GOP attacks moderates, seals fate

December 3, 9:32 AMIndependent ExaminerBrian Trent

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A few weeks ago, I posted an article about the choices facing the Republican Party, in the wake of their Election Day losses. It was my hope that the party would expunge its radical elements and get back to center, as opposed to remaining as it is (an abomination of classic conservatism.) I even stated the possibility, absurd as it sounded, that the neoconservative element would demand the party shift further to the right.

Welcome to the world of the absurd.

Like true narcissists, the right wing media and blogosphere is ablaze with universal condemnation of the moderate, freethinking voices among them. They are calling for blood. They’re demanding immediate deportation of all those in their “big tent” who aren’t hard-line enough. After all, they reason, it can’t be our own divisive, fanatical philosophy that lost us Election Day 2008. It must be those nasty freethinking moderates.

Consider the premiere rightwing political site Redstate.org, courtesy of blogger E Pluribus Unum:

“I will neither take nor share ANY blame for what happened in 2006 and 2008. Not one bit… It is the party, the party leadership, the party apparatus dominated by people other than conservatives, and the 60% of the party that is moderate… Moderates, we don't need your help figuring out how the Party got into such a sad state. We know why, and we are doing something about it… And for the record, you stupid, short-sighted moderates made this possible.”

From Rush Limbaugh, in an October radio address:

“The latest moderate Republican to abandon his party is William Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts who today endorsed the Most Merciful Lord Barack Obama. He joins moderate Republican Colin Powell.  He joins former Bush press spokesman Scott McClellan.  He joins a number of Republicans like Chuck Hagel, Senator from Nebraska…How the hell is it that moderate Republicans are fleeing their own party and we are not attracting other moderates and independents? We found out they're not really Republicans and they're by no means conservatives, and now they're gone.  Now the trick is to keep 'em out.”

From Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council in a CNN interview:

"What has made the conservative movement strong is when you have social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and foreign policy conservatives working together," he said.

Rightwingnews.com’s John Hawkins isn’t content to just blame moderates. He has to suggest they are incapable of thinking:

“…moderates tend to be much less ideological, less knowledgeable about politics, and less informed than liberals and conservatives, it's entirely possible that even if our candidate's views are closer to their views, they won't be capable of figuring it out… look to 2006 and 2008 to see how an incompetent, "moderate" Republican Party does at the ballot box.”

Alas, this is hardly cherry-picking the neocon constellations. A recent Gallup Poll of people who identified themselves as conservatives were asked who they wanted on the GOP ticket in 2012. Incredibly, Sarah Palin tops the list, earning 67% of their approval. Following her were Mitt “I need lawyers to okay the Constitution’s due process clauses” Romney, and Mike “Let’s remake the Constitution in the image of the Bible” Huckabee.

So what do Moderate Republicans say about this vitriolic assault?