Conservatives haven't lost control of the GOP. They've lost control of the country.
Okay,
this headline from the
Washington Post's Robert Costa is absurd on its face:
Conservatives seek to regain control of Republican agenda
Conservatives don't control the GOP's agenda? Come on. This can't be a serious claim, can it? But apparently it is:
Although many Republicans are optimistic about their chances in this year’s elections, some of Washington’s leading conservatives gathered Thursday to privately vent frustrations about what kind of party they will be left with after November.
The group, alarmed by a resurgence of the GOP establishment in recent primaries and what activists view as a softened message, drafted demands to be shared with senior lawmakers calling on the party to “recommit” to bedrock principles.
Yes, I know tea party grifters haven't had the best run of it in primaries this year, but when it comes to actual policy, conservatives are still in the driver's seat. Consider that Republicans are responsible for:
- The government shutdown
- Inaction on immigration reform
- Creating yet another #Benghazi committee
- Stopping an increase in the minimum wage
- Blocking ENDA and pay equality
- Refusing to consider infrastructure improvements
- Doing nothing about climate change
- Saying no to extended unemployment benefits
- Trying to curtail legal access to abortion
The list could go on. Yes, it's true that conservatives have been losing battles like the one over marriage equality, but that's not because they've lost control of the GOP. It's because they've lost control of the country. If conservatives have really lost control of the GOP, I'd hate to see what it looks like with them in charge. It's bad enough already.