Before the election, President Obama would occasionally get asked about what Americans should expect regarding the political environment if he won a second term. His response was always the same: his re-election would help break the Republican "fever."
As a campaign strategy, the response certainly made sense. Voters probably wouldn't have responded well if the president had said, "Yep, Republicans are stark raving mad, there's nothing I can do about it, and everyone should expect at least two years of brutal gridlock in which the GOP forces us to endure a series of painful crises of their own making."
But as a practical matter, Obama's rhetoric, whether he believed it or not, was wrong. Kevin Drum had a compelling summation of the last six weeks, noting that Republicans have:
* Shamefully smeared Susan Rice in order to prevent her nomination as secretary of state.
* Shown themselves completely unwilling to compromise with President Obama over fiscal cliff legislation.
* Begun a campaign to block the nomination of Chuck Hagel to be secretary of defense.
* Almost unanimously refused to set up state healthcare exchanges to implement Obamacare.
I'd add a couple more. Since the election, the top Republican in the House and Senate have both said they intend to initiate another debt-ceiling crisis, threatening to hurt Americans on purpose unless their demands are met, and prominent Republican leaders in Congress responded to a nightmarish elementary school shooting by declaring that they will not consider any new gun laws.
All of this comes on the heels of a cycle in which Republicans lost badly, up and down the ballot. GOP officials have responded to this public rejection by getting worse -- become more extreme, more intemperate, and less open to compromise.
Election Day was supposed to be a wake-up call for the Republican Party. Instead, they hit the snooze button, preferring their imaginary dream land -- the one in which they and their ideas are held in high regard -- to the reality the rest of us live in.
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Why would it break? They figure they have the power to stop things, and they'd rather stop things than do anything constructive.
Especially since "constructive" means aiding the enemy.
..and by "the enemy" they mean the people of this country.
Sorry Bubba, but Republicans have to save the country from Democrats, no matter how much free stuff they offer. As I recall, bribery is a form of corruption, no?
What is are the most plausible alternatives for the next 2 years of national governance?
The only plausible way forward relies on sane people in the GOP taking substantial political risks. The only plausible backers that might lend the necessary courage to these GOP centrists would be from Wall Street. Maybe Scarborough could spent his time more productively- instead of talking to the stone wall of these lunatics, he needs to organize traditional Wall Street/ country club GOP types to forcefully back a GOP Sanity Faction who would back one of the above scenarios for governing.
Did I leave out any scenarios?
Anyway, the Morning Joe today had an amazing display of emotion from that GOP moderate about this insanity. I seldom pay much attention to Scarborough, but it is worth a watch- especially his 11th hour plea to the NRA for sanity, or his rant on the Kansas representative's Gun control position.
It all goes back to Richard Nixon giving the Confederacy a new home after the parasite was kicked out of the Democratic Party. These people have been idiots since their transported felon ancestors arrived in the prison colonies south of Virginia. If the crazy South (go read Alexander Stephens' "Cornerstone Speech" given in 1861 to see how little has changed with them) was forced to stand on its own (no more welfare from the North and West), this crap would be gone. They're like Jefferson Davis still believing in victory after the fall of Atlanta.
I've already said it, but I think the President needs to wake up after this repeat failure of negotiation. The path towards the red state blue state middle ground that he foretold in 2004 is through the battlefield of hyper partisan warfare.
Progressives must organize an Obama for America style campaign against vulnerable 2014 congressional districts and state legislators.
The end game is a bill by congress to require that states award Congressional seats by proportional representation from the state. They have this authority under Article 1, Section 4.
This will sweep away the gerrymandering of 2010, and will tend to reduce the power of pressure groups to eject members of congress. As long as Dems win a majority of the national vote, we will be awarded a majority of house seats.
As one would expect in a system of democracy.
The solution you propose under Article 1, Section 4, would presuppose a Congress in which a sane majority existed to pass such a bill.
So only if the problem (gerrymandered Congress) were addressed by those with the problem (gerrymandered Congress), we could then fix the problem.
I expect you've seen proposals that such a correction arise from the voters, but that seems also to presuppose that the problem we were trying to fix didn't exist.
