Will the Kamikaze Caucus Doom the GOP?

[kpete]

Will the Kamikaze Caucus Doom the GOP?

When Congress devolves into perpetual conflict, each party's more militant voices gain influence at the expense of its deal-makers.

The kamikaze caucus, by seeking to block the president by any means necessary, is reflecting the back-to-the wall desperation evident among grassroots Republicans convinced that Obama and his urbanized, racially diverse supporters are transforming America into something unrecognizable. Although those voters are split over whether the current tactics will work, they are united in resisting any accommodation with Obama.

Veteran Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg, who has studied the two parties’ coalitions since the 1980s, recently conducted several focus groups with GOP voters that probed this passion. He concluded that the roaring sense of embattlement among the almost all-white tea party and evangelical Christian voters central to the GOP base draws on intertwined ideological, electoral, and racial fears.

These core conservative voters, Greenberg wrote recently, fear “that big government is meant to create rights and dependency and electoral support from mostly minorities who will reward the Democratic Party with their votes.” Much like Mitt Romney’s musings about the 47 percent, these voters see an ominous cycle of Democrats promising benefits “to increase dependency” among mostly minority voters who empower them to win elections and then provide yet more benefits (like a path to citizenship for immigrants here illegally). Obama’s health care law looms to them as the tipping point toward a permanent Democratic advantage built on dependency and demographic change.



........ the real fight under way isn't primarily about the size of government but rather who benefits from it.


MORE:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/political-connections/will-the-kamikaze-caucus-doom-the-gop-20131010

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. I think most likely it will split the GOP with the radical right teaphuck party going one way

and the Big Business Corporate going another. The Religious right will be split between the two. Racist crazies going with the teaphucks and religious business folk going with the Corporate Branch.

[Gore1FL]

2. Just saw Ted Cruz speech for "values voters" or some such (covered by MSNBC)

I am always amazed at the blatant lies that the mouth breathers fall for and cheer for.

Raising his usual strident speech to the level he does cannot be comfortable for the moderates. I would assume after yesterday's polls the "saner" of his party would prefer he stop.

[pscot]

3. Greenberg's report on his focus groups

is worth reading if you want some insight into what makes the GOP base tick.
http://www.democracycorps.com/attachments/article/954/dcor%20rpp%20fg%20memo%20100313%20final.pdf