David Frum - Wake up GOP: Smashing system doesn't fix it

[ubiquitous_a]

(CNN) -- I'm a Republican. Always have been. I believe in free markets, low taxes, reasonable regulation and limited government. But as I look back at the weeks of rancor leading up to Sunday night's last-minute budget deal, I see some things I don't believe in:

Forcing the United States to the verge of default.

Shrugging off the needs and concerns

Comments

[c_yo_yus]

Why are they listening to the 1/3 and 1/4 of the party? They may be the loudest, but does it make any damn sense from a "I'd like to get re-elected by pandering to the smallest group of people" perspective.

[ubiquitous_a]

I think the short answer is that this small sub-section of people is getting the lion's share of coverage and media buzz by Fox News. It's basically like they have their own media buy for free.

[moropus]

Yes.

[chasingkerouac]

Unfortunately, those 1/3 and 1/4 of the party are the members who come out and vote in primaries. So it's not even getting re-elected in the general election, it's 'I feel like I have to pander to them to even get the nomination'.

[ubiquitous_a]

Well, yeah.....that's exactly why all of the GOPers in Congress are scared to death of the Tea Party. They're afraid they'll get primaried from the right, and likely we'd see in most cases what happened in Delaware, where a relatively unknown (but sane) Democrat wins the general rather than the crackpot rightwinger that the TP pushes.

[thecityofdis]

They're the most reliable voting bloc within the party. Moderates aren't as motivated - sad, but universally true.

[llivla]

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