Will the GOP Survive as a Viable Political Party?...
Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth
Following are closing paragraphs excerpted from a Wall Street Journal op ed article by Michael Brendan Dougherty.
Mr. Dougherty certainly makes his point. If the GOP leadership and the party moderates do not react and respond to the fears of the working class and present strong arguments centered on truth and reason, challenging the questionable statements made by Trump and Carson, then the once credible and respected GOP is likely to be destroyed from within.
Read the complete article RIGHT HERE.
Via: Memeorandum
Purveyor of Truth
Following are closing paragraphs excerpted from a Wall Street Journal op ed article by Michael Brendan Dougherty.
To many Republican primary voters, the politicians' race is populated by traitors in waiting. They look ready or even anxious to cave on religious liberty, or on mass immigration. Maybe immigration and economic insecurity for the working class are going to do to the Republicans what these issues have been doing to major parties in Europe.
No longer can the politicians' race be conducted as if the populists' race doesn't exist. If today's Iowa and New Hampshire poll numbers look anything like the future results of those states' presidential contests, the bubbled existence of the politicians' race will be the greatest self-delusion in modern American politics. If they want to win, the leaders of the politicians' race need to actively push Trump and Carson out of their way and find a way to attract their supporters. If the politicians don't fight for their party, someone else might just wreck it for them.
Mr. Dougherty certainly makes his point. If the GOP leadership and the party moderates do not react and respond to the fears of the working class and present strong arguments centered on truth and reason, challenging the questionable statements made by Trump and Carson, then the once credible and respected GOP is likely to be destroyed from within.
Read the complete article RIGHT HERE.
Via: Memeorandum
They did this to themselves. They made a lot of crazy promises, they pandered to the old "Silent Majority" and Dixiecrat types, they insist on a heavy handed police state and an insanely expensive military and instill fear and paranoia to justify it - they shoot themselves, their voters, and all of America in the the foot, and then hop up and down screaming the lib'ral's made 'em do it. They will continue to blame us when they are back in the minority for another forty years, just like after they pulled the same bunk in the 50's.
ReplyDeleteJMJ
Yeah, the Red Scare thing was pretty bizarre and ole Joseph McCarthy was one hell of a demagogue. It would be a stretch to argue similarities don't exit in today's Tea-publican neo con and fundamentalist GOP..
ReplyDeleteJersey’s points mirror some of mine. The GOP’s Southern strategy started under Nixon appealed to the reactionary fringes of America, i.e. anti-civil rights, anti-labor, and anti-government. The arrow of history points in the direction of social progress — reforms that bring about more equality, justice, and democratic participation for more people.
ReplyDeleteHerein lies an irony that haunts us to this day: The politics of backlash started under Nixon pulls in the opposite direction. The GOP is in trouble because it is running counter to historical trends of the past 100 years.
If not for the massive cheating that has enabled the GOP to "win" many state legislatures and governorships, they wouldn't be viable. At this juncture it appears as though the only way to overcome the enormous amount of GOP election fraud is for voters to turn out in large numbers. This is how Barack Obama won both of his elections. Unfortunately fewer voters seem to be interested in casting ballots during non-presidential elections. Which means the Republican party can continue stealing these elections. If somehow people can be motivated to vote when the election doesn't include the presidency -- or if the cheating can be stopped -- then (and only then) will the Republican Party will absolutely cease to be viable.
ReplyDeleteGerrymandering is a practice both parties have been guilty of doing, the GOP is just better at it.
ReplyDeleteI distrust both parties. Having said that I distrust the republicans more at this point. Hands down.
I wasn't referring to gerrymandering (although that is a factor). I was referring to the vote machine hacking/vote flipping Republicans have been engaging in for some time now. This is how gwb "won" both of his elections (with a SCOTUS assist the 1st time). It is also why Karl Rove was so surprised when Romney did not "win". He was positive his operatives had stolen enough votes to give the election to the GOP.
DeletePart speculation. Notably with respect to Rove and his operatives. Sounds a bit conspiratorial.
DeleteAt any rate "your side" won the prior two presidential contests and likely will win the next. The possibility of taking the senate and house back in the 2020 election cycle will grow as the republicans continue to show themselves out of touch and nearly incapable of effective governance.
We need to have viable competition in politics to keep all parties honest, but there also needs to be a major change in attitude, i. e. politics as CONTEST, not CONQUEST. In addition, I think we are having a crisis of honesty and need to rethink our fundamental values. I see chicanery and corruption in all sectors -- private and public.
ReplyDeleteI am not optimistic that the crisis of honesty you accurately point out (O)CT(O)PUS can or will be abated. Many are so far gone they it is likely they wouldn't recognize honesty if were staring them in the face.
ReplyDeleteThe "crisis of honesty" will continue until we, the American voter, look in the mirror and say, "no more". It is our fault, not the politicians. They will do what is necessary to get elected. They have found out that lying produces more votes than the truth. Until that stops, honesty will take a back seat.
ReplyDeleteI was speaking of the American voter. Many fail to recognize truth even when it is staring them in the face. Whether it is wilfully or not really doesn't make a difference.
ReplyDeleteany difference.
DeleteOn a diffeent but related topic. ISIS may well become the republican parties avenue to the White House. Given the horrific terrorist attacks on Paris France and the grave likelihood more are to follow, possibly on our own shore again, the bluster of the Trumpster's statements will play well with a growing section of American society.
ReplyDeleteWe indeed exist in troubled and dangeous times.
All the more reason to make sure we have thoughtful people at the center of power ... as opposed to clowns, hotheads, and demagogues.
DeleteP. S. What we do to ourselves can be far more dangerous than what others can do to us.
DeleteIn a philosophical and perhaps generalized sense I agree. However, the external threat is very real and its design is to infiltrate western society and cause its collapse. ISIS, Al Qaeda, et all would happily step in to fill the resulting vacuum.
DeleteEradicating the vermin of Islamic Extremism must be a top priority of western governments AND middle eastern governments and it must be highly coordinated. I am not convinced effort will be successful.
History will report. Hopefully it will an honest accounting.
Hamas, Hesbollah, Al Qaeda, ISIS.... all the same in the important particulars. Yes, this threat must be eliminated. Your call is a wise one, as I know it is devoid of any neocon mistakes AND the nonsense of warming up to the imagined "legitimate" grievances of these monsters.
DeleteAnn Coulter tweet On Paris Attacks: 'Donald Trump Was Elected President Tonight'.
DeleteSaw that and immediately laughed.
DeleteThen I thought, oh sh*t, it could happen.
ISIS seeks to start a paradigm war by destroying the “Grey Zone” where Muslims and Westerners coexist in a peaceful world. There is a logic and purpose behind every savage act: To accelerate the descent into chaos, madness, and more bloodshed.
ReplyDeleteIt may appear counter intuitive to those who demand retribution; but the inevitable backlash and reactionary rhetoric that follows every tragedy merely feeds the narrative of ISIS in its war to eliminate the “Grey Zone.” Muslim and Western communities must work in concert; there is no other way.
All rational and reasonable people abhor the jihadist terrorism of ISIS, as well ad all other extremist Muslim groups who use Islam as justification for their acts of brutality and madness. And, we all want to see these barbarians brought to justice and their organizations destroyed; including the great majority of Muslims who worship peacefully.
ReplyDeleteYes, Western and Middle Eastern nations and their Christian, Muslim, and secular communities must work together to defeat the scourge on humanity that is perpetrated by jihadists and those supportive of fundamentalist extreme Islam.
Cooperation and a shared respect and love for all humanity is what will ultimately win. Division, hate, and fear merely fans the flame of violence.