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. Thanks for watching TestTube News make sure to like and subscribe

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