What is the future of the Republican Party?

https://apnews.com/article/some-gop-open-to-biden-agenda-7858050374c244239578f00745ba4450

"A solid Republican voter for the past four decades, the 69-year-old quickly regretted casting his 2016 ballot for Donald Trump. When Trump was up for reelection last year, Copan appeared on roadside billboards across North Carolina, urging other Republicans to back Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Nearly three months into the new administration, Copan considers himself a “Biden Republican,” relieved by the new president’s calmer leadership style and coronavirus vaccine distribution efforts."

"Tom Rawles is an ex-Republican county supervisor in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and was critical in Biden carrying swing-state Arizona. After voting for Biden, Rawles registered as a Democrat.

"'I’d rather fight philosophically within the Democratic Party than I would for character in the Republican Party, because there’s none there,'"said Rawles. He’s 71 and said he doesn’t expect the GOP to return to principles he can support in his lifetime."

Seems like a pretty common sentiment on this board.  Nationally though only 8% of Republicans jumped ship.  

 
Scarlet said:
Seems like a pretty common sentiment on this board.  Nationally though only 8% of Republicans jumped ship.  
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There will always be that 25-30% of the population that will follow what either party does blindly no matter what.  I think it's pretty telling that the people who claim to be Republican is down to 25%.  LINK  Once you get that low, it's almost impossible to draw more people away unless a viable liberal or conservative party rises from the ashes to compete.  And, we all know that's not going to happen unless things structurally change in our elections and political environment.  This poll goes back to 2004 and people who claim to be Republican is at an almost all time low.

Still like seeing the Independents being the largest group.

 
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BigRedBuster said:
There will always be that 25-30% of the population that will follow what either party does blindly no matter what.  I think it's pretty telling that the people who claim to be Republican is down to 25%.  LINK  Once you get that low, it's almost impossible to draw more people away unless a viable liberal or conservative party rises from the ashes to compete.  And, we all know that's not going to happen unless things structurally change in our elections and political environment.  This poll goes back to 2004 and people who claim to be Republican is at an almost all time low.

Still like seeing the Independents being the largest group.
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I really think that the country has never been more ripe for a 3rd Centrist party to emerge. Call it the Independence Party to play on how many people consider themselves to be Independents. Use the Independent voter registrations to build a base of support nationwide. Select viable middle of the road candidates to run. My opinion? At this point, you'd have 30-40 percent of the electorate in the party within 2 election cycles, or at minimum pull both parties back to the middle to shut out a viable third party. I think in the past third parties have failed because they have been generally way left, or way right of mainstream. This would be different as it would give the mainstream a place to escape the two parties that have moved way left, and way right. 

 
Born N Bled Red said:
I really think that the country has never been more ripe for a 3rd Centrist party to emerge. Call it the Independence Party to play on how many people consider themselves to be Independents. Use the Independent voter registrations to build a base of support nationwide. Select viable middle of the road candidates to run. My opinion? At this point, you'd have 30-40 percent of the electorate in the party within 2 election cycles, or at minimum pull both parties back to the middle to shut out a viable third party. I think in the past third parties have failed because they have been generally way left, or way right of mainstream. This would be different as it would give the mainstream a place to escape the two parties that have moved way left, and way right. 
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Which party has moved way left?

 
Moiraine said:
Which party has moved way left?
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Ok, you got me, I'll put it this way- the Republican party as a whole has moved to the extreme right. The Democratic Party in safe Democratic states has moved to the left, but the party as a whole has not moved as far left as the Republicans have moved right, the democrats have been tethered somewhat to the center due to the need to compete in more rural states. 

 
Born N Bled Red said:
Ok, you got me, I'll put it this way- the Republican party as a whole has moved to the extreme right. The Democratic Party in safe Democratic states has moved to the left, but the party as a whole has not moved as far left as the Republicans have moved right, the democrats have been tethered somewhat to the center due to the need to compete in more rural states. 
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Ya, I just wanted to point out the DNC has not moved far left. It's not as though we need some middle party for 2 parties of equal s#!ttiness. Most of the s#!ttiness is coming from the GOP side. The DNC s#!ttiness is their usual s#!ttiness. The GOP s#!ttiness will actually threaten  democracy if it continues and they gain more control. They're ok to just outright lie to the population now. When Clinton lost something like 12% of Democrats believed the election was not legitimate. 55% of Republicans think the 2020 election was not legitimate. That is because of the lying.

