As Dick Morris and Sarah Palin find themselves without a cable-news home, and Karl Rove launches a controversial initiative to keep the most ridiculous Republicans from winning primaries, a subtle pattern seems to be emerging. Indeed, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen reported overnight, "Republicans and Fox News are moving to purge the controversial political creatures they created."
One high-profile Republican strategist, who refused to be named in order to avoid inflaming the very segments of the party he wants to silence, said there is a deliberate effort by party leaders to "marginalize the cranks, haters and bigots -- there's a lot of underbrush that has to be cleaned out."
It led Jon Chait to raise an excellent point: "In order to purge a party of crankish and bigoted sentiments, you would need to identify what those sentiments are."
Quite right. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for example, is labeled on the new cover of Time magazine as the Republican Party's "savior." It comes a day after his party tapped the young Floridian to give the GOP's response to President Obama's State of the Union address, and against the backdrop of assumptions that Rubio will seek national office at the next available opportunity.
If there's a party-wide initiative to clean out the party's ugly "underbrush" and "marginalize the cranks, haters and bigots," presumably it would be part of an effort to clear the way for rising-star leaders like Marco Rubio.
Indeed, the Politico report makes it sound as if the party and its allied cable news network somehow intend to moderate -- silence the crazies in the hopes that the Republican mainstream can start to reassert some meaningful authority.
Maybe now would be a good time to note the blurred line between GOP "cranks, haters and bigots" and the rest of the party? Let's use Rubio, the Republican "savior," as an example.
Rubio doesn't accept climate science, thinks the age of the planet is a theological question, and opposes marriage equality. Remember the Blunt Amendment that would have empowered employers to deny birth-control coverage to their employers? It was originally known as the "Blunt-Rubio Amendment."
Rubio is part of a shrinking fringe that opposes the Violence Against Women Act, embraces strange conspiracy theories involving gun control, and thinks George W. Bush was a "fantastic" president.
Rubio tells teleprompter jokes while reading from teleprompters, has been caught lying about the basics of Republican budget policy, has suggested TARP recipients shouldn't have to repay bailout money, and in 2011, argued programs like Medicare and Social Security have "actually weakened us as a people."
It's a subjective question, of course, but if the party wants to "marginalize the cranks, haters and bigots," shouldn't they start with someone who's anti-gay, anti-contraception, anti-science, anti-VAWA, and anti-Social Security?
On the surface, if Republicans intend to "marginalize the cranks, haters and bigots," that would be a positive development for a radicalized party dominated by extremists. But what happens when the party realizes it doesn't have a moderate wing and its cranks and rising stars believe in roughly the same far-right ideology?
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The efforts to "purge a party of crankish and bigoted sentiments" will never work because they will be fighting market forces. There is an enormously lucrative business model based on right wing entertainment, and even if they can persuade Rush and Savage to stop pandering to these sentiments, there are plenty of right wing talk hosts who will be delighted to enjoy the kind of $50 million dollar income that Rush gets by milking that cow of every last drop of hate.
fox has a daily show on the terror of ObamaCare. this morning the story was that Obamacare was going to raise medical insurance premiums by 290% over the next two years. At least if you are a male smoker between the ages of 18 and 20 and you are not on your parent's insurance. Their audience just eats it up.
There's a reason why their "savior" is one of the cranks and crazies. The only people they're trying to purge are the ones who can't hide their craziness well enough to get elected. Just as with the Eric Cantor speech earlier this week, and the BS out of the Republican retreat a couple of weeks ago, they will never accept the problem is that their policy ideas and beliefs are unpopular, only that their "messaging" needs work. This "purge" is no different.
Cynical opportunists like Richard Nixon knew they could give the appearance of going to the left of Johnson's position with his "Peace with honor" theme, and thereby capture centrists. A cynical GOP candidate would find many subjects they could appear to go to the left of Clinton on, like championing economic populism.
I just don't think the current GOP slate of so called young bucks have the spine for such a ballsy move. Who knows. Maybe Christie.