I'm stymied, JM. I don't see a way out except through time and dogged struggle state by state, representative district by district. Don't think much of the chances of that, either.
On a more optimistic (?) note, here's Paul Krugman in today's (12/21/2012) NYT:
The way you get Nancy back in power so that we can pass the proportional representational end game portion of my proposal revolves around the Obama for America style campaign. Even with Nancy in power, this would be a heavy lift because of the ties to traditional district constituencies. It is a radical divergence from first past the post regional representation and would have other effects that many could find unpalatable, such as allowing not just third parties, but a weakening of the grip of DEM and GOP party elites.
The organization would be a PAC funded by a national base of progressives that backed Obama, recruiting as many OFA organizers as possible. In state volunteers would go after the GOP incumbent, by grass roots interaction with persuadable voters, establishing a rapport with the voters and notifying the voters of actions by the GOP incumbent, and asking if they'd like to send their opinions along to the incumbent. Our of state manpower could be used for phone banking, research and money raising. By repeatedly demonstrating to the voter how the incumbent diverges from their views/ ignores their requests for opposite votes than the one they urged, their is a solid bedrock for a challenger, regardless who it is.
They could not coordinate with the challenger's campaign but could provide them a free list of likely voters, and access to their opposition research. Further, they could be involved in an aggressive GOTV campaign- Applying the same techniques as effectively used by Obama.
" As one would expect in a system of democracy."
You people just can't help but prove how STUPID you are and why the criminal organization of democrats belong in prison, not positions of power.
WE A NOT A DEMOCRACY!
"Further, they could be involved in an aggressive GOTV campaign- Applying the same techniques as effectively used by Obama."
Techniques? You mean like DOPE FIEND MOVES. Nothing but lies, smears and every fraud known to man because democrats know they cannot win elections on merit or honesty. The fact of the matter is this doesn't bother them one bit because they have no morals, conscience, integrity or honor.
Projecting Rob?
This is the cornered rat fighting to escape its fate.
Wingnut World died 11/6/12. All that is required to kill it is resoluteness from liberals/progressives/Democrats. Will we show the spine? Will we finally learn how to win? Will we kill the monster? I sure hope so, but ...
Learn to win. Kill the GOP beast.
Conservatism is a cancer on the body politic.
Cornered rats, indeed!
Ya beat me to it, 'elephant humper'!
The Republican party is a malignancy on the country AND the world.
Republicans need to, for the good of the country AND the world, just get out of the way so the reality-based grownups can solve the problems Republicans have caused over the last 30+ years with their failed and faith-based economics, science, gun idiocy, etc.
We have a big problem, though: Obama
The man has already rescued the Republicans' carcasses once. We could be rid of these pathetic basturds now, but Obama saved them with his stupidity. And he looks like he's willing to do it again. We need to make it clear to the White House in no uncertain terms to stop it. NOW.
"Failed" is subjective; they've failed the majority of the population, but they've been very successful in concentrating wealth for the top 1% over the last 30 years and stacking the deck in turning us into a plutocracy (although it must be said that this election proved that the power of the people can overcome their chicanery (turns out that the notorious Citibank memo was correct, that the people's vote is what could thwart the plutocrats)).
It's the only explanation I can come up with for why they continue to fight for supply-side in the face of the overwhelming evidence that it doesn't work (for most of us). I also think they don't really care about abortion, anti-gay rights, pro-gun or anti-immigration, but that they take these positions in order to get the support of voters who hold those beliefs, that are willing to overlook Republican economic policies that are detrimental to themselves because the Republicans say they are, for example, anti-abortion, etc. Once they have the voter for one of these social issues, that voter then trusts that the rest of the Republican platform has to be better than the Dems. Eventually they get foxified and we end up with 45% of the country literally voting against what's best for them economically. Other than this country's descent into Idiocracy, this is the only explanation I can come up with for such seemingly out of touch politicians and their supporters.
I'm not against fiscal conservatism - I'm against wanton waste of money - as in "defense" spending. IF we cut 50% out of the mythical "defense" budget, we would still spend more than the next FOUR countries COMBINED.
