General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The inevitable Hillary will lead to President Rand Paul. [View all]stevenleser
(32,886 posts)There are two groups within the Republican party that do not like him and they are a big chunk of the party. The Christian Conservatives and the Neocons.
Christian Conservatives still comprise around 25% of the GOP but their influence greatly exceeds their numbers. They turn out in large numbers, they volunteer in campaigns in large numbers and they are a big part of GOP GOTV efforts. The churches and pastors that support the GOP help get all these folks involved and help turn them out to the polls. They demand candidates be anti-choice and against LGBT equality.
The Neocons, who are around 15%-20% of the party demand an interventionalist foreign policy. They will not support an isolationalist or semi-isolationalist or anyone who proclaims that they intend not to go to war overseas to protect American interests.
A Libertarian Republican like Rand Paul has two options, either cave to either or both groups to win the nomination and general election or lose their support. Its also important to remember that among the other 60% of the party, many of them have sympathies for either or both of the Christian Conservative or Neocon beliefs. You can't just say, OK, I will forgo 40% of the party and win the other 60%. Nor would that make sense to try to win a general election. Turning off 40% of your base including that portion of the GOP base that participates more than any other in volunteering for campaigns, GOTV and voting is a recipe for disaster.
That is why I hope that Rand Paul gets the nomination. It will rip the Republican party in two.