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When Lyndon Johnson pushed through civil rights legislation that made it illegal to prevent blacks from voting, thousands of former democrats switched parties. Today they're referred to as the "Dixie-crats." They comprise a significant portion of the republican party, with almost all of them hailing from former Southern states. Conscious that they could not win any national elections without the Dixiecrat vote, the republicans are forced to avoid offending these outright racists.
Even with the Dixie-crat vote, the republicans are greatly outnumbered by their democrat opponents.
The other conservative group-within-the-party are a conglomeration comprised of far-right fundamentalist Christians (who insist on stopping abortion at all cost, and who are generally opposed to the teaching of evolutionary science, science in general, homosexuality, and to any laws -- even the clauses of the U.S. Constitution which prohibit the government from enforcing Christian dogma. This conglomeration includes the seemingly ungoverned, uncoordinated folk called T-partiests.
Without the votes of these whackos, the republican party recognizes it has little chance of winning a national election. The result is, of course, the party cannot afford to offend these radical conservatives -- whose major concerns deeply offend republicans and democrats who tend to habituate the middle road of our political spectrum.
This is why Romney didn't win, and why Chris Christy can't win the republican primary.
In order to keep the support of its divergent crazies, the republican party must declare itself to be: against abortion, taxation of big businesses, raising the minimum wage, any laws that treat creationism as less a science than evolutionary theory, voting registration or voting rights legislation that encourages minorities to vote, any sort of welfare programs, particularly if the majority of recipients are deemed to be black or Hispanic. It's also the reason the republicans can't unite behind any immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegal aliens. Take note, we do not hear of similar restrictive laws being aimed at western European immigrants, Canadians, etc.
The democrats consist of moderates and progressives -- and have a much lesser problem in uniting behind ideas or programs. And, with a much smaller racist component, it has remained the favored party for Asians, Hispanics and African-Americans, and whose combined vote assures republican losses in national elections to come.
Rather than confront the issues that are destroying their party's cohesiveness, the latest gambit of republican leadership is an effort to diminish the vote of their opponents via voter registration laws.
That decision was made because the leaders of the party can find no practical way to appeal to minority voters without offending the Dixiecrats.
This situation will bring about another mixed bag of presidential contenders, none of which, thus far, could possibly satisfy moderate republicans, Dixiecrats, far right fundamentalist Christians and T-Partiers.
In simple terms, the republican party is anything but a cohesive political force to be reckoned with -- it's a compendium of mostly irreconcilable cliques. If Ted Cruz wins the primary, the republicans lose the election. Ditto for Rand Paul, Paul Ryan and Chris Christy.
Remember how in order to drum up support from all the divergent wings of the party, Romney had to pretend to be a far right Christian and also a T-partier? And how both of those groups recognized his phoniness?
Anyone want to bet it will be different this time around?
Reality.
Even with the Dixie-crat vote, the republicans are greatly outnumbered by their democrat opponents.
The other conservative group-within-the-party are a conglomeration comprised of far-right fundamentalist Christians (who insist on stopping abortion at all cost, and who are generally opposed to the teaching of evolutionary science, science in general, homosexuality, and to any laws -- even the clauses of the U.S. Constitution which prohibit the government from enforcing Christian dogma. This conglomeration includes the seemingly ungoverned, uncoordinated folk called T-partiests.
Without the votes of these whackos, the republican party recognizes it has little chance of winning a national election. The result is, of course, the party cannot afford to offend these radical conservatives -- whose major concerns deeply offend republicans and democrats who tend to habituate the middle road of our political spectrum.
This is why Romney didn't win, and why Chris Christy can't win the republican primary.
In order to keep the support of its divergent crazies, the republican party must declare itself to be: against abortion, taxation of big businesses, raising the minimum wage, any laws that treat creationism as less a science than evolutionary theory, voting registration or voting rights legislation that encourages minorities to vote, any sort of welfare programs, particularly if the majority of recipients are deemed to be black or Hispanic. It's also the reason the republicans can't unite behind any immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegal aliens. Take note, we do not hear of similar restrictive laws being aimed at western European immigrants, Canadians, etc.
The democrats consist of moderates and progressives -- and have a much lesser problem in uniting behind ideas or programs. And, with a much smaller racist component, it has remained the favored party for Asians, Hispanics and African-Americans, and whose combined vote assures republican losses in national elections to come.
Rather than confront the issues that are destroying their party's cohesiveness, the latest gambit of republican leadership is an effort to diminish the vote of their opponents via voter registration laws.
That decision was made because the leaders of the party can find no practical way to appeal to minority voters without offending the Dixiecrats.
This situation will bring about another mixed bag of presidential contenders, none of which, thus far, could possibly satisfy moderate republicans, Dixiecrats, far right fundamentalist Christians and T-Partiers.
In simple terms, the republican party is anything but a cohesive political force to be reckoned with -- it's a compendium of mostly irreconcilable cliques. If Ted Cruz wins the primary, the republicans lose the election. Ditto for Rand Paul, Paul Ryan and Chris Christy.
Remember how in order to drum up support from all the divergent wings of the party, Romney had to pretend to be a far right Christian and also a T-partier? And how both of those groups recognized his phoniness?
Anyone want to bet it will be different this time around?
Reality.