Why the Republican Party can't be "moderate"

[All Along The Watchtower]

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More: http://primarycolors.net/proof-republican-party-cant-be-moderate-in-one-graph/

[IceSpear]

This just goes to show that overall climate matters more than individual candidates in House races. If it's a good Republican year, a swing district will pick a right wing nutjob over a sane moderate Democrat, and vice versa.

[windjammer]

Why? Simply because they always fear primary challenge, and because Republicans defections come from the Tea Party, so "moderates" are forced to always vote with the establishment republicans, in order to pass some bills.

[NewYorkExpress]

So basically the same reason the Democrats can't be "moderate" than.

[SWE]

So basically the same reason the Democrats can't be "moderate" than.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

The data suggests that the GOP isn't moderate, not that it can't be moderate. It's current trajectory is damaging in the long term, driven to the right by fear and short-term thinking.

The party was much more moderate 20 years ago, but that's because people like Chris Shays, Connie Morella and Marge Roukema got forced out by primaries, anti-GOP waves, and gerrymandering.

[7,052,770]

The data suggests that the GOP isn't moderate, not that it can't be moderate. It's current trajectory is damaging in the long term, driven to the right by fear and short-term thinking.

The party was much more moderate 20 years ago, but that's because people like Chris Shays, Connie Morella and Marge Roukema got forced out by primaries, anti-GOP waves, and gerrymandering.

Correct, but the same thing happened in the Democratic Party too. Over half of the Blue Dogs lost in 2010 (cite), or the Democratic Party would be even more diverse.

[RogueBeaver]

Cause the UK Tories are splendid role models...

[Nichlemn]

It's worth nothing that only a handful of Democrats in generally Republican-learning turf are responsible for much of the kink. If they weren't there (and they're likely to keep dwindling), the Democratic line would be almost as steep as the Republican one.

[7,052,770]

It's worth nothing that only a handful of Democrats in generally Republican-learning turf are responsible for much of the kink. If they weren't there (and they're likely to keep dwindling), the Democratic line would be almost as steep as the Republican one.

Even if the Democrats were confined only to the liberal side of the PVI, the slope line would be twice as steep, and there would still be a lot more variance.

[muon2]

I'm somewhat skeptical of the conclusion based on the data that defines the vertical axis. If the axis were a typical liberal-conservative measure then one could draw the type of conclusion in the article in the OP. However, the axis measures progressive score which is not at all the same as the liberal side of a liberal-conservative axis. The questions are generally designed to distinguish the strength of progressive votes, not where they fall on a larger spectrum. Because of that you would expect all Pubs to have very low scores, often indistinguishable from zero.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I'm somewhat skeptical of the conclusion based on the data that defines the vertical axis. If the axis were a typical liberal-conservative measure then one could draw the type of conclusion in the article in the OP. However, the axis measures progressive score which is not at all the same as the liberal side of a liberal-conservative axis. The questions are generally designed to distinguish the strength of progressive votes, not where they fall on a larger spectrum. Because of that you would expect all Pubs to have very low scores, often indistinguishable from zero.

Maybe they should add use progressive score - ACU score.

[sg0508]

You also have moderates like me who are registered republicans, but don't want to be lumped in with the religious right.

[Simfan34]

The data suggests that the GOP isn't moderate, not that it can't be moderate. It's current trajectory is damaging in the long term, driven to the right by fear and short-term thinking.

The party was much more moderate 20 years ago, but that's because people like Chris Shays, Connie Morella and Marge Roukema got forced out by primaries, anti-GOP waves, and gerrymandering.

Marge Roukema. Heh. She was my congresswoman when I was a kid.

[Orser67]

Yeah I don't think this shows why "Republicans can't be moderate," as pointed out by muon. With that said, I would be interested in seeing a similar conservative graph for Republicans. The "value" of any given Congressman (comparing a Congressman's voting behavior to their state's voting behavior)  is very interesting to me.

Also, I like the idea behind the site. Cuellar, Costa, and Carper are their top targets; that sounds about right.

[smoltchanov]

Yeah I don't think this shows why "Republicans can't be moderate," as pointed out by muon. With that said, I would be interested in seeing a similar conservative graph for Republicans. The "value" of any given Congressman (comparing a Congressman's voting behavior to their state's voting behavior)  is very interesting to me.

Also, I like the idea behind the site. Cuellar, Costa, and Carper are their top targets; that sounds about right.

I would say "comparing a Congressman's voting behavior to their DISTRICT voting behavior".. State may be too big and have too different (politically) districts. Congressman must reflect his/her district as closely as possible - for ME that's a sort of axiom..