CBS Poll: Clinton Back on Top By Seven, 46-39

I would imagine the biggest part of that is her successful effort to bring some #NeverHillary Democrats back into the fold.

It's very unlikely that's going to happen on the Republican side, for lots of reasons.

For one, Democrats are more socially-conforming animals than Republicans are.

For another, Democrats are also more ruthless and, frankly, intelligent when it comes to elections. They set a goal -- political power -- and they drive towards that goals. Republicans get distracted with six or eight different goals, including "teach the Trump voters a lesson" or "preserve muh principles."

For a third thing, this really does represent the break-up of the GOP. There are now two wings of the party, completely alienated from eachother socially, culturally, and ideologically. Both want to own the GOP and dictate the course it takes.

Thus, the real fight for the GOP, at least in the minds of many in the GOP, is not Hillary vs. Trump, but the Establishment faction versus the Outsider faction.

The Establishment faction is pretty determined that Trump must lose, because this will serve as a rebuke to the Outsider faction and persuadables within the party will turn back to the Establishment.

There's just no way to unite a party when the political fortunes of one faction of it depend entirely on the party losing an election.

By the way, in saying that, I'm not really trying for a Holier Than Thou, or Quien Es Mas Macho, thing. I completely understand the "Either give us our way, or we'll kneecap the party" thing. I have at various times proclaimed my interest in just that strategy.

(I don't think I would have actually have gone through with it and given Hillary the presidency, but I sure did threaten it freely.)

But while I can't say I'm pure on that score, I can at least say I'm honest about it. Most of the people currently trying their best to help Hillary win won't admit they're doing that, nor that they're doing this for purposes of re-establishing their ownership of the party in 2020.

As in 2014, when Mitch McConnell proudly boasted he would "crush" all Tea Party challengers and then did so, this is all about a certain very small, very insular segment of the population maintaining their iron grip over a party that's supposed to, in a good year, represent 50% of the country.

posted by Ace at 11:11 AM

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