Reply #23: That's not an entirely accurate

[markiegreg]

portrayal of the GOP. (IMO) There "were" two main factions within the GOP: the Taft/Goldwater libertarian slanted Republicans called conservatives ("free marketers") and the Rockefeller Big Business Republicans (corporatist) who used conservative rhetoric. The Rockefeller Repubs have ruled the GOP machinery since the 20's-30's. I would say, Goldwater was the only non-Rockefeller Repub to gain the GOP nomination since WW2. Reagan may have appeared as a conservative, Reagan's rhetoric was free market capitalism, yet his domestic policies came from the corporatist Rockefeller wing and his interventionist foreign policies were largely from an emerging new GOP faction, the neo-conservatives. Now, I think there are 4 factions within the GOP: Goldwater conservatives, Rockefeller Repubs, the religious right, and Neo-conservatives with the last 3 factions often aligned against the Goldwater conservatives evidenced by the way many Repubs, particularly those in power positions, treat Rep Paul.