Unfortunately John, Christie isn't all that Progressive. As an NJ resident, we've seen women's clinics shut down, higher taxes and lowered services as he gave bigger and bigger tax breaks to corporations, and has twice blocked equal rights for all New Jersey residents. Courts said gay marriage should be legal, he said that was a legislative question. Legislature passed a Gay Marriage bill, Christie vetoed it and said it had to be left up to a referendum, wasn't the legislature's job to decide. Christie embodies "change on the outside, continuity on the inside."
Note I was speaking about giving the appearance of going to the left.
I didn't want to leave the impression I wanted to pal around with him or viewed him as a suitable choice for President, any more than Springstein does. I simply noted that I don't see anyone with the spine to give the appearance to the left of Clinton on any subject.
Those people never learn, do they.
You beat them up at the polls and they think the solution to that beating is to find a "pretty" minority face cause minorities just vote for looks?
Very true. Out polling the party of free stuff just isn't going to happen. Responsibility, work, and prudence, just don't sell like a free phone.
^Considering my personal work history and experience, I wonder how you "get off" with a ridiculous statement like that? Of course, that is my only frame of reference so.. The entire country has had "free stuff" since Bush's tax cuts and two wars off the books.. Did you forget to conjur those little gems in your projection? I think so!
I will say this with was much respect as possible given the target, but shooter, you an @!$%# of the highest degree. I bet people hide from you at the proverbial water cooler.
Shooter, you are working from a premise that is simply not true.
MOST of the people you think are irresponsible, imprudent shirkers are not. A few may be, and they are the ones that get the attention from right-wing media. But there are all too many people who simply cannot make it on minimum wage, no matter how prudent they are, and need help until they can bring home a living wage.
If you are looking to see who is really defrauding the American people, you need to look at 'corporate welfare' in all its forms. You need to look at the weapons industry, the security industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the banking industry and the insurance industry, to name a few.
This 'free stuff' argument is getting really old.
Paying for all this free stuff is way past being old. I'm all for knocking off corporate subsidies (not the same thing as accounting ) farmer subsidies, fighter jets to Egypt, and the military industrial complex in general. It's one of the reasons I'm all for the sequester.
But if you're going to do that then examine the free food, free education, free training, free medical care, housing subsidies, transportation subsidies, daycare, and best of all free money. Even gay marriage is about money in the form of spousal benefits. Yes, Democrats are the party of free stuff, and the Republicans are a not too distant second.
@Shooter242:
You're a moron. The majority of the country likes that "free stuff," FYI, and the economy would be worse off without that "free stuff." The people who bitch most about that "free stuff," are the same hypocrites who get most of the "free stuff": Old, white farts in red states. Poor, working-class people work the hardest, and they work harder than all those wealthy parasites who get free corporate welfare. Republicans love free stuff, as long as it benefits rich, white people. That's why people like you are on your way to extintion. Good riddence. The sooner fools like you die off, the better.
Ask yourself who really benefits from food stamps, the food industry and JP Morgan is who. As for free training and education, business benefits by government training their workers for them. Medical care insures healthy workers and cuts down on sick time out of work.
Well, regardless to how Hispanics voted, Marco Rubio, is not accepted due to a..kissing tactics.. he has no love for the Hispanic community and does not represent that community.. Therefore, the Republican's can use him and then dump him no one is going to care...further he dislikes women and the struggles which many have endured througout life even his mother.. its a wonder he came from a woman.. and agrees to much with the Republican base.. He is an embarrassment to Hispanics and those that voted him into office in Florida were ignorant to think because he was Hispanic he actually cared
@Shooter: Am I the only one who got a check from Dubya a few times over because of our government "surplus?" I'd certainly call that "free stuff!" Besides the fact the "free phone" program existed long before Obama took office. But those inconvenient facts don't mesh with the Republican party line of makers and takers, do they?
Social Security and Medicare are not "free stuff."
