Steve Benen wrote the column I’ve been wanting to write but have been too depressed to get to. So, I’ll just add a few comments. There is a high degree of cynicism in how the Republicans operate and that certainly helps explain why they don’t support certain things that they used to support. But regardless of some shrewd and ruthless hypocrisy, and regardless of what the true leaders of this country really think about Gods, Guns, and Gays, the real driver of the current Republican Party is the narrative they tell each other everyday in their little media loop of FOX News, hate radio, and their various online outfits.
A few years ago, Republicans believed in climate change. Then they decided to spread doubt about climate change through their wurlitzer. Now most Republicans doubt that climate change is occurring. It’s important that they’ve been using their wurlitzer to say that the government both cannot and should not stimulate job creation. It means that most rank-and-file Republicans now believe that to be true. It also means that the Republicans can’t disown their cynicism now that they are partly responsible for creating jobs. They’ve taught their base to believe that the only way for the federal government to create jobs is to lower taxes and regulations. They are oblivious to all evidence of what creates strong, weak, and no stimulus to an economy.
So, here’s the thing. There are smart people in the Republican Party who know that the economy is going to suck for the next two years and that people are going to suffer. Some of them know that the federal government can do something about it and that cutting taxes on the wealthiest Americans isn’t going to help. They might even be worried that the American people will punish them if they refuse to do anything or to work with the president in any constructive way. But they’re helpless to change course because they’ve poisoned the minds’ of their base. And, it’s not only their base, because I think most incoming freshmen are true-believing dittoheads.
So, Benen is correct. If you wanted to design a party to destroy America’s economy, you couldn’t do much better than the current GOP. But, are they going to do it for purely cynical reasons or because they’re crazy? The answer is: a little of each. The top echelon…the movers and shakers…have never been social conservatives and the only ideology they’re wedded to is keeping as much cash for themselves as possible. They probably don’t want the U.S. economy to suck for the next two years, although most of them are smart enough to win at the casino either way. But the lower level Republicans, including a good percentage of their caucuses? They’re going to fuck everything up because they’re crazy.
The problem is that they don’t care how much they harm people in this country as long as they get rid of Obama in 2012.
They are downright mean.
all the time.
Every decision will be defined that way.
Will Obama object to being pilloried? Or will he call it bipartisanshit, and have a summit to discuss the Republican view of his efforts?
Agree with your reading of this, Boo. I wonder if any of the repubs are going to grow a conscience; some of them are not crazy and not rich enough to just move to Singapore if things get too bad here – the Maine twins, for example.
Snowe and Collins both voted with their caucus to block cloture on the Paycheck Fairness Act.
Sisterhood isn’t that powerful…
Why isnt snowe vulnerable in Maine? I don’t get that.
Maine hates politicians. Perot finished second here in ’92. We came within 7000 votes of our third independent governor in 30 years last week.
Snowe, and Collins, are very careful to come across as not-politicians. Style, affect, even Collins’ speech impediment, work to that end. Their constuent service machines are legendary, too. They work hard in district — fairs, commencements, you name it. I’ve met both of them, and I wasn’t trying to. In a small state everyone has met them personally, or knows someone who has.
Add a not-as-blue-as-you-think state (see our gay-rights referenda history), some calculated moderate votes, and a proven ability to get 1/3 of the registered Democratic vote — not a small part of that women proud to have a state with two woman senators…
They’re stuck in like ticks, and about as hard to dislodge.
But it seems mounting a strong challenge in Maine would be far easier than Nevada or Texas or whatever. Just because the two of them are slick doesn’t mean another person can’t connect with people up there.
Sorry, I meant Utah, not Nevada.
I thought Snowe can expect a tea party challenge in upcoming? But re: above, I just thinking maybe they might become a little more concerned about the economic consequences to their constituents of the crazy party’s obstruction.
The Very Serious People, by their silence about loud and public declarations of an intent to sabotage the country, are telling you what they really think.
To wit:
Welcome to the Cold Civil War.
