Victor David Hanson at Real Clear Politics asks, “Why do Republicans drive leftists so crazy these days?”
The Democrats have not elected congressional majorities in 12 years, and they’ve occupied the White House in only eight of the last 26 years. The left’s current unruliness seems a way of scapegoating others for a more elemental frustration – that they can’t gain a national majority based on their core beliefs. More entitlements, higher taxes to pay for them, gay marriage, de facto quotas in affirmative action, open borders, abortion on demand, and radical secularism – these liberal issues don’t tend to resonate with most Americans.
To compensate, leftist pundits, billionaire philanthropists and politicians, from current officeholders to ex-presidents, work to ensure that isolated moments of Republican ineptness (George Bush strutting on a carrier deck in his flight suit) and wrongdoing (repulsive e-mails from a perverted Congressman Mark Foley) blare out as the only issues of the day. This distracting drumbeat, not their own agenda, is the only strategy for success in the next election.
Yeah. That sums it up nicely. I wouldn’t be surprised (or even that upset) if the Dems win back control of Congress (and possibly the Senate) in a few weeks. The Republicans don’t deserve to win. But the Dems don’t either.
And after a few years of Democratic control, we’ll ALL remember why, and then it’ll swing back again.
h/t to Maggies Farm
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The Instawife (Dr. Helen Smith) has suggested a “psychological” test to determine the level of “open-mindedness” from the Left: Liberal Says Liberals Are More Open-Minded and People who Disagree are Idiots.
Step 1:
1) Post comments around on various lefty blogs such as FireDogLake, The Daily Kos or Alicublog. These comments should disagree with the view of the host or view of the blog or diary; for example, state that you support Israel at the Daily Kos, wonder if feminists who are against sexual harrassment should support Bill Clinton at FireDogLake, and/or politely stand up for colleagues at Alicublog who you feel have been treated unfairly just because they disagree with the views of the host. Now, check back to evaluate scores for these paragons of openness for their ideas, actions and feelings. If your comments have been troll-scored by the Kossacks, deleted by Jane Hamsher, or ridiculed by whoever runs the Alicublog, give an openness score of zero. Negative bonus points if you are called a douche, told to stay in your place so as not to “assail your betters,” or have a racial slur thrown your way.
Heh, indeed.
I can hardly believe what the Republicans have done to themselves in the past year. I’m not happy with them at all but I really shudder to think what will happen in the next two years with Pelosi at the helm in the House. I could live with a moderate Democrat in that position, but instead we’re going to have to live with Soros’ hand picked henchwoman. God forbid anything happens to Bush/Cheney in the interim.
I about choked today when I saw this article about my state and the county I live in
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/18/AR2006101801679.html
Is this post simply for political effect or are you honestly saying that you have no idea why liberals would be incensed by the government of the last 6 years? The “isolated moments of Republican ineptness” that most resonate with Democrats have little to do with page scandals or even proclamations of ‘Missioned Accomplished’. It is a colossal strawman to suggest so.
Dianne,
I’m awed by the people in Kansas who are refusing to be defeated by the radicals who have taken over the Republican party there. Here in NY it seems that many people have come to the same conclusion about the national party: it is a party run by people far out of the mainstream. Until the GOP takes the reins of leadership from the Terri Schiavo & stem cell worshipers their base will be the megachurches not Main Street. Considering that the Christian Right has not even been satisfied with what they have achieved in this administration it will be interesting to see if the libertarian/low tax/social conservative coalition can continue.
Bam! Preston, you just hit it. Teri Schiavo and stem cell worshippers, indeed! These are the people that have turned the Republican party into the laughing stock Far Right answer to Democratic Far Left extremism that it is today.
Neither one of these parties deserve to hold national power, but the Republicans have held it for so long, maybe it’s good they are about to have their asses handed to them.
Unfortunately, my goal is to eventually do my admittedly limited part to run the anti-gun, anti-death penalty, open borders whackos out of the Democratic Party, and it don’t look like that’s feasible for the time being, seeing as how they will use a victory this year to justify those and other similarly nutty positions.
But at least maybe the Republicans will come to their senses.
When the Democrats take control of this Congress, I hope that moderation prevails, because if we end up with the far left forcing their agenda on the public, the result will be the destruction of the United States of America as we know it.
