RE-BRAND THE REPUBLICIAN PARTY

I have a have a suggestion for rebranding the Republican Party. As it now stands, party membership has split its self into two easily discernable fractions. The first faction is based on solid conservative principles, which means they believe there are a ruling class (1%) and an underclass (47%): the leaders and the followers, the executives and the workers, and the officers and the men, always with themselves being the leaders. Add to this group the fiscal conservative, who believes in solid business principles: spend more than what you have to finance a business but never do that for social programs. The membership and leadership of both the first faction or social faction and the second or financial faction are of high integrity.  The second faction is the “win at all costs” leaders and memberships. Lie, cheat, and steal to gain power. Suppress voter turnout, gerrymandering legislative district, and create and take advantage of crisis are all part of doing what ever they have to do to win. Once they have the power they use it to strengthen their leadership position. The end point of this approach is a dictatorship. This is the faction with out integrity, the young guns: Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, Ron Johnson, Reince Priebus, Marcia Blackburn, Michelle Bachman, Jim DeMint, and on and on. Don’t let the word “young” lull you into thinking this is something new, look at James Sensenbrenner, forever Republican from Wisconsin, or even go back to the Federalist vs. the republican fight of the late 18^th and middle 19^th century.

To make the point, it really isn’t necessary to name all the leaders or name all of the issues but some the “hot button” vote getting issues the flames of which they fan are and continue to be xenophobia and immigration, separation of church and state, abortion and women’s rights, welfare queens, and death panels, remember pushing grandma over the cliff in the health care debate, and a string of etceteras. Each one of these issue bring single-issue constituencies into the Republican camp: one by one. By definition, single-issue voters are radical voters. They are willing to throw out all reason for voting for or against a candidate based on their position on abortion, for example. Catering to each subgroup to cabal together a wining political position—a majority—is clever but disingenuous.  

The current flames fanned by the young guns is the radical element from among guns owners, not the sportsman and target shooter. If the “good conservatives” want to shed themselves of the radical minority, now is the time. I believe it would only take one issue. Getting rid of the second element of the Republican Party; the “win at all costs leaders and memberships” that is those who are willing to lie, cheat, and steal to gain power would rebrand their party in a good way. It would be the right thing to do for democracy to work the way it is suppose to work.