Smart Republicans.... there are a few.

[Mister Agenda]

I count four major constituencies in the GOP and they are all at odds with each other: the religious right/social conservatives, the Wall Street Republicans, the White Nationalists, and the intellectual conservatives (like Will). There will be GOP people still in office ten years down the road, but social conservatism and white nationalism are over or almost over as a ticket to the presidency. They helped the GOP get its current power, but they are killing it in its present form.

I think the white-power tribe is so miniscule as to be irrelevant in the context of electioneering. They don't bring enough votes to justify any candidate espousing their odious views, except perhaps David Duke, and even he has to tamp down his sentiments.

I also think the intellectual conservatives such as Will are a dying breed. There was a story on NPR yesterday about William Buckley Jr.  I remember being bored to tears as a boy on Sunday mornings when my dad would watch his show, but later, after recovering from my infatuation with Objectivism, I came to appreciate that while I didn't agree with his every stance, he certainly was one hell of a thinker.

At least, he sounded like one to this redneck, what with that accent and all.

Interesting that you don't reckon the Tea Partiers significant. Is there a reason you omitted them?

I think tea partiers fall individually into one or more of the other groups. I know they say they're small government, but it seems to be in a 'get off my lawn' sort of way, they're fine with big government when it comes to specifics, they're against it in generalities. They like Medicare, Social Security, and a big military. They're against welfare, and I think that's mainly because most of them don't receive it and think they paid for their Medicare and Social Security, even though the vast majority will draw out more than they ever put in. They're against raising the debt ceiling, but don't understand what it is. And they have a definite racist element. I don't detect any social inclusivity among them.

I'm not thinking just outright white supremacists when I say 'white nationalists'. I'm being literal: nationalists who are white. Trump's base.

I did leave out the libertarian Republicans, who would probably be Libertarians if that Party was more powerful or respectable.