Rove's New Minority

Many of the Republicans who lost on Tuesday (other than the corrupt ones who are going to jail soon) were moderates. Jim Leach of Iowa and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island pop to mind.

The moderates in the Republican party have been marginalized and ignored every bit as much as the Dems during Bush and Rove's tenure. This is exactly what Goldwater Republicans did to the venerable Nelson Rockefeller. He was booed by the radical right during the 1964 convention.

The result of such a political purge was to push many moderate Republicans into the Democratic Party in '64. I think "the Architect" is unintentionally producing the same effect. The Republicans will become more extreme and will lose the center.

Chafee is already thinking about changing parties. Marginalizing and ignoring smaller segments of his own party will boomerang on Rove. He may be in the midst of producing a "New Minority" instead of a new majority.

Rove should know better. The Democrats did severe damage to themselves by not allowing people like by Bob Casey's father speak at a convention because of his anti-abortion stance. There is nothing like losing power for 12 years to bring politicians to their senses. That is why the Dems backed Bob Casey despite his anti-abortion stance.

No party can produce a majority by establishing innumerable litmus tests a potential candidate must pass in order to get party backing. The Dems lost power trying to do it. Rove is doing it now. He's going to have a very small tent if he keeps it up.