15% tax rates for hedge fund managers, however, certainly would be included in any reasonable definiton of "free stuff."
But Haliburton and iraq got free stuff
John, Who changed our avatar page and removed nearly everything? Also, why?
It's a reformat. You will find the elements are there, just re-arranged. I have not fiddled with it to fix it. The newsvine thing I think got turned over to NBC universal as part of the deal with Microsoft when it divested itself of msnbc. It appears to be ackbone technology for all the other nbc sites, so hopefully these changes indicate that they are willing to spend money on the online aspects of their business. To date, they appear to be still be in the 80s. Anyway, perhaps they eventually will fix those other web blogs, and begin to leverage the advantages of their online population better, revolutioniing it as OFA did with campaigning.
As Leonard McCoy famously grumbled- "I know engineers. They love to change things." (you tube) The quip was my error sound on my development computer while working for the "evil empire."
oops. Meant "backbone technology". It is pretty broken now- take a look at the up with chris blog, or lawrences, or alex's. The comments take sometimes a full second or two to appear. Really bad latency because they are fetching from the newvine server. But you probably aren't interested in that under the hood motorhead talk, so I will shut up.
Nope, fascinating stuff, when the belly of the beast rumbles in plain English, who knew? Thanks for the hard work.
India,
This might help you find your friends and view posting histories.
I put it in a dead post rather than take up screen space here.
http://hardballblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/04/25/11396787-matthews-election-will-be-determined-by-candidates-personal-values?threadId=3403565&commentId=74046149#c74046149
The GOP could end up being marginalized by the Zealots.
This reminds me of those old movies where the Roman phalanxes of soldiers would march in battle order before the chaos starts.
When exactly will the trumpets sound the attack signal?
It will be kinda like "sharks eating their own" watching the GOP and the tea-baggers imploding. The GOP woo'd, courted, funded the baggers figuring that they would "control them" - now they realize that they can't so they want to dismiss them figuring that the baggers will go away quietly, so not going to happen. And putting Rubio out there isn't going to help the GOP cause at all!
if this is their idea of moderating the party, we're safe for years to come :)
Sometimes you just have to realize that something is broken beyond repair.
For those of the public who identify as republican but do not agree with the radical rhetoric that leaders of the republican party push, should perhaps consider going independent.
I would say consider going democrat / independent but you wouldn't want to go inflame the trolls! Oh wait there I go....
Those who identify as Republican won't be switching now that the word "Savior" has been applied to a specific person.
"Savior" carries too much religious connotation for conservatives not to have been used deliberately, they're already squaring up a counter to the Obama the Savior meme they themselves invoked.
Rubio is being groomed as the physical embodiment of the rich handsome selfish Jesus today's religious worship, this New Time Religion of I Want Mine.
"Savior" also connotates an over-inflated ego. As a Republican all I can do is look at Rubio, shake my head, and wax nostalgic for the time when the party actually had good orators and lawmakers (think powdered wigs as a fashion statement).
I think I agree with your sentiment, but c'mon, the Republican Party hasn't been around since the days of powdered wigs. And I still think there's something terribly and basically wrong with a country where 47% of the people vote for Republican policies and 75 or 85% believe the drone program is a good idea.
This is rich... Fox has as it's "superstar" Sean Hannity... Hannity is a complete crank and an astounding hater/bigot. Any purge would have to start at 9:00pm EST...
Oh and please do not forget the reasoned discussions that go on at :
FOX & Friends
America's Newsroom
Happening Now
America Live
Your World w/ Neil Cavuto
The Five
Five Voices, All the Hot Topics!
Special Report w/ Bret Baier
The O'Reilly Factor
Pretty much all day except for Shep Smith
@sick-
I usually listen to Morning Joe while working in my studio, and click over to Fox during commercials
MSNBC regularly has Administration officials, Congresscritters of both parties, and pundits/reporters.
Fox has Keith Ablow, Dick Morris, as well as celebrity chefs, and trained pets.
