Republican Party Infighting Deepens

Republican Party Infighting Deepens
Written by Paul I. Adujie





Tea Party fringes of the Republican Party have now won elections in Alaska, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York etc. The ultra right conservatives in the Republican Party are pressuring and pushing the party into a corner!

The extremists amongst conservatives, are pushing mainstream Republicans to adopt extreme positions on many public issues. In New York for instance, the governorship candidate, Carl Paladino who advocates an extremely irresponsible fiscal policies, such as a $20 billion cut in Medicaid, cut tax by as much as 10% among other outlandish claims and public policy position adopted by Palladino.

It will be recalled that Carl Palladino, it was, who stated that he would have used Eminent Domain to seize and confiscate Park51 property of the developers of the now controversial so-called Ground Zero mosque, in order to frustrate the developer from completing the project.

The electorate will find these outrageous positions on public policies unacceptable and vote against them, come midterm elections in November.

Carl Palladino has found himself in awkward positions more than once, he is vulnerable on many counts. He has been known to peddle racist jokes and redistribute tasteless pornographic materials through emails.

Carl Palladino is an upstate billionaire developer, who is very unconventional in his campaign style, public policy proposals and positions, as well as even matters of personal comportment and political finesse. He has already made gaffes and goofs, before and during the run up to the election primaries.

Rick Lazio on the other hand, was sidetracked by his own fixation on the so-called Ground Zero Islamic Cultural Center controversy. He cloned the issue and sought to make it his sole campaign issue, apart for occasional scurrilous references to Mr. Andrew Cuomo and how dysfunctional Albany, the state capital has become. Rick Lazio, was, clearly, not served by his choice to be fixated on one issue, the building of a mosque, blocks from Ground Zero. An area in lower Manhattan bustling with trade and commerce, including strip clubs, gaming and gambling halls and pizza parlors etc.

The wins in New York, Delaware etc by the Tea Party fringe elements in the Republican Party, could spell relief for Democrats in November. A factional and splintered Republican party, should enable the Democrats to successfully wrest the positions from the Republicans

In both Delaware and New York, two ultra conservative Republicans political neophytes have in effect bruised mainstream of the party, by upturning electoral order in Delaware and New York respectively.

It does however remains to be seen, whether these little known Republican newcomers could prevail against well established Democrats on November 2, 2010 at the midterm elections.

Karl Rowe, a Republican operative, has dismissed Christine O’Donnell as a nonstarter who will not fare well against the Democratic nominee in Delaware. Apart from Karl Rowe, there are many in the Republican Party, who are seething and licking their wounds from the fights with ultra conservatives and fringes of the Republican Party with the Tea Partiers and Birthers as the arrow heads. Many Delaware Republicans are moderates, and had worked against Christine O’Donnell who they thought extreme, unethical and unelectable. Christine O’Donnell, may therefore face and uphill task in the November elections, as mainstream Republicans may not rally around her, when it will count the most.

These deepening infighting and acrimony between mainstream Republicans and the extreme fringes of the party is rapidly whittling down what have, all through the spring and summer, as resurgence by the Republicans. Tea Party victories this September could quite likely turn Pyrrhic in November as there are no symmetries between Tea Party and mainstream Republican Party, as they in fact tend to cannibalize and polarize each other with endorsements and retaliatory endorsements and dueling campaigns replete with mean attacks.

After this primaries in the various states, there were reports of celebrations and jubilation in Delaware by the Democrats who are obviously of the belief that a defeat of Congressman Michael N. Castle by O’Donnell is a favor to the Democrats as they will coast to victory, come November.

There are now Democrats who would tell you that Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin Tea Party phenomenon could be a blessing in disguise. Tea Party has accomplished a major feat, successfully splintering the usually disciplined Republican Party conservatives.

There are reports of angers and disgusts, in both Delaware and New York, reports of anger within the Republican Party leadership, rank and file, over what is seen as opportunities handed over to the Democrats by the Tea Party wins in Delaware and New York.

There will be Wednesday morning second-guessing. Why did Rick Lazio refuse to actively engage Carl Palladino?

But could Tea Party candidates produce victories in November 2010 similar to Senator Scott Brown type victory in Massachusetts? Will Tea Party enthusiasm, support and energy levels be sustained or produce election victories in November? Or will it be the case the Tea Party fringe exuberance will evaporate without the support and coordinated efforts between the extremes of the Republican Party?

In other races in New York, Congressman Charlie Rangel easily won his nomination to continue to represent the Upper West Side Manhattan congressional district. This, despite the strident criticism from the press and media, and even suggestions by many, including President Obama that Charlie Rangel step aside, as consequence of pending ethical charges. Charlie Rangel, despite the ethical cloud, has won the nomination to continue to represent his district in congress.

Voters in Charlie Rangel’s constituency have expressed skepticism in connection with the ethical charges against him. Some say that the congressman is merely being singled out from a congress with ethical reputation which most do not find beguiling or worthy of emulating.

Charlie Rangel easily defeated his five challengers or rivals, and this essentially assures his retention of his seat in congress. As his district is heavily Democratic, and ultimately, nominees from the district are virtual shoo ins.

At the governorship of New York contest in November, will be between Andrew Cuomo and Carl Palladino. Andrew Cuomo, the current Attorney General Andrew Cuomo of the state of New York, he is the son of political scion, Mario Cuomo, himself, a lawyer, and former three terms governor of the state of New York. Andrew Cuomo won easy nomination for the governorship as Democratic candidate.

Andrew Cuomo will face an amalgam of Carl Palladino and Rick Lazio, who apparently are configuring a working political relationship, which will make the almost limitless self-funding of Carl Palladino available in conjunction with mainstream Republican Party funding, tagged with the support of New York Conservative Party.

This sorts of coalition could give Andrew Cuomo a good fight, it is in fight the only fighting chance Palladino nad Razio etc could have against a robustly funded and supported Andrew Cuomo who on primary night laid low, even as Palladino referred to him as Andrew Status Quo Cuomo!