GOP Presidential Primary: New Rules Of The Race Emerge

AMES, Iowa -- As far as the substance of politics goes -- the issues we will debate in 2012, as opposed to the horserace -- the money shot of this week in Iowa didn't come with the Ames Straw Poll, but appeared last Thursday night. Byron York of the Washington Examiner asked the eight candidates on the stage of the Fox debate whether they would oppose a budget deal that contained 10 dollars of spending cuts for every dollar of revenue increases.

All eight hands shot up.

The moment was indicative of what is happening in the GOP today, and the results of the Ames Straw Poll only confirm the point.

And here it is: Based on what we heard here in the debate and on the straw poll stage, the GOP has committed itself to a New Ten Commandments for party members and their candidates.

With the exception of Ron Paul's radical pacifism and laissez faire attitude on regulation of drugs, and except for Jon Huntsman's semi-support of civil unions, there is very little if any philosophical or programmatic difference among the candidates on most issues. Indeed, there has never been a time in the modern history of the GOP when the presidential contenders differed so little on the issues.

They seem to believe -- or at least dare not say that they DON'T believe -- in a new Ten Commandments. Ironically, there is plenty of "Big Government" on their stone tablets, at least in the form of proposed new constitutional amendments that would override the freedom of the states to set their own rules on social behavior. "States rights" is no longer necessarily a high priority in every or even most respects.

Instead, the contenders are adhering to the following guidelines:

• Thou Shalt Not Raise ANY Taxes

• Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Make Abortion Illegal

• Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage as the Union of a Man and a Woman

• Thou Shalt Repeal "ObamaCare," AKA the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

• Thou Shalt Repeal The Dodd-Frank Banking Regulation Act

• Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Balance the Federal Budget

• Thou Shalt Only Give Military Support to "Our Friends"

• Thou Shalt Limit the Power of -- If Not Entirely Abolish -- the EPA

• Thou Shalt Drill, Mine and Frak to the Widest Extent Possible

• Thou Shalt Take the Name of President Obama in Vain

Do most Republicans believe in these New Ten Commandments? Maybe not a majority, and maybe not even a majority in Iowa. But there is little doubt that almost all of the people who voted in the straw poll -- and most of the activist core of the GOP today -- believe in the list.

The fact that there is little or no debate over any of these issues in the presidential campaign means two things: The primary season is going to be mostly a personality and look-at-my-record race, full of references to titanium spines and jobs created. And, once the GOP victor gets the nomination, he or she is going to have to not only move to the left, but run there.

It will be fascinating to watch.

Comments

[lrohenaz]

09:00 AM on 09/20/2011

I still get a kick out of calling anyone who doesn't want to invade other countries without at least going to congress first a 'pacifist'.

We are living in a time of military extremism. Returning to rational though on the concept of national DEFENSE is not the 'extreme' or 'weak' position. We live in an era of preventative war and fear mongering and everyone seems to love it.

[ghostcommander]

12:58 PM on 08/16/2011

The commandments that the radical extremist pretend to be republicans practice:
1. Thou shalt lie, eeven tell preposterous lies, and repeat them over and over to brainwash the American people.
2. Thou shalt not ever admit to past miserable failures, such as the bush/cheney Fascist Criminal Enterprise and it's after effects.
3. Thous shalt be Hypocritical at all times.
4. Thous shalt be a demagogue or archetype.
5. Thou shalt obstruct, obstruct, and say no, no, no to a Democratic president, Democrats, and the American people.
6. Thou shalt support totally unregulated capitalism so that fraud and corruption can reign supreme.
7. Thou shalt promote Fascism over Democracy.
8. Though shalt forever be for the party, party, party.
9. Thou shalt always cut taxes for the rich and very rich, borrow Trillions of dollars and reward corrupt corporate cronies with lucrative no-bid and inflated contracts
10.Though shalt always pretend to be, but never be. be. be.

[Paul Baack]

11:29 AM on 08/16/2011

You forgot a couple:
XI: Thou shalt not let anyone have any other gods before me.
XII: Thou shalt not give credence to science, or history, or objective fact.
XIII: Thou art not thy brother's keeper.

[larryvnyrd]

07:09 AM on 08/16/2011

the greatest of the new commandments? Do unto others.

[Bloodhound41]

07:12 PM on 08/15/2011

They don't need ten, one will work just fine for them.
Thou shalt sell the country to religious bigots and corporate thieves while depriving all good men of their rights and liberties.

[hopeisalive]

06:21 PM on 08/15/2011

The key rule is that anything that the President or any Democrat is for, you are against. It doesn't matter that you were for it before you are against it now even though you have taken advantage of whatever it is for your District or State. Do not rely on truth, just make it sound that everything that they do is wrong and that you have God's mantle on your shoulders and He will make it right even though it is wrong.

