Extremity Causes Backlash

The last 8 years of the Bush Administration taught us one certainty: There is always a backlash to extremity. Hence the historic election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.

Those who voted to elect George W. Bush in 2000, and most significantly in 2004, enabled him to push this country so radically to the right it made rebellion inevitable.

At Bush's behest, we ended up with a botched war in Afghanistan, an unnecessary war in Iraq, wrong sided tax-cuts, Katrina, warrantless spying on American citizens, a crippled economy, overwhelming job-loss, and over 10 trillion dollars of deficit.

Is that why the vast majority of Americans didn't vote for John McCain? Ya think?

Of course the minuscule remainder of unrepentant Bush supporters will never accept this reality. Rather than give Obama a chance to activate his positive visions of change, unity, and hope for America, these sore losers manipulate their own minds to create irrational scenarios they dread -- oh how they love to abuse themselves. I've heard the whining; "We're going to become a welfare country," "Obama is going to empower all the minorities," "There will be nothing left but section 8 housing and affirmative action," and "We're going to lose in Iraq." Talk about a circular firing squad.

This element isn't unique to the far-right. They're prevalent throughout the far-left as well.

Ralph Nader received 696,728 votes, Bob Barr with 510,177 votes, and Cynthia McKinney managed to garner 152,111 votes. These 3 nonviable candidates received over a million votes combined -- a total of 1.1%. I support Americans voting for 3rd party candidates, but it's so obvious those votes went right in the wastebasket. What is the sense in that?

The ultra-left is against any establishment candidate. They're absolutist and will not negotiate. They make no distinction between those who voted for Obama and those who voted for McCain. They unfairly view Democrats and Republicans to be complicit with many of the disasters created by the Bush Administration.

The best examples to cite are the A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition and The World Can't Wait organization. They marched on the Pentagon in March 2007 demanding the impeachment of George W. Bush and an immediate withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. Someone must have forgotten to tell them that the Department of Defense, our military's headquarters, doesn't hold impeachment hearings nor do they dictate our foreign policy.

Even worse, they accuse police officers who stop them from wreaking havoc on property of government agencies of holding membership in a modern day Gestapo or being direct proxies of Bush creating a police state -- total lunacy.

Every time they conduct an event they plan for maximum impact. If they don't achieve the desired outcome, they'll continuously up the ante. This causes them to appear even more extreme than they already are -- if that's even possible.

They contributed significantly to the decreased credibility of the anti-war movement by alienating the silent majority. What middle-of-the-road American wants to participate in an anti-war protest only to find themselves in an anti Semitic mob scene chanting "free Mumia," "overthrow the government," while wearing Che Guevara t-shirts and waving the Palestinian flag? Not me.

There are far right extremist groups to counter them such as the Free Republic and Move America Forward. They have no ability to look objectively outside the box. They pledge undying loyalty to George W. Bush and neoconservative ideology. If it were possible they would imprison or deport all those who disagree with them -- only they are allowed to be American and support the troops. I've personally been on the receiving end of their vileness. The Freepers (on many occasions) have called me and my fellow Iraq veterans who oppose the war cowards, phonies, and traitors. They even told us we should be sent to Guantanamo.

Eventually these types of groups (on both sides) will fade away into obscurity. They are socially destructive, politically irrelevant, and a speed bump to progress. Hopefully the recent election will hinder their circus act.

If there is any advice that I could give President-elect Obama and members of Congress (of both parties) it's this: Learn from the last 8 years of George W. Bush's failed presidency. His extreme right-wing policies caused the Republicans to self-destruct and emaciated the size of their party in both chambers of Congress.

Now that the Democrats have the White House and a sizeable majority of Congress they should not focus on pushing a leftist agenda (as their predecessors did on the right) that will certainly cause partisan political gridlock. Instead, they should work together with their collegues from the other side of the aisle to get things done for the American people -- it's to their benefit and ours.

Comments

[charon]

Great post. It recalls Schlesinger's book, "The Vital Center," a very well-written book arguing basically the same point in the early 50s. Domhoff points out that if one looks at politics as being a circle rather than a line, the extreme left and right meet at a point on the circle opposite the center point between the moderate left and right.

Obama's attempt to work things back towards the middle, meeting with the "other side," and working through consensus and compromise has great potential to heal the division in this country. We are all Americans on both sides of the left/right divide. I have the greatest respect for his work so far, and look forward to a stronger, better country coming about because of it. I do have a fear that the extremists have a stake in making his efforts at unity fail, and will devote their efforts to undoing his. Obviously the far right will do this, Savage, Coulter, Fox News, etc, but beware the far left also.

