PostGOP: On media framing and the party split.

The only people happier about the current mess in which the GOP finds itself than the Democrats are the media who are smelling chaos, page hits and sales.....

Republicans hope to hammer disagreements into unity. Mike Ward, HoustonChronicle.com ($$$)

On the day before Texas Republicans were poised to open their biennial convention where delegates will pick the hottest issues they believe their Red State government should address, longtime party member Bert Keller quickly ticked off his top five. He would empower conservative, Christian principles in government; abolish firearms licenses; secure the border; cut taxes; and limit access to public restrooms for transgender people.

"Talk is cheap. It's time for action," said the Dallas family-business owner and tea party activist who said he plans to vote his conscience as an alternate delegate at the statewide meeting. "This party represents the real grass roots, and that's what the grass roots want - action."

A few steps away, Houstonian Jeanette Porter, wearing a red jacket and GOP scarf, shook her head. "Standing up for conservative values is one thing. Crazy issues are another," she said, arguing briefly with Keller on the gun-license and restroom issues. "I vote to get away from the people who have been sniffing paint."

"Sniffing paint" clearly being the reasoned political response to policy platforms with which you disagree.

And while I admit I don't view Mr. Keller's vision of a GOP platform to be a viable road-map forward for the GOP, I do think his views are the result of honestly held beliefs, some of them are even defensible from a Constitutional perspective. Especially the gun issue, which Porter clearly considers to be a "paint sniffing" item.

The problem is that, at every turn, the for-profit media in this country are quite happy to chronicle the downfall of the GOP and pretty much ignore the sausage making that is going to occur in order to bring about a revamped party.

It will be up to whatever follows the GOP to make sure that this process is public, transparent and doesn't reek of backroom dealings.  It will also help if the platform is something that doesn't make either Keller or Porter all that happy.

Until then we'll just watch the media narrative unfold and wonder if the Democrats, who are struggling with the same issues in their party, get treated the same.  Of do they get a pass because their party structure was stronger and it appears that their preferred nominee is going to make it through, as distasteful as she is to most of them?