Haha! Too funny! How dare those people that think differently than you have there own conservative shows and programs? How dare they? That's just not fair!
Buahaha! Liberal hypocrite whiny crybaby's. That's why i love this blog. Its so entertaining!
Well, then, it's pretty clear where the purge needs to start.
Hey Really, Right wingnut conservatives don't just think diffferently from the rest of us, they think wrongly or are devoid of any thoughts at all. My 11 year old refers to Louie Gomert and Steve King as being "one question deep".
The new GOP strategy "Hey look over there, a Ferrari!!!"
Apologies to Eddie Izzard..
The GOP philosophy is: Oh, you don't like our radical policies that screw over poor people and don't improve the economy and don't make us safer and don't make us more energy efficient and cause way more harm than good? Maybe you'll like 'em better if you hear 'em from this new talking head here.
And they'll keep peddling the same BS. Reminds a meme-esque image of Paul Ryan with his arms outstretched, looking as if he's explaining something very smart to someone very dumb. The caption reads "Giving More Money To The Rich Didn't Work...So What We Need To Do Is Give More Money To The Rich."
But they'll continue doing the same old same old because historically speaking, the pendulum always swings. There will be some event or events that will make the pendulum swing back to the right, and when it does, they want to be poised to reap the benefits. Until then, well, they're not going broke shouting about how you're going broke due to Democratic policies, so as long as the donor checks keep clearing, they'll keep shouting...
if this slick fool is the savior of the party, then that is just an indicator of how deep into the muck this party is. Rubio is that nauseating type of sanctimonious do-anything-to-get-elected type of politico that there is. Far from being a star in the Republican led band of fools here in Florida, he is simply a dud, with no record of accomplishment of anything, and his use of the Florida Republian credit card with seeming abandon, possibly ethically challenged.
I see Marco Rubio as an empty suit, basically. He has these far-right extremist ideas which would bode ill for the country. I don't think he's very bright, to be honest. I've heard him lie, also, and I was taken aback by that.
How did someone with so little accomplishments and talent manage to be a T-Party darling?
The GOP pendulum needs to swing away from these T-Party types, and go more to the center. Rubio is far from center!
If Rubio is the saviour, the GOP is in deep trouble. They are going in the absolute wrong direction. Do these people never learn?
phillycap, you are right. It is the policy of the right that is so disturbing, it seems they think that if they present their ideas differently they will be perceived differently. Well, crap is crap no matter how it is wrapped and no matter how pretty the paper is, the stink remains. I wish the south would be allowed to go their own way, make a new "nation". I cannot believe that the republicans get the very people they disdain to vote for them year after year. Goes to show what ignorance and fear can do.
TAJ, The GOP is simply using their version of Fabreze, hiding their stinking policies and platform.
India #10.1.
Remember Sarah Palin? The Republicans chose her because they thought she would get the "woman" vote. Unfortunately for them, women weren't as shallow as the Republicans thought they were.
The Republicans know they lost the minority vote so what do they do? Don't learn a thing from the Palin fiasco, but stay in "form" and choose Rubio, cause they just "know" he's going to get all the minority vote. Its kind of a sick form of racism, actually.
When the bar is set this low, anyone can jump it.
Romney couldn't.
@oncearepublican - I think that is also why the Republicans chose Michael Steele as chairman of the Republican National Committee in Jan. '09...as if to say after Obama's election, "see, we have black people too - we aren't bigots. We can have a first African-American...ummm, something."
Isn't that why Sarah Palin was selected for VP? See, we have women too.
They made a transparent grab for the Hillary voters, but those who'd vote for Hillary and those who'd vote for Sarah are worlds apart. Another clue about women the Republicans missed, brains.
