Should the Tea Party break away and form an official party?

[radcen]

Should the Tea Party break away from the Republicans and form an official political party?

 

[Anagram]

No. There's definitely a split among Republicans but in my opinion it's smaller than often made out to be. The establishment Republicans and tea partiers do too much for each other for a split to make sense. A division would mean a loss of influence for both sides.

 

[Grand Mal]

No. There's definitely a split among Republicans but in my opinion it's smaller than often made out to be. The establishment Republicans and tea partiers do too much for each other for a split to make sense. A division would mean a loss of influence for both sides.

I disagree. Republicans need to try to be seen to represent a wider diversity of American voters or they'll watch their party sink into irrelevance. Surgery's needed- they need to separate themselves from the 'tea party' radicals.

 

[Anagram]

I disagree. Republicans need to try to be seen to represent a wider diversity of American voters or they'll watch their party sink into irrelevance. Surgery's needed- they need to separate themselves from the 'tea party' radicals.

I think the Republicans seen as radical are losing influence. If there was actually a split and they ran candidates against each other there would be a rapid decrease in power for both sides.

 

[Grand Mal]

I think the Republicans seen as radical are losing influence. If there was actually a split and they ran candidates against each other there would be a rapid decrease in power for both sides.

Losing influence in the party, maybe, but they're sure putting themselves front-and-centre.
I miss the days when there were conservative thinkers, a conservative philosophy. I resent those tea-baggers, I despise Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. Dammit, I miss William F Buckley. He was something we liberals could push against!

 

[Anagram]

Losing influence in the party, maybe, but they're sure putting themselves front-and-centre.
I miss the days when there were conservative thinkers, a conservative philosophy. I resent those tea-baggers, I despise Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. Dammit, I miss William F Buckley. He was something we liberals could push against!

If we were a parliamentary system it would make sense to split, but in our first past the post system it's impractical. I don't care for Beck or Limbaugh, but kicking their faction out doesn't make political sense.

 

[radcen]

I believe the Tea Party's influence has already begun to decline, it's just not readily obvious yet.

 

[shrubnose]

Should the Tea Party break away from the Republicans and form an official political party?

Great idea,split up and fight each other like cats and dogs. A few tell-all books would be nice. Start doing that immediately.

That will be good for the Democrats.

 

[Grand Mal]

If we were a parliamentary system it would make sense to split, but in our first past the post system it's impractical. I don't care for Beck or Limbaugh, but kicking their faction out doesn't make political sense.

Party politics. It's the bane of your republic and our parliamentary system.
With do-overs we'd probably both banish the concept but it would creep back in, dealing in backrooms and scratching backs.
The upside is I got to use the word, 'back' three time in one sentence. That'll probably never happen again.

 

[specklebang]

Third parties really don't seem to make much of an impression. OTOH, you can share out the donations to a much smaller group. It would be very revealing but I seriously doubt the possibility.

 

[FederalRepublic]

I disagree. Republicans need to try to be seen to represent a wider diversity of American voters or they'll watch their party sink into irrelevance. Surgery's needed- they need to separate themselves from the 'tea party' radicals.

I don't see the democrat party separating themselves from the leftist radicals that are running their show.

 

[Grand Mal]

I don't see the democrat party separating themselves from the leftist radicals that are running their show.

Neither do I. Maybe either the 'leftist radicals' are figments of your imagination or, if they're real, they don't cost the party votes.

 

[joko104]

The Tea Party was basically a Fox New creation in the election season and is vanishing away.

 

[joko104]

Great idea,split up and fight each other like cats and dogs. A few tell-all books would be nice. Start doing that immediately.

That will be good for the Democrats.

It would be like what the Green Party did to Al Gore and H Ross Perot did to W. Bush.

 

[EdwinWillers]

Should the Tea Party break away from the Republicans and form an official political party?

Establishment republicans should re-join their Democrat party and Conservatives should establish the Tea Party. We need to get back to a true two-party system.

 

[aberrant85]

Neither do I. Maybe either the 'leftist radicals' are figments of your imagination or, if they're real, they don't cost the party votes.