STOP TRYING TO BE POLICEMAN TO THE WORLD
"The fever isn't breaking, it's rising"
This generally happens when the body (politic) is fighting against a life-threatening infection... If it works, the body comes out the stronger for the struggle... If it doesn't, the body dies, decaying into corruption...
- Agent Smith, The Matrix
Obama looks like an earnest, reasonable, good faith broker at this point, while Republicans look like scoundrels willing to burn down the house out of spite.
The fever may continue to rise, but there is no longer any question who is to blame, and even Republicans are having trouble defending their actions.
the fever won't abate until at least 2014 - the crop of teabaggers need to be thrown under the bus. unfortunately, that's ONLY going to happen with an election (and to be sure, gerrymandered districts will make it somewhat difficult since RWNJs don't seem to be awakening from the delirium quickly)
I thought the fever had broken when Obama was elected the first term. I thought the crazies like Rush Limbaugh who said he hoped that Obama would fail would seem unacceptable and hasten the decline. But what did we get? Rush's comments became the conservative political strategy and I don't think they're going to abandon that strategy now. I think that they think they'll get another Tea Party wave in two years and want to set things up for that election.
The House Republicans do not have to face the consequences of their actions. They have gerrymandered the districts so that Republicans are assured of winning. The only thing they fear is a more tea party leaning candidate defeating them in the primaries. We allowed them this power by Democratics snoozing during the 2010 elections. Let's not make that mistake in 2014!
Well, yes and no. They have indeed gerrymandered, but what that means is that it takes more Dem votes to get Dems elected than it takes GOP votes. If enough people get sick of the GOP bull@!$%#, they could still lose.
They are trying really hard to accomplish that...that only the hardest core 27% of the US populace will vote for them. In many places, that will not be enough.
We who are watching the Village already know the one thing that matters most to us - President Barack Obama is proposing policies that make sense, while the Republican brand is piddling around with our pocket books!
Who ya think is gonna win on this one? -Kevo
Actually, Obama is making too many concessions and needlessly so given his position of strength.
A concession made in pursuit of a deal you know won't happen isn't a concession.
Yeah, it is. I doubt Obama is negotiating with the assumption he can't get a deal. Obama wants a deal. And even when it fails to get one -- thank the heavens -- he is giving the GOP campaign issues.
you're absolutely wrong. What concession has he made? There has to be a "deal' first - and there's no deal. You sir are spreading false rumors.
As of late, progressives are acting like tea party bullies - lack of facts and truth in favor of of "purity".
I used to be in favor of showing the Repubs some mercy in light of their decisive loss on Nov. 6. Didn't see spiking the ball as a good idea, leave them with some dignity so they could embrace the art of compromise and get some work done. Now, since obstruction seems to be the GOP norm regardless of the impact on the nation, I'm all in favor of totally crushing them. Dems should run up the points on the board while the defense (GOP) continues to make dirty hits and run up the penalties. The American public have already shown they are up to here and beyond with GOP antics and that party (specifically the Tea Baggers) will go down in history as the WORST. Congress. Ever. Some legacy.
Crushing them has always been the ONLY thing that would work. Republicans long ago ceased to engage in fact and reason based dialogue with shared common goals. Their goals and our goals are not the same and they have dismissed reality in order to make the case for the parallel universe the live in mentally.
Republicans must be crushed. They must be humiliated. And we must mock and insult them. That is the ONLY thing they understand.
Disgusted
There is nothing inherently wrong with Conservatism, as there is nothing inherently wrong with being a Liberal. It's all in the application of the ideology. Now when you are talking about eradication an entire political party because of their views. That makes you no better than the far right of this country. We need both parties to function. If anyone on either side, honestly believes that we as a country do not need the other party. You are more than welcome to find a country that better suits your ideological ideals, and move there, hell I'll buy you a First Class Ticket.
Calvin,
Although I can't speak for Disgusted, I don't think he was speaking of eradicating conservatism but the current extremely radicalized Republican party. As he stated, "Republicans long ago ceased to engage in fact and reason based dialogue with shared common goals," and it is those Republicans he would like to see eradicated. I'm fairly certain that if this party would bargain in good faith, not obstruct and vote for the good of the country and not the party as well as take their oath to their constituents over a lobbyist, he wouldn't feel the same way.
