Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The Republican Party Factions

Since I'm a liberal, and a democrat, I tend to focus a lot of attention on the different splits within my own party. To switch things up, Kos has an interesting overview of the major splits within the republican party:


Corporate Cons

These are Wall Street Republicans, hungry for big federal contracts, less business regulation, increased immigration, happy foreign trading partners, and the protection of the established corporate elite.

Government spending: Pro
Aggressive foreign policy: Against
Immigration: Pro
Traditional values: Irrelevant
Notables: Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Wall Street Journal editorial board


Paleocons

This are the old-school anti-communist, anti-immigrant, John Birch Society types. They loathe foreign entanglements, government spending, affirmative action, and multiculturalism.

Government spending: Against
Aggressive foreign policy: Against
Immigration: Against
Traditional values: Pro
Notables: Ron Paul, Robert Novak, Reagan Democrats, Pat Buchanan


Theocons

This is the Christian Coalition/Moral Majority crowd, desperate for the wedding of state and religion, desperate to prevent the wedding of same sex couples. Unafraid to spend tax dollars on "faith-based" initiatives, while seeing immigrants as a replenishing source of new converts and religious foot soldiers.

Government spending: Pro
Aggressive foreign policy: Against
Immigration: Pro
Traditional values: Pro
Notables: Mike Huckabee, Pat Robertson, James Dobson


Neocons

These are the pointy headed "intellectuals" holed up at think tanks like the Project for a New American Century, moving their little armies around a Risk gameboard. Paranoid of the boogeyman under the bed, they feel secure only when dropping bombs on brown people overseas and are obsessed with keeping others as scared as they themselves feel.

Government spending: Pro
Aggressive foreign policy: Pro
Immigration: Against
Traditional values: Irrelevant
Notables: John McCain, Dick Cheney, Joe Lieberman, the Washington Post editorial board


Looking at these different factions and their widely varying agendas, it's a miracle that they've been able to get anything done right? The difference is leadership, and the willingness to whip your members into shape based on a firm long term commitment to their ideology.

The democratic party has no progressive leaders anywhere near the party's power positions, too many members without the balls or commitment to stand up for core progressive principles, which is partially because in the depressing feedback loop that is democratic party, there are no leaders to light their asses on fire if they start fucking up.

True progressive change cannot occur until that cycle is broken, and it's not gonna happen overnight.

1 comment:

  1. It's startling to see how varied and contradictory the Republicans are, judging by these subcategories. From what I can tell, they have just been far superior strategists over the last 8 years and have convinced most Americans that being a liberal is synonomous with being a pussy. You're right, J, this election hinges on the Democrats' ability to find an effective leader able to whip their asses into shape & keep them on their P's and Q's.

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