Government Shutdown

Inside the Republican Civil War

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For the first time in nearly two decades, the Government is experiencing a shut down. While Anarchists and Libertarians rejoice, Republicans and Democrats are busy locking antlers so tight the friction might produce smoke. With every political stalemate there are always accusations upon accusations vollied back and forth as well as more than a few fingers assigning fault in every direction. Interestingly enough this time a lot of the blame pointing is going on between party members, and it’s revealed a bitter civil war.

The opposing sides in this Republican Civil War seem to be the Far Right and those that are more Moderate. While this is hardly a new conflict (both groups have seemed to think the other is out of touch since 2006 and before), the current gridlock may prove to be a huge deciding factor on which side controls the GOP in the next election.

Among the split groups, there are those like Representative Michael Grimm (NY Rep), who are frustrated that “The circus created the past few days isn’t reflective of mainstream Republicans — it projects an image of not being reasonable.” While others like Sal Russo, chief strategist of the Tea Party Express, think Republicans taking a hard stand will invigorate the party, “There was a lot of frustration that Republicans weren’t doing anything,” he said. “This is going to encourage them to do more.”

Unfortunately, it’s hard to see the latter opinion as anything but disconcerting. The shutdown has backed the Far-Right or “Tea Party” Republicans into a corner, and if they show any sign of caving they feel it will cost them their jobs in the coming year. This makes it unlikely they will budge, splitting the party further and leaving the more moderate members to try and find a way to compromise with the Democrats and end the shutdown. A particularly troubling effect when you realize the party is already “facing a hardening public perception that it is primarily to blame for setting the crisis in motion” because of those staunch Far Right-ers. And let’s not forget, the loser of this shutdown will be whomever the voters assign blame to. That begs the question, “why are certain members trying to paint a bull’seye on the GOP’s back?”

It’s important to note that part of the mentioned hardening perception is occurring right within the Republican party lines. Representative Trent Franks (Arizona Rep) bemoans the fact that his party’s reputation causes them to be accused of “wanting to eviscerate and destroy all of government” whenever they take a stance on something, a reality that prompted him to back a different strategy for funding the government. It’s a complaint that increases the poignancy of Michael Grimm’s comment that “The vast majority of Republicans are pretty level-headed and are here to govern,” but further proves the Great Divide is a significant challenge to the party. Especially when the Far Right portion of the party also happens to be the loudest, even though they only represent 15% of the entire country. But it doesn’t matter too much if most of your organization is moderate and reasonable if its extreme proponents are in control.

On top of the government shutdown and the stress from the debates over the debt ceiling and healthcare funding, the two Republican groups continue to be in disagreement over immigration reform. The more than 40 year old conflict is hotly contended by those who “are interested in a large supply of cheap labor and support unfettered immigration and open borders” and those primarily concerned with the “lawlessness on our border, national sovereignty and the real security threat posed by porous borders.” and it doesn’t seem to be anywhere near being resolved. Not only that, immigration isn’t the only border related issue plaguing the GOP. There’s also plenty of indecision about the party’s plan to appeal to Hispanic voters for the next election and whether or not it’s even a worthwhile venture. Even Anne Coulter, a prominent conservative Republican, is doubtful of her party’s future with the Hispanic vote.

All of these problems and more seem to spell out a lot of continued trouble for the GOP. With an increasingly negative public perception, a loud minority that appear to be strangling the progress of the majority and a splintered approach to nearly every major issue that pops up, it’s hard to imagine the Republican party functioning at full capacity for a while. Luckily, the next election is still years away, so the GOP still might have a shot at ending their civil war in time to actually contend for the white house in 21016. But unluckily, as of right now, the Republican party has a tiny target and really shaky aim.