The Republican Civil War And Syria

In listening to the news about the continuing Syrian civil war, it occurred to me the one within the Republican Party isn't very different.  No, no one here is getting killed, but in another sense what had been the traditional Republican Party is being massacred by the Tea Partiers.

When life became impossible Syrian civilians formed a rag tag army to fight an oppressive regime. Without aid they faltered and outside groups, sensing weakness, began infiltrating their ranks.  The fight then became a three way conflict with the former civilians on the losing end.  How it will play out in the end remains to be seen.

In an imperfect analogy, the oppressive government would be the current Democratic administration. The Republicans take the part of the frustrated opposition.  Being unorganized in their resistance the Tea Party sensed weakness. Now it's a three way conflict with the traditional Republicans taking it on the chin.

This does not bode well.  If the Tea Party had stuck to it's original purpose of promoting less intrusive government and fiscal responsibility all would be relatively well.  Slow as molasses to be sure, but never-the-less flowing along.  Then those with ambitions of their own, their chance to be on TV or 15 minutes of fame, began exercising their new found power.

The problem is they got caught up in the power surge without the skill to use it.  They threatened those who didn't agree with them and began backing candidates who lacked the experience and knowledge to be good representatives in either house. A few won unseating good people who understood the process and how to best use it.  Enough lost to have left the Senate in Democratic hands.  It didn't have to be.

They recently took a beating on the defund Obamacare stunt yet they continue onward.  They either are too bull headed to admit their strategy didn't have a chance to work or too dumb.  Take your pick. Yet they threaten more of the same.

The leadership of the majority hasn't found their voice and the longer it takes them to say enough is enough, the more clout the Tea Party, with their irrational and unworkable methods, will gain.  I hope it's a temporary phenomenon.

Of one thing I am certain, the Republicans have an opportunity, purely by happenstance, to regain some support as the ACA continues to flounder.  If, however, the RINOs as the Tea Party love to call them,  aren't themselves willing to work with the Democrats who are also willing, they might as well begin their own party and start again.  The Tea Party doesn't want another party.  They aren't plentiful enough to accomplish anything on their own.  That's why they hijacked the weak Republicans.

In Syria, our inaction paired with the astute and well armed insurgents, has assurred the Syrian regime of keeping Assad at the helm.  In the Republican civil war, if the mainstream can't beat back the inssurgent Tea Party, they will guarentee the American people that the next President will be an extension of the administration now in power.  They will elect Hillary Clinton.

Should that be the case, America will never regain the status  and power for good it once had.  It's not in the Progressives vocabulary nor mind set and it will be a very sad day indeed.