Replacing the Republican Party

[INVAR]

When Angelo Codevilla speaks, I listen.

The Conservative's Conservative knows and understands what most true Conservatives already know, and he lays it all out here in unassailable logic.

And I wholeheartedly concur with his suggestion, because...

...he is right.


Replacing the Republican Party
America needs a virile alternative to the present mess

Having refused to repeal Obamacare, the Republican Party is dead, as was the Whig Party in 1854 after it colluded in the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act which opened these territories to slavery.

Republican majorities in both Houses of Congress as well as control of legislatures and governorships in 26 states veil the fact that, in 2017, there are no longer reasons to vote Republican any more than there were to vote Whig after 1854.

... opposition to the Democratic Party has no viable political vehicle. The Whigs, like today’s Republicans, contained a substantial percentage of prominent people whose interests and ideas are hardly distinguishable from those of Democrats.

...there is no doubt that today’s America is ruled by a single ruling party and that the Republican Party is part of that party rather than an alternative to it.

Why vote Republican when that results, rhetoric aside, in being governed as by Democrats? America needs a true alternative to our ruling Uni-party, a true second party.

More at link.

[corbe]

   I, too, like the way this guy thinks, Thanks for sharing @INVAR

There is no doubt that the New Party’s core would be formed by people who currently label themselves Republican, just as the original Republicans were mostly re-labeled Whigs, or that the new party would pursue much of what the Republicans have purported to pursue, just as the original Republicans pursued much of the old Whigs’ agenda.

The crucial difference, now as 160 years ago, is that the New Party would cast aside its links to the establishment, would incorporate new concerns, and that it would mean what it said.

Were such a New Party to present a presidential candidate in 2020, the only certainty is that the Republican Party’s standard bearer would receive fewer popular votes than either the Democratic Party’s or the New Party’s candidates. Since neither of these two would likely receive a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives would have to choose between them, each state casting one vote.

The majority of states have a majority of Republican Congressmen. Whoever of these voted for the Democrat would cut himself off from his district. Whoever voted for the New Party candidate would thereby be applying for membership.

• Angelo M. Codevilla is professor emeritus of international relations at Boston University.

[truth_seeker]

The GOP currently has a peak of elected officials, federal, state etc. Trump 300+ Electoral votes, 30 states.

But some 3rd/4th party fringe-critters, who currently pride themselves on NOT being Republicans, will amass the money, clout, the skill etc. to replace the GOP. Common sense and logic argues they do not suddenly get smarter or more effective than they recently were.

(According to a retired professor from Boston!)

Reminds me of an Albert King song lyric: "If it wasn't for back luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all."

in this case;

"If it wasn't for bad judgment, I wouldn't have no judgment at all."

[INVAR]

The GOP currently has a peak of elected officials, federal, state etc. Trump 300+ Electoral votes, 30 states.

Stuff it.

Your party is an enemy to Conservatism and I will use every fiber of my being to end it.

If Conservatism is going to exist in any capacity - it will have to exist outside of the corrupt institution of the Republican party.

[truth_seeker]

Stuff it.

Your party is an enemy to Conservatism and I will use every fiber of my being to end it.

If Conservatism is going to exist in any capacity - it will have to exist outside of the corrupt institution of the Republican party.

Wrong. the GOP is home to Ted Cruz and many other fine conservative Senators, Representatives, Governors etc.

McMullin plus Castle failed to reach 1,000,000 votes or 1% between the two of their efforts.

[INVAR]

Wrong. the GOP is home to Ted Cruz and many other fine conservative Senators, Representatives, Governors etc.

McMullin plus Castle failed to reach 1,000,000 votes or 1% between the two of their efforts.

Your party is an overt enemy to Principled Constitutional Conservatism.  Moreso than the Democrats are.  That was made plain to even the willfully blind in the last few months.

Your party decided to make us an enemy and declared as such last year for those who were actually paying attention.

I plan on living up to the charge and I will work to get as many people out of your corrupt and failed party and into something new and better, as I am able to.

I plan to work threefold harder against your party than I did when I served it faithfully while in enemy territory.  It has betrayed us for the last time.

[libertybele]

There are only a handful of select Senators and Congressmen worth a damn and who are actually doing their jobs; that is a given.

