The seniority system might still work out for Romney. The GOP establishment still reigns, despite its wounded authority. The Republican Party refused to seriously consider a conservative “purity test” early this year. The result would have excluded moderates from RNC support.
Many rising GOP stars are also establishment figures. There are the popular conservatives like New Jersey’s Chris Christie or Wisconsin’s Paul Ryan. There is Rob Portman’s Senate bid in Ohio or Marco Rubio’s Senate bid in Florida. All four have followed traditional GOP paths to power and could be considered dark horses. Both Portman and Rubio achieved their prominence with the assistance of the Bush family.
Nonetheless, Rubio’s rapid rise captures what’s different today. In 2008, Charlie Crist was a popular Florida governor, veep contender and leading Republican moderate. But Republican momentum is rightward. And Rubio quickly overtook Crist from that right. The conservative grassroots, including Tea Party activists, are the gasoline powering Rubio.
Goldwater’s day was different. The establishment ran away from “grotesque burlesque of the conservative,” to quote The Saturday Evening Post. Today’s Republican establishment is running towards its conservative wing. In recent weeks Dick Cheney, Eric Cantor and Romney have all endorsed Rubio.
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