The Republicans have seemingly always had a “far right”, ultra-conservative wing that continually judges Republican candidates based on whether or not they pass a whole series of absolutely non-negotiable social and/or fiscal “litmus tests”.

That is, unless a candidate’s stand on such things as abortion (outlawed), gay marriage (ditto), taxes (low), the size of government (small), and “free enterprise” (letting big banks and business regulate themselves) meets with their approval, such candidates are dismissed out of hand.

These often non-negotiable “litmus tests” have traditionally created havoc within the Republican Party because the far right, (who, unfortunately, still make up a significant portion of the population who call themselves “Republicans”) won’t support more moderate candidates the Party needs to put up in general elections to actually win. Indeed, the far right flakes will stay home before they’ll vote for any “abortion promoting socialist”…even from within their own Party.

The stillborn 1964 Goldwater candidacy, their steadfast refusal to support Nelson Rockefeller over the years, and the encroachment (and rabid support) by this crowd of such absolute far-right flakes as Ross Perot have all resulted in the Party going down to certain defeat against a far more united Democratic Party come election time.

Indeed, this ultra hard line, “you are either with us or against us” approach to politics has resulted in defeat after defeat for the Republican Party over the years. And, with far right, Bible thumping nut cases like Mike Huckabee now starting to again wander around in New Hampshire looking for votes in their 2012 Presidential Primary, I suspect the Republicans will once again “shoot themselves in the foot” by not supporting their own, far more moderate mainstream candidates come election time…either in this coming 2010 mid-term election OR in 2012.

The Republicans fervently claim they are a Party with a “Big Tent”.

But, in election after election, they’ve shown themselves to be anything but.