Reporters have to report, even when nothing is happening; that is the nature of this Yahoo News article. The supposed issue is a Republican convention platform "fight" between the few delegates committed to vote for Rick Santorum on the first ballot, and the few delegates committed to vote for Ron Paul.
My sense is that each will be permitted to offer platform planks, and the arguments of each will be listened to politely and rebutted politely. After which the overwhelming number of Romney delegates will vote in favor of the platform Mitt Romney wants to run on.
At least that's what would happen if I were in charge. Who knows what will actually happen? The article's author is obviously hoping for headline-making intra-party chaos.
The Republican party wants Santorum and Paul supporters to vote for Mitt Romney in November, even if he doesn't agree with them on every issue. That is the GOP version of a "big tent." It is likely both Santorum and Paul will eventually endorse Romney, perhaps without enthusiasm.
The Dem's have it worse. Their version of the "big tent" tries to corral the LGBT community and its opponents in the black religious community, plus immigration liberalization fans in the Hispanic community and its opponents in the labor movement, not to mention conflict between the teachers union and the minority communities who believe correctly many of their children aren't being educated.
I almost forgot the conflict Dems face between environmentalists and labor (think coal miners, loggers, oil roughnecks) and that between supporters of Israel and serious liberals who support the Palestinians against Israel. Imagine writing a Dem platform all of these will like.
In other words, big tent tensions are a problem for both parties, and both parties say different things to different audiences, trying to bridge these gaps. It is the nature of a de facto two-party system.
