Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Right vs Far Right: The battle for control of the Republican Party

A lot of column inches are being devoted to the struggle for domination within the Republican Party between the Christian Right/Tea Party faction and more moderate conservatives. In recent weeks, several well-known Republicans have left the party citing the intransigence and radicalism of far right wing members as the reason.

A critical question in my mind is how moderate Republican voters will react if the Tea Party wins the day. Will they support radical Republicans like Ted Cruz or Darrell Issa in national elections, candidates who’ve shown no interest in negotiating with other members of their own party, let alone Democrats or Obama? Everyone across the political spectrum will tell you that gridlock in Washington is a major problem. Knowing that Tea Party legislators are not going to work with Democrats on key legislation, will Republican voters help contribute to the partisan standstill in congress?

What will the priorities be for Republican voters in the midterm elections, ideology or a functioning government?

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