How can the GOP be brought back to being a more moderate party?

[LBJ Revivalist]

The GOP prior to the 1980s or so was a pretty diverse group--Had a sizable liberal wing, a large moderate wing, with a sizable conservative faction as well. A pretty balanced party: A party in which guys like Thomas Dewey, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller and Gerald Ford were generally accepted. Sometime around the 1980s and continuing to today an ideological purge of all but the conservative faction occurred, And that purge continues today even amongst the Conservatives, who now push out the Conservatives who aren't "Conservative enough"--People like McCain, Dick Lugar, Lindsey Graham, etc--are considered "RINOs" by the far right "Tea Party" faction of the party and are either being squeezed to more further right, or steamrolled over.

Surely a party can only go so far to the right wing until the political winds boomerang it back to a more centrist position. Look at the Democratic Party. Was once an utterly Liberal dominated party with the exception of the Conservative Democrats in the South--And now is a diverse tent dominated mostly by centrists or opportunists who lean left or right depending on political expediency--Really they're in the state the Republicans were in from the 1930s-1950s.

Now, what factors could push the GOP back to a more centrist stance, back to a more Eisenhower Republican type of party?

[TJ in Oregon]

It will require a likewise concession from the left. If you want the right to become Eisenhower Republicans, we'll need the left to become Truman Democrats.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I warned you back in March to change your ways.

[dead0man]

Short answer, time.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

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I thought this thread was about the Democratic Party, for a moment there.

[LBJ Revivalist]

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I thought this thread was about the Democratic Party, for a moment there.

That's my point: The Democratic Party has become the generally centrist party, usually center right, while the GOP has become the conservative party. There is no real Liberal party anymore.

There was ALWAYS an ideological tug of war between the Liberal and Conservative factions of the GOP, and usually out of this, the moderates prevailed. Now, the Liberals of the party would've been moderates the Liberals either are independent or migrated to the Democratic Party, and the Conservatives are called "Establishment Republicans" and are considered "not conservative enough" by the Tea Party.

[LBJ Revivalist]

It will require a likewise concession from the left. If you want the right to become Eisenhower Republicans, we'll need the left to become Truman Democrats.

The "left" are pretty much Truman Democrats nowadays. They're probably to the right of Truman actually. Compare Obamacare to the Fair Deal...Much more moderate.

[DrScholl]

It's not going to happen unless the heavily conservative wing splits off into their own party.

[LBJ Revivalist]

It's not going to happen unless the heavily conservative wing splits off into their own party.

I can see this happening with the Tea Partiers if they feel the "Establishment Republicans" as the TP calls the sane Republicans, haven't given into their demands enough.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Rename the Democratic party the GOP party.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

It's not going to happen unless the heavily conservative wing splits off into their own party.

I can see this happening with the Tea Partiers if they feel the "Establishment Republicans" as the TP calls the sane Republicans, haven't given into their demands enough.

The Tea Party Republicans are the sane ones.

[Username MechaRFK]

It's not going to happen unless the heavily conservative wing splits off into their own party.

I can see this happening with the Tea Partiers if they feel the "Establishment Republicans" as the TP calls the sane Republicans, haven't given into their demands enough.

The Tea Party Republicans are the sane ones.

:rolleyes:.

[lowtech redneck]

It will require a likewise concession from the left. If you want the right to become Eisenhower Republicans, we'll need the left to become Truman Democrats.

Yeah, the Republicans are not moving toward the center until a.) The Progressive Caucus loses power and the DLC regains dominance of the Democratic party or b.) self-described liberals are no longer outnumbered by self-described conservatives by a two-to-one margin.

Anybody else remember when the left-wing was always complaining about the non-ideological nature of our two-party system?  Careful what you wish for....

[Zarn]

Define moderate.

Fiscally? Socially? Both?

[lowtech redneck]

That's my point: The Democratic Party has become the generally centrist party, usually center right, while the GOP has become the conservative party. There is no real Liberal party anymore.

You think a party dominated by the Progressive Caucus and rapidly losing the Blue Dogs is more conservative than a party dominated by the Democratic Leadership Council?

[Sbane]

That's my point: The Democratic Party has become the generally centrist party, usually center right, while the GOP has become the conservative party. There is no real Liberal party anymore.

You think a party dominated by the Progressive Caucus and rapidly losing the Blue Dogs is more conservative than a party dominated by the Democratic Leadership Council?

Do you think the Democrats are too much to the left socially, or on fiscal issues? AFAIK, Democrats were willing to compromise on entitlement cuts, whereas Republicans balked at tax increases. Whether or not the Democrats are liberal on fiscal issues, they are certainly more willing to compromise.

As for social issues, I hope the Democrats keep pushing more and more. And then some more. Though they are being pussies, as usual. At least they got DADT repealed. Someone should grow a pair and try to get gay marriage instituted. Though maybe it's prudent to wait a little longer. I thought they were going to stop cracking down on Medical MJ, but that's not happening. Yup, bunch of pussies.

[krazen1211]

Now, what factors could push the GOP back to a more centrist stance, back to a more Eisenhower Republican type of party?

Economic growth. Radical budgetary solutions are required for a radical budgetary problem; economic growth will make the latter less radical.

[Orthodox]

As for social issues, I hope the Democrats keep pushing more and more. And then some more. Though they are being pussies, as usual. At least they got DADT repealed. Someone should grow a pair and try to get gay marriage instituted. Though maybe it's prudent to wait a little longer. I thought they were going to stop cracking down on Medical MJ, but that's not happening. Yup, bunch of pussies.

