Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney believe Colin Powell should not be a Republican anymore. Michael Steele, figurehead of the RNC, had to apologize to Rush Limbaugh after calling the “radio entertainer’s” words “ugly and incendiary.”

Bobby Jindal was held up as a model of the “new” RNC but was quickly discarded after his performance was more country bumpkin than leader of the RNC.

The so-called Republican “Base” has, since 2000, increasingly relied upon a certain strand of religious conservatives who have themselves become increasingly intolerant.

So what is the new message of the post-Bush II era Republican Party?

If you are not white, ultraconservative, and pro-war then you need to get out of the party. For the new Republican party the real stars are (according to the former Vice President) Rush Limbaugh, Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and Eric Cantor. In essence, Mr. Cheney has said that he would rather see the Republican Party become MORE conservative, MORE dogmatic, MORE insular, and MORE white.

If you believe in lower taxes but also believe in the right to choose for a woman, the Republican Party doesn’t want you.

If you believe in smaller government and less entanglement in foreign affairs, the RNC rejects you.

If you vote your conscience instead of in lock-step, the GOP can’t stand you and calls you a traitor.

If you believe in a conservative agenda but happen to be gay, the Right says “no way”!

In other words, there are no moderate Republicans – just like there are no “moderate” Taliban.
Historically, the Republican party is following the path of the Federalist Party, the Whig Party, and the American Party/Know Nothings; their message and constituency are becoming more narrow, defensive, and belligerent. Originally, the above parties began with a broad coalition of supporters who despite some differentiation on fringe issues, were able to forge a coherent political body around a core of ideas and thus forge political unity.

The Federalist Party believed in a strong, authoritative federal governmental structure that would supercede the authority of the state governments on the issues of currency, foreign diplomacy, fielding of armies, and so forth. Originally founded by Alexander Hamilton, the Federalist party was in opposition to the Democratic-Republican party led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and the elections between the two parties were particularly nasty even by today’s standards; at one point Jefferson said Adams was a

“hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.“

In response, Adams swore Jefferson was a

“a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father.”

Eventually, the decreasing relevance of the Federalist Party led to its dissolution, particularly after it did not back the War of 1812. By 1820, the oldest fore-runner of the GOP was well and truly dead.

The Whig Party of the mid-19th century was centered around the idea of opposition to Democrat Andrew Jackson’s presidency and political policies as well as economic protectionism and modernization. A short-lived party, the Whig Party – so named because they opposed the “autocratic” rule of “King Andrew” Jackson – became divided over the issue of the expansion of slavery into new territories. Roughly half the party opposed slavery’s expansion while the other half felt the expansion of slavery was necessary for the continued profitability of the American economy. By 1856 the party was so bitterly divided that hard-core, extremist elements within both camps of the party called for the ouster of the other half, thus nullifying the political might of the party and alienating the voters who considered themselves “Whigs.”

The “American Party” was nick-named the “Know Nothing” party because of the secret nature of the party – members would respond with “I know nothing” when asked about the party’s politics and platforms. In reality, the American Party was an anti-immigration party comprised of conservative Protestants who were alarmed at the influx of “half civilized” Irish and Eastern European Catholics. To the American Party, these “illegal immigrants” were eroding the economy, placing a burden on American society, and should be considered criminals. In fact, in the years prior to the Civil War, the Know Nothings staged a riot in the streets of the up-and-coming mid-western city of Cincinnati. The influx of German and Irish Catholics prompted the Kentucky arm of the Know Nothings to incite a riot, capture some armaments from the local army barracks, and fire cannons on the houses suspected of “harboring” these illegal immigrants to Protestant America’s heartland. The riots soured many party members who disbanded the party and (by and large) joined the Republican Party by 1860.

And now the Republican Party is engaged in vitriolic rhetoric against opponents, is divided within itself over important issues, and is engaged in an ideological struggle that seems to be alienating the party’s chances at a diversified platform and widened base.

If Limbaugh and Cheney are the heralds of a “whites only” Republican party – one that is soon to fragment and die – then “Preach on brother Rush! Amen brother Dick!”