Monday, November 26, 2012

POINTING FINGERS

To see how swiftly Republicans have turned on Mitt Romney to blame him for the loss of the election is breathtaking.  Since Romney didn't win, he will be erased from Republican history even more thoroughly than George W Bush, as soon as the GOP is done with the blame game and vilification.  Now they say Romney was a bad candidate, after nominating him, throwing millions his way to get him elected, and remaining in shocked disbelief far too long when the election was called for the president.

All right, I'm not saying Romney was a good candidate, but when you consider the lineup of alternatives, in which only one candidate, Jon Huntsman, appeared to address the issues with a semblance of sanity (he was quickly disposed of), then the nomination of Romney actually makes sense.

Michele Bachmann
Newt Gingrich
Rick Santorum
Rick Perry
Ron Paul
Tim Pawlenty
Herman Cain

Which of the above would have done a better job than Romney?

To the GOP, I say: get off Mitt's case and do an honest self-examination about why you lost the election.  The following email to Talking Points Memo from reader JT might be helpful should you decide to do so.
The Republican Party has a problem, but it is not one candidate; it is not packaging or branding; it is not messaging that is sinking the GOP. It is the core beliefs of the vast majority of Republicans.

Their problem is their war on women; war on gays; war on minorities. It is their war on science and math and logic and education and reality. It is listening to nuckle heads like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, Ann Coulter and Donald Trump. It is allowing entertainers to determine the direction and policy positions of a major political party. It is following the teaching of extremist religions leaders like the US Catholic Bishops.

But most of all, it is the GOP’s utter lack of respect for anyone who is not like them; supporting an idiot obscure congressman who shouts “You lie” at the President of the United States during the State of the Union Address. Not repudiating truly crazy people who cling to the thumbless notion that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. It is supporting an insane governor who waves her finger publicly in the face of the President because he rejects her lunatic positions. When the GOP allows or supports these actions, they are condoning disrespect for the majority of Americans who are not aging white men.
JT sums it up nicely.  A national party cannot dismiss so many citizens of the country (47%) and expect to win.  The leaders of a national party cannot cower in fear and allow the crazy fringes to take over and expect the party to survive.

H/T to Russ Manley for the link to TPM.

16 comments:

  1. While I agree with yours and JTs points, there is another factor in play here: the GOP seems to have decided that getting elected is about seizing power, not about serving those who vote for them. Leading is not synonymous with dictating, which is what they want to do. Public service is not the enemy of private sector success, it is a service to/for/about creating and conserving a greater good for everyone. Government is not the enemy when it is representative and its employees devoted to solving problems. I'm all for the lunatic fringe being represented, but the GOP just uses the LF to forward the paying constituents' interests ... the uber wealthy want to rule, not participate in real democracy and the GOP have become the not exactly minimum wage errand boys of the 1%. If the GOP can't regain its brain and its dignity, a new national party will form eventually ... that's what free people do - they organize themselves in a way that serves their needs, no matter how hard the pr experts try to spin and deceive and abuse and insult their intelligence. I'm rooting for a new WHIG party (We Have Intelligent Goals) ... just to keep the Dems on their toes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marthe, I think all elections are to some degree about siezing power, but the present GOP seems to have no concept of the common good to leaven the pursuit of power.

      We saw the movie "Lincoln" last night, and I wondered that the party of Abe morphed into the Republican party of today. BTW, the film is excellent.

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Nij, I heard you the first two times. :-D Thank you. I don't know why the double posts, but they happen to me, too, from time to time.

      Delete
  3. I said the same thing over on my blog and got a comment thread full of apoplectic comments from Sid. I stood my ground, especially when he went from apoplectic to injured feelings.
    These guys can dish it out, but they sure can't take it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is Sid a new annoyance, or one of the old annoyances with a new name?

      Delete
  4. I think he's a relatively new annoyance. He's definitely not my troll. He's a thin skinned Catholic conservative, but then I'm one to talk about being thin skinned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've not found you to be particularly thin skinned.

      Are the comments still there? Which post?

      Delete
  5. Your list of names for the Republican clown car should give any intelligent person pause. If not fits of laughter.

    Another angle to their contempt for the citizenry: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/26/1234171/florida-republicans-admit-voter-suppression-was-the-goal-of-new-election-laws/

    You see they do not really love their country, the consitution, or their countrymen. They care nothing about democracy. It's all about power and control, control, control.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The attempts at voter suppression in Florida were visible for all to see with voters waiting up to 5 hours to vote, some of them elderly and infirm, some with one or more babies and toddlers in tow. Now the doers of the dirty deeds admit to their intentions which played out in real life, except the Republicans did not count on the determination of the voters to exercise the franchise.

      Delete
    2. Power to the people, hooray!

      But ya know, I keep thinking - perhaps naively - that voter suppression is illegal. You know, the Civil Rights Act, and all that stuff. Why is no one prosecuting these dirty birds?

      Delete
    3. I keep thinking - perhaps naively - that voter suppression is illegal.

      Last I knew it still was.

      Delete
  6. It's this post and the comments are still there:

    http://counterlightsrantsandblather1.blogspot.com/2012/11/avalanche-on-bull-sht-mountain.html

    ReplyDelete

Anonymous commenters, please sign a name, any name, to distinguish one anonymous commenter from another. Thank you.