriated establishment Republicans for two reasons. First, because they liked Lugar and the way he worked. Second, because the replacement candidate was flawed and allowed Democrats to win what should have been a safe Republican seat.
So, according to Politico, the Washington team is gearing up a new effort to protect incumbents and limit the ability of Republican voters to successfully challenge establishment candidates.
hmmm let’s see what happens when the game is no longer winnable. People stop playing the game. the system when rigged means people lose respect for the system and will flee the system. which means a third party. Either way the GOP establishment is going down. It is their choice if they want to change and have a little bit of control over the type of change or continue to deny that change is coming and lose whatever power they have.
unseen on January 13, 2013 at 11:31 AM
ElectricPhase on January 13, 2013 at 11:33 AM
Starve the beast…
d1carter on January 13, 2013 at 11:35 AM
Republicanism is also not fuedalism either and therefore the party elite have no firm ground in this fight. Republicanism is electing people to speak for you and following their instructions as long as those instructions does not bring harm to the society. Represenatives are elected for the sole reason to act as a brake to cool down insane wishes of the masses and the government doesn’t turn into anarchy.
The party elite think they are lords and we are serfs.
unseen on January 13, 2013 at 11:36 AM
Soooo glad I voted for Obama instead of supporting these evil GOP Establishment Ayatollahs.
I hate them with an absolute passion. I’ll vote for Lucifer before I vote for one of these tyrants.
HondaV65 on January 13, 2013 at 11:37 AM
FIFY.
The GOP leadership didn’t fastrope off black helicopters, they’re elected by the GOP party apparatus. It’s time for the teaparty to replace that apparatus then replace the leadership.
That’s the real fear of the RINOs, and they’re right to fear it. The teaparty needs to redouble its efforts to take control of the party, not abandon it.
Rebar on January 13, 2013 at 11:49 AM
Well these repulsive worms sure don’t mind asking for funds and votes when they are up for re-election, do they? They lie almost as much as bho! They sure don’t listen to the voters when they get re-elected and I, for one, am sick to death of it!
L
letget on January 13, 2013 at 11:51 AM
While lauding Mr. Rasmussen’s winning attitude, any numbers he offers in future (11/6/2012 Romney 49% Obama 48%)…color me skeptical.
Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on January 13, 2013 at 11:56 AM
Alternative Headline: Why does the Republican establishment want GOP voters to form a 3rd party?
portlandon on January 13, 2013 at 12:02 PM
Don’t punish the state level GOP for the sins of the national leadership.
Rebar on January 13, 2013 at 12:09 PM
Except if Lugar had endorsed Murdouk, and Mike Pence and Mitch Daniels had campaigned for Murdouk, maybe he would have made it in thd general.
RINOs pout and sulk in their tents when they lose primaries, and refuse to endorse the winner (Lugar, Castle), but expect “party unity” when a conservative loses the primary.
Wethal on January 13, 2013 at 12:12 PM
That was, actually, an amazing and thought-provoking post. Thank you.
Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on January 13, 2013 at 12:23 PM
That’s right. Electability, keeping offices for life and dissing conservatives who threaten those things are all they are. And they’ll try to guilt us into supporting the next RINO who has a chance at defeating a Democrat.
Dongemaharu on January 13, 2013 at 12:25 PM
So she did have a purpose, eh?
thebrokenrattle on January 13, 2013 at 12:26 PM
Maybe he should have kept his trap shut about abortion and rape after he saw what happened with Akin. Maybe he would have made it then. I don’t doubt Lugar’s pettiness but Mourdock was a loose cannon.
thebrokenrattle on January 13, 2013 at 12:30 PM
This.
d1carter on January 13, 2013 at 12:38 PM
It’s going to take six years (one full Senatorial cycle) for conservatives to have primaried every establishment candidate possible out of the seat reserved for them. Some establishment Republicans may survive and win, Democrats may end up winning some, and precious few may be won by non-establishment conservatives, but once that period is over, the conservative candidates will, through electoral disruption, have created a Congressional hole large enough to be filled by others who share their views.
mintycrys on January 13, 2013 at 12:53 PM
The GOP establishment is like the Tories in the UK. All they’re offering is a promise to manage the government behemoth more efficiently than Democrats. They give the base nothing but lip service and then get nasty and condescending when they’re held to their word.
RadClown on January 13, 2013 at 12:54 PM
How anyone can vote or provide funding for the GOP is beyond me. Nearly all of them need to be replaced with actual conservative candidates.
Panther on January 13, 2013 at 12:57 PM
That’s why I’m happy to primary every single RINO. Yes we may lose the cycle, but that lock on incumbency will have been broke, opening the door for a comeback by a conservative in the next election. Bottomline, these RINOs do not represent me, thus deserve no support. Given the lack of real differences between Ds & Rs, I’d just as soon dump the Rs and let them complete the merger with the Ds and start a new party.
Better yet, undo some of the laws and rules that favor a two party system. Let there be 3, 4, 10 or more parties, each with less than an outright majority so they have to create coalitions around the issues.
AH_C on January 13, 2013 at 1:21 PM
Rasmussen was totally full of crap in this last election…so why would I think he knows what he is talking about now?
Terrye on January 13, 2013 at 2:18 PM
Mourdoch, Akin, Angle, O’Donnell and Buck did not end up representing anyone…but thanks to big money from outside groups who keep telling us we need to get rid of RINOs they managed to win primaries…and look how that turned out.
Terrye on January 13, 2013 at 2:21 PM
As well as RINOs McCain and Romney what’s your point?
Flange on January 13, 2013 at 3:07 PM