Better Never Than Late
In this April 2008 article in The American Conservative, I wrote:
So I find this sort of thing, and other displays of newfound prudence, both predictable and pathetic (yes, "scroll for updates"!). The Republican Party of 2009 is an ideological chimera. Its activists are like workers in a bankrupt, barely functioning company who still show up every day but have little to do, so they rant about the competition and shoot the shit about the long-gone good old days.
The merits of the stimulus and whether it will work are of course valid issues. But in the short term, the only play Republicans have is to convince as many people as possible that for eight years they, in fact, were the ones standing athwart history yelling Stop. To the extent that fails, the public's memory span becomes the operative longer-term question.
...whoever is in the White House a decade from now will probably confront the economic fallout from current policies. But by that time will anyone remember how it all started? How many cursed LBJ or Nixon in 1979? |
So I find this sort of thing, and other displays of newfound prudence, both predictable and pathetic (yes, "scroll for updates"!). The Republican Party of 2009 is an ideological chimera. Its activists are like workers in a bankrupt, barely functioning company who still show up every day but have little to do, so they rant about the competition and shoot the shit about the long-gone good old days.
The merits of the stimulus and whether it will work are of course valid issues. But in the short term, the only play Republicans have is to convince as many people as possible that for eight years they, in fact, were the ones standing athwart history yelling Stop. To the extent that fails, the public's memory span becomes the operative longer-term question.
posted by The Cunning Realist at Wednesday, February 18, 2009
12 Comments:
This sort of thing is why, although I generally voted Republican until we invaded Iraq, I now hope the Republican Party dwindles to Whig-Party status.
(Jon)
Unfortunately you already demonstrated in your 2008 article that the public's memory span is sadly limited.
Where have these people been for the past 8 years? Heck, how about the past 28 years? Pork and "generational theft" have been SOP or a long time now. There has been a bipartisan effort to get us into this mess, with the Republicans leading the charge, and now they blame Obama? In 2018, they won't remember what happened. They don't remember now!
Witness the power of propaganda.
Funny.
All these Republicans were soooooooo into the necessity of nation building from 2002-2009.
I guess they prefer to bury their gold in the sand 3000 miles away.
And their ring leader is Rush Limbaugh...? I fear Congress is a complete mess.
If people are comparing the economic collapse to an economic 9/11, and Rush is hoping for failure, ....
One of the biggest problems the Republican party has, it completely lies about its message, intent, and actions. I think some people would get it, but there are few mainstream voices that speak truth to power. The media, that gets it, isn't reaching out to the people that need to hear it. People do not run this country, even though it is a Democracy. Corporations and crooks do. I'm not sure we have the collective will to change the rot, and if the rot stays, so do our problems.
Good luck on that GOP. Hopefully, this is a recipe for electoral oblivion...
Its activists are like workers in a bankrupt, barely functioning company who still show up every day but have little to do, so they rant about the competition and shoot the shit about the long-gone good old days.
I have lived through this exact state of affairs...
The Republicans could get away with what they did because the public felt no pain. The housing boom covered up the fact that our economy was a mirage. The bust was bound to happen. Georgie almost made it out in time but the pain began on Bush's watch and despite the mainstream media's propaganda... I know of almost no one who saw the Paulson TARP plan as anything but thievery for the Wall Street Investment Banksters. At least no one I know in person...I seem to recall a couple dummies who post here approving on the "we have to do something" grounds. It seems to me the public blames the Repugs for this. Of course if the Dems don't improve things...and I have no idea how things are going to get better by waging a bigger war in Afghanistan and even more deficit spending but the people I talk to get mad at me for "not giving Obama a chance". The Republicans are beaten. The Democrats have the mantle. They control all 3 branches of government with sizable majorities. Don't let the Dems fool you. All they have to do to keep the Repugs in line is control the purse strings. Starve the Repugs into submission. They have all the power they need to keep the Republicans in line. LOL. No excuses.
Woops...of course I made a mistake there. The Supreme Court is mostly Republican appointees...Executive and Legislative brances are clearly in their favor.
And another thing:
Who is this mythical figure, this fiscally conservative Republican president the right-wing is always baying about? I'd, for once, like to know.
Reagan? Nope
Bush Sr.? Nope
Bush Jr.? Nope
@Anonymous at 6:04 -- exactly right! That person does not exist.
Those very same right-wingers will tell you that the surplus under Clinton was caused by the Republican congress, and had nothing to do with Clinton raising taxes (on top of Bush Sr. raising taxes too)......
The very same Republican congress, of course, that ran up huge deficits once George W was prez.
Fiscally responsible? Absurd.
- Whammer
Time Rewrote History With "25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis"
"Much of Time's "25 People to Blame" is a sham. Instead of pinpointing culpability among the key players, it deflects blame away from Republicans and falsely implicates Democrats, to create a muddleheaded "plenty-of-blame-to-go-around" narrative."
If diversion is the tactic, guess I'm surprised Time Magazine didn't blame the women who had 14 kids.
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