Ed Kilgore at The New Republic has a look at this year’s “Republican Civil War”:
All across the country, Republicans are fantasizing about a gigantic electoral tide that will sweep out deeply entrenched Democratic incumbents this November. In their telling, this deep-red surge will be so forceful as to dislodge even legislators who don’t look vulnerable now, securing GOP control of both houses of Congress.
But could this scenario really come to pass? That will depend, in part, on
what type of Republican Party the Democrats are running against in the fall.
Hence the importance of this year’s Republican civil war. In a string of GOP primary elections stretching from now until September, the future ideological composition of the elephant party hangs in the balance. Many of these primaries pit self-consciously hard-core conservatives, often aligned with the Tea Party movement, against “establishment” candidates—some who are incumbents, and some who are simply vulnerable to being labeled “RINOs” or “squishes” for expressing insufficiently ferocious conservative views.
Former congressman and talk show host J.D. Hayworth is threatening John McCain, a pariah to many conservatives for championing of immigration reform, among other sins dating back to 2000. (McCain recently gave Hayworth a gift by claiming he had been “misled” by Bush administration officials about the basic purpose of TARP funds in 2008. Not a terribly credible assertion, and it recalls George Romney’s famously self-destructive statement that he was “brainwashed” into supporting the Vietnam War.) McCain will probably survive, given his longstanding popularity in Arizona and help from Sarah Palin. But there’s a wild card: If attorneys for the state Republican Party succeed in overturning Arizona’s open primary law, McCain could go down, providing a graphic illustration of the GOP’s rightward trend since 2008.
Two observations with that analysis: We’ve heard that the GOP won’t even bothering with the legal challenge to open primaries until after this year’s election cycle, and even if they did, the dirty little secret is that very few Independents bother to vote in the primary. We’d agree that a Hayworth victory is a long shot, but we’d suggest there’s a bigger wild card: Arizona has moved its primary to Aug. 24, which means that early voting starts at the end of July. For the first time in my memory, primary voters will be going to the polls before Election Day, which they are not used to doing in Arizona.
This article appears in Feb 25 – Mar 3, 2010.
This shouldn’t really be a story at all. John McCain has flaws like any politician/person. But he has been able to evolve and stay at the top of his game throughout his 28 years as Senator. Think about that, McCain is always relevant because he’s always trying to do things to make relevant change.
I’m tempted too vote for Hayworth just to torpedo the GOP. Unfortunately, I’m sure it would end up backfiring.
WOW Warreno! You almost got there.
I have had nearly the same thought recently. If enough registered Independents and Democrats re-registered as Republicans, and then voted for Hayworth in the primary, at the very least we would deprive McCain of his assumed entitlement to die in office as a “Royal”.
But think Warreno, think. If it does “backfire”, then we are just that much closer to the confrontation that is inevitably coming. Is that a bad outcome?
We are presently in the midst ( albeit the beginning ) of the second great Republican Deppression. 2010 is going to see us post even higher home foreclosure records for the middle class; what’s left of it. The really good part is going to be the collapse of commercial real estate; which has been that second shoe waiting to drop for oh so long now; but there exists some 3/4 of a trillion in upside down commercial paper needing to be rolled over this year, and it is not going to happen.
So it follows thusly Warreno, stay with me now; if the corporations have really won, and our prescious America is going to be disrespected so thoroughly, how much do you believe in your fellow Americans? Do you really think that they are going to whimper, and then roll over and play dead? Give up their homes to the banks by the tens of millions?
Allow the fascists free rein?
I don’t think that.
It is not a game Warreno. Wake up.
Robert Alexander Dumas
Mr. Dumas you’re exactly correct when you say this is not a game. Which is exactly the reason we cannot allow JD Hayworth to win the Senate Seat. That is all.
Robert, you clearly need to move to another country or become actively involved in changing this Nation b/c clearly you think you know it all. As for the depression, it perhaps could be a depression if you consider the amount of stimulus money that is not needed that is putting us in a deficit that we may not be able to climb out of. And, finally, as for this election…McCain is clearly the strongest of the two candidates. JD had his chance in Washington, failed miserably and is still amongst the legal issues of it. McCain is fighting this disgusting extreme left administration on important issues like against Obamacare, for our Nation’s security, against the mounting deficit. It is clear to me that we need to keep him in office fighting for our future!
JD Hayworth is a blowhard who accomplishes nothing. He cannot even come clean on the money in his legal bills account. JD is a proclaimed conservative with a wonderful reputation of BIG spending- This guy is a joke
I am so sick of John McCain types in the government. Either you are with us or you are against us. This old fool threw the election and now we have a Marxist running the country. We have had liberalism moving the ball down the field for 100 years and now this is why the country is in such a mess. J.D. Hayworth is that person.
So the last 100 years have been a steady decline of the United States? Huh. Wish we could go back the glory days of 1910! I’d sure love to send my 10-year-old off to work in the factory on the ol’ horse and buggy.
Wake up and smell the coffee. McCain and others of his ilk, have played a major role in the decline of our nation. What has McCain done of any significance while he has been in office? Let’s see… Oh yes, he and that former Icon of the Democratic party(Kennedy) tried to force the Immigration Reform bill(Amnesty) down our throats in the dead of night. And lest we forget, McCain is also a supporter of crippling the U.S. economy by implementing some form of “CAP and Trade.” When he was running for President, McCain put forth the idea of buying up all the bad mortgages. He said he got the idea from Hilary Clinton. McCain has had his opportunity in the Senate and he has done nothing of substance. It’s time to put someone in who is younger and who is willing to fight for conservative principles. Like so many Arizona citizens, I’m sick of the “old guard” and their arrogance. Rise up conservatives and let’s change Washington. We can start by giving McCain the boot and giving J.D. Hayworth an opportunity to represent the Conservative viewpoint in the Senate. McCain failed in his bid for the Presidency because he was unable to articulate a vision or plan for the future of America. Hence, when he debated Obama, he came across as incompetent and unpresidential. Similarly, when John and J.D. debate, you can bet J.D. will quickly distinguish himself as a leader who has a handle on the issues and a plan to address them. We don’t need an old millionaire who doesn’t even know how many homes he owns and who admitted while running for president, he doesn’t know much about economics either. It’s a no brainer. McCain has got to go! Vote J.D. Hayworth. He’s the best option we have.