Do you see moderate Republicans leaving their party in the future?

[PlanetBev]

They are going so far to the right that I wonder if more moderate Republicans will eventually become uncomfortable with this insane drift to the right. The Republican party of today doesn't even remotely resemble the one of 25 years ago. I wonder how Lincoln Chafee, Olympia Snowe and others can take this? I'm tempted to think that eventually the party will collapse under it's own hubris.

[Lefty48197]

1. I think the moderates are already leaving

The Republicans have generally lost the suburban/ethnic/moderate votes in many parts of this country. The problem is that all of their domination of all the discussions has led a lot of young people to follow the teachings of the Church of Tom Delay. Until we can teach America what the benefits of OUR ideas are, we'll keep coming in second.

[livinontheedge]

2. The question should be "how do we get those disaffected republicans

to vote for our candidate"?. I know many republicans who are unhappy with certain Bush policies, but they don't seem to like any democrats.

[jiacinto]

3. No not at all

Chafee, Snowe, and Collins will remain Republicans. They are not going to switch. Stop dreaming.

[mandyky]

4. I also see fiscal conservatives leavingthe GOP

they hate this deficit idiot boy keeps piling up.

[HFishbine]

5. Republicans are going nowhere

Their party is in power. Imagine if the dems controlled congress and the presidency and started instituting such left-wing policies as civil unions for gays, universal health care, a department of peace, worker-friendly trade agreements and legalization of marijuana. Would you say, "Man, the dems are just too darn liberal for me anymore. I'm switching to the republican party." I doubt it.

The repukes are thrilled and looking for an every greater swing to the right. Rather than try to convince them to modulate, we need all of the left and a majority of the independent muddle.

[tritsofme]

6. ....

>>>The Republican party of today doesn't even remotely resemble the one of 25 years ago

I think it resembles it perfectly, it was just then, we kept them out of the majority in Congress.

[roughsatori]

7. Not a chance but we will chase that chimera by becoming more moderate

and because of that lose even more of our progressive message.

We need to motivate registered Dems to get out and vote. Courting "moderate" Republicans will never work for the Dems, but it will strengthen the Republican party.

[Piperay]

8. NO...

a few of the rank and file may leave but not the one's in power.

[RichM]

9. Don't kid yourself. The Democrats will collapse long before the R's do.

The Republicans are masters of the game. They know what they want and they have the discipline and resources to get it.

The Democrats don't know what they want, don't know who they are, & have neither discipline nor comparable resources. The Democrats no longer serve a real function in American society, other than to maintain the pretense that we have a "democracy," & not a "1-party system." The Democrats are kept alive for decorative purposes only.

[Silverhair]

10. Won't happen at all.

The party in power just doesn't lose seats to defectors. What's-his-name that defected in 01 was a rare special case. He carried the majority with him, although he became an independent. Now, he is probably being punished and treated like he is a Dem by the Reps. That means fewer goodies for his state.

Remember, a representative or senator must take care of the folks back home, and to do that they need some positions of power. So if you are in a majority party, you don't leave it.

[kodi]

11. wishful thinking with no basis of facts, or understanding of the GOP

these folks are republicans predominantly because of economic philosophies not social issues.

the few socially progressive positions the gop moderates have that run counter to the mainsream GOP are insufficient to dislodge them.

like it or not, that's why you find homosexual republicans because of their belief that they are people first, and homosexuals second.

[mmonk]

12. The answer is yes

Some have inquired about Clark and support him. They have issues with Bush's lack of transparency, Iraq and foreign policy, and they say he is a puppet for the neocons.