Subject: Re: Fear and Loathing in the Republican Party
There's no way a true "moderate Republican" who used to support a strong defense, guardrails around Russia to protect our European allies, appropriate taxes to build highways and infrastructure to support industry, and yes a lighter regulatory touch rather than a heavier one would recognize the aims of today's Republican Party, much less support them.

Yes, but neither would they support today's Democratic party. Nor, quite frankly, would a "moderate Democrat" of the 1960's - who might support labor rights and the New Deal, but who might oppose abortion, want gays to be barred from serving in the military or holding jobs involving children (forget marriage or even civil unions), support a "hand up, not a hand out," strongly support getting "tough on crime," oppose affirmative action, and takes a strong line against immigration find a home in today's Democratic party. Heck, there probably isn't much of a home in the modern Democratic party for a 1992-era New Democrat (like Bill Clinton) - they might not get dragged out of the convention by Congressional Progressive Caucus "goons," but they would be the subject of some vicious tweets.

Republicans - even moderate Republicans - think that the Republican party is a better choice to lead the country than the Democratic party. Even though the center of the party is further to the right than they are on issues, and even though the personality that's the popular head of the party (Trump) is execrable. They're not going to want to turn the party over to the Democrats. They think the Democrats are bad at running the country and have bad ideas. They might not think much of Jim Jordan, but they think even less of Pramila Jayapal.

It's the political equivalent of continuing to drive the getaway car for a bank robber even after discovering they have no gun and you have the upper hand.

No, it's not. Again, these 50-100 House members want to be in this car. They want the Congress to adopt Republican priorities and policies, not Democratic ones, They are against a lot of the things that Democrats want to achieve in Congress. That's why they're Republicans. They want the GOP to be in charge and for the Democrats not to be. They certainly disagree with some of the tactics of the Gaetzes and Boeberts of the caucus - much as some moderate Democrats might not be thrilled with things that Cori Bush or Jamaal Bowman might say or do - but that doesn't mean they want to hand power over to the Democrats.

They don't have the steering wheel of the party, and they're not in the driver's seat. All they can do is pull the emergency brake and wreck the car (to continue the metaphor) entirely, allowing the Democrats to use their car instead. And they don't want to do that. If there was a way that they could be the dominant faction within the GOP without wrecking the party, they would do that. But there isn't, so they don't wreck the party.