Another GOP Civil War Brewing

[babylonsister]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/11/10/another_gop_civil_war_brewing.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PoliticalWire+%28Political+Wire%29

November 10, 2010

Another GOP Civil War Brewing


The Hotline: "There are early signs that the same intra-party feuds that limited huge pickups in the Senate in 2010 are re-emerging for 2012. Members who would be likely locks for re-election - Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar (R) and Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) -- could well face serious primary challenges from Tea Party candidates. And Democratic members who look vulnerable - like Montana's Jon Tester - could benefit from ideologically divided Republican fields."

"If crowded fields do, in fact, form, they will present the possibility of a sequel where candidates favored by the National Republican Senatorial Committee -- like those seen this year in Delaware, Kentucky, and Colorado - end up losing to less-electable candidates. In those states, establishment Republicans ran into problems as their endorsed candidates went down in primaries. Republicans believe they could have comfortably won the Colorado and Delaware Senate races if their favored candidates prevailed."

[SpiralHawk]

1. "TeaBag them." - RepubliBaggers for Purity (R)

"TeaBag the Infidels. Only True Believers are sufficiently PURE>"

- RepubliBaggers for Purity (R)

[Fuzz]

4. Before they teabag us??

[LynneSin]

2. I don't know about Indiana but we could win Maine

I mean that would be the equivilent of what they did here in Delaware. Take out a respectable moderate republican that can easily win the state and replace with a nutjob crazy that will alienate moderate dems and independants.

This isn't some southern or western state that would soak this up - this is New England and it would totally backfire.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. Lugar will stop being a Senator from Indiana

whenever he's ready to resign from the job/not run again. He is getting up there in years, so it's possible that he might not be interested in running for another term. He's a pretty decent guy- for a Republican and I have admittedly voted for him in the past but he is definitely at risk of a teabagging.

[LynneSin]

5. Does Indiana have open or closed primaries?

Because we were all shocked when Castle lost his primary here in Delaware and Mike Castle has not lost an election ever in his 40 years of office. And our state heavily favors democrats with our registration numbers.

But we have a closed primary so moderate democrats and independents that kept Castle employeed couldn't help him win this race. Didn't help that Castle pretty much thought O'Donnell was a joke and didn't bother to campaign any but still....

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. How would you know?

:shrug:

[LynneSin]

8. Know what?

It's simple, in a closed primary system anything could happen when it comes to the Tea Party.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. How would you know if we have an open or closed primary system?

I believe that we just ask for a Republican or Democratic ballot when we go in to vote.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. That sounds like an open primary.

Lynn was just asking which you had. Closed primaries are those where you have to be registered in a party to vote. Yours sounds open, like WI.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. Ok

I think that we might have been one of those states "targeted" by Limbaugh for his "Operation Chaos" project back in 2008.

[LynneSin]

14. I misunderstood your reply - sorry about that

Here in Delaware with our primaries you can only vote in the election for the party you are registered. If you are independent then you pretty much can't vote in a primary. This is a closed election.

In an open election, you can request which ballot you want and independents are allowed to vote.

Because Delaware is a closed primary state only republicans could vote. This means that the moderate democrats and independents who have supported Castle over 40 years had absolutely no say in the republican primary and O'Donnell was able to oust Castle.

If you are allowed to ask for a ballot regardless of your party affiliation then you have an open primary.

[Ozymanithrax]

7. Lik the 2010 GOP civil war worked so well for us.

Teabaggers = GOP (IMHO)

We have 20 seats to defend in the Senate, with two independents who caucaus with us. I'm not going to be concerned with a few teabagged Republicans and the Civil War.

[leftynyc]

11. I read that Orrin Hatch

may get a primary opponent. When Sen Hatch isn't considered conservative enough, there is all the evidence you need that the other side has lost their mind.

[leftynyc]

12. Sorry, dupe