Once again - base vs Establishment. Pindell thinks Establish Reps should tell the base to buzz off - will they? - Granite Grok

Once again – base vs Establishment. Pindell thinks Establish Reps should tell the base to buzz off – will they?

Sosnik notes that many Republicans are more concerned about losing in a primary than a general election, which makes compromise harder.

That’s a quote from Politico on a piece that a Democrat strategy claiming that the Democrat Party is in decline (especially after Obama).  The thrust of it, given the entire piece, is that Republicans are not worried about the Democrats – but are worried about what their base is thinking about them.  Now contrast that with this:

WMUR

Will the Republican establishment stop fighting with their base and just start ignoring them?

 

from James Pindell at WMUR’s Political Scoop.  Now, part of Pindell’s job (or seemingly, most journalists these days) are to either act as Democrat mouthpieces (like in “how much of the Gosnell killing-aborted-but-born-alive-babies murder trial?  Or in MSNBC’s “journalists” in toeing the WH line concerning Clinton’s “What does it matter now?” with Benghazi?).  So Politico is outright saying that politicians are paying more attention to their base for re-election, and WMUR is say “Hey Establishment Republicans – blow off your base“?  Such a dichotomy of awareness of the politics are playing: complete opposites.

The Dems here in NH kept the corner office, captured the Exec. Council, “waved” the House and came within two of a majority in the Senate.  Sosnik may be right in that without Obama and his machine, Doom might be the operative word on the Left.  But how much does WMUR’s Pindell believe the Establishment Rs can afford to lose of their disaffected base and still beat the Dems in the next election?

There is already the years old discontent within the ranks from the treatment of Conservatives / Libertarians / TEA Party / 9-12ers by the Party on an on-going basis.  This time, a fine example is how worked out for Frank Guinta by playing to that base in the primary and again in the general and then “ignored” them when it came to what that base (and me) really wanted to see once he was in office – fulfilling that promise to cut the budget via the Continuing Resolutions.  Both New Hampshire Republican Congressmen were on the wrong side of those votes and look at the results in the election.  While Bass was a foregone conclusion, the base made its displeasure known – even if only by the thinnest of margins – but that was materially sufficient to send a hard, hard message.

Now add to that the upstart movement (and gaining membership) of a formal group making up the Conservative Republicans in Belknap County standing up and saying “enough” (with others wondering if they, too, should pull the triggers in their areas).  Is it possible that a “TEA Party” type Party might actually arise, even if an insurgency within the Party.  Perhaps Pindell might have to reformulate the question:

Will the Republican base stop screwing with the Establishment and just ignore the Party for most intents and purposes?

Even if just to stay home?  A lot of the base activists really are that close.  Yeah, I’m such a h8ter for even thinking about this…but you know, I’m pretty much sure that if the base had an alternative, they’d take it.  How much of a swing, 2%, 3% would it actually take?  I’ve said this kind of thing before – may do it again, too.

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