Running and winning third party is nearly impossible. I am not saying that a 3rd party candidate can't win, only that qualifying to get onto the ballot in each state is more difficult and more costly for a 3rd party candidate as that is the way that the 'system' has been set up over time.  Those roadblocks and hurdles have to be overcome first before a 3rd party candidate would even have a remote chance along with changing the   the 'stigma' that is associated with being a 3rd party candidate and the mindset of the voting public that a 3rd party candidate cannot win.  As I have stated previously, it would take an exodus of existing politicians such as Cruz, Lee, Paul, Meadows, Amash, Brat, etc.. to move to an established 3rd party (i.e., Constitution party) or create their own in order for there to be a chance at a 3rd party win. Keep in mind that our current President has so far rejected working with those conservatives and he still maintains his base that won him the election.  The other scenario that I see is that a  movement of a powerful group of people (such as a shadow government) that has been working in the background for some time forming a 3rd party, and I'm not so sure that is a 3rd party that we're going to like.

[Oceander]

The GOP currently has a peak of elected officials, federal, state etc. Trump 300+ Electoral votes, 30 states.

But some 3rd/4th party fringe-critters, who currently pride themselves on NOT being Republicans, will amass the money, clout, the skill etc. to replace the GOP. Common sense and logic argues they do not suddenly get smarter or more effective than they recently were.

(According to a retired professor from Boston!)

Reminds me of an Albert King song lyric: "If it wasn't for back luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all."

in this case;

"If it wasn't for bad judgment, I wouldn't have no judgment at all."

Which is exactly how we ended up with Trump: bad judgment.

[DCPatriot]

Which is exactly how we ended up with Trump: bad judgment.

    

[Oceander]

   

Thanks for proving my point, as you always do. 

[Right_in_Virginia]

If Conservatism is going to exist in any capacity - it will have to exist outside of the corrupt institution of the Republican party.

How's this working out for you now?

[driftdiver]

Wrong. the GOP is home to Ted Cruz and many other fine conservative Senators, Representatives, Governors etc.

McMullin plus Castle failed to reach 1,000,000 votes or 1% between the two of their efforts.

@truth_seeker

The gop party in my county has many fine people and it's one of the biggest counties in Florida. 

IMO there are two main problems.  The leaders at the national level and lack of term limits.   People like McCain and Graham lose touch with their constituents. 

Replacing it is a ludicrous idea and you'd end up with a deeply flawed party if you even managed to get thousands of people to make the change.

[driftdiver]

Stuff it.

Your party is an enemy to Conservatism and I will use every fiber of my being to end it.

If Conservatism is going to exist in any capacity - it will have to exist outside of the corrupt institution of the Republican party.

@INVAR
I've never seen you propose a solution.  Only that you are fighting it.  If you spent half as much energy helping to make it better you might actually accomplish something.

[libertybele]

@truth_seeker

The gop party in my county has many fine people and it's one of the biggest counties in Florida. 

IMO there are two main problems.  The leaders at the national level and lack of term limits.   People like McCain and Graham lose touch with their constituents. 

Replacing it is a ludicrous idea and you'd end up with a deeply flawed party if you even managed to get thousands of people to make the change.

The incumbents at the national level often run unopposed; therein lies the real problem.  The second problem is that there are people like McConnell and Ryan who do everything they can to ensure that the incumbents remain unopposed; they don't want their country club disrupted.

[Jazzhead]

The GOP currently has a peak of elected officials, federal, state etc. Trump 300+ Electoral votes, 30 states.

But some 3rd/4th party fringe-critters, who currently pride themselves on NOT being Republicans, will amass the money, clout, the skill etc. to replace the GOP. Common sense and logic argues they do not suddenly get smarter or more effective than they recently were.

(According to a retired professor from Boston!)

Reminds me of an Albert King song lyric: "If it wasn't for back luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all."

in this case;

"If it wasn't for bad judgment, I wouldn't have no judgment at all."

Agreed.   It is frustrating to see the GOP fail to capitalize on its majorities in Congress and in state governments,  but the solution isn't nihilism.   The GOP remains in the ascendency,  and THE platform for those who favor conservative and Constitutionalist policies.   It is, however, like any large party, a coalition,  and that typically compels compromise and incremental change rather than that of the revolutionary variety.   

The party's resiliency is apparent;  within the last decade it has undergone two "counterrevolutions" to Reaganism, first the TEA party and most recently the Trump phenomenon -  two movements without, it would appear, a whole lot in common, yet the party now claims the majority of seats at the national and state levels.

The party's current difficulties have little to do with the fundamental soundness of conservative ideas,  but rather with the predictable reaction to Trump's cult of personality.   Trump commands loyalty and the ability to articulate a clear, simple set of priorities,  but the trajectory of his Presidency has been one of extreme polarization.    In any normal year, the GOP in Congress would have been able to reform the ACA,  but with unified Democratic opposition triangulation has become impossible and GOP leadership has unable (except for Gorsuch)  to achieve the absolute unanimity required to pass legislation in the face of such opposition.

A third party movement to replace the GOP would be destruction for its own sake, and a pivotal victory for liberalism.     

