When I start hearing every bankable Republican for the past 20 years as being RINOs, I start suspecting that people like Snow are actually true Republicans and are trying to get the party back to its basics. Her op-ed piece int the NYT said as much: fiscal conservatism, personal liberty. There was a time many years ago when I’d have long, interesting discussions with Republicans, but then the Republican party got caught up in this religious nonsense and fiscal-and-moral schizophrenia, and most of my discussions with Republicans have become just plain torture ;). So either the Republican party returns to its roots or it scoots off to the margins while some right-leaning part of the Democratic party cleaves off and starts championing the Republican platform as defined in the dictionaries.
Snowe and/or Collins may switch, it is impossible to tell, because if they do it will not be based on any political calculus. It would be based purely on ideological grounds, that they feel that the GOP no longer represents their interests.
Being one of the small handful of Senators who control the balance of power between filibuster or not (remember that a few Democrats won’t just vote against filibuster if they are against the particular legislation) is a lot more fun than being taken for granted by any party. And whatever the letter after their names they are that.
Yeah, but you can get that as Ben Nelson as easily as you can as Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe. Committee chair roles though are “Letter After Your Name” dependant.
Again, not that I suggest she would change but there’s advantages to being in the majority part if you’re going to be straddling the line anyway. I suspect though that she considers herself a Republican and will stay with the party barring some major event.
It may be a smaller tent, but it is the Tent of Freedom[sup]®[/sup]:
FI, how could you not quote the best part:
It means the senators from that tent have been set free. By the voters.
Is that where we can buy those Freedom Fries?
People are not running to the Democratic Party. They are just leaving the GOP. Saying that you do not belong where the GOP is right now is following the electorate’s inertia. Flipping from the GOP into the Democratic Party is apparently not.
Once they help Maine legalize SSM they may have to.
Why? What will the RNC do? How will Rush and others bloviating affect them?
As an aside - as Senators how does the prospect of legalized SSM in Maine need their help?
I was partly joking, suggesting if they came out to support SSM in Maine the hardliners in the RNC might accuse them of abandoning Republican ideals. The problem is IMO the connection of basic conservative principles of small government and spending with issues such as SSM, abortion, stem cell research etc.
Oh I thought it was a real reference to the news that the Maine Senate passed a SSM Act and that Snowe is considered to be solidly pro-gay rights.
Ohhh I hadn’t seen that yet. Cool. I’ll bet my sister who still lives there is disgusted, but hopefully not.