“Republicans fear their base; Democrats despise their base”

Political commentator David Frum posted on Twitter on August 10, 2010:
 
“More proof of my longtime thesis, Repub pols fear the GOP base; Dem pols hate the Dem base.”
 
The saying is usually given as, “Republicans fear their base; Democrats despise/hate/loathe their base.” The saying implies that the Republican establishment often satisfies its base (the far right) out of fear, but that the Democrat establishment does whatever it wants, knowing that its base (the far left) will never leave and vote Republican.
 
 
Wikipedia: David Frum
David J. Frum (/ˈfrʌm/; born June 30, 1960) is a Canadian-American political commentator. A speechwriter for President George W. Bush, Frum later became the author of the first “insider” book about the Bush presidency. He is a senior editor at The Atlantic and also a CNN contributor. He serves on the board of directors of the Republican Jewish Coalition, the British think tank Policy Exchange, the anti-drug policy group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, and as vice chairman and an associate fellow of the R Street Institute.
 
Twitter
David Frum
‏@davidfrum
RT @ggreenwald: More proof of my longtime thesis, Repub pols fear the GOP base; Dem pols hate the Dem base. http://is.gd/eblpZ
7:13 AM - 10 Aug 2010
   
Salon
TUESDAY, AUG 10, 2010 08:11 AM EDT
Robert Gibbs attacks the fringe losers of the left
The press secretary’s outburst is half Nixonian self-pity and half Hannity/Palin caricature of the left
GLENN GREENWALD
(...)
So, to recap:  (1) The Professional Left are totally irrelevant losers who speak for absolutely nobody, and certainly nobody in Real America who matters; but (2) they’re ruining everything for the White House!!!  And:  if you criticize the President, it’s only because you’re such a rabid extremist that you harbor a secret desire to eliminate the Pentagon — that’s how anti-American you are!  You’re such a Far Left extremist that Dennis Kucinich isn’t far enough Left for you, you subversive, drug-using hippies!  You’re so far to the Left that you want to turn the U.S. into Canada.  As David Frum put it today:  ”More proof of my longtime thesis, Repub pols fear the GOP base; Dem pols hate the Dem base.”
 
DraneSprout
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2010
Fearing and Loathing Your Base
David Frum has tweeted a truism:  Republicans fear their base, and Democrats hate theirs.
 
Democratic Underground
BrklynLiberal Wed Dec-08-10 07:50 PM
94. David Frum: The Republicans fear their base. Democrats despise their base.
Need one say anymore than that..?
 
Twitter
Bungergrunch
‏@Bungergrunch
Republicans fear their base, democrats despise theirs, never thought i’d quote frum http://j.mp/i4r288
4:02 PM - 13 Mar 2011
 
SodaHead
Republicans fear their base and the Democrats hate theirs
by boots Posted May 26, 2011
Do you as a liberal feel fed up with Democrats as i do ? It seems republicans will do everything and anything to please they’re base . Yet Democrats seem to ignore and even insult us liberals till election time . They take us for granted because they think we have no options but to vote for them . Well i think there are other options green party for one
 
Google Books
America’s Got Democracy:
The Making of the World’s Longest-Running Reality Show
By Danny Katch’
Chicago, IL: Haymarket Books
2012
Pg. ?:
The conservative analyst David Frum once quipped that while Republicans fear their base, Democrats loathe theirs.
 
Twitter
JonathanCohn
‏@JonathanCohn
@DavidKaib Reminds me of the line “Republicans fear their base, Democrats despise theirs” Lot of truth there.
8:53 AM - 26 Dec 2013