Right-Wing Fringe: A Hard Base to Please

Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly at 9:14 AM on October 14, 2009.

We talked a bit yesterday about Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) telling right-wing activists at a town-hall meeting this week, "I'm not going to leave the Republican Party. I'm going to grow it. We're not going to be the party of angry white guys..... [W]e're going to move this party and this country forward. If you don't like it, you can leave."

It was apparently an even livelier event than I'd realized.

The 75-minute forum filled several sections of Furman University's Timmons Arena and attracted demonstrators, critics with handheld cameras, shouts of "traitor" and "Sotomayor" -- and a smattering of supporters. [...]

One man told Graham he had "betrayed" conservatism and made a "pact with the devil" by working with Democrats.... A woman who had been carrying a sign that condemned "unconstitutional, anti-Christ, socialist, federal, deficit-spending programs" told Graham "God does not compromise" and that he had violated his oath of office by supporting federal ideas, including health care reform that overstep states' rights.

Lee Fang added, "At a Graham town hall in Greenville yesterday, activist Harry Kimball of 'RINO HUNT' protested by constructing a display that depicted Graham, as well as moderates like Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), being flushed down a toilet.... Angry attendees in the crowd interrupted Graham with cries of, 'You're a country club Republican,' 'Sotomayor!,' and 'You lie.' Outside the event, right-wing activist Julliet Kozak picketed the town hall with a sign decrying all 'Unconstitutional Anti-Christ Socialist Federal Deficit Spending Programs.'"

Brad Johnson, meanwhile, collected reactions to Graham from prominent far-right blogs, where the South Carolinian has been called a "fake Republican," "RINO" (Republican in name only), a "traitor," "disgrace," "asshat," "democrat in drag," and a "wussypants, girly-man, half-a-sissy."

It's worth taking a moment to acknowledge Lindsey Graham's voting record here. The right is livid about his vote to confirm Sotomayor and his support for reforming U.S. energy policy, among other things. But given the apoplexy, one might think Graham had suddenly moved to the center. He hasn't.

In the always-helpful VoteView analysis, Graham is the 83rd most conservative senator in the current Congress, meaning only 17 senators are to his right. Graham is not only more conservative that most of the Senate, he's more conservative than most Republicans. This year, based solely on his voting record, Graham is to the right of notable conservatives like John Thune, Sam Brownback, and Mitch McConnell.

And this year's performance is not exactly unusual. In the last Congress, he was the 85th most conservative senator, slightly to the right of Alabama's Jeff Sessions.

If Lindsey Graham is the right's idea of a RINO, the base is looking to create a very small, very unsuccessful political party.

Tagged as: right-wing, lindsay graham

Steve Benen is "blogger in chief" of the popular Washington Monthly online blog, Political Animal. His background includes publishing The Carpetbagger Report, and writing for a variety of publications, including Talking Points Memo, The American Prospect, the Huffington Post, and The Guardian. He has also appeared on NPR's "Talk of the Nation," MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," Air America Radio's "Sam Seder Show," and XM Radio's "POTUS '08."