We Are Witnessing The Full-Bore Meltdown Of Conservatism In This Country

[stopbush]

They lost the election.

They can't get their own bills through Congress, even with a huge majority.

And now, this dangerous clown from the NRA.

All indicators of the rot that sits at the heart of conservatism these days.

It's the result of Reagan's chickens finally, finally coming home to roost. It's thirty years worth of the country following the counter-intuitive bullshit the Rs have been feeding us for the past 30 years, on economics, on government, on morality, etc.

There is a real opportunity here to drive the stake right through the heart of conservatism and to change the dialogue and POLITICAL REALITY itself for decades to come.

I hope that the Ds who are in power and who have the ability to control the public discourse realize this, gird up their loins and get about the necessary task of blowing conservatism out of the water. All they need do is take up the bazooka that the Rs are loading and reloading against themselves on a daily basis.

[ladjf]

1. Good post. Thanks. nt

[kysrsoze]

2. It appears so, and I hope they continue to implode. I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!

And we lefties all have a right to actually say that.

[Chorophyll]

3. I feel this way too, and I only hope we're right.

Gotta keep hammering away at them, though.

[Tempest]

4. We're Democrats

We rarely take opportunities like this and use them to our advantage.

I personally believe it has to do with what Lincoln called the "better angels of our nature".

But then I always believed Lincoln would be a Democrat today.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

5. I agree. Dead Enders in their last throes.

[Rex]

6. The RWing traffic to DU is off the charts.

I think it was the election more than anything else that sent them over the edge. So many here were playing it close to their chest, then after the election they opened up their troll can and exposed their asses. I expect to see a lot more of this as they continue to fall apart at the seams.

[old guy]

7. So this is what the Mayans were referring to?

[Fawke Em]

10. It's not without possibility!

[2naSalit]

19. Perhaps it is...

It's not like the western cultures haven't been misinterpreting their words for several centuries now...

[Raffi Ella]

8. Yes, well said.

K&R

[Fawke Em]

9. Well, the Mayans did predict that we would be entering an age of enlightement

at the end of their long-count calendar.

[Raffi Ella]

12. ha!

[L0oniX]

11. We have our own little melt down right here on DU over guns.

[Skittles]

35. I think the gun nuts are overwhelmed

by those of us who can think and refuse to live in fear

[OneMoreDemocrat]

13. Interesting...

But did we say the same thing as Clinton was being re-elected in 1996? Or did they say it about us when Bush was (kinda) re-elected in 2004?

Probably.

My feeling is that everything is cyclical and the balance of power is always shifting one way or the other...right now, it feels like it's on our side and as long as it is, we should take advantage while it lasts.

[PennsylvaniaMatt]

18. You're right...

When you say that it is the cycle of the balance of power in this country. The only inclination that I have that it may be more substantial and long lasting is the fact that recent demographic changes in this country, such as the growing number of Latino Americans, and the fact that so many young people are Democrats indicate that we may be in for a longer period of Democratic leadership.

[merrily]

14. In your opinion, in the last 30 to 40 years, has the nation as a whole moved to the left or

to the right?

How about the Democratic Party? Has it moved to the left or to the right?

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

39. The whole nation has moved right

I think. Some of it has to do with Faux News. So has the Democratic Party. That's why most of us are here. Politically I've pretty much stayed in the same spot since I first voted (McGovern in 72) but I feel very 'lefty' now compared to the party. At least here at DU, usually, I feel like I'm with others who feel as I do.

[AnnieK401]

15. You're absolutely correct. n/t

[closeupready]

16. K&R

[andym]

17. They still have Rush, talk radio and Fox

and gerrymandered districts,
they'll be fine..... Unfortunately.

[Mr. Mojo Risen]

22. Ever wonder if maybe Rush, talk radio and Fox...

Are part of what's bringing the entire republican party to it's knees? That maybe the endless echo chamber of psycho babble and disinformation is the root cause of the implosion that we're currently witnessing?

[BlueCaliDem]

25. Rush, HateRadioTalk, and Fox Propaganda

is securing the demise of the Republican Party. Corporate America, in the form of fringe groups like FreedumbWorks that funded the astroturf group, TeaBaggers, have accelerated it.

[Jim Lane]

37. Plus the 2014 Senate calendar greatly favors them.

I predict that the