Both groups are crazy in that they think the random catastrophe they are unleashing will spare them, as a class, from its ravages. They both think history is a sham that doesn’t relate to them urgently.
They are bad people. they are craven, amoral sociopaths who don’t give a shyt about this country. anyone that says that these people are ‘ good Americans’ are either lying to themselves or to you.
call them out for who they are. they are evil. trying to think that there IS decency and humanity in them is where most of the left gets tripped up.
Abso friggin lutely. Unfortunately there are way too few of us and way too many of them. And they have plenty of money to push their fu–ed up agenda.
If, by ‘us’, you mean the electorate, there are definitely more of us than there are of them. However, the majority only get one vote, if that.
It’s all about power and money and corporate legislative bills. It is about the CU decision, abortion, religion. It is just sickening.
And Mr. Boo I wanted to ask if your son is feeling better. I surely hope so. Nothing is more upsetting than a baby with a cold.
He’s a little better. He’s got a cold but he he just went for Pho and was a total ham with the waitress. He loves to flirt.
OK. I’m glad. I remember ear infections were the big problem when my son was little. So good than Finn is on the mend.
There’s a third choice–CALCULATING!
Hasn’t it occurred to you that the Ruling Class actually, truly wants a revolution? Of course, they all plan to be elsewhere on the planet during the violent transition phase. The “restoration of order” will be wrapped in a flag with the cross of jeebus up in front. Fox News will declare that “real Americans” are back in control and the “true Constitution” has been restored.
It will naturally be all Obama’s fault. Ever afterwards the history books will detail how America, Inc. was saved from the evil-socialist-democrats. We’ll have “direct democracy” and candidates will be selected the same way they get winners on American Idol and DWTS. It won’t really matter since everyone who could possibly threaten the Ruling Class will have been killed during the “glorious revolution to restore America.”
But everything’s working out so well for them as it is!
Nah. Once you unleash that genie he doesn’t go back in the bottle…
Cynical or crazy or operating under the influence of power, a very heavy drug.
it will take us longer than 2 years to recover. And we are no where close to doing anything right at the national level and damn sure nothing is going right at the local level!
In the meantime, folks like me, unemployed have few choices. I can go back with the batshit insane ex abusive to boot or live in my car. Nobody gives a flying shit about us. Americans. Who have worked all their lives. And it’s not just me. It is millions of us. And the people we voted in don’t care. It’s like
WHATEVER. We have zero power. Zero money. Our vote doesn’t seem to count. I guess when we start dying off in the streets with no home, no healthcare no nothing maybe someoe will notice?
Doubtful.
Hell, we’ve been dying off in the streets for a long time now.
A quote I’ve recently found: The opposite of poverty is not wealth, but community.
I’ve been out there, too. Homeless in my car. The concern & assistance of my neighbors helped me survive.
‘Rugged individualism’ dictates the perfect environment for our destruction. Screw that.
“The opposite of poverty is not wealth but community”.
I have been thinking along those line for months now. We have been told that to think of being anything other than an isolated consumer is tantamount to condoning socialism. I am thinking that being an isolated consumer is tantamount to a world killer.
The terms aren’t mutually exclusive.
I vote for both.
I vote for crazy — or at least that they are operating from sincerely held beliefs, for the most part. There are many people who think that the way to grow the economy is to cut government programs, eliminate taxes on corporations and reduce taxes on the wealthy, reduce or eliminate the minimum wage, remove regulations on corporations, and dismantle unions.
This is the only explanation of why Scott Walker, the newly elected governor of Wisconsin, who campaigned on a pledge of adding 250,000 jobs to the Wisconsin economy, is trying with all his might to kill a Federal rail project that would create thousands of jobs here. Presumably, Walker isn’t trying to sabotage Wisconsin’s economy. He’s the one who will be held accountable in four years if jobs don’t come to the state. The explanation has to be that he believes that government spending and economic growth are incompatible. And most voters here apparently share that belief.