The far left is every bit as bad or worse than the far right. People can mock Christianity for doing everything in their power to save the life of Terry Schiavo, but don’t forget that we all will be in a helpless situation ourselves some day and we better be very careful that we don’t give the state the wholesale right to become judge, jury and executioner of helpless and innocent human beings. As I speak, it is legal to tear a baby at any point in gestation limb from limb from a mother’s womb, an abominable act which the far left condones in the interest of a woman’s right to choose. How is that any better than the animals that sawed Nick Berg’s head off? Yes, the Christians will fight against it, me included.
I have a tendency to go on and on and get off topic a little too much so I’ll refrain from listing all the things that I think the far left will promote, but I just want to make the point that although there are a lot of people who are disallusioned with the Republican party right now, there are a whole lot of people who will not tolerate the far left of the Democrat party either. I honestly believe that if we had a viable third party in this country, they would be the big winners.
What happens in 2008 will tell all.
Well, if you are dissilliioned with the Republican party, Dianne, why are you and so many others willing to settle? Do you honestly think they are going to change if you keep voting them back into power? Why? Because you ask them nicely? I won’t even comment about this Terri Schiavo nuttiness. Who was going to take care of that lifeless shell of a woman after her parents were gone? Her brother and sister? All they were after was the money Michael Schindler-one of the true American heroes of this generation-had won in a court settlement. I’ll believe that till the day I die.
As for the Democrats, here’s a good way to ensure that “moderation prevails”. Engage them. Oppose them stridently when you feel they are wrong. By the same token, however, if you want them to take you seriously, support them when you feel there’s at least a pretty damn good chance they might be right. Don’t grab onto the latest Rush Limbaugh and Cal Thomas talking points and accept it as gospel and then go parrotting it like you are expressing an original thought, if you want to be taken seriously.
I oppose them in a lot of things. Gun control, their stand against the death penalty, their policy of so-called “comprehensive” immigration reform, and a lot of other things.
But no, they aren’t going to destroy the country over the next two years.
If people would stop blindly supporting both parties, and demand that they both drop the extremists positions and demand that they try to find workable, common sense solutions to the god damn problems which are the result of the extremists that have hijacked them both up to this point, there wouldn’t be any god damn need of any third parties.
Wake up!!!!
Dianne-
I trust your sincerity but do you really believe that there is anyone that goes through an abortion in the 9th month because they don’t want to have a baby? Just for the fun of being pregnant for 8 months?
Patrick,
Who said I was willing to “settle” with the Republican party? I changed my affiliation to Independent a while back and informed the Republican party why I did when they called me. I am totally disgusted with the Senate immigration bill which my own Senator Brownback supported. Believe me several politicans got more than one letter and phone call from me. I don’t believe I “settled” with anybody. I got responses from every person I contacted..some hogwash and others full of shit, some from Republicans and some from Democrats. I believe that’s called “engaging” and I didn’t “parrot” anybody .
That aside, our views on Schiavo couldn’t be further apart. Suffice it to say we agree to disagree.
As far as extremists hijacking both parties, we agree. I think that’s how a lot of people feel.
And finally, I could say the same thing about engaging Republicans as you said about engaging Democrats. I think a hell of a lot of people have done just that..ordinary people..like us and it appears that a lot of them don’t listen to us very well. Hence, my comments about a third party.
I’ve had a bit of experience negotiating with people of opposition over the years in my career. I learned pretty quickly that the quicker I dug in my heels, the quicker they dug in theirs and of course that never produces results. Too bad our elected officials don’t understand that.
Preston,
Here’s the extreme. I know this is an isolated (thank God case):
http://abcnews.go.com/US/print?id=2585102
Note the judge’s ruling on the woman which is unbelievable.
From what I could find, approximately 1.4% of abortions are after the 21st week…a few thousand a year. I don’t think anybody goes through an abortion for the fun of it; obviously, it is not a fun procedure for the mother. However, I don’t believe there are any restrictions on abortion either other than at the state level. In the name of compromise if it were up to me the only consideration should be the absolute life of the mother, not the mental health consequences, etc. of having an imperfect baby even if that baby is destined to die. Better to die with as much medical comfort as possible than to be torn apart in the process. We’ll have to see what the Supreme Court has to say on that one.