GOP infighting in Va. may harm party’s White House bid in 2016

[mahatmakanejeeves]

GOP infighting in Va. may harm party’s White House bid in 2016

Virginia Politics
By Paul Schwartzman March 1 at 7:19 PM
@paulschwartzman

Feuding within Virginia’s state GOP is alarming prominent national Republicans who think the infighting in a crucial swing state threatens the party’s quest to recapture the White House in 2016. ... The rift pits centrist Republicans against tea party and Libertarian activists, and it is playing out in divisive primaries and causing wrangling for control of the party’s state organization.

A bitter source of the conflict — one almost certain to ignite renewed debate as 2016 approaches — is whether the state GOP will select a presidential candidate in a primary or at a convention, a process likely to influence whether the winner is a centrist or a right-wing Republican.

Virginia’s GOP has not won a statewide race in six years, a streak that Republicans partly attribute to the infighting. The conflict flared in full public view last year during a rancorous Republican primary in which a largely unknown tea party activist, David Brat, vanquished then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
....

The divide within Virginia’s GOP burst into the open in 2012, when then-Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a conservative favored by business, fought for control of the party’s governing board with then-Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, whose social views were a magnet for tea party loyalists.

[elleng]

1. Glad to hear it!

[williesgirl]

2. One can only hope!

[kimbutgar]

3. Keep on fighting Gop amongst yourself

The more they out crazy each other the more they become unelectable. They will start admit they want to eliminate social security and Medicare to show how hard core right wing they are. Can you imagine all those old white people that listen to fox everyday cheer the republicans who say get rid of these programs? These right wingers won't realize until it's too late they showed their true colors horrifying those old Reagan democrats who turned republican over the years.

I say please proceed with your infighting...

[westerebus]

4. A house divided can not stand.

What we have here is what we had when bush the lesser came into office, a point of agreement among progressives and the DLC loyalists. A common foe. We all know how that turned out.

The GOP is in the same position and will follow the playbook accordingly. This time, the DLC has their best performer in a supporting role is available to take the lead position on the National level. But, that's a different subject.

The more radicalized the Va. GOP becomes, the less chance they have of governing, as the current Congress proves. The diehard repubs will always vote straight party line. Which is never enough to win elections with the current demographics of the State.

That should translate to a bluer Virginia or in the least a cooler shade of purple. One can hope! In the mean while, we might want to set aside a dollar a week in rainy day fund to have on hand come the next local election cycle. If we get candidates who are progressive, and we actually have some home grown one's, a little funding locally will go a long way.

On the National level, we are back to who sucks less given the choices chosen by the party, of the party, for the party and with a fee for services to be determined at a latter date by the International Corporate Committees aka the MIC.

Now is an excellent time to tie the hands of the current Congress to the wheel of law making. They have had an free ride for the entire course of the current Presidency as the Do Nothings.

Put the Libertarians to the test. Decriminalization of the pot laws. Nationally and here at home. Net neutrality. Imminent domain and pipe line right a ways. Charter school funding and accreditation.

Pile on. An email costs nothing. You may get gibberish as a reply. That gibberish is what you hold under the nose of their party faithful.

Individual rights and funding go hand in hand according to these people. Test them.

Is it time to end the tax exception on real property owned by religious organizations? If by their logic every tax payer should pay a minimum tax on their income, shouldn't every corporation do so? If a job creator doesn't create jobs, should they get tax breaks intended to create jobs?

Might be interesting.

[FSogol]

5. Haw-haw!