Are There Really Two Republican Parties? And If So, Why?

[Valin]

Power Line:

John Hinderaker

3/30/13

 

Following the 2012 election, the Republican National Committee commissioned a group of Republicans to study the results of that election and make recommendations as to how the GOP can do better in future cycles. The resulting report, which you can read here, has been roundly criticized by many conservatives, sometimes unfairly, in my view. I wrote about the report’s recommendations on immigration here. But as far as I know, no one has commented on one obvious and central question raised by the report.

 

One of the report’s key premises is that there are two distinct Republican parties: state and local Republicans, who are doing remarkably well, and national Republicans, who suffer from a severe image deficit:

 

(Snip)

 

But there is a blindingly obvious question, which the authors of the RNC report never ask, let alone answer: how can it be that voters who think the GOP is “scary,” “narrow minded” and “out of touch” nevertheless elect Republicans as governors in 30 states? How can such a pathetic excuse for a party control more state legislatures than at any time since 1952?

 

(Snip)

 

Earlier today I offered a more pessimistic view of the current state of play between the parties. The 2014 election will go a long way toward clarifying whether the optimistic or the pessimistic perspective is the right one.