GOP Civil War, it's RINOs vs. EIPOs

[Segami]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:


"..It sounds like something out of science fiction. A battle for the Planet GOP is currently underway, pitting the RINOs against the EIPOs. Cue Orson Welles.


As the RINOs appear headed for extinction, (political) scientists are left wondering if Planet GOP is itself doomed if its landscape is left only to the EIPOs.


The RINOs -- Republicans in name only -- evolved from the likes of H. John Heinz and John Chafee. Until recently, their ranks included Arlen Specter, Mike Castle and, well, me. They were registered in the Republican Party, but not because of a purely ideological connection. Consequently, they were vulnerable in primaries -- where the most passionate (usually conservative) voters determine the outcome. Now they're on the verge of being wiped out.


They can trace their lineage to an era when they were not so few in number. When Sen. Specter first arrived in the U.S. Senate in 1980, the Wednesday Lunch Club, a weekly meeting of moderate legislators, included: Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood of Oregon, Bob Stafford of Vermont, Lowell Weicker of Connecticut, Bill Cohen of Maine, Warren Rudman of New Hampshire, Alan Simpson of Wyoming, Jack Danforth of Missouri, Charles Percy of Illinois, and Charles Mathias of Maryland.


Since then, however, natural selection has seen the elimination of RINOs in favor of EIPOs.


EIPOs -- electable in primaries only -- are a relatively new political species. Their ranks include Christine O'Donnell, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich. They are rooted in the GOP for ideological reasons, and engender the support of the most passionate conservatives. Because of their ideological purity, they are eminently nominatable, but they are not electable come November.


Palin is the EIPO in chief. Nobody whips the right into a frenzy like Alaska’s former governor. She's a prolific fundraiser, a cash cow, and after a largely successful year of endorsing candidates across the country, a kingmaker. All of which puts her in a solid position to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, should she decide to run.



cont'


<http://www.salon.com/news/politics/republican_party/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/09/27/smerconish_gop_civil_war>

[Vincardog]

1. Let her have it. Any country stupid enough to elect this deranged psychopath deserves her.

[Fumesucker]

2. Eh.. You could say the same of Dubya..

Consider the fact that he got more votes in 2004 than in Y2K..

[Vincardog]

8. I will believe that when I see the paper ballots that add up to the number claimed.

[Fumesucker]

9. Did I say that more people voted for Dubya?

No, I didn't.. I said that he got more votes in 2004 than in 2000.

Which he in fact did, that has little or nothing to do with how many people voted for him.

[Vincardog]

11. In Y2K he got the 5 votes that mattered. In 2004 he got at least 6. I agree

[Segami]

4. I can't wait to see the first Republican nomination debate between Palin, Romney and Ron Paul.

[COLGATE4]

12. She'll just pull the same crap she's been getting away with

since the VP debate with Biden - refuse to answer anything she doesn't want to and just cheerfully babble on, stringing together words in a word-salad with no meaning, punctuated by winks, shout-outs and maybe the occasional leg shot to keep the middle-aged RW'ers in the audience enthralled. They won't lay a glove on her, since debating with Palin is like trying to nail custard to a tree.

[Segami]

14. Romney or anyone else with REAL presidential aspirations can't afford NOT to lay a glove on Palin.

The road to the republican presidential nomination is stepping THROUGH or OVER Palin.

[kenfrequed]

15. This all depends on how they do.

If the repugs take one or both legislative bodies (almost an impossibility) than the teahaddists and Palin's purity patrol will claim victory in the spin. Failing that the GOP is in a difficult position since they are going to be losing the expectation game they could try to declare victory anyhow. This puts them in a tough spot as they would have to give credit for a partial win to those forces that are going to end up being a drag in the future. In this case Palin will make a big deal out of leading the party to victory (if only partial).

If they take a small enough number of seats it will be completely written off as midterm-blues. This will be the death knell of either the slightly more moderate right wing extremists or the super righ wing extremists. (there really aren't any actual moderates left- and the term 'moderate' has no objective meaning anyhow).

This screaming, ranting, white-fest of tea party nut jobs might end up being the last attempt at right-wing pseudo-populist nonsense they can actually pull off.

Of course the probability of increasing political motivated violence should be a concern and militant and violent groups numbering as little as 5-10% of the population have been adequate to stage something resembling a takeover.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Speaking of science fiction....actually more like insane fantasy...

"All of which puts her in a solid position to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, should she decide to run."

[Segami]

5. These are strange times coming over the horizon. Expect the unexpected.

[Skip_In_Boulder]

6. "should she decide to run"

Yes but Sarah is only going to run if nobody else is going to run and the country needs her due to national security reasons. (No really, you just can't make this stuff up)

http://www.twincities.com/ci_16154232?source=most_viewed&nclick_check=1

[hobbit709]

7. My first thought at seeing EIPOs

Was Extremely Idiotic POS

[mazzarro]

16. Mine was slightly different

EIPO - Extremely Ignorant Piss Offs

[Renew Deal]

10. Democrats have done a better job at managing this problem on their side.

The broader general acceptance of DINO's has benefitted the party with larger majorities and more wiggle room. Hopefully this plays out in a way where the republicans are truly toxic. I think that's where we're headed.

[Winterblues]

13. The exact same battle seems to be happening within the KKK

The new KKK is a bunch of Aryan Nation skinheads that wear camo instead of sheets. They are more militia oriented and want a race war badly. The old time KKK wants seperate races and no immigration but they don't advocate for a race war. I saw a very interesting show on the KKK last night and I can't tell you how much it reminded me of the GOP..