Since Donald Trump announced presidential candidacy in June of 2015, his unprecedented
rise has shocked most of the political world.
Despite members of the Republican establishment predicting the collapse of his campaign, he
has thus far polled ahead of any other candidate.
This support points to a split within the Republican Party, and a lack of cohesion.
So, why is the Republican Party so fractured?
Well, today there is a clear divide between both ideology and representation within the
Republican Party.
On one side are established moderate career politicians.
Their primary focus over the past few decades has been on limited government, a strong national
defense, and the traditional family.
However, in recent years, a huge portion of the Republican base has complained that they
do not feel accurately represented by who they call “Washington insiders”.
This base is more predominantly focused on social issues, like gay marriage and abortion,
as well as religious rights.
During the election and presidency of George W. Bush, these two bases were still able to
work together.
Bush ideologically appealed to far right voters, while passing policy decisions influenced
by political insiders like Dick Cheney.
But that changed in 2008.
The Republican nominee, John McCain, was a decidedly moderate Republican.
Some say that his inability to address the far right contributed to President Barack
Obama’s victory.
Following the election, a faction of the Republican Party broke away, and with the financial support
of the Koch Brothers, formed the Tea Party.
Unlike the moderates, the Tea Party appeals to its members on a populist and nativist
platform.
The divide between moderate conservatives and far right Tea Partiers is clear in polling.
While candidates like Jeb Bush have called for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented
immigrants, there is a larger proportion of Republicans who want them deported.
This divide has led to chaos in Congress.
In 2013, the government shut down after far right members of Congress refused to pass
a substantial funding bill as it did not defund Obamacare.
There are even divisions on key Republican issues like taxation, with considerably higher
rates of Tea Partiers opposing taxes on the wealthy.
And the situation has gotten even more complicated.
In 2015, over 30 Republican members in the House branched off to create the Freedom Caucus.
The group allegedly forced the former Speaker of the House after John Boehner to resign.
And after an extended appointment period, new Speaker, Paul Ryan, only agreed to fill
the role with the cooperation of the Freedom Caucus.
The success of Washington outsiders like Trump, and to a lesser extent Ben Carson and Carly
Fiorina makes sense.
It points to a new direction for the Republican Party, away from establishment politicians.
With calls for the Tea Party to officially break away from the GOP, the future for fractured
Republicans seems uncertain.
What’s clear is that the two sides no longer see eye to eye.
But there are issues that both moderate and far right Republicans can agree on.
Check out this video at the top to find out what Republicans believe.
And if you want to learn more about the candidates in the race for the White House, we’ve put
together a playlist for you at the bottom.
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