Mission Impossible? Making the GOP the Party of "Yes"

Having watched the Republican Party descend into lunacy in the years since I exited the party in protest over its conflating of religion and the civil laws I am skeptical about supposed efforts under way to transform the GOP into the "Party of Yes" rather than the party of "No" and outright obstruction.  Given the control of the GOP base by Christofascists and Tea Party members (the vast majority of whom are Christofascists and/or white supremacists), no real change will occur in my view until these fouls elements are exiled to the political wilderness.  A piece in the New York Times looks at the wishful thinking among some Republicans that they can transform the GOP into a functioning political party that can actually govern the nation.  Here are highlights:

With control of Congress within reach, Republicans are quietly assembling an aggressive 2015 agenda built around a push for a balanced budget and quick passage of measures, like approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and repeal of a medical equipment tax, to show they can govern.

At the same time, they are warning Republican members who have chafed at their minority status for years that simply holding the majority is no guarantee that they can get all they want. Party leaders say that Republicans will need to be realistic about what they can achieve and that a high level of party unity will be essential since any Senate advantage they gain in the midterm elections is likely to be narrow.

“We need to change our mentality,” said Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican. “Because we have been in the minority, some people are used to saying no. We need to find something we can say yes to, something that advances our agenda.” 

Fear of a splintered majority was a principal reason top Senate Republicans were determined to fend off Tea Party challenges to incumbents, an effort that culminated last week with primary victories by Senators Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Pat Roberts of Kansas, two pragmatic Senate veterans considered team players.

Still, recent House chaos that preceded a Republican agreement on border funding underscored anew the challenge of rallying ideologically divided Republican lawmakers behind party priorities.

Republican leaders acknowledge they will need to persuade their most conservative colleagues — including several potential presidential contenders — to be satisfied with legislative gains that might fall short of their ideals. Insisting on all their demands could end in failure by leaving Republicans short of 51 votes, let alone the 60 that will be required to pass most bills.

“We are going to have to convince people that we are not going to be perfect, but let’s at least move the ball down the field and try to do things many of us have wanted to do for a long time,” said Senator John Thune of South Dakota, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

While they try to entice colleagues on the right, Senate Republican leaders must be mindful of the potential vulnerability of their senators up for re-election in 2016 — when the electoral climate will almost certainly be less favorable to them . . . 

Democrats say they hope Republicans never get to try their hand at full control of Congress. But they believe divisions among Republican factions would greatly complicate matters if they did.

“The $64,000 question is, will mainstream Republicans break from the Tea Party?” said Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the Senate’s No. 3 Democrat. “If they do, it will be good for the country and bad for the Democrats.”

My prediction is that the mainstream will be unable to stop the Tea Party and Christofascists.  Far too many sane and rational Republicans have left the GOP and are unlikely to go back as long as the base is controlled by  religious extremists, white supremacists and those who proudly embrace ignorance.