17 in 1 Fell Swoop

Published in Die Tageszeitung
(Germany) on 7 August 2015
by Dorothea Hahn (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Sandra Alexander. Edited by Ashley Pinamonti.
Control over the Republican Party has slipped away from the “old boys.” The sheer number of candidates, currently at 17, shows the inner disunity.

A new phase in the U.S. primary race has begun with the first televised debate of Republican candidates. The campaign, which has so far happened far from the big cities, in small states like New Hampshire and Iowa, is now coming to the national level. The candidates are getting a public face; the cards in the party are being reshuffled.

A debate is beginning about who will have the say in the future: Will it be the radicals, who have grown strong with the tea party, or the centrists, who indeed continue to hold the top positions in the organization but by no means have been setting the tone?

The inflated number of 17 candidates alone is a sign of the loss of control by the old, high-ranking party officials. In addition, the tone among the Republicans has long since become sharp. The radicals are not only practicing their rebellion against Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, but [are protesting] just as intensely against the establishment of their own party. Ted Cruz, for example, has called the head of the Senate a “liar.” Rand Paul also speaks out against the policies of his party, night after night.

The Republican Party is in a paradoxical situation. They have the majority in both houses of Congress and have positioned governors in 31 of the 50 states. However, this doesn’t mean that a Republican candidate will win the race: Conflicts with a potentially explosive effect smolder within the party.


Den alten Kadern der Republikaner entgleitet die Kontrolle über die Partei. Die schiere Menge von 17 KandidatInnen zeigt die innere Uneinigkeit.

Mit der ersten Fernsehdebatte der republikanischen Kandidaten beginnt eine neue Phase im US-amerikanischen Vorwahlkampf. Die Kampagne, die sich bislang vor allem in kleinen Bundesstaaten wie New Hampshire und Iowa und fernab der großen Städte abgespielt hat, kommt auf die gesamtnationale Ebene. Die Kandidaten bekommen ein öffentliches Gesicht, in der Partei werden die Karten neu gemischt.

Es beginnt die Auseinandersetzung darüber, wer in Zukunft das Sagen haben wird: die Radikalen, die mit der Tea Party groß geworden sind? Oder die Zentristen, die zwar weiterhin die Spitzenpositionen im Apparat haben, aber längst nicht mehr den Ton angeben?

Allein die inflationäre Menge von 17 KandidatInnen ist ein Zeichen für den Kontrollverlust der alten Parteikader. Hinzu kommt, dass der Ton unter den RepublikanerInnen längst scharf geworden ist. Die Radikalen proben ihren Aufstand nicht nur gegen Barack Obama und die Demokratische Partei, sondern ebenso heftig gegen das Establishment ihrer eigenen Partei. Ted Cruz nennt den Chef des Senats beispielsweise einen „Lügner“. Und Rand Paul redet nächtelang im Kongress auch gegen die Politik seiner eigenen Partei an.

Die republikanische Partei ist in einer paradoxen Situation. Sie hat die Mehrheit in beiden Kammern des Kongresses und stellt die Gouverneure in 31 der 50 Bundesstaaten. Doch das heißt nicht, dass ein republikanischer Kandidat bei der Präsidentschaftswahl das Rennen machen wird: Im Innern der Partei schwelen Konflikte mit potenzieller Sprengwirkung.
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