The Republicans lost another crucial election last night. It was their third special election loss in a row. All three were deeply Republican districts in the past. This one was in the heart of Mississippi and was in a district that George Bush won with 62% of the vote in 2004.
The Republicans are in deep, deep trouble. If they lose in these districts (the other two were a Louisiana seat they had kept for three decades and Dennis Hastert's former seat in Illinois), they can literally lose anywhere. The whole electoral map can be redrawn.
So, what's their new plan? Go further to the right! No, you schmucks, that's what got you in trouble in the first place. The problem is the Republican Party has become so extreme there are no moderates left to tell them they should head in the opposite direction.
Usually when a political party is beaten this bad (as they were in 2006 and the elections since then), they correct course by going toward the other side of the political spectrum. They head to the center to pick up lost ground. The Republicans, on the other hand, have been like drunken gamblers who are sure that their next double down bet is going to make it all up. If we just double down one more time...
Well, they did double their bets on these special elections. They spent $1.3 million in Mississippi of the precious $7.2 million the NRCC had left. They brought in Dick Cheney to campaign for their candidate (talk about heading in the wrong direction). And they lost again.
They have got to realize that they are not unpopular because they haven't been true enough to their principles, it's because they have. Their principles are merciless and lack all compassion. And it turns out that the American people look for some degree of compassion and competence out of their leaders. So, the Republicans are in a bind.
They wanted to drown government in a bathtub. They did and wound up drowning their own party instead. It turns out the American people want a government. They think it serves a purpose.
The problem isn't that conservative principles are never right. Of course it makes sense to lower taxes when the highest marginal tax rate is at 70%, as it was in 1980 when Reagan came into office. But equally obvious is that at some point taxes can be too low for the government to function effectively. And when you have a gigantic national deficit, a government that can't respond to national emergencies like Hurricane Katrina and a disastrous war you can't pay for -- that might be the point where taxes are simply too low to pay for the government the American people want and expect.
There might be a time for war, but it's not the answer at all times for any reason at all. We might have to get tough on immigration policies, but we don't have to crush people's souls to do it. There might be a time to get tougher on crime, but the answer isn't always vengeance. The Republicans have lost sight of all moderation.
If the Republicans keep heading due right, they will burn their party to the ground. And someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Charlie Crist will have to rebuild from the ground up as a more moderate, reasonable party. But it will take decades.
Remember George Bush ran as a "compassionate conservative" in 2000 and won with lots of smokes and mirrors by convincing people that he was a kindhearted Republican. I think history will look back at 2004 as the aberration. It will be the outlier in history.
In 2000, it was hard to know what Bush was exactly up to and he lied about his intentions (remember his "no nation building" and "humble foreign policy" pledges). But in 2004, we should have known what we were getting into. That election will be known as the Great Mistake.
But right now, as we speak, the American people are looking to correct that mistake. And when the Republicans run their tired, old campaigns based on pessimism, attack ads, fear-mongering and dark outlook, they will get crushed. Bank on it. There is a tidal wave coming in 2008. And apparently, the Republicans have no idea what is about to hit them.
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
There is a tidal wave coming, but it consists of the right-wing, collaborationist Democratic party. The powers that be will be well represented in either case.
Compassionate conservatism consists of a moron touting an oxymoron. Those who believed him are....
It is true that the Republicans will probably be out of work in November. The only thing about it that gives me pause is that a Democrat will have to clean up after them - and if we don't give those guys the time to do it, we'll have a worse mess.
I'm so glad somebody has said out loud that Americans want a government - and not the kind that the consevatives want us to have. Please don't say it too loudly!!! Let them just do their own thing - and come November they can reel out of the government and get lost somewhere far away from Washington - someplace where they can;t do any more damage than they have for the past 8 years, for which the rest of us may have to spend a lifetime repairing - starting with the crumbling infrastructure.
"republicans who just don't get it"... isn't that kind of redundant?
But they did win.You really think they want a republican in office presiding over the worst economy since the great depression?You think they want to be the ones blamed for the chaos left behind when we leave Iraq?Its a set up,and we will be left with the mess and the blame,but what is the choice?Obama would be a great president its just whoever inherits this mess is screwed.
Someone should remind Uygur that when Bush cut taxes government revenue from taxes went up (Yea, I know "progressives" think it must have been black magic). The tax revenue isn't the problem. The government spending is the problem.
