GOPWatch
From dKosopedia
A central area for discussion about the Republican civil war, or lack there of. Topics include strategies to appeal to defeated factions without diluting the progressive spirit of the Democratic Party, ways to counter the potentially new ideology of the GOP, observations and reports on Republican Presidential candidates in 2008, and discussions on the morality of Democratic activists becoming more than observers in the Republican civil war and the Machiavellian case for becoming participants by taking sides.
Contents |
Is There a Republican Civil War?
Pre-Election, 2004
David Brooks: How to Reinvent The G.O.P.
Patrick Buchanan: Civil War Looming In The GOP?
Reihan Salam: A Guide to Post-Election Intra-Party Bloodletting
John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge: The right wing's deep, dark secret
Jack Kemp: Immigrant nation . . . trading freely and building wealth
Major Issues In Civil War
- Trade & Immigration: The two issues of trade and immigration are seen as closely related by Republicans on both sides of the struggle for control of the party. In the article above Jack Kempt states, "A struggle is under way for the soul of the Republican Party between a minority of protectionist xenophobes and those who are pro-trade and pro-immigration. It's beneath the radar screen but it's not so quiet."
- Government Spending: The Bush Administration was attacked by the conservative-libertarian Cato Institute for being The Mother of All Big Spenders and most expect the GOP to go through soul searching on the issue of government spending. On the one hand there are some that wish for the Republican Party to return to a small government ideology, while other conservatives wish to construct a consistent ideology of when government spending can be used in a proper way without becoming too much like the Democratic Party.
- Foreign Policy: The War on Iraq has been a very difficult issue for the Republican Party as many have been forced to choose between common sense and loyalty to the head of their Party. Even as Republicans rallied behind Bush on the War, support for a neo-conservative foreign policy that would continue to aggressively attack regimes in the Middle East collapsed. Debate will unfold on if the United States needs to become more isolationist or just smarter and more internationalist.
- Social Issues: Some have proposed that socially moderate Republicans like Pataki, Romney, Giuliani, Schwarzenegger and McCain may be able to use their popularity to shift the GOP toward the center on issues of gay rights, abortion, and other battlegrounds of the culture war.
Possible Factions
- Neo-Conservatives (see article): For the purposes of the civil war, Neo-Conservatives primarily focus on foreign policy and maintaining power. Social and economic policies are usually secondary and viewed in the context of what is best for maintaining power. There is also a tendency to apply rhetoric from foreign policy to domestic issues, viewing disagreement on domestic issues as equivalent to treason. Recently they have put an emphasis on social conservatism, large tax cuts, and increased government spending as a way to form alliances with other wings of the Republican Party and maintain power. Typically pro-immigration and pro-trade.
- Paleo-Conservatives: For the purposes of the civil War, Paleo-Conservatives are viewed as old school conservatives, or members of the Old Right, of which Pat Buchanan and his American Conservative magazine are examples. They are social conservatives with a greater emphasis on states' rights than using the national government to implement their social policy (see Bob Barr's opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment) and are strongly opposed to increased government spending. Most are neo-isolationists who are also opposed to free trade and immigration.
- Libertarians: Historically some have argued that the anti-government rhetoric of the GOP makes it a better home than the Democrats in America's two-party system. Most libertarians who identify with the Republican Party defend their association with a socially conservative party by saying that ideally cultural issues should be decided by the states and blame 'activist judges' for taking the decision process away from 'the people.' Though they have views similar to the Paleo-Conservatives, they are more supportive of free trade and immigration. The issue of gun control (or gun rights) is often the single most important issue for stereotypical 'Militia Men.' Recently, Republicans like former Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico and current Governor Bob Ehrlich of Maryland have taken the lead on reforming drug laws, an issue popular with libertarians.
- Social Conservatives/Religious Right: Viewed as the grassroots of the Republican Party, the Religious Right (or simply Social Conservatives) are primarily found in the South but also in other rural areas of the country ranging from the Midwest to the Interior West, particularly in Utah. These voters are mobilized by a Republican emphasis on the culture war, which includes issues like abortion and gay rights. Unlike the Paleo-Conservatives they usually do not express opposition to amendment the Constitution in order to establish their social ideals. They also express strong support for Israel due to religious belief.
- Big Business: Less a voting block than a form of financial support for candidates. Their influence on the civil war is dependent on what specific groups are financing the candidates. Mining, logging, and other industries built on the extraction of natural resources typically support candidates that are anti-environment. The business world typically wants policies that result in less regulation, less taxation (and favorable to corporations), corporate subsidies, trade, and immigration. Financing a campaign without their support would be difficult, but recently the internet may allow for grassroots candidates to break free of corporations. While this may result in more progressive candidates on the left, it could also result in more extreme candidates on the right.
- Big Government Conservatives/Moderates: A menagerie of various Republican politicians and minor voting blocks. This would include the pro-environment Republicans for Environmental Protection, the pro-gay rights 9http://www.logcabin.org/logcabin/index.html Log Cabin republicans], and the moderate Republican organization Back To the Mainstream. Some are old remnants of the Rockefeller wing of the Republican Party that was once strong in New England, such as Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafe and former Republican Jim Jeffords of Vermont. These are typically social moderates, often pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and pro-environment, while being fiscally responsible, favoring a balanced budget over large tax cuts. Foreign policy views tend to be internationalist. This groups appears to be slowly declining and joining the Democratic Party, Governor Howard Dean of Vermont in a way resembles them. Other moderates in the party come from more Republican areas and support more conservative social views, while still being critical of unilateral foreign policy and budget busting borrow and spend policies. Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, amd Senator John McCain of Arizona may be placed in this category.
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