[TBinSD]

05:12 PM on 08/15/2011

Thou Shalt Not Raise ANY Taxes
Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Make Abortion Illegal
Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage as the Union of a Man and a Woman
Thou Shalt Repeal "ObamaCare," AKA the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Thou Shalt Repeal The Dodd-Frank Banking Regulation Act
Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Balance the Federal Budget
Thou Shalt Only Give Military Support to "Our Friends"
Thou Shalt Limit the Power of -- If Not Entirely Abolish -- the EPA
Thou Shalt Drill, Mine and Frak to the Widest Extent Possible
Thou Shalt Take the Name of President Obama in Vain

They forgot the most important one:
Thou Shalt take America back to the Dark Ages

[Michael Rappaport]

04:39 PM on 08/15/2011

There's an 11th one. Thou shalt always bow down to Aryan Jeebus and his younger brother, Ronald Reagan.

[macrose83]

04:34 PM on 08/15/2011

For someone who claims to hate government, Michelle Bachmann has never had a private sector job. Only a government one. She has been suckling off the Government teat for so long she will need a patch to get off.

[sklubbertonk]

04:15 PM on 08/15/2011

Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it. Amen.

God bless progressives. :-D

[petuniafish]

04:26 PM on 08/15/2011

Love it Sklubbertonk- thanks for the memory!
Fanned.

[Silverwolf72]

04:01 PM on 08/15/2011

Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Balance the Federal Budget
I am 99% sure this would disappear if one of these peeps got in and goes back to the ol "Deficit don't matter"

[sdmills27]

11:29 PM on 08/15/2011

Well, things can't get much worse than deficit doubling Obama.

[inoddwetrust83]

03:46 PM on 08/16/2011

Seriously? Most people seem to have the memory span of a goldfish, I swear.

[LdyTyler]

03:50 PM on 08/15/2011

Don't forget:


- Thou shalt fuel public outrage at current administration, and encourage; (a) Racial and economic divides.



- Thou shalt crusade for a empoverished majority so that they relent and vote for us in desperation. Or the following acceptable alternatives:


I: Are disenfranchised enough to feel powerless to stop our assent, and; (a) Focus their attentions on personal financial concerns and, (b) Stay home and don't vote, (c) Vote for any candidate other than the current President.

[Dier me]

04:05 PM on 08/15/2011

Fanned & Faved!

[Vardi]

03:45 PM on 08/15/2011

Wow really. You expect to get elected ??? any of you? A few of those are quite raciest. TO abolish gay marriage, wow. I can guarantee that this election will go to Obama. This is just sad....Beyond words, I got nothing, but words I can not post without getting deleted.

[jgcardin]

04:51 PM on 08/15/2011

Please keep in mind that this was generated not by any Republican, not by the tea party, but by the mind of a HP Liberal

[Vardi]

05:21 PM on 08/15/2011

You agree with those "10 commandments" ? What gives ANY party or PERSON the right to say 2 men or 2 women can not get married???What god, religion (pfft). And that abortion is illegal. Comon now. Those are a few things that I can not understand, nor agree with. I might be a Liberal minded man, but I have experienced and seen things that would make most people cringe, granted most of that was in theater (middle east). My open minded political view was then soon changed to liberal views. I can see good and bad points from both parties most of the time. Not all the GOP ideas were bad in fact some were pretty awesome, but then came all the ding bat tea party candidates. And those Tea Party politicians will ruin any chance a real republican will be elected. But the right has gone to far this time. I have seen hate, and more than half of these clowns are full of hate, and are just wording it politically.

[geneandeddie59]

02:52 PM on 08/15/2011

There is only one commandment... "Thou shalt pander to the Right!"

[xardvar]

02:48 PM on 08/15/2011

The ten Commandments

Thou shalt not be Gay, assimilate or die.
Thou shalt not be black, or brown, or yellow, or red, assimilate or die.
Thou shalt not be poor, assimilate or die.
Thou shalt not be educated, assimilate or die.
Thou shalt not have an abortion, or use contraception, or talk about sex, assimilate or die.
Pollution is good, assimilate or die.
Thou shalt have no unions, no minimum wage, no child labor laws, assimilate or die.
Thou shalt have one god, and he shall be the one with the most believers, the most money, the most church's, malls, and television stations.
Thou shalt conform and obey, assimilate or die.
and finally,
Thou shall torture and slaughter the pagan's and the unbelievers and this shall be good in the eyes of God.

Amen

[MirageRF]

03:09 AM on 08/16/2011

Clever. The ring of truth.

Thou shalt not reduce Social Security checks, or reduce military spending, or reduce Medicare. These benefits have to be earned and no other needy parties need apply.