I am very surprised that John Dickerson authored this piece about the necessity of smashing the Republican Party in Obama’s second term, but I can’t disagree with any of it. Nonetheless, it puts CBS News in an uncomfortable position, as the right is understandably outraged that a major network’s political director is openly calling for the destruction of the GOP. If the shoe were on the other foot, I would be complaining loudly to CBS. I don’t begrudge the right their outrage in this instance.
Yet, I think it is an opportunity to step back and do some reflection. I can’t compare John Dickerson to Walter Cronkite, but there is something to say for dropping any pretense of dispassionate analysis and crying out for justice when the government, or one part of it anyway, goes so far off the rails as to recklessly endanger the welfare of the people. We can’t continue to ignore climate change. We can’t ignore these shooting massacres. We can’t ignore the plight of millions of undocumented workers anymore. We can’t keep screwing around with our credit rating. We can’t allow the kind of dishonesty in our public discourse that we saw go to such extremes during the Romney campaign. Something has to change, and that something is the behavior and makeup of the modern Republican Party.
John Dickerson is right about that.
I wouldn’t begrudge them their outrage if they were willing to admit that Fox isn’t a legitimate news operation. But, you know, screw ’em.
I read the article as saying the Obama has to “destroy” the GOP if he wants to have major new accomplishments in his second term, not that he must “destroy” them in some moral absolute sense that Dickerson supprts. It also wasn’t really clear what he meant by “destroy” other than maybe “defeat and discredit” the intransigent rump. His analysis of how to do that isn’t much deeper than “continue to do what he is already doing”. The piece was really less of a prescription than a fairly superficial attempt to describe what is already happening.
And, an open endorsement of it.
Even still, it was nice to see it in a more mainstream outlet for once.
He doesn’t need to attack any specific group. He just needs to talk about what urgently needs to be done, and everybody will get what he’s talking about.
If you don’t say the actual name, the spell doesn’t work.
I honestly don’t think that’s true any more at this point.
And I think a significant number of Republican voters are getting frustrated with their own party. Not to mention independents.
see my post here http://www.boomantribune.com/comments/2013/1/19/12320/5912/13#13
for an anecdote that supports your view
Nonetheless, it puts CBS News in an uncomfortable position, as the right is understandably outraged that a major network’s political director is openly calling for the destruction of the GOP.
You mean the same network that just hired a GOP war criminal?
This is a welcome gift from a relatively high-level journalist, but very few others who “count” are onto the GOP’s game. On political show after show this Sunday morning, minutes after Obama was sworn in for his second term, there was the most horrendous concern trolling. It was totally inappropriate and, yet again, beyond parody.
Face The Nation was particularly awful, with all four panelists, including one of President Clinton’s press secretaries, explaining how Obama is doing things wrong, wrong, wrong. No mention at all of how incredibly insulting and intransigent the Republican Congress has been, and continues to be. They even reached back and brought in former LBJ staffer Joe Califano to join in with the knife play; he got in a gratuitous slap against MLK to boot (!). Dude sounded straight-out racist, albeit heavily coded racism. Infuriating.
Thanks for sharing that Dickerson has seen the light, Booman. One by one, I guess. Hope he’s not aping Politico next month, though.
blaming Obama for republicans is like blaming black folks for racism.
ohhhhh i get it.
Yes. I don’t want to see them disappear entirely and leave us with a one party state unless the Democratic Party fissions into Left and Right factions. I want the voters to always have a choice.
But, yes, the crazy must go.
That’s the way it works, Voice.
Even in the Solid South during the ’50s, the voices ranged from BatshitCrazy to SomeOfMyBestFrriendsAre.
One party systems are not monolithic. They just appear, sound, act and effect the world that way.
Calming words of wisdom from one who was there.