# Would a split in the Republican party restore a viable two-party system? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 5, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-split-in-the-republican-party-restore-a-viable-two-party-system/1034513 "2026-11-05T19:48:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-split-in-the-republican-party-restore-a-viable-two-party-system/1034513/22 "2026-11-07T17:23:42Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I wonder if this is the beginning of a split? Possibly, though it feels more to me like the GOP establishment flexing its muscles against a weakened Trump. I think that there are relatively few “true MAGA believers” in Congress, and the rest of the Congressional Republicans have put up with Trump, and paid lip-service to him, because they felt that they needed to in order to stay in office. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-split-in-the-republican-party-restore-a-viable-two-party-system/1034513/23 "2026-11-07T19:41:56Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > The big problem, to me, is that the most radical 15 or 20 percent of each party is determining the direction of that party. Are you under the impression that the most radical 15 or 20 percent are determining the direction of the Democrats? Because I see very little evidence that they’re even WORKING with those on the far left of the party. > [@DeadTreasSecretaries](#): > > Party bosses would never have overlooked Biden’s age in 2020 the way the voters did. I don’t think this was the voters: it was a largely uncontested primary, and voters were not given much of a choice. That seems more like a party boss move than anything, though rather than nefarious shadowy leaders, I think it was just conventional wisdom that the incumbent president has the best shot, and challenging him would tank the challenger in the next cycle. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-split-in-the-republican-party-restore-a-viable-two-party-system/1034513/24 "2026-11-07T19:43:53Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I don’t think this was the voters: it was a largely uncontested primary, and voters were not given much of a choice. I think you’re thinking of 2024; @DeadTreasSecretaries was talking about 2020, in which there was a huge Democratic primary field, with no clear frontrunner, until in which Biden – whose campaign was on life support – finally took over the race with the South Carolina primary, and Jim Clyburn’s endorsement of him. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-split-in-the-republican-party-restore-a-viable-two-party-system/1034513/25 "2026-11-07T19:58:54Z")
Yeah, I think if party leaders had met in a smoke-filled room in 2020 they would not have considered Biden simply because they’d be planning to push candidates that could reliably serve for 8 years. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-split-in-the-republican-party-restore-a-viable-two-party-system/1034513/26 "2026-11-07T20:06:34Z")
Oh, yes. My misreading. Sorry! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-split-in-the-republican-party-restore-a-viable-two-party-system/1034513.md?page=1)