[Jazzhead]

Stuff it.

Your party is an enemy to Conservatism and I will use every fiber of my being to end it.

If Conservatism is going to exist in any capacity - it will have to exist outside of the corrupt institution of the Republican party.

Drivel from our resident drama queen.   

[DCPatriot]

@truth_seeker

The gop party in my county has many fine people and it's one of the biggest counties in Florida. 

IMO there are two main problems.  The leaders at the national level and lack of term limits.   People like McCain and Graham lose touch with their constituents. 

Replacing it is a ludicrous idea and you'd end up with a deeply flawed party if you even managed to get thousands of people to make the change.

The sad truth, IMO...we live in a social media world, where the 'speakers'/leaders need to have some level of charisma...success...even notoriety will gain voters/followers/viewers.

At the risk of being called "Shallow Hal", Mitch McConnell is a politician from a different era.   'Peaceful', dormant eras.

NOT in the midst of a 'soft' coup attempt.  He's a caricature of himself.

Imagine Trump as Senate Majority Leader, with a rebellious membership?   ROFL!

[TomSea]

Again, the problem seems to be with the US Senate,

States make strides, Governors do well, the US House does fairly well.

And clearly, an opinionated piece, the Times should not call this news.

This is not a straight-up news piece, like let's say "Rep. Scalise leaves the hospital" or "polls say ...." Even the title is as editorial as can be.

[aligncare]

... Trump's cult of personality.

I supported Pres. Trump for his unabashed Americanism, his agenda, and his toughness. If you want to characterize that in a negative way, fine. But that doesn't describe me, I'm well aware of his shortcomings. But, I didn't vote for the perfect man, I voted for someone whom I believed spoke for me.

It helped also that I thought he would win against Hillary and her 'rat pack.  Turns out I was right.

[Jazzhead]

Again, the problem seems to be with the US Senate,

States make strides, Governors do well, the US House does fairly well.

And clearly, an opinionated piece, the Times should not call this news.

This is not a straight-up news piece, like let's say "Rep. Scalise leaves the hospital" or "polls say ...." Even the title is as editorial as can be.

Hopefully,  the 2018 elections, where the Dems will be at a distinct disadvantage, will increase the GOP's working majority in the Senate.   But first,  Trump needs to get a handle on basic governance;  something he still appears incapable of doing.   

[Oceander]

I supported Pres. Trump for his unabashed Americanism, his agenda, and his toughness. If you want to characterize that in a negative way, fine. But that doesn't describe me. I'm well aware of his shortcomings; but, I didn't vote for the perfect man, I voted for someone whom I believed spoke for me.

It helped also that I thought he would win against Hillary and her 'rat pack.  Turns out I was right.

[DCPatriot]

Again, the problem seems to be with the US Senate,

States make strides, Governors do well, the US House does fairly well.

And clearly, an opinionated piece, the Times should not call this news.

This is not a straight-up news piece, like let's say "Rep. Scalise leaves the hospital" or "polls say ...." Even the title is as editorial as can be.

That's right,

McConnell is not a camera or a microphone's friend.   He comes across to the public-at-large as a doddering, pitiful voice/face of the GOP.

Jesus.....even car shows know how to do it.   No Rosie O'Donnell's in bathing suits and heels walking around that Beemer.

[INVAR]

I've never seen you propose a solution.  Only that you are fighting it.  If you spent half as much energy helping to make it better you might actually accomplish something.

The solution is creating another party outside the corruption of D.C. and the institution they have corrupted in themselves.  I will be spending twice the amount energy as I did serving the GOP in getting as many Conservatives out of it and into building a new party.

I've already done a swell job in the meat world accomplishing just that.  More and more people are seeing the GOP as the worthless steaming pile it is.

[txradioguy]

The GOP currently has a peak of elected officials, federal, state etc. Trump 300+ Electoral votes, 30 states.

And that has done what exactly to move us back from the brink of the Liberals dream of Utopia in America?

Even with those numbers we can't get enough state houses to vote for an Article V convention.  By your numbers it should be a cake walk.

Yet here we are being told our best option is to let the Republicans govern as Democrat lite because "it's the only way".

[Jazzhead]

I supported Pres. Trump for his unabashed Americanism, his agenda, and his toughness. If you want to characterize that in a negative way, fine. But that doesn't describe me. I'm well aware of his shortcomings; but, I didn't vote for the perfect man, I voted for someone whom I believed spoke for me.

It helped also that I thought he would win against Hillary and her 'rat pack.  Turns out I was right.

Don't forget that the opposition to Trump is also largely focused on his personality rather than his agenda.   His agenda is something I am willing to support,  but it's his erratic behavior that has produced an unhinged "resistance".