Anyhow, most people in the U.S. don't even know what far left is, as evidenced by the laugh reaction I got to my question. Even Sanders is not far left and he isn't getting laws passed. Universal healthcare is not a far left concept.

 
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Moiraine said:
Ya, I just wanted to point out the DNC has not moved far left. It's not as though we need some middle party for 2 parties of equal s#!ttiness. Most of the s#!ttiness is coming from the GOP side. The DNC s#!ttiness is their usual s#!ttiness. The GOP s#!ttiness will actually threaten  democracy if it continues and they gain more control. They're ok to just outright lie to the population now. When Clinton lost something like 12% of Democrats believed the election was not legitimate. 55% of Republicans think the 2020 election was not legitimate. That is because of the lying.

Anyhow, most people in the U.S. don't even know what far left is, as evidenced by the laugh reaction I got to my question. Even Sanders is not far left and he isn't getting laws passed. Universal healthcare is not a far left concept.
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Ya, the problem is though, most of the independents distrust the Democrats just as much as the Republicans. So. with 30% of all voters registered as Independents, if there was and a viable centrist 3rd party for people who think their own party has gone too far to the extreme to escape to, combined it could be a powerful force to hold both parties in check. A viable third party would force other changes as well, such as, ranked choice voting and open primaries. Ultimately, my point though is that this is the first time in my lifetime anyway, that I could see a middle of the road party become a viable third option. 

 
Moiraine said:
Ya, I just wanted to point out the DNC has not moved far left. It's not as though we need some middle party for 2 parties of equal s#!ttiness. Most of the s#!ttiness is coming from the GOP side. The DNC s#!ttiness is their usual s#!ttiness. The GOP s#!ttiness will actually threaten  democracy if it continues and they gain more control. They're ok to just outright lie to the population now. When Clinton lost something like 12% of Democrats believed the election was not legitimate. 55% of Republicans think the 2020 election was not legitimate. That is because of the lying.

Anyhow, most people in the U.S. don't even know what far left is, as evidenced by the laugh reaction I got to my question. Even Sanders is not far left and he isn't getting laws passed. Universal healthcare is not a far left concept.
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Yes Sanders is far left.  It’s not even under debate 

 
Born N Bled Red said:
Ya, the problem is though, most of the independents distrust the Democrats just as much as the Republicans. So. with 30% of all voters registered as Independents, if there was and a viable centrist 3rd party for people who think their own party has gone too far to the extreme to escape to, combined it could be a powerful force to hold both parties in check. A viable third party would force other changes as well, such as, ranked choice voting and open primaries. Ultimately, my point though is that this is the first time in my lifetime anyway, that I could see a middle of the road party become a viable third option. 
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Could be possibility with the right dynamic candidate. 

 
Moiraine said:
Ya, I just wanted to point out the DNC has not moved far left. I
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DNC hasn't.  You're right.  But, there is a faction of the Democrats that have.  They haven't taken over the majority of the party though.  It's like there has always been a part of the Republican party that was aligned with the Trump thought process but they weren't the majority.  Then, that exploded and here we are.

 
Born N Bled Red said:
Ya, the problem is though, most of the independents distrust the Democrats just as much as the Republicans. So. with 30% of all voters registered as Independents, if there was and a viable centrist 3rd party for people who think their own party has gone too far to the extreme to escape to, combined it could be a powerful force to hold both parties in check. A viable third party would force other changes as well, such as, ranked choice voting and open primaries. Ultimately, my point though is that this is the first time in my lifetime anyway, that I could see a middle of the road party become a viable third option. 
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Ya, I agree with all that. I think it would be mostly former Republicans and maybe some conservative independents. I don’t think many leaning left would join because the DNC is moderate. Unless the DNC ever stops being moderate. 

BigRedBuster said:
DNC hasn't.  You're right.  But, there is a faction of the Democrats that have.  They haven't taken over the majority of the party though.  It's like there has always been a part of the Republican party that was aligned with the Trump thought process but they weren't the majority.  Then, that exploded and here we are.
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Far left is wanting things like state owned housing and businesses. We don’t really have far left in the U.S. Not that gets paid any attention to at all. I don’t see universal healthcare as far left at all. UBI would be further left than that though. 

 
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Frott Scost said:
He would be middle of the road in Europe. Only here is universal healthcare and tuition free college considered comunism. While those other countries cant grasp their minds around medical and student debt. 
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Hooray for Europe.  Maybe Bernie should run there.  Sounds like he would for right in from what you describe. 

 
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