republican split: Into how many pieces after this election?

[liberalitch]

I say two big ones.... it'll be 20 years before they have another viable presidential candidate.....
1) Neo-cons - the real freaks
2) Fiscal conservatives/ social moderate - the john warners and mccains.

[sniffa]

1. neocons are done

they're going down, down, down in a burning ring of fire.

even the the "reaL conservatives" are gonna take the pLunge unLess they begin to distance themseLves from bush.

[Myrina]

2. Scary thing is, though ...

...the Neo's won't be obliterated, gone ... they'll go back underground to forment more evil plans behind the scenes.

I prefer to have them out in the light of day where we can keep an eye on them.

:shrug:

[shraby]

3. Memorize their names

and if they show up start screaming.

[RUSTY SHACKLEFORD]

4. The neocons have a stranglehold on the Republican party.

I don't think losing this election is going to shake them loose. I wish, but I certainly don't believe it.

They are running this country into oblivion. They are bankrupting this once great nation. Think circa 1980's Soviet Union. In ten years we will be paying $10 a gallon for gas, and $20 for a pound of dried rice.

Hate to be gloom and doom, but you don't get the stench of dead fish out of your house simply by taking the trash out.

Real Americans are going to have to take this country back and usurp the oligarchs who have America clenched in this death-grip.

[Strelnikov_]

5. I Think You Are One Or Two Election Cycles Off

I look for sweeping change in the 06 mid-term or 08 elections. The brainwashed mass is still too large. A majority of these will be shocked out of their 'soma' induced slumber when the 'collapse' occurs in a few more years, and then the 'revolution' will occur. I figure the Republican party will be relegated to minor party status as you say similar to the 1930's-1960's period.

If Kerry wins, he is going to inherit a multitude of economic and foreign policy problems. I just hope that the right-wing echo chamber is not able to spin the 'collapse' (of our economy and Iraq) to their advantage by blaming it on Kerry and the new Democratic/Progressive majority.

[Cats Against Frist]

6. Maybe it sounds crazy to say this

But I think the GOP has a better chance of splitting if they actually retain power, than if they lose.

If they lose, they'll just be seething jelly bags of venom for four years, using anger and shame and attacks on Kerry to unite them. Remember, if (when) they lose, they're going to have to eat some MAJOR FUCKING CROW.

If they win, however, their win will have come at the hands of the Christian Reconstructionists/Evangelicals -- which make up almost HALF of their electorate. If it wasn't for these guys, the GOP would be COMPLETELY irrelevant. When you ask yourself, late at night, in the dark, staring at the ceiling, "WHY THE FUCK DOES ANYONE VOTE FOR THE GOP?" -- your answer is right there. On polling report.com, there is a poll taken that shows that over 30 percent of these people believe that the literal events in Revelation will happen within their lifetime. That is delusional and crazy.

As Thomas Frank has said -- the GOP really hasn't been able to pay its religious constituency back -- prayer in school and the 10 Commandments on government property is still out, abortion is still legal, and gays can marry each other in Mass. -- and, as it stands, without their tampering, gay marriage will eventually be legal througout the United States.

Now Bush has tried to pay them back with the whole faith-based organization funding, school vouchers, etc. -- but really, these things haven't put a dent in what they really want -- THE BIG ONES: the secular government, abortion, school indoctrination of Christianity, shutting out gays from legitimacy, etc.

But remember -- that's what they REALLY want. That's what they're casting their votes for. If the GOP wins, I feel, this time, that they will DEMAND their payback.

Which causes two problems.

Christian conservatives/reconstructionists are zealous, they have tons of cash, and they are highly organized -- but, they are STILL outnumbered. Does the GOP risk alienating the populace by putting these things into effect? Remember -- there are three major compontents to the GOP, Christians, neoconservatives and CORPORATISTS. Who here thinks that the Christians will ever get payback if it puts profits at risk? If the extreme policies they want are ushered in, and it threatens to awake the sleeping masses -- would the corporatists in the GOP want to put themselves in the position of seeing their whole empire crumble?

Remember the neocons and the corporatists are largely USING the Christians -- there are some moneyed corporatists that are also in favor of Christian Reconstruction, but I have the feeling that most are not.

If the GOP can't pay back the Christians, once and for all, I think they'll finally split and form their own party.

This has been raging inside the GOP -- in races like Specter v. Toomey (or whatever that guys name was) -- these races, in the primaries, played out all over the country -- where the ultra-Christian conservatives battled moderates for control of the party.

The Christians already threatened to leave the GOP in the 90s, if they didn't step up their paybacks, and I think they'll do it, again.

That's just my twenty-two cents, as far as splitting the party goes. The major split is between the ultra-Christian Conservatives and the moderates.

[kaitykaity]

7. I think the moderates might come over to our side.

I mean, considering the war DeLay and crew have waged
against them, a fig leaf of friendship from President Kerry
might be all they would need.

Then the evangelicals can find a new "charismatic" leader
and do their version of the Nader/Green thing for a few
years. Wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit.