Meghan McCain warns of looming civil war in the GOP – a war between the past and the future.

[jefferson_dem]

I, for one, hope Meghan's side doesn't win the so-called war since that might actually make the Repug Party relevant again.

Meghan McCain warns of looming civil war in the GOP
Posted: 11:21 PM ET

From CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand

Meghan McCain addressed a group of gay Republicans in Washington Saturday.
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Meghan McCain warned a group of gay Republicans Saturday that there was "a war brewing in the Republican Party" – a war between the past and the future.

"Most of the old school Republicans are scared s***less of that future," she told a gathering of the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay and lesbian party members.

The 24-year-old daughter of former GOP presidential candidate John McCain pushed back against critics upset over her comments to CNN that she wanted President Obama to succeed, and played down her recent headline-grabbing feuds with conservative commentators Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham. "I did not expect my frustration with what I perceive to be overly partisan and divisive Republicans to cause a national incident," she said.

"I feel too many Republicans want to cling to past successes…I think we're seeing a war brewing in the Republican Party," she said. "But it is not between us and Democrats. It is not between us and liberals. It is between the future and the past…

"I am concerned about the environment. I love to wear black. I think government is best when it stays out of people's lives and business as much as possible. I love punk rock. I believe in a strong national defense. I have a tattoo. I believe government should always be efficient and accountable. I have lots of gay friends. And yes, I am a Republican," she told a cheering crowd.

<SNIP>

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/18/meghan-mccain-warns-of-looming-civil-war-in-the-gop/

[MADem]

1. I have been saying this for awhile--when they retool, they're going to look VERY different.

They're going to jettison the racists and the homophobes, and they are going to position themselves as environmental stewards who are champions of The Individual. It's why Michael Steele is their front man, and Bobby Jindal gave the response to BHO's address to Congress. And why Meghan McCain is "out there."

While everyone's looking at (and clucking about) Sarah Palin, the biggest chunk of the GOP ice shelf is starting to break off and float away. In ten years, the GOP will be a VERY different entity.

This is easily as "big" a deal for them as the Great Society was for the Democratic Party. They haven't quite coagulated their message, but John McCain's daughter is getting close. It looks like she's decided she wants to go into the "family concern." And by that, she's not talking about bottling beer.

[newfie11]

2. Don't you think they will loose the religious right by going down this road?

I have no idea how much pull the religious right has, but from watching TV it seems thats all they have.

[MADem]

5. They may lose the vocal enthusiam at the national level, but that's a good thing for them.

They'll keep it at the local level. And when they go to vote, they'll vote for the Republican bastard (and all of them on the ballot, too), because he's not "as bad" as the Dem bastard! They'll use the "Where ya gonna go?" argument--and they'll be right. Where are those nutz gonna go?

Now, if Obama starts handing out "church money" hand over fist, we could end up stuck with those guys. There already is a move afoot to capture the 'religious' vote. I just hope they don't go too far with that, and start pandering. That always ends badly. There's already been a massive exodus from the GOP to the Dems of Catholics, the Democratic Party being their traditional home anyway, with the upsurge of publicity vis a vis "pro-life Catholics." Catholics have, more important than numbers, a good chunk of MONEY. And they donate it. They can make a diff in an election.

[jefferson_dem]

3. They are near the cracking point.

However, it won't happen in full until some prominant vocal opinion leaders on the anti-neanderthalic wing of the party stand strong and call for change. Right now, I don't see anyone close to capable of doing that. It's only Meghan McCain and Steve Schmidt. While Steele probably wanted to head in that direction, he caved like a gimpy bizitch.

[MADem]

6. Nature abhors a vacuum.

Six years ago, no one outside Chicago knew who Barack Obama was. Things can change in a hurry, and they often do.

[jefferson_dem]

8. True.

When/if they do crack, watch for a formation of the modern-day "Know Nothing" Party. The freaks won't go quietly.

[MADem]

10. I wouldn't be surprised by that at all. nt

[Drunken Irishman]

37. The problem is that they'll even go deeper into the wilderness.

At least for a short period when their base is gone and they're now inching toward the center.

The longterm prospects could bode well for the Republicans, but it's going to take years, maybe even decades, before they have enough clout to be a legitimate threat if they split.

[MADem]

41. Look at what happened with the Great Society. LBJ was right.

We lost the bubble for damn near a generation. Had not Nixon been a crook, we never would have seen the brief Carter years.

The GOP will probably have a hard time for a while, but we "misunderestimate" them at our peril.

[Ian David]

4. Let's start giving Meghan McCain 2012 bumper stickers to our Republick neighbors? n/t

[JayMusgrove]

7. I love that idea, she seems to be the

smartest Republican there is.

[Ian David]

11. Actually, she seems like a moron, but her heart's in the right place. n/t

[uponit7771]

22. RIGHT! She's only 24 though and she can learn...

[Ian David]

34. Oh, great. You just made me try and remember all the stupid things I said and believed at 24.

If my 24-year-old self was posting on DU, I'd be hitting the alert button on him on a regular basis.

[Number23]

36. Yep! It's so obvious that she's positioning herself for a future career in politics

2020 is Meghan's year! :crazy:

[Ian David]

39. She should run in a Primary against her father for Senate. n/t

[ErinBerin84]

9. "I love to wear black"

Uh....ok?

[tanyev]

14. Instead of the official red, white & blue GOP uniform?

:shrug:

[polichick]

12. I agree that there is a war brewing - it's between sanity and insanity...

And most of the sane Republicans have already jumped ship.

[moondust]

15. The "sane" Republicans are now called...

INDEPENDENTS.

[recoveringdittohed]

17. Some of the "sane" Republicans are now Democrats

Like myself. To me it seems like the Republicans I know who are motivated by religious or fear mongering security arguments are hard to sway. It does seem like economic and taxation arguments now have less potency for Republicans. When someone says to me how can you support Obama he'll raise your taxes and bankrupt the country, my reply is where were you when Bush was bankrupting the country (and that Obama has not raised my taxes).

[eagertolearn]

24. Great post. It's nice to know that there are "thinking" republicans

who get out when they realize what is going on in their party. I hope there are more of you because that would help restore my faith in the human race! I just haven't been able to figure out how they can be so easily convinced by the arguments of the GOP that to me just don't make sense.

[Colobo]

13. This woman wants to be president one day.

[rvablue]

28. If so, she better start doing something ASAP besides writing pithy, badly written blog posts. n/t

[Life Long Dem]

16. Sure. Just like her father with the war's.

[Danger Mouse]

18. The Republican party's coalition can't hold much longer.

When the end comes, it won't be pretty...for them.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

19. i hope the republicans do take up social liberal stances, forcing the hand of the dems

to stop being such cowards on issues like gay rights.

however, i really doubt that this is going to happen. we may see the new leadership in their party soon but the ideology will remain. the dems became better with their message from 04 to 06 and 08 but the ideology was essentially the same

[LooseWilly]

43. Cheers.

I'd love to see the Dem hand forced on this issue. Let the cards fall where they might.

[Canuckistanian]

20. The future always loses in these GOP wars

They've regressed beyond the Reformation, headed straight for the Dark Ages.

[saltpoint]

21. If the GOP is to survive as anything more than a regional group of

hot-heads, ignoramuses, and bigots, a mere spring cleaning isn't going to do the trick.

It will instead require razing the party to the ground and starting anew both small and very different.

They thrived for a while with right-wing hate radio hosts and megachurches crammed with cretins. That hasn't worked out for them, though. Public opinion polls express sharp disapproval of Limbaugh and Roger Ebert last week compared Bill O'Reilly to a mouse with a hard-on.

When film critics compare one of your leading lights to a mouse with a hard-on, it's definitely time to take inventory.

Their "Reagan Revolution" is long over with. They've shoved the last few moderates out the back door. Newt Gingrich is stirring from beyond the grave to return as their savior. Sarah Palin shows up in Evansville, Indiana to address the faithful. The 2008 electoral map shows traditionally red states no longer red but blue -- North Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Virginia.

Plus they now must compete against an internationally popular and demonstrably effective Barack Obama. What sad luck for the Pukes to need to rebuild when we have the heart of the order at the plate right now.

[uponit7771]

23. The more the GOP rejects Meghan the more confident I am their culture will be choked out

...of existense.

On the other hand in 11 years Meghan can run for president and if she become more learned she'll be a threat.

[Kdillard]

25. It is scary when the sanest things coming out of the Republican Party

is from the mouth of the daughter of a failed Presenditial candidate. If Meghan Mccain ever becomes serious about a political career and gets more knowledge she will be a threat.

[vaberella]

26. I can't believe we give this clown a platform. By the way there are gay republicans?

color me shocked...

[La Lioness Priyanka]

27. there are also black republican and poor republicans and women republicans

all of whom are at some level NOT served by the policies of the republican party

[Raine]

29. Well I for one hope one day the sane can gain control

in the reTHUG party. I don't think it's a good idea to only have one rational party. Let's face it no matter what one day these people will be in power again and so let's hope that the more rational will prevail. :yoiks:

[asdjrocky]

30. What is it with these republikins and their talk of civil war?

Maybe someone should tell them civil war is a bad thing.

[livetohike]

31. Does she earn her own living or is she living off trust fund money

from Mommy? What makes her so relevant? If her last name wasn't McCain, no one would pay attention to her.

The GOP will never change. She will have to become an Independent.

[cherish44]

32. They need to just accept that Reagan is dead and move into the future with the rest of us

They're like sad middle-aged guys who sit around and boast about what a great football player they were in high school.

[beac]

33. Actually, Meghan, you are a Democrat. You just don't realize it yet.

Or you DO, but you are addicted to the "rebellious daughter" attention that all your Twittering and blogging gets you and are loathe to give it up to actually follow your so-called priciples.

[cbc5g]

35. Uh Meghan there already is a party that espouses what you believe

and it aint republican

[zulchzulu]

38. As long as the Republican Circular Firing Squad keep shooting, I'm very happy

The real question is how anyone who is gay at this time could call themselves a Republican?

[Jennicut]

40. She is more like a Dem but is staying Repub for her Daddy.

I would tell Meghan that my parents are Repubs too but I learned a long time ago its okay to move away from their views and have your own. I'm 33 now and rebelled at 18. She believes in gay rights and a woman's right to choose. The Repug party has no room for reasonable, moderate people. Time to come to the light.

[Norrin Radd]

42. The republic party is just a puppet for multinational globalists

who owe no allegiance to any country. The puppet has served its purpose, and the strings are getting cut. The puppetmasters are going rogue like a James Bond villain, now, though permeating every system of control, instead of on an island or sea base.

[iamthebandfanman]

44. nah, we all benefit from a non-batshit GOP

yah, makes it tougher to win elections...

but at the same time, all this anger and violence they promote mite stop.