Except for the minor fact that tax revenues not only did NOT go up (they used a strange way of presenting the numbers, which you would know if you'd LOOKED at it) they were also spending many hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars more than had been spent before!
Your claim isn't substantiated beyong the GOP talking point.
Are you sure cyclical factors and market created bubbles weren't involved?
I wouldn't call it "black" magic.
True. It's wasn't Black Magic -- it was that old GOP favorite: If we say it often enough, everyone will believe it is true!
Republicans say they are for smaller governement and prove that by adding entirely new bureaucracies to the federal payroll, they expand the tax code making it more complicated than ever to file your taxes, they scream about federal intervention on topics such as gay marriage, drug policy and abortion, they actually want to increase federal power with constitutional amendments which weakens states rights which is another one of their planks.
Republicans are very confused, no longer can they say that they are the party of fiscal responsibility, or the party of morality, or the party that represents most Americans viewpoints. The Republican party is dying and has been in decline since Reagan. Republicans look at Reagan as a hero when in reality he was the beginning of the end for Republicans. Republicans are great marketers, they are the best fear mongers and they are the best liars in politics which is why they have any supporters left.
"They brought in Dick Cheney to campaign for their candidate (talk about heading in the wrong direction)."
Acts like this are clear signs of a party looking for self-destruction.
What's next? David Duke campaigning for GOP in order to attract the "black vote"?
Let the repugs destroy themselves. Don't help them out Cenk. We need to get a filibuster proof majority in the senate, so we can actually get bills passed. Why the dems have pointed out how obstructionist the repugs have been, is beyond me? So let the GOPers go down in flames. It's fair play for the damage they've inflicted on our country the past 30 years. Let them be in the minority for another 30. Only then will we be able to repair the damage they've done to us all. Good bye and good riddance GOP SCUM.
When one understands that there is no difference between the Demos and Gop because they are both controlled by the corporate elite and their media one has to conclude our Republic is screwed.
Study their voting records NAFTA, Patriot Act, War, Police State, spying.
Vote for people who will say no to New World Order agenda.
If you can't see a difference, you haven't been looking.
There is one slight difference, democrats don't run up the huge debts that republicans do. Right now, that is an important difference.
The formula, as I understand it, is: University (research) + Government (necessary non-profit activity) = Corporation to the infinite power. Donkeys and elephants are part of the corporation so what you say goes without saying.
Hear, hear!
We need to take this with a grain of salt, this was a conservative with a D next to his name. He was against gun control (I am also, I agree with GOP on that), pro-life, lower taxes, and from what I read not entirely aginast the was in Iraq, although not as far as Bush. So he was a more moderate conservative than the loser.
There are a lot of conservative democrats that will win. Why? Because they are actually conservatives, unlike republicans who say these things every election and then get in office and do the exact opposite. Maybe, just maybe the sheep are beginning to wake up.
But then again, Hillary is a more moderate conservative than McBush, and I'd rather have her than him!!!
Unfortunately, it was not only the Republicans running to the run as fast as they can. Over the last two decades, as the Democrats were losing power, they thought that was the best solution as well...
Money talks...
This is the reason that people think that Obama (who is a centrist, or very slightly left) is an extreme lefty!!!
When a supposed liberal says "Of course it makes sense to lower taxes when the highest marginal tax rate is at 70%, as it was in 1980".. This comment demonstrates how successful the neocons have been in spreading the anti-tax gospel. The truth is that America's greatest economic growth occurred during eras when the top bracket was 90% and 70% (1950's and '60's).
The truth is that the "Reagan revolution" of tax cuts (following Kennedy's "revolutionary" lowering of the top bracket to 70%) did *not* increase revenues. The record Republican deficits, and the way G.H.W. Bush reneged on his "read my lips" pledge by raising taxes all confirm this. And lowering the top bracket did *not* produce an economic miracle, either. What the Wall St. Journal called "Morning in America" turns out to have been an average business cycle recovery with one unusual feature: Because of the record Reagan deficits, the capital markets stagnated. In other words, the engine of growth -- capital investment -- was brought to a screeching halt because the deficits sucked all the oxygen out of the capital markets.