It's both. Democrats almost never play to their "liberal base" because it wouldn't matter anyway. A few radicals will vote for the Green party, and the rest will grumble and vote Democrat because the alternative is far worse.

For whatever reason, Republicans don't get that about their base. They think that they have to appease the furthest right wing of their party, despite the fact that they will vote Republican in the end no matter what. The only logical reason they listen to them in the first place is because individual Congressmen will be "primaried" and then lose to the next guy in line. I don't know why Democrats don't have to worry about this, maybe it's because the tempers of Republican and Democratic voters is just that pronounced.

 

[Oftencold]

I'm starting think that maybe they should, but in such a way that they seize as many assets of the Republican Party: funds, property, the John McCain animatronic, as possible.

That is, the sane wing of the party ought to create a fission, not a bunch of individuals walking away and starting from scratch.

 

[Grand Mal]

It's both. Democrats almost never play to their "liberal base" because it wouldn't matter anyway. A few radicals will vote for the Green party, and the rest will grumble and vote Democrat because the alternative is far worse.

For whatever reason, Republicans don't get that about their base. They think that they have to appease the furthest right wing of their party, despite the fact that they will vote Republican in the end no matter what. The only logical reason they listen to them in the first place is because individual Congressmen will be "primaried" and then lose to the next guy in line. I don't know why Democrats don't have to worry about this, maybe it's because the tempers of Republican and Democratic voters is just that pronounced.

It's like that joke about the two guys going into bear country- "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you!" So long as the Republicans pander to the radical right they're abandoning a slice of the centre to the Democrats.

 

[aberrant85]

It's like that joke about the two guys going into bear country- "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you!" So long as the Republicans pander to the radical right they're abandoning a slice of the centre to the Democrats.

No kidding. If the Democrats appeased their extreme flank as much as the Republicans do, they'd be introducing bills that ban carbon emissions, provide universal healthcare, raise the top income tax bracket to 90%, end the WTO, make all drugs legal, ban discrimination of any kind, and reintroduce the Equal Rights Amendment.

 

[johndylan1]

No, however it should be clear to all that the moderate / establishment has had their way in the last two Pres elections, nominating moderates McCain and Romney. The mantra has been that conservatives had to tow the party line, hold their nose and vote moderate because we need the independents. I think it's time that the moderates, who have proven that their political assessment is in correct, should hold their nose and vote conservative this time around. I believe independent people are more attracted to principled leaders than squishy blow with the wind types.

 

[Risky Thicket]

I don't see the democrat party separating themselves from the leftist radicals that are running their show.

And that means what?

 

[vvx]

Third parties really don't seem to make much of an impression. OTOH, you can share out the donations to a much smaller group. It would be very revealing but I seriously doubt the possibility.

Agreed. The Tea Party wouldn't want to be a third party as they wouldn't do very well as a third party. Nobody does well as a third party. Now, if they could take over the Republican party and get the more central Republicans out they'd love that. Let's get rid of the RINO!

 

[Morality Games]

It's both. Democrats almost never play to their "liberal base" because it wouldn't matter anyway. A few radicals will vote for the Green party, and the rest will grumble and vote Democrat because the alternative is far worse.

For whatever reason, Republicans don't get that about their base. They think that they have to appease the furthest right wing of their party, despite the fact that they will vote Republican in the end no matter what. The only logical reason they listen to them in the first place is because individual Congressmen will be "primaried" and then lose to the next guy in line. I don't know why Democrats don't have to worry about this, maybe it's because the tempers of Republican and Democratic voters is just that pronounced.

The difference is that liberalism is centrist in nature and liberals (both among the public and representatives in Congress) think they are morally required to compromise. Far right-wing people do not share that perception.

 

[disneydude]

Yes...it would be the appropriate thing to do. Give the reasonable Republicans back their party and let the teabaggers go off on their own. Of course, the teabaggers don't have the integrity to do such a thing....they will continue to hold the GOP hostage.

 

[iacardsfan]

If you are a Dem you are hoping and praying they stay together because the Tea Party is polarizing the Republican party and trying to force the Republicans away from the middle and to the right. It works right into the hands of Democratic planners trying to appeal to Moderate Republicans.