GOP Civil War: Growing Cracks

Posted by Jonathan Singer, MyDD.com at 3:48 AM on January 15, 2009.

Marc Ambinder:

[T]he fact that for the second time in one week, moderate Republicans allied with Democrats in a Southern state to elect a moderate and friendly-to-opposition Republican speaker different from the uber-conservative choice of the Republican establishment.

This happened in Texas, where San Antonio moderate Joe Straus ousted longtime conservative Tom Craddick.  In Tennessee, moderate Republican Kent Williams snuck in to the Speaker's position, garnering the votes of every Democrat -- conservative Republicans are outraged, claiming that Williams conspired against them.

[...]

The fact the pattern is repeating itself rather than being a one-time-thing seems worth noticing, if anything.

Actually, it had happened in 2006 in the Alaska legislature as well -- you'll recall the chorus of anti-Palin Republicans who popped up around the time of her selection by John McCain.

As one observer notes: "Interesting that Palin may have indeed been the model for the future of the GOP - but not the way she thinks she is."

It's much to early to call this a full on Republican civil war, largely because although these developments are indicia of discontent within the party, there is no evidence whatsoever that the current leadership of the GOP is at all introspective about their current predicament. Navel-gazing does not a successful party make -- but a party unwilling to come to terms with the fact that it has been wholly rejected by the voters in not one but two straight elections isn't likely to succeed. Yes, there are some Republican voices calling on the party to change its ways, but they are in the clear minority and devoid of real power. Instead, the party appears ready to double down on the type of policies that have brought them within a hair's width of irrelevance on Capitol Hill. And so we just sit back and watch as the divisions foment.

Tagged as: republicans, gop, gop, conservatives, power, capitol hill, sarah palin