" Some Republicans Fear Tea Party Becoming a Third Party "

**megimoo** · 06-18-2011, 08:51 AM

From dynamic presidential hopefuls such as Rep. Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain to rank-and-file party activists from across the country, Republicans who gathered in New Orleans Friday all pledged their fealty to the cause of defeating President Barack Obama in 2012.
herman_cain_rlc.jpgView full sizePatrick Semansky, The Associated PressRepublican presidential hopeful Herman Cain speaks at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans on Friday.

But Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former national party chairman, delivered a stern warning to Republican Leadership Conference delegates: Don't look for perfection in the potential nominees and don't even think about drafting a third-party candidate when the nomination fight is done.

"Don't get hung up on purity," he said. "In politics, purity is a loser. ... In this business, it is unity that wins elections. ... Barack Obama has worn out three sets of knee pads down his knees praying for the tea party to become a third party, because he can't lose."

Barbour, who has already announced that he isn't running for president, didn't call any of the announced candidates by name. But the warning was clearly a recognized party elder trying to navigate the disparate movements on display at the three-day conference that culminates Saturday with the announcement of a straw poll of more than 2,000 delegates.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.s...epublican.html

**Molon Labe** · 06-18-2011, 10:08 AM

since the tea party platform more closely represents true conservatism, I think a better title should be, "some RINO's or some people that think they are Republicans, fear the Tea party taking back the Republican party.

**Adam Wood** · 06-18-2011, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Molon Labe

since the tea party platform more closely represents true conservatism, I think a better title should be, "some RINO's or some people that think they are Republicans, fear the Tea party taking back the Republican party.

While there definitely is some truth to that, we simply cannot risk splitting the vote this time around. The opportunity to oust Obama is too great to allow internal differences to split the vote and put him back in for another disastrous four years.

Both the old guard GOP and the TEA partiers are going to have to have a little bit of give here to find someone who may not be quite so ideologically pure as either would like, but can still be acceptable and will beat Obama. Obama is incredibly beatable right now, and that's not likely to change, so there's no good reason to throw away the opportunity.

**AmPat** · 06-18-2011, 10:19 AM

" Some Republicans Fear Tea Party Becoming a Third Party "

Good if the RINOs and establishment GOPers like McCain don't get with the program. We need to either clean house and get truly conservative or start a real conservative third party. The clock is ticking on the GOP.

**Novaheart** · 06-18-2011, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Adam Wood

While there definitely is some truth to that, we simply cannot risk splitting the vote this time around. The opportunity to oust Obama is too great to allow internal differences to split the vote and put him back in for another disastrous four years.

Everyone says that every presidential election. That's how Obama got elected.

**Adam Wood** · 06-18-2011, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Novaheart

Everyone says that every presidential election. That's how Obama got elected.

Well, I'll certainly admit that it's been a mantra since Perot. A lot of that has to do with the general tense contentiousness of the whole primary process, though. There was no genuine threat of some split in the Democrats in 2008. No one was going to go off and form the Liberal Party or whatever and break the vote down between Hillary and Obama. And while I sincerely doubt that the TEA party faction would actually go off and start a new party all together, it's certainly been talked about.

**Novaheart** · 06-18-2011, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by AmPat

Good if the RINOs and establishment GOPers like McCain don't get with the program. We need to either clean house and get truly conservative or start a real conservative third party. The clock is ticking on the GOP.

There you have hit the nail on the head. The problem in this country is that we keep trying to shove everyone into one of two parties. It might give a good illusion of victory and national support, but what it really does is leave everyone holding his nose and pulling the lever.

The extreme right wing has little more in common with the center right, than the Progressive wing has in common with the center left. Center Left and Center Right usually disagree on one major (but not necessarily core) issue, or simple separate themselves by the group which they find most comfortable if not in agreement.

Look at the West Virginians interviewed after Reagan was elected. The West Virginians interviewed (white male, miners and other hard workers) were visibly surprised to discover that they weren't actually in agreement with the GOP or Reagan platform- but they felt comfortable in that group.

Multiple parties will change how Congress does business as well. You can't have this schoolyardish "winner takes all, we won neener neener neener" thing when multiple parties have to share power.

I'm not suggesting a coalition government. I don't know how England has survived with that system. But multiple parties mean that you have to have greater levels of cooperation, which might actually have the side effect of reducing the power of corporate lobbies.