re: #37 HappyWarrior

I think the problem with the “moderates” is they continue to think their ideology has been hijacked rather than doing some deep soul searching that maybe it’s the ideology that’s the problem in the first place. I mean we are talking about the ideology that defended slavery, Jim Crow, etc the loudest.

Their ideology has not been hijacked.

The purposefully drew in these interest groups that are now taking over the party: the Southern Strategy, wooing the Religious Right, stoking the Tea Party paranoia. They have and continue indulge the press that has exacerbated these fears with yellow journalism; heck, supposedly “reasonable” conservatives like Mr. Goldberg have happily provided pseudo-intellectual cover for reactionaries, and also create the talking points and mythology the latter uses.

At each turn, the US right has made a choice to keep this voter bloc—THE dependable bloc—-sated. They still are.