TPM: GOP Civil War That Doesn't Exist (by Josh Marshall)

[Bucky]

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-gop-civil-war-that-doesnt-exist

The GOP Civil War That Doesn’t Exist
By Josh Marshall
February 1, 2021

We’re seeing a lot of GOP in disarray stories. They’re entertaining and individually contain some valuable information. But the GOP is not in disarray. There’s no GOP civil war. Indeed, for a party that just lost the presidency and the one house of Congress the party is united to an almost historically unprecedented degree. And it’s getting more united, not less, as we go forward. The only commotion are the punitive expeditions being mounted against the handful of renegades who briefly turned on Trump by supporting impeachment or making other conspicuous gestures of disloyalty.

Any post election movement from the Republican Party seems to be going in the exact opposite direction, toward becoming a force more dangerous for the life of the Republic.

As important as 2020 election was, the outcome was close but more or less inevitable. The republicans, on the other hand, seem to be taking away the lesson that if they play footsie with violent addle brained extremists even with the grossly incompetent president they still kept in almost tie in the senate, and came within six or seven seats of retaking control of the house.

The 2022 election will be more important for the course of this country than 2020. The shift in seats following the US census alone would be enough to give them control of the House.

But on top of that, their positioning in opposition, something they excel at, the history of off year elections, the history of Democratic performance in off year elections, and their control of most the state legislatures that will be redrawing Congressional lines all point to a really bad year next year.

Don't shoot the messenger. but we are still fighting for the soul of our country. And right now the fight looks uphill.

What will you do to make a difference?

[Hortensis]

1. Wow for Josh Marshall. Reminds me of RW media like the WSJ

going full-propagandist at previous crisis points.

[Bucky]

6. What? You thought it was propaganda?

That is so shoot-the-messenger.

Read about the 2010 elections. Read about 1994. What on earth makes you think our 10 seat majority is immune to historical performance?

Look at how the 2020 Census will redistribute seats in the US House. Democratic states will lose seats, Republican-controlled states will gain seats. If you're not worried about 2022, it's because you're not paying attention.

[Hortensis]

7. The situation with the Republican Party is not what his

bald little statement said it was.

[Thekaspervote]

2. Love Josh Marshall..just don't agree with him on this

Right now it appears that most elected gop are solidly behind the deposed idiot king, but are they really seeing what’s happening on the ground? Registered republicans are leaving the party like never before. Corporate American has thrown them under the bus, hawley, cruz, green, cawthorn and the usual nut jobs are being seen as poison! Minority leader McConnell thru green to the wolves today..big time!!

What am I doing? Giving monthly now to the DNC. I am so excited about Jamie Harrison at the helm!! If you haven’t seen this clip of him it’s worth watching

Link to tweet

?s=12

[Bucky]

8. I seriously hope Jamie's right. But I've heard "we won't get complacent" before.

Wisconsin and Ohio are potential pick ups in the Senate. That's a source of hope. But we're operating without a margin of error this time.

The last time a Democratic president didn't lose control of Congress in the midterms was 1978.

And I'm sorry to say this, but the rest of your comments reads like complacence. I can't imagine that the Republicans won't be back in the good graces of Corporate America in the next few months (anyway, they're not mad at all Republicans, just a few). Once Trump is off the headlines, they'll be back to their old 60% R - 40% D campaign donation ratios. Control of the White House may have changed. The blind money-lust of the US Chamber of Commerce lobby has not. Don't overread their brief reprimand to Hawley or Cruz. Corporate America wants the Republicans in charge of the Senate. They've done well under divided government. That won't change.

[zipplewrath]

3. Not so much a war...

It's a point of transition, potentially. We saw it with Reagan, Newt, and really with the Tea Party. The thing is that the GOP has be floundering really for 30+ years for identity which keeps changing. Quite honestly, you can go back to FDR and see a GOP that is desperately trying to be relevant. Eisenhower attempted to move it one direction, Nixon in another. Reagan's handlers tried to move towards a kind of conservatism, but Newt tried to change tactics with no real ideology other than being in power. The Tea Party started in the direction we're seeing now, and it's blown up on them in the ways we've seen. The bad part of all of this is that the GOP is obviously the party without any real capacity to achieve anything when allowed to govern. The down side of all of that is that occasionally they're allowed to try anyway. They're always becoming a more minority party. Unfortunately, because of the way our constitution is structured, they're allowed to be relevant through gerrymandering, the EC, and through voter suppression in just enough states to stay relevant. They are currently working in 28 states to ensure that voter participation in the US never achieves the levels experienced in 2020. With any luck, someone will notice that they are vulnerable to a third party, much as the GOP replaced the Whigs.

[Bucky]

9. "no real ideology other than being in power" is 100%

The thing is, that do-nothing approach to governing actually wins them election most of the time. The times they've spent in charge of Congress outnumber the times they've been in the minority.

Since 1995, Democrats have only held the majority for two four-year periods--8 out of 26 years ain't good. Both times Dems took over because Republicans had (as they always do) screwed up the country so badly we could get in and start fixing things. Then, after a successful Presidential election, the Republicans stall and obstruct and prevaricate and run bullshit distraction campaigns (starting with gays in the military in 93, starting with the Guantanamo Bay idiocy in 09) and then come up with a big Contract with America marketing gimmick and take back the Congress at the midterms.

History isn't being ambiguous here. I see us doing nothing to break that pretty reliable gameplan. Democrats are only trying to govern and fix problems left by the Republicans. Republicans are better at elections. Democrats are better at governance. I'd sure like to see us change that.

[crickets]

4. K&R for the post and the discussion.

[Wounded Bear]

5. The thing is, we can't count on the "demise" of the Repub Party going forward...

Like Napoleon said, "Never interrupt an enemy when they are busy making a mistake."

Dems need to pretty much ignore what is going on in the opposition party and just focus on getting shit done and GOTV going forward. Let Repubs do what they do, we need to govern and protect our majorities.

[Bucky]

10. I also think we need a better marketing plan.

The country that voted 47% to hold onto Trump hasn't changed its views. That's the needle we need to move.

[superpatriotman]

12. Absolutely

Our messaging and marketing need work.

[DeminPennswoods]

11. The GOP is relatively united, but it is shrinking to the

size of its far rw base. Sane and moderates Rs are leaving and moving toward registering as Independents and sometimes as Dems.