You make interesting points about a big tent GOP in NC and how that could work.
But Katie Barr isn't a good example of that happening in NC. As you say, she doesn't claim to be a Republican. She isn't trying to get the party to consider a wider range of policy positions than it currently holds.
Terry Sandford and Beverly Lake both considered themselves "real" Democrats.
The widening of the tent will not come from the Party apparatus itself. The votes to censure Burr and Tillis have infected too many party activists with the belief their job is enforce conformity to the Party line rather than getting as many Republicans elected as possible. Trump's dominance in the party for the last decade also limits the range of acceptable debate within the Party. (I see similar issues in the Democrat Party, but that's not my bailiwick.)
The expansion of policy views within the GOP will come from candidates putting themselves out there, winning primaries, and getting elected. To me the question is whether that can happen as long as we are winning the Congressional races and have majorities in the NC Senate and House.
The GOP's dominance in those areas may have to be threatened before something like the article describes happens.
You make interesting points about a big tent GOP in NC and how that could work.
But Katie Barr isn't a good example of that happening in NC. As you say, she doesn't claim to be a Republican. She isn't trying to get the party to consider a wider range of policy positions than it currently holds.
Terry Sandford and Beverly Lake both considered themselves "real" Democrats.
The widening of the tent will not come from the Party apparatus itself. The votes to censure Burr and Tillis have infected too many party activists with the belief their job is enforce conformity to the Party line rather than getting as many Republicans elected as possible. Trump's dominance in the party for the last decade also limits the range of acceptable debate within the Party. (I see similar issues in the Democrat Party, but that's not my bailiwick.)
The expansion of policy views within the GOP will come from candidates putting themselves out there, winning primaries, and getting elected. To me the question is whether that can happen as long as we are winning the Congressional races and have majorities in the NC Senate and House.
The GOP's dominance in those areas may have to be threatened before something like the article describes happens.
Yeah, I agree that Barr isn't a great example.