GOP...still not getting it. Rubio is not going to get Hispanic votes for you except maybe the votes of Miami-area Cubans that you're already getting, and if I'm not mistaken, I think that demographic is getting younger and was taken by Obama this last time. Trotting out a younger, more telegenic spokesman who delivers the same unpopular policy messages is just lipstick on the pig.....and look what happened to their last "savior" who was fond of using that expression....
maybe this was their strategy the whole time - use the expected downtime after Bush to make the party looks like its "gone nuts," wait, and then push someone who is still absurdly right-wing but not so wildly crazy up as a "moderate." The overall goal of moving their party and US politics further right will be met while they get the added benefit of looking like they've evolved as a party after self reflection and some much needed "growing up."
I don't believe this is all planned, as evidenced by the shock of Mitt Romney's defeat on the right.
You are right the (G O P) had Romney thinking he would win even if the number's said some thing totally different, that just go to show he Romney was all about doing and believing any thing that the G O P say to do, thank God he didn't win the Pres. of the U.S.A. we would be in a whole lot of trouble more than with former Pres. G.W. Bush. the G O P is going down the wrong road right now no matter who they pick right now they need to change there out look on people as a whole, and stop puting poor people down, we are hard working people, I have worked two job's for year's so that means I have been paying double taxes a lot of years.
Rubio is their idea of moderate?
Rubio is their idea of what they want the country to believe is moderate.
What do we have now? Crooked, conniving democrats and a socialist president one generation out of the Kenyan jungle intent on making America a third world nation.
This comment is exactly what we're talking about. This kind of racist attack is precisely why so many Americans believe that the Republicans are aligning themselves with the Lunatic Fringe. Please, keep it up. We only need one more election cycle to re-take the House.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the newest moderate Republican - rbockman!!!
Read the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of rights and the Constitution. If you knew what you were talking about you would see it is the Republicans that are taking this country backward not forward. I will defend your rights under the First Amendment no matter how little sense you make. Look up some definitions before you start calling any person a name. Perhaps you should go back to where your family came from and see how good you have it here. Sad, very sad.
Oh good luck on all that racist hate you got going on in your heart, and if what you say is true them that make you the fool that is paying for him a very nice place to live. you big dumbie do you really think that the people of the U.S.A. would elect someone as Pres. that is not of this country? you are crazy if you think we are stupid enough to do that.
Hislolynamejones, hate is a terrible thing that is brought on by ignorance. To some, lies are so much easier to believe, no proof required, no reference material to go to. I agree, we were not stupid enough to elect Romney. He showed himself to be unaware of 95% of Americans. I always thought he should have to be forced to try to live on $25,000.00 a year. To him, that amount is chump change, not the difference between making it another day or not. Peace, brother.
Rbockman
Crooked, conniving democrats - this is a human problem you will find the same in the Republications, and given time independents
and a socialist - a bit far, but controlling the portion of undisciplined, greedy capitalist is a GOOD THING! Remember the fun and games of summer 2008?
president one generation out of the Kenyan jungle - 1) Glad to see you do believe he was born in Hawaii. 2) The greatest thing about U.S. is its diverse rich heritage.
intent on making America a third world nation. - The would be the heads of companies, wanting a higher profit margin, shipping the American industries out of country.
Purging the R's of cranks & nuts must start at the state level to be effective, doesn't it? Republican "stars" rise up thru the ranks. Problem: state legislators are getting scarier, not smarter.
by nuts and cranks are you referring to rbockman? He was easy to get rid of.
I would love to see a study on the effects of gerrymandering on the elections. I think some of this is karma: they skewed the voting districts, making it easy for the wing-nuts to get elected, and it has come home to roost - destroying the Republican party. We actually need diversity in all things - to keep us from the extremes on either end.
Not those cranks, haters, and bigots; the other cranks, haters and bigots. Marco Rubio is, indeed, a moderate if you compare him to the likes of Akin and Mourdock.
It'll take one or two more election cycles for the Rs to realize that being just slightly to the left of Attila the Hun is not where the hearts and minds of the nation lie.
@Miguel, no he isn't...he' just smarter how he says things. Don't think for a second he doesn't follow their thinking. Look at his voting record.
Why not have Ruibio as their savior? He meets the requirements to be a modern Republican: he's had his prefrontal lobotomy.