You folks don't realize the malignancy that is today's conservatism. It is simply reality denial in order to achieve a worldview that does not work. They deny reality in their economics, in science, in history, in public policy like gun control. Wake up. There is EVERYTHING wrong with today's conservatism. Everything. It is a cancer and it must be stamped out.
Today's "conservatives" are NOT Conservatives. They are far right radical revolutionaries. There is a one-word synonym for that.
As a friend of mine who lived through 12 years of Hitler said, "Hitler wasn't elected by the Nazis, he was elected by the conservatives who believed him when he said he was one of them, a lie they discovered too late."
Funny because I have friends who are Conservatives and act nothing like what either of you say they should be acting like. Not all Conservatives are that bad. You can't lump the entire party because the nut jobs seized power. Suggesting that all of them are crazy, is no different than when a Tea Party says all Dems are dumbos.
And Honestly Disgusted, if you feel that ALL Conservatives are the way you depict them, and that EVERYTHING is wrong in their party. The problem is not them, it's you, and that makes you more like 'them' that you keep referring to.
Or as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars said "Only Sith deal in absolutes"
Calvin, remember the Whigs? That is what should happen to the GOP, and perhaps sane people can create a party that actually has any interest in governing. That has nothing to do with us wanting the party to die. Speaking for myself, I want the crazy wing to die, but the crazy wing IS the GOP.
America deserves a better opposition party, one that doesn't oppose just to oppose, which is what the GOP does.
I don't think Calvin has any idea of what we're up against or has any experience in dealing with the sort of crazy that's going on. You can't know anything about economics, science, or public policy and not know that the Republican party is simply living in a world that doesn't exist and you can't have any experience talking to these people without knowing that there is nothing that can be said that will convince them to give up the rabbit hole they've taken up residence in.
It's not a debate. It hasn't been for a long time. It's a war. Discussion will not win this. The only thing short of a physical war that affects them is to completely embarrass the asswholes. Nothing -- NOTHING -- else will work. The liberals/progressives/Democrats MUST resort to the politics of personal destruction. Or lose.
DisgustedWithItAlll
time for you to take a chill pill.
I dislike the whole current conservative movement, but w/o an opposing party that presents reasonable ideas we're just as guilty. Our best answer to to continue to present alternatives to the conservative's lack of ideas and constructive thinking. To rant about 'crushing' them is silly
The problem is not conservative ideas.
If I had to guess, it would be because fiscally conservative principles—such as low taxes, minimal government outlays, and deregulation—have been completely discredited since Bush assumed the presidency. I'm not blaming the conservatives, but rather the conflation of conservative economics with so-called conservative politicians. It has created a situation where one examines a healthcare market characterized by extreme over-regulation, perverse incentives, a glut of subsidies, and declares it a product of the free market. Or where one observes a financial market sloshing with artificial, cheap credit and concludes that the free market is dangerously capricious. Or where one sees a ballooning deficit and blames low taxes. All the democrats have to do is grimace and say "How is trickle-down working for you?" and they have succeeded in casting the free market as a manipulative ploy to keep the rich rich and the poor poor.
The GOP could probably help its image problem by showing a stronger commitment to sound economics than it has in the past, which goes well beyond simply lowering taxes (and, most importantly, involves sound monetary policy).
If you want to see what a true conservative looks like, look up Rand Paul, who is principled through and through and applies the conservative ideology consistently, not like one of these neocons that Bush was or the evangelicals.
On MSNBC this morning I listened to Judd Gregg explain that even after this Plan B debacle, it's the President's responsibility to come up with a plan that will pass the House with 218 Republican votes.
The Republican's don't want to govern, they want to break the President.
I really doesn't matter . They reject everything anyway . Their objective is to make him a one term president and and they're sticking too it.
Judd needs to brush up on "How a Bill becomes a Law" I suggest You Tube. The Congress (The legislative branch) passes bills that then go to the President (The Executive branch) for approval or veto. More specifically, spending bills must originate in the House.
The President has made suggestions and proposals, and the House has done.....