Oh yes, and as an added bonus, the taxes G.H.W. raised were FICA -- the most regressive taxes. So this "lower taxes" baloney turns out to be a pretext for increasing taxes on the lower brackets and lowering taxes on the wealthy.
Thanks, that bothered me too. The success of the Conservative lies is shown whenever supposed liberals repeat the lie. The middle class and the American economy grew the most when the top tax tiers were 90% and 70%. That's just fact. People might not like the fact, but the fact remains. Besides, none of the people who've reduced taxes has ever tried to balance the budget, they just borrow and spend even more shoving America deeper and deeper into a hole. So much for Republican fiscal responsibility-a true oxymoron.
This is just one of the topics that Cenk hasn't completely thought through. A high top marginal tax rate serves as a disincentive for people to be paid outrageous sums of money and is the only real way to close the income gap that we have in this country. Raising the minimum wage is good and all, but it's meaningless without implementing some controls on the top end.
I'm going to make the prediction that Cenk will come around to this in about 2 or 3 years. Give him enough time and he'll realize he was wrong about everything and make the right decision.
Until we change the Corporate owned media and have 91 percent of talk radio full of hateful neocons we are vulnerable. Controlling the message and framing every debate is a very powerful tool and the Republicans own it.
The first thing we need to do is reinstate the Fairness Doctrine and diversify media ownership. Our only saving grace now is the Internet and they are going after that also.
lgillooly, I started thinking this way for a while as well. Stop...its unhealthy. Relax, Rush doesn't affect (infect?) as many people as you think. How many people actually listen to talk radio or pundit TV? Hell, of that, how many listen to political talk radio? Truth is, I would rather people pay attention to politics at all. Have you looked at how many people voted for American Idol vs. the last national election. That is what's wrong.
People can vote for American Idol 10 times. Something we cannot unfortunately do for President.
I think you see what I mean without getting into semantics.
Sir: I want them to continue to do their stupid things. That means in November 2008 a huge cleanout of the rubberstamping republicans (who could care less about this great country of ours, they only care about the rich). I have been waiting many years for this day of reckoning and it will happen, especially with Obama. Billary is just republican-lite. Go Democrat"s!!!!!
However, we don't want the DEMS to have the "permanent majority" either. Rove and bush's ideas of America are wrong, no doubt, but take the New Deal to the point where nobody is willing to work because everybody can live off the gov't...... That's just as bad. We want the republicans that we had before Nixon (excluding Ford!!)
Er ... I think you are engaging in some serious hyperbole, bgregs. OTOH, your point is well taken that "power corrupts" and uncontested power can be dangerous when concentrated in any single group's hands.
The dems have an historic chance to build an enduring Majority.
If they can refrain from corruption, incompetence, complacency, and hubris.
I'm not talking about power corrupting, I'm talking about the danger of going too far in either direction:
The left desires to create a safety net. That's fine, until the net gets so large and pays so well that the productive members of a society realize that it's a better, easier life on the dole.
The right desires to create a system of every man makes his own best way. This is fine, as well, until the time that man gets let go at his job because the CEO decided that it was too expensive to keep him there. Or until he gets injured on the job, and they won't fix him, or even employ him.
There are valid points to BOTH views, and the best way to do things is to ensure that we don't get too far from the middle, since that's where we get the best of both worlds, AND we aren't as likely to cease to exist as a nation!
Did somebody buy into their own hype? Like that everybody, including billionaire CEOs will go on social security because it is the easiest way to keep that private island in the South Pacific? Pleeeeeeze!
No, I just recognize that if we were to actually become a welfare state that people who are at the lower rungs of the economic ladder will look at those who aren't even ON the ladder still living comfortably, and will step off, and then the next group, and the next group. Not all of them, some people are just uncomfortable being on the public dole, but it would be disastrous if we go too far to the left, just like it is disastrous that we are too far to the right!
If there is a tidal wave heading for them, I'm gonna prop up my lawn chair on a nearby mountaintop and watch the mcconnell's frolicking on the sand right before it comes ashore.
Of course, the next problem after that one is solved is holding Dems accountable to do the right thing after they get control... history shows a poor track record of 'absolute power' working out very well....
Democrats have a hard time admitting their mistakes just like the Not See Right. We do need a few Conservative nut jobs to help Democrats see their own wrongdoings.
yes, power tends to corrupt.
Posted May 14, 2008 | 12:05 PM (EST)