Let's hope we can move beyond this as a nation so that we can work to solve the many important and real issues facing our nation like health, the environment, and work.

As always, thank you for your work on behalf of vets, from a fellow vet.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

charon,

Thank you for your insightful and meaningful comment. I could not have written it any better.

V/R
John

[Senzasord]

Except that the right wing Republicans view any Democrat not as an opponent with different ideas who needs to be won over, but as a bitter enemy who needs to be destroyed and whose programs must be stymied at any cost. These people do not come to the conference room to seek solutions but to seek victories. Compromise is not in their vocabulary except as a synonym for weakness, and they are consumed by an overwhelming hatred of anything liberal.

Therefore reaching across the aisle is most likely an exercise in futility. at least until there is a new, and more reasonable group of Republicans in Congress. Don't hold your breath; that may take years. Until then, we need to call their bluff and make them fillibuster for real., not just call the whole thing off at the mere mention the treat of filibuster.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

Senzasord,

Good analysis. The main point of the blog post is highlight how the Republican party took total advantage of their control of the White House and Congress -- they used their power to push this country to the extreme right. I think the Democratic party should learn from that instead of "getting even" so to say -- because as the Repubs demonstrated, going to one extreme for an extended period of time causes revolt -- now their party is in shambles and rightfully so. I don't want to see the Dems self-destruct in 4 or 8 years like the Repubs did.

V/R
John

[dexxjones]

"Even worse, they accuse police officers who stop them from wreaking havoc on property of government agencies"

the property of government agencies? thats OUR property. you had me until this sentence. these people are our employees. they are not our bosses, our rich neighbors or our parents.

while i agree that there are some who are too strident on both sides, to equate the anti-war folks who are rightfully suspicious about democrats who act like republicans (or bloggers who emulate fascists)

the country didnt get into the mess its in because the democrats did their jobs either.

this article reminds me of a DLC manifesto. nice try. aint buying. carville go home

[desmirl]

John,
Hang in there, buddy. Keep telling the truth. Your voice is important to those of us who have seen the Elephant.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

desmirl,

Thank you my friend. Always good to hear from you.

V/R
John

[kristycu]

I agree, the one maybe truly leftist thing that i don't mind get muscled through- is very well planned thoughtout and reasonable, "universal" healthcare plan, not some just put together plan either. i mean, every contigency possible thought of type of plan, that will help not hurt us. i would be okay with that . i believe even some repub ideas may work to in this plan if structured properly. but you are right, extremes are just that extreme, and i don't care what people say i believe most people are moderates, except on a few issues, but mostly moderate. so we need to work together. we can do it. they have shown us they can do it. so it is possible

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

kristycu,

I agree. I also believe that providing healthcare for all Americans isn't leftist. The way I see it -- if we have over 600 billion to spend blowing Iraq into bits, then rebuilding it, we can surely take care of own people -- needless to say, I love your comment. Plus you're right that most people are moderates and do agree on most issues. I think Obama is doing a fine job (so far) of selecting qualified moderates to serve in Cabinet positions, but only time will tell. Thanks for the reply.

V/R
John

[GregJL]

Actually, most people are NOT "moderates". Most people use a conservative worldview in some areas of their life and politics, and a progressive view in other areas. However, even those who are mostly conservative or mostly progressive can still somewhat understand the view on the other side. And then of course, you have those extremists you are talking about...Funny thing, that...On the progressive side, those people are actually trying to use conservative authoritarian means to achieve progressive ends. Isn't that silly? Now, the ones on the conservative side are just using the same type of authoritarian means. Obama, however much you might want to think of him as "center" is actually a progressive using progressive frames to advance progressive goals. At least in those areas where he is progressive, and those are the ones upon which he campaigned. He has some conservative spots, but he's still open to ideas, so I don't have much doubt as to the amoutn of conservatism in our lives continuing to diminish.

Providing healthcare for all Americans is a progressive idea, one based on empathy and fairness. Someone holding a conservative view on this would think that those who cannot afford to pay should not receive care. They aren't WORTHY. They may not articulate this as their objection to universal healthcare, but that is what it is, nonetheless.

[fedupinfla]

Somehow, I think Obama has this figured out.... But that doesn't mean I won't be watching his decisions closely....

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

fedupinfla,

I too think Obama has this figured out and will be watching his decisions closely -- mainly on the Iraq war, the economy, and how he manages the unknown challenges in Afghanistan.

V/R
John