i agree with your point.
but within the current grouping that calls itself republican, a no government, no tax increase, no welfare, pro-one-percent, trickle down, anti-abortion, pro-gun, pro-prison, pro-war, strict-constructionist, liberal-hating, god-fearing, faux-news-lovin', flag-claiming, nationalist ideology is holding people captive.
and i think the forces that crack that into pieces are also at work. because not everyone believes all that stuff, even if they believe some of it.
so far, folks like frum, sullivan and bartlett - who used to be at the heart of the party - have been ejected or have left. but that has only hardened the control of the right wing.
anyone that thinks outside the scope of the ideology is excluded. so basically, a person with an independent mind cannot remain within the party. a person who cares about facts that run counter to ideology cannot remain in the party. the party seems bound to come apart. for myself, i think there will be a split because people usually want to be free of shackles.
puritanism always fails. the only variable is time.
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