You're surely not suggesting they push those issues in the midst of massive unemployment during an election year are you? That's a powerful recipe for an electoral disaster.

[krazen1211]

As for social issues, I hope the Democrats keep pushing more and more. And then some more. Though they are being pussies, as usual. At least they got DADT repealed. Someone should grow a pair and try to get gay marriage instituted. Though maybe it's prudent to wait a little longer. I thought they were going to stop cracking down on Medical MJ, but that's not happening. Yup, bunch of pussies.

You're surely not suggesting they push those issues in the midst of massive unemployment during an election year are you? That's a powerful recipe for an electoral disaster.

The Democrats complain about the GOP house pushing 'social' issues. That complaint apparently does not extend to them.

[Sbane]

As for social issues, I hope the Democrats keep pushing more and more. And then some more. Though they are being pussies, as usual. At least they got DADT repealed. Someone should grow a pair and try to get gay marriage instituted. Though maybe it's prudent to wait a little longer. I thought they were going to stop cracking down on Medical MJ, but that's not happening. Yup, bunch of pussies.

You're surely not suggesting they push those issues in the midst of massive unemployment during an election year are you? That's a powerful recipe for an electoral disaster.

No, that shouldn't be the only thing on their agenda, lol. There's no reason why they can't do both at the same time. For the economy, you need to reform the tax code, reduce entitlement spending, while at the same time increasing spending on infrastructure, and education after destroying the teacher's unions (or at least things like pay based on tenure, ugh). And of course those tax reforms should be raising revenues. Do you think either of the parties will support/institute that? I don't think so.

And I do understand pushing for Gay marriage right now would hurt the Democrats in the industrial Midwest, which is the swing region. It would not be helpful politically but I don't give two sh**ts. They should be doing the right thing.

And no, the Republicans should not be pushing their bigoted social agenda against the gays and their anti-sharia law campaign based on stoking fears in the American public.

And most of their anti-immigration rhetoric is all about making people angry at the Mexicans, rather than actually solving the problem of too many illegals coming in while at the same time realizing that for a few jobs like farm work they are needed. Not needed for flipping burgers or construction work though. Neither party is able to articulate this, and the Republicans just fall back on anti-immigrant rhetoric to gain votes. When they are in power, they are more than happy to supply that cheap labor to their donors.

[Wonkish1]

Look at the Democratic Party. Was once an utterly Liberal dominated party with the exception of the Conservative Democrats in the South--And now is a diverse tent dominated mostly by centrists or opportunists who lean left or right depending on political expediency--Really they're in the state the Republicans were in from the 1930s-1950s.


The Democratic Party has become the generally centrist party, usually center right, while the GOP has become the conservative party. There is no real Liberal party anymore.


The "left" are pretty much Truman Democrats nowadays. They're probably to the right of Truman actually.

How can anybody take you seriously with comments like these?

The ideological gap between the base of the Democratic party and the center of America has never been wider in American politics. Now you could also argue that is true for the GOP as well, but I'll give you one name...Goldwater.

[Wonkish1]

Yeah, the Republicans are not moving toward the center until a.) The Progressive Caucus loses power and the DLC regains dominance of the Democratic party or b.) self-described liberals are no longer outnumbered by self-described conservatives by a two-to-one margin.

Anybody else remember when the left-wing was always complaining about the non-ideological nature of our two-party system?  Careful what you wish for....



You think a party dominated by the Progressive Caucus and rapidly losing the Blue Dogs is more conservative than a party dominated by the Democratic Leadership Council?

Just spot on!!!

[Wonkish1]

AFAIK, Democrats were willing to compromise on entitlement cuts, whereas Republicans balked at tax increases. Whether or not the Democrats are liberal on fiscal issues, they are certainly more willing to compromise.

I personally don't believe that making a minor change to the calculation of COI growth for social security and laying out medicare and medicaid cuts already accounted for in Obamacare constitutes much of a compromise against $120-150 billion a year in tax increases($1.2-1.5 trillion+ over 10 years) that take affect immediately. But maybe I'm just weird.

The Democrats come kicking and screaming about even ANY cuts in spending in the budget or appropriations process. And when they do finally agree to cuts its a small amount in the 10s of billions that are mostly just some tinkering around some unspent money sitting in some agency account. I don't call that compromising either. But again maybe I'm just weird.

[Likely Voter]

In a generation or so the GOP will have to become more moderate on social issues and more open to minorities (especially Hispanics) or it will be doomed to permanent minority.

[Sbane]

AFAIK, Democrats were willing to compromise on entitlement cuts, whereas Republicans balked at tax increases. Whether or not the Democrats are liberal on fiscal issues, they are certainly more willing to compromise.

I personally don't believe that making a minor change to the calculation of COI growth for social security and laying out medicare and medicaid cuts already accounted for in Obamacare constitutes much of a compromise against $120-150 billion a year in tax increases($1.2-1.5 trillion+ over 10 years) that take affect immediately. But maybe I'm just weird.

The Democrats come kicking and screaming about even ANY cuts in spending in the budget or appropriations process. And when they do finally agree to cuts its a small amount in the 10s of billions that are mostly just some tinkering around some unspent money sitting in some agency account. I don't call that compromising either. But again maybe I'm just weird.

The spending cuts: taxes ratio in the $4 Trillion plan speaks for itself. And yes, cuts should be loaded towards the back since we are in a recession currently, but of course so should the tax hikes. Grover Norquist scares the sh**t out of me, due to his no tax pledge. He has pretty much ruined California, and now has his sights set on America.