Republican tribalism? Is there a place for moderates?

[DanieltheDragon]

I love my Sirius radio. The hundreds of channels available and more importantly glorious talk radio. While I'm sitting in the pickup lane for my kid as he is released from school I enjoy sitting back and listening to political talk radio.

A rather nasty trend I have been noticing is how dramatically different conservative talk radio has become. There has always been tribalism in politics whether your democrat or republican. Usually ire is directed at the other tribe. Trump has changed things. A schism if you will has formed. Instead of railing against the other tribe. Conservatives are railing against each other. What used to be a simmering distaste for the less fervent conservatives. Has turned into unadulterated ire.

The Roy Moore situation couldn't be more revealing. You have the Hannity's and Wilko's vilifying Mitch McConnel because McConnel wants a pedophile to step out of the race. Now it's not just the "libs" they are now railing against "mainstream republicans" often calling them things like the "republican wing of the Democratic Party". People like Michael Steele and Joe Scarborough are the enemy never mind that one was the head of the RNC and the other was a republican senator.

Has the extremist wing of the Republican Party taken over completely?

Is there room for moderate republicans in the New Republican Party?

[bluethread]

[Replying to post 27 by bluethread]

Do you think its acceptable for men in their 30s dating teenagers? I get why some might defend his political views I just dont get the defense of his character.

I don't like the idea of dating at any age. I didn't like it when I had to do it.

On the character issue, that is what elections are about. The #metoo thing has brought this to a head recently, but people of bad character have been getting elected since the founding of the country, most recently Teddy Kennedy, Robert Byrd and Marion Barry. The people who started this in an attempt to taint Trump, made a serious miscalculation. Given past behavior, it is not surprising that they would think that the only effect would be for leftist women to accuse Republicans. However, it appears that conservative women respond to twitter also, and young leftist women don't like this kind of stuff from democrats any more than they like it from republicans. Who'd a thunk it?

[myth-one.com]

Has the extremist wing of the Republican Party taken over completely?

Yes.

Only a handful of Republicans are willing to put their country above their party.

Is there room for moderate republicans in the New Republican Party?

No.

As for me, I regret that I can only leave the Republican Party once!