Where will the RINO'S go? Lost Moderate Republicans

Republicans in Name Only (RINO's), its what the more devisive, conservative, overtly religious part of the Republican Party calls the more moderate members of their party. It is not a term of endearment. "Failed Republicans" is used interchangably by the same conservatives. But in 2008, it may be that this relatively silent majority within their party begins to fight back, or one by one ends up leaving the party altogether.

"I'm absolutely fed up with the conservative Republicans," said Richard Meidinger, a retired physician in Topeka. "All the abortion stuff, gay marriage stuff doesn't belong in the legislative debate."

This perception of a growing division within the RNC spurred along by the possible nomination a more moderate leaning John McCain that increases the divide is a scenario that the Democrats hope to exploit to their benefit in 2008. Assuming of course that they come up with a moderate candidate of their own - Billary? Mark Warner? Al Gore? In other words, it could shape up as an election that is a mad rush to the middle and (finally) away from the extremist ends of the political spectrum.

Of course, this is all based on the premise that moderate or centrist voters are willing to take either party back, and that at this point that they even care which party a candidate belongs to anymore. Not necessarily a sure bet.

Other voices are beginning to emerge, and other political realities may begin fracturing the parties beyond matters of ideology. For example, if Joe Lieberman loses the Connecticut Democratic Primary, he could end up running as an independent out of political necessity. If the Republican party takes a dive off into the deep end and goes towards a more conservative presidential nominee that appeals to a far right-wing base do you really think John McCain will bow out gracefully when 2008 could be his last remaining shot at the presidency? Even Newt Gingrich is returning back from the political graveyard willingly sucking up to any presidential hopeful (from either party) that might conceivably put him on the ticket as VP.

While no one, no one, really has a clue who the nominee's will be for 2008, what has begun to stir even before the 2006 midterm elections is an unrest in the American electorate that wants to regain some control over their elected leaders from the party machinery of both the Republicans and the Democrats. There has been too much corruption, too much failed leadership, too many lost opportunities, and too much debt piled onto our children to leave our future in the hands of these political hacks.

Others have said it better than I:

Let the present, long-running duopoly of the Republicans and Democrats end. Let the invigorating and truly democratic partisan flux of the American republic’s first century return. Let there be a more or less pacifist, anti-business, protectionist Democratic Party on the left, and an anti-science, Christianist, unapologetically greedy Republican Party on the right—and a robust new independent party of passionately practical progressives in the middle.

One of the core values will be honesty. Not a preachy, goody-goody, I’ll-never-lie-to-you honesty of the Jimmy Carter type, but a worldly, full-throated and bracing candor. The moderation will often be immoderate in style and substance, rather than tediously middle-of-the-road. Pragmatism will be an animating party value—even when the most pragmatic approach to a given problem is radical.