… It’s orthodoxy (albeit it a newish orthodoxy) vs. electability. It’s the South (the GOP’s electoral base) vs. the Northeast (a shriveling piece of the Republican Party). It’s outsider vs. establishment. Put simply: There are Chris Christie Republicans, and there are Rand Paul Republicans. The twain almost never meet. …
The battle between the two men will be all the more intriguing because it is really a de facto fight for what Republicans have learned about the past two presidential elections and what they believe is the solution to their current problem. Did Republicans lose to Barack Obama twice because they nominated establishment Republicans who didn’t excite the party’s base? Or did they lose because many within the party demanded absolute fealty to core principles at the detriment of winning votes from the middle of the ideological spectrum? [cont.]
Chris Cillizza, Washington Post