G
Guns Guns Guns
Guest
Somewhere between 100 and 150 Republican members -- a majority of the conference on a given day -- self-identify as both outsiders and conservatives.
They won in 2010 by saying "Washington's broken and both parties are to blame" just as often as they said "Obama and Pelosi are too liberal."
This was not just campaign strategy; it was conviction.
They believe both statements earnestly and equally...
As a result, it's going to be darned difficult to get unanimity among House Republicans, even behind conservative legislation.
It takes 218 votes to pass anything in the House.
Plenty of Republicans are wary of being in any group of 218, no matter which 218 it is -- solely for fear of what being herded might say about them.
Conversely, the House Democrats now have both ideological and tactical hegemony, as minorities often do.
What little dissonance ever existed in the Democratic Caucus was extinguished almost entirely by the voters in the last election.
If you don't believe it, just ask ex-Blue Dog Reps. Gene Taylor and Travis Childers, and hosts of others who faced the music and lost their races last November.
The GOP leadership will always face a high hurdle to win the support of the "outsider" half of its membership.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/07/30/todd.debt.debate/
They won in 2010 by saying "Washington's broken and both parties are to blame" just as often as they said "Obama and Pelosi are too liberal."
This was not just campaign strategy; it was conviction.
They believe both statements earnestly and equally...
As a result, it's going to be darned difficult to get unanimity among House Republicans, even behind conservative legislation.
It takes 218 votes to pass anything in the House.
Plenty of Republicans are wary of being in any group of 218, no matter which 218 it is -- solely for fear of what being herded might say about them.
Conversely, the House Democrats now have both ideological and tactical hegemony, as minorities often do.
What little dissonance ever existed in the Democratic Caucus was extinguished almost entirely by the voters in the last election.
If you don't believe it, just ask ex-Blue Dog Reps. Gene Taylor and Travis Childers, and hosts of others who faced the music and lost their races last November.
The GOP leadership will always face a high hurdle to win the support of the "outsider" half of its membership.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/07/30/todd.debt.debate/