It isn’t just the fact that Bush may show up and speak at the GOP Convention. It isn’t just that Ron Paul, representing some fierce fiscally conservative supporters, will run a convention competing with the GOP. No, John McCain has more problems in Minneapolis than that. According to an article this morning in the Washington Post, there’s going to be a bit of a floor fight over the GOP platform led by conservatives who don’t favor John McCain. Chaos in Minneapolis, all caused by Republicans. This is not the smooth party where everyone marches in lockstep, not anymore. And John McCain looks to have a few more brush fires to put out. From the Washington Post this morning:

Conservative activists are preparing to do battle with allies of Sen. John McCain in advance of September’s Republican National Convention, hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance from becoming enshrined in the party’s official declaration of principles.

McCain has not yet signaled the changes he plans to make in the GOP platform, but many conservatives say they fear wholesale revisions could emerge as candidate McCain seeks to put his stamp on a document that currently reflects the policies and principles of President Bush.

“There is just no way that you can avoid anticipating what is going to come. Everyone is aware that McCain is different on these issues,” said Jessica Echard, executive director of the conservative Eagle Forum. “We’re all kind of waiting with anticipation because we just don’t know how he’s going to thread this needle.”

McCain has spent the past year and a half trying to straddle the philosophical schism in the modern Republican Party. In primaries, he stressed his conservative credentials, but since clinching the nomination he has often reminded voters of his more moderate stances while professing his fealty to conservative positions.

A platform fight at the convention could disrupt that carefully choreographed effort by highlighting the stark differences in vision for the party separating McCain from some of the GOP’s most dedicated activists.

Oh, this is going to be something. when wes the last time someone from Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum flexed some muscles. No, the wingers meeting and coalescing around John McCain in Denver this week doesn’t mean much, does it? Not with some rogues out there who are going to fight McCain’s stances on immigration, stem cell research, global warming and campaign finance. Heck, McCain has flip flopped on some of these issues, so he might be able to finesse something here and there for a compromise at the convention, but he’s not going to be able to flip flop like a Circ de Soliel acrobat, as he’s too old for that. And that kind of Olympian flip flopping is what’s going to be needed for John McCain to satisfy the extremists on his religious whack job right wing.

I think we can expect fireworks at the Republican Convention, maybe even some sniping and smoke-filled skullduggery. Remember, that famous cigar smoker, who will likely have influence in those smoke-filled rooms, Rush Limbaugh, is not a John McCain fan. Just check out the big NY Times article about Rush — he’s not a McCain fan, though he’ll try to smack Obama at every turn. He’d join those Eagle Forum whack jobs in an instant, and don’t forget James Dobson and Focus on the Family, who famously distrust Mr. McCain.

The GOP coalition, like its brand, is severely broken. They’re not going to need any help in making a mess of their convention this year, and I say that Democrat protestors should keep a two state distance from them so as to let all the blame for a GOP Convention debacle to be aimed at Republicans alone.