I’m curious what our readers think.
Do these upsets show that Rick Santorum is a serious contender? Do they prove that Romney can’t rally the base to win the nomination? Do they make it clear that Newt Gingrich is toast?
What should we make of this major shakeup in the GOP contest?
Wayne Besen is the Founding Executive Director of Truth Wins Out and author of “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth” (Haworth, 2003). In 2010, Besen was awarded the “Visionary Award” at the Out Music Awards for organizing the American Prayer Hour, an event which shined a spotlight on the role American evangelicals played in the introduction of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
Schadenfreude all the way here! I’m so enjoying the implosion of the Republican Party that is personified by Rick Santorum. I am very much looking forward to a fractured and split Republican convention this summer. I keep thinking, “A vote for Santorum now is a vote for Obama in November.”
You see, unlike the 2008 Democratic Primary, Clinton and Obama remained civil and respectful towards each other because both knew that they needed to work together after the primary season to capture the White House and maintain control of Congress. That worked. This is in stark the 2012 Republican Primary where taring each other apart like hyenas is the rule. The 2008 and 2012 primaries demonstrate the fundamental difference in outlooks between the parties: Democrats think long-term, lasting gains and Republicans think short-term, ephemeral victories.
what a lot of people on the Democrat side tend to forget is that Republicans vote like lemmings; no matter the direction they typically get in line on election day to jump off that cliff.
This is different than Democrats, who tend to be like herding cats; not a single ones wants to join the herd.
The last time we forgot this the Tea Party took over the House of Representatives and look where that has gotten us the last 3+ years.
don’t get cocky, the GOP may not implode like you expect them too.
Mike – You raise some very good points. You are right about hardcore, base-Republican voters toeing the party line on election day. However, moderate and socially liberal Republicans from the Midwest and North East typically do not fall into that category. If they are repulsed enough by Santorum, they will vote for Obama (several I know did just that in 2008 because of Palin).
Please remember though, Independent voters are really the deciding factor here. Because of their dissatisfaction with the Democrats in 2010, they gave the Tea Party a shot. But, now, I believe they are having buyers’ remorse and are probably swinging back to the Democrats.
As far as the GOP imploding, that has been a long time coming. It’s been 30 years in the making and quite frankly is inevitable. It might not be in this election, but unless they mend their ways and go back to being the Party of Eisenhower, they will not survive much longer.
Usually I wouldn’t mind people underestimating someone at their own peril, but some of us are underestimating Santorum to MY peril! Save the schadenfreude for the day after the election.
By saying that he isn’t going to drop out no matter what the results are Gingrich suggests he is actually a stalking horse.
Santorum is not a serious contender. I do enjoy the bloodletting around Romney though.Keep it up, boys!
That said, I have to disagree with Nick’s proposition that “Democrats think long-term, lasting gains and Republicans think short-term, ephemeral victories.” The Republicans (as they are now constituted) have been laying long term ground-work with conservative think tanks, cultivating their base and focusing on local elections for 30+ years. Its the Democrats who seem to lack a coherent, long-term stick-to-itiveness, in my humble opinion. Their (GOP) success is demonstrated in their ability to get people to vote against their own interests time and time again by appeals to racism, sexism, classism etc.,etc.. And don’t think the party faithful won’t hold their noses and vote for Romney when this is all over. They hate Obama (and us) more than they would ever hate each other.
I don’t know that I can revel in the disaster that is currently the GOP. Regardless of how they happen to be shooting themselves in the foot (and various other body parts) I still find it SERIOUSLY disturbing that anyone like Santorum is even THIS close to the presidency.
The GOP must publicly split from its fringe christofascist social conservative element if it is ever to have credibility again. Let the new splinter party call itself something patriotic and gawd-feerin, but it will quite obviously be the christian fascist party of the United States, while the regular GOPers can go back to being what Republicans were before the loonies infiltrated. The agendas of all parties will be clear-cut for the world to see once this split takes place and the GOP is ‘purified.’ Right now, the dominionist theocratic goals of the wackos are hidden behind a screen that looks like business as usual.
The thing to remember about the Republican primary is that the people voting in it represent a tiny, tiny, tiny minority of the country. In some districts, the number of votes cast is in the single digits. In most states, the number of voters couldn’t fill a football stadium.
Whoever comes out of the primary will have established himself as an incompetent, lying, know-nothing maniac hellbent on destroying the country, as all four remaining candidates are. That appeals to Republican primary voters, but not so much to sane people.
That’s assuming that the voter turnout, as in 2008, is again high enough to nullify the usual Republican election fraud. Otherwise, all bets are off.
It just shows how split the Republican party is. White evangelistic Christians consider Mormonism a cult. They are not going to vote for a Mormon..unless….they absolutely have no other choice but Mormon OR Obama. And then many will be totally unenthused.
Moreover, this election shows us how utterly depraved and morally bankrupt conservatism has become. The “best” they can offer is a bunch of sinful anti-gay activists made up of a nut, a serial adulterer, a greedy businessman and a “Christian” who seeks to destroy democracy and impose his “religious beliefs” on all the rest of us.