TC in LA, #16
That does seem to be their requirement. Rubio would be perfect.
"But what happens when the party realizes it doesn't have a moderate wing and it's cranks and rising stars believe in roughly the same far-right ideology?"
What happens is that the MSM will save them by pretending that the GOP is still mostly run by more or less sane people, including rising stars and policy wonks, and that the problem is just with a lunatic fringe. (And both parties have them, you know.)
Marco Rubio should be the perfect Republican savior. He doesn't even have to have the mandatory pre-frontal lobotomy, since he lacks a brain to begin with.
What a mess our modern Republican party has become! Now, all entities affiliated with what they like to call the conservative movement are suspect regarding their purity of principle.
You know, that principle that says the rest of us can't have nice things so long as we aren't as conservative as those who think they deserve a monopoly on nice things.
What was the circling of the wagons after President Obama's first presidential victory, has now become the circular firing squad trying to purify those behind the wagons!
What a mess, a most embarrassing mess! -Kevo
Gonna be interesting to watch ol' school Jeb Bush work this guy, and those Florida roots make it double interesting. Food fight!!!!
For years, if not decades, the Republicans were masters at messaging. The party was disciplined, and said things an electoral majority wanted to believe. As that marketing machine falls apart we get to watch these internal GOP wars (much to my delight). Unfortunately, it also contributes to broken govenment, and the R party's utter failure to adequately fulfill its role as the opposition party.
As a Progressive, I firmly believe in "more and better Democrats." However, we all know the Ds, in their own way, are susceptible to corruption and stupidity. Without a vibrant and sane opposition party, running a representative Democracy becomes increasingly difficult.
Ah, the token brown guy that wants to shore up the Hispanic vote in 2016. If Hillary decides to run (please, please, run) then she should have a counter-measure in place... Julian Castro comes to mind. But, she'll know things better than I.
Republicans, it's not hard to figure out what you need to do in order to attract voters. It's easy-peasy.
-Stop being anti-woman in every single way.
-Stop being anti-gay and anti-abortion while advocating small government.
-Stop, stop, STOP being the anti-science and anti-intellectual party, for the love of Christ.
-Stop assuming that every brown person is an illegal. Stop assuming that every black person is a thug. Stop assuming that every white person is an upstanding member of society.
-Stop with the warmongering. We don't need more foreign bases. We have a country to take care of here.
-Stop trying to give rich people tax breaks that they do not need. DO give middle class people tax breaks that will cause them to spend money and boost the economy.
-Stop trying to legislate under the guise of the evangelical shadow. We have separation of church and state.
-DO call out any other Republican with scorching derision and scorn that advocates any of these ideas. The 11th Commandment is something Reagan made up. Reagan is dead.
-Understand what your future demographic looks like. Most young people today grew up with black, brown, yellow, and gay friends. They don't understand what the big deal is. They're generally pro-technology and they think science is cool. They care about the environment. They tend to be either religiously ecumenical or just outright non-religious.
Be an actual center-right party. Let the Dems be the center-left party. Meet in the middle. Compromise like adults generally do. Be socially liberal-moderate; be fiscally conservative-moderate. Young people generally like the idea of balanced budgets and saving money just as much as anyone else.
Do these things and watch your ranks swell with young people. Or, don't do any of these things and watch your party lose election after election after election.
How do Republicans purge the party of the cranks, haters and bigots already in Congress? I don't see that happening since the Republicans created them and gave them a microphone. They are not going to go away without a fight and their constituents are not going to vote them out of office just because the Republicans wish it so. The Republicans created a Frankenstein with the religious right and the Tea Party. Now that the monster is on the loose it is not going to be easy to cage and tame it without losing some seats and elections.
You don't think that the Republican Anti-Insanity Division can get the incumbents to not-run for re-election so that the rabid base will have to choose between the not-quite-so-nuts candidates that Karl picks for them?
I don't think Republicans have that division staffed because there are no sane people left.
Let's crucify him.. See if it works!