Reason why? they CAN'T. There probably isn't enough brain power if you added all the GOPers together to figure out how to govern. The people you should be most afraid of are the stupids... they're dangerous, and most irrational when they realize they're losing.
Because, after all, they might not follow John Boehner but they'll certainly follow the Kenyan Usurper.
House passed defense bill last night spending almost 2 bil more than the President asked for. The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Boehner--we have a spending problem, the president won't deal.
They obviously haven't been conservative enough..right Shooter ?......Shooter? ...here Blanks ...here Blanks.
Damn where is the defender of crazy when you need him
Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's off the cliff we go!
I think I figured it out. The big money backers of the Republicans have simply conceded National politics for the time being, they will go heave ho at State level politics where they control a heck of alot more. The House Republicans can simply block and obstruct from their safe gerrymandered districts. They can't buck the money, thats the problem when your money comes from such a small segment. No Republican has the will or strength to fight Heritage and AFP...
HOW ABOUT journalist start interviewing FOX NEWS employees 'off the record' regarding how they feel about their organization.
I can only imagine there are plenty of the Jewish and other faiths that find the ANGRY war on Christmas distasteful, and that's just a start.
reasonableness, like blue eyes or the ability to run a 4.4. forty is something you have or you don't. the repubs come down on the 'don't' side. the only remedy is to get rid of them.
WHY DON'T we ever see interviews with relatives of members of congress. Is it off limits? I can only imagine that someone's brother, uncle, cousin, sister would have an opinion that is worth hearing.
Why does this surprise anyone? The PoG Base is confronting Gotterdammerung: the Apocalypse. The ravening (brown) hordes are at the gate, and although the end may be unavoidable, they can at least delay it for a while.
In the meantime, gridlock is a victory: the Satanic enemy must be denied any least shred of progress, no matter the price. Since there is no real future, women and children are expendable if their sacrifice can delay the Kenemy for even a moment.
Actually, it's worse than that. They're threatening to hurt Americans on purpose unless their demands for policies that are intended to hurt Americans are met.
These extremists on the right claim they are patriots, and the people who put them in office claim the same, however, how can you claim to be a patriot when you do not respect our Democracy and the people who fought to protect this Democracy? The Democratic process reelected President Obama, that same process is saying we want government to WORK and earn your salary and benefits. The majority said we want taxes raised on those earning over 250k and not to touch Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. We want Compromise not Gridlock, we want our politicians to actually earn their salary and benefits.
The Republicans have done nothing but obstruct for the past four years and they are still here doing the same thing. People need to wake up, but unfortunately there are a bunch of people out there that are saying right on You Go GOP.There are a lot of people who think that all liberals, Democrats and anyone who is not a conservative are on the dole. Many think that only republicans and conservatives are makers and the rest are takers. I saw a post on election day that said " The democrats take an early lead, but we'll catch up as soon as we get off work". I know we are a very polarized nation, we are all talking, but there's very little listening. Most politicians do not understand the common person. Over half of congress persons are millionaires. ISSA from CA has a net worth of about $450M. So a lot of those people will be hit in the pocketbook if the tax rates go up. The rich are either in congress or control the ones who go there. We need to be on the phone, the fax and Internet and tell the President, Senators and Representatives what we want, not just once but many times.
Lapierre is actually trying to get jobs for the NRA members. He must believe that the best defense is a strong offense--- and HE IS THE MOST OFFENSIVE SLIMY SNAKE IN THE HISTORY OF NEWS REPORTING. He wants to add money to his organization on the backs of the 26 mutilated bodies. He is ow introducing the salesman for the "program". He talked about monsters and predators---dear lod, is he so OBTUSE not to recognize he heads the list!
Don't forget Michigan's "Right to Work" fiasco.
We now have the Republicans vs. the U.S.A.
We see to it that they lose, badly.
I had hoped that Obama had finally gotten over the delusion that he can get anywhere by compromising with the Right, but he doesn't look as though he has.
Sure it sounds stupid but;
House republicans won't negotiate fiscal cliff, will blame Obama.
Then house repukes won't negotiate debt ceiling, will blame Obama.
Obama will have to invoke the 14th, repukes will then try to impeach Obama.
Till 2014 when the repukes will no longer exist.
Republicans lost the election, but they certainly did not lose "badly" - in fact they retained the House. If they had had a better Presidential candidate, one who could have even marginally posed as a moderate (like George Bush), he might have won. Public opinion is distinctly liberal on most issues, but this is nothing new - politicians have been defying the public on these issues for a long time. In short, there is no real imperative for Republicans to massively shift ground immediately - especially in the lame-duck session. Politicians' horizons seldom extend beyond the next election, and primaries come even before that.
Actually they did lose badly ( both popular and electoral college).
The reason they have the House is gerrymandering.
It's not Obama who's been deligitimized.
They did have a more attractive candidate, John Huntsman, and we saw what happened to him.
The GOP got the candidate it wanted.
Keep lying to yourself, nyliberal. Their losses were minor - very minor. 8 seats in the House, 2 in the Senate. The two were moderates and were compensated by Tea Partiers picking up seats, so Democrats did not gain any votes. The GOP gained total control of 19 states and picked up 2 governorships net.
The reality is that Democrats failed to reverse the Tea Party gains of 2010, which they needed to do. The next election, you are in serious trouble. You are going to lose the Senate by a wide margin.
Your movement is dying.
Well, the gerrymandering occurred before 1900 when drawing State lines.
In the States with majority "progressive", the progressive should have "taken back" the Republican Party, back to its Lincoln progressive roots, so that Republicans from Maine and Ohio were progressives in the House and Senate.
Polling indicates that half the registered Republicans do not agree with the Republicans elected to office, so if you don't agree with Democrats, join the Republicans where you will find many others who do not approve of the Democrats or Republicans. Only since people like Newt and other radicals decided to make the Republican Party a tool of a minority instead of an alternative policy answer to the problems all the people want solved has the Republican been defined as on the right.
Along with the minority takeover of the Republicans, progressives have joined with these minorities in advocating message voting, voting in protest for anyone by the party you believe compromised. That means progressives argued that of Obamacare was not all you wanted it to be because Democrats compromised, then vote for anybody but Democrats to send a message, or boycott so the Democrats are punished by losing reelection.
So few people spoke positively of compromise in the past decade, that it has been virtue to vote against Democrats because Democrats always compromise.
Just as Obama beat Clinton in 2008 be paying attention to the rules, the conservatives won the House by paying close attention to the rules in order to get a Republican majority and using Republican Party rules to make Republican fear the conservatives. With almost all the Republicans opposed to the conservative takeover leaving the party, the conservatives have used the rules to amplify their power because tens of millions refused to compromise and engage in the hard work of political change. Dreaming of revolution does not define a path after the revolution: Egypt and Libya had their successful revolutions, but that merely made it clear that politics and compromise are the only solution.
Romney had never been considered to be a conservative by the conservative-right segment of the Republican party. They always considered him to be a right-leaning liberal. That's why he was absolutely their last LAST choice as a candidate.
Actually, ket-3454691, House Republicans DID lose badly. If the States were fairly districted, Republicans would have lost about half the house seats they currently hold. Democrats running for House seats received hundreds of thousands more votes than the Republicans running for House seats. Gerrymandering (constructing small, safe sparsely populated districts for Republicans while concentrating Democratic votes in huge, highly populated districts) is how they won those seats.
Pretty foolish comment. Almost all the seats gained by Dems this election are a direct result of gerrymandering in IL and CA. Both parties do it and have for as long as we have been a country.
As for the gap in votes for the house, that half million total is inflated by CA elections where Democrats faced off against Democrats and excludes uncontested races - where Republicans had a significant advantage. Subtract the extra Democrats in CA and add about 100,000 votes per uncontested election (below the average winning total, just to be fair) and Republicans have the majority of the votes.
As for the overall fever, bear in mind that in addition to a very real and significant win in the house, Republicans gained about a million presidential votes from 08 to 12 while Obama lost 4 million. Off year elections are even worse for 2nd term incumbents and the Senate has seven Dems running in states where Romney won. Moroever, the US rarely gives a party three terms in the White House (Obama is no FDR or Reagan). Obama's insane policies will be held in check fr two years and the reversal starts in two. Thank God