The Republican Party is dissolving before our eyes

[applegrove]

http://theweek.com/articles/691600/republican-party-dissolving-before-eyes

by Damon Linker at The Week

SNIP..............


There are only so many hours in the day or neurons in our minds to devote to politics, but it's nonetheless important that we raise our sights above the daily displays of the Trump administration's bumper-car incompetence to take in the bigger picture. When we do, it becomes clear that Trump's highly personalistic, anti-ideological presidency is an expression of a much broader trend in the GOP — namely the thoroughgoing dissolution of the party's ideological coherence.

This breakdown in unity and consistency within the Republican Party can be seen across a range of issues. Over time it will render the party increasingly incapable of governing — and most likely prepare the way for a much more dramatic shift in the party's direction in 2020 or beyond.

Health care. The House Freedom Caucus wants to gut ObamaCare, including provisions that force insurance companies to cover "essential health benefits" (like maternity care, hospitalization, and mental health services) and preclude them from charging more for consumers based on their gender or medical history. In place of these provisions, the HFC prefers a market-based system that would supposedly lower costs and increase efficiency and innovation while leaving millions fewer covered by health insurance. Party moderates, meanwhile, including the so-called "Tuesday Group" in the House, would prefer more marginal adjustments to the Affordable Care Act. Adding to the chaos, a recent poll shows that a plurality of Republican voters favor a single-payer system that most of the party's elected officials, as well as nearly all of its lobbyists and activists, passionately denounce as "socialized medicine," and which many Democrats consider too left wing to touch.

Taxes. Since Ronald Reagan, promises to cut taxes have formed the core of the GOP's appeal to voters. But today, the agenda has fallen into disarray. Some, like Grover Norquist and assorted billionaire funders, want cuts, cuts, and more cuts, the better to "starve the beast." But other Republicans are more worried about the deficit and so prefer to pair revenue trims (or even modest enhancements) with specific spending reductions. Still others, including (on some days) the president himself, want to experiment with consumption taxes (like a border adjustment tax). Put it all together and we're left with a bundle of contrary impulses and priorities when it comes to the GOP's signature issue.


...............SNIP

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Notice how quite Ryan and McConnell have

been since Friday morning.

[SoCalMusicLover]

2. If By Dissolving He Means.....

Controlling All 4 Branches Of Government, then Absolutely, they're dissolving.

I remember way back when.....you know, in October 2016, when everyone was posting about how decimated the Repub party was, and that Candidate Drumpf would end up destroying the party when he lost in a landslide.

So by that measure, I guess the Chicago Cubs are dissolving right before our eyes. Must have been the victory that did it.

[applegrove]

4. I think they mean the unmanageable group of extremists to moderates they have now

in the House that makes it impossible to govern with a majority as the AHCA fiasco showed.

[PJMcK]

3. Very good article

Thanks for posting the link, applegrove.

[applegrove]

5. A Pleasure PJMcK.

[lpbk2713]

6. You can count on the MSM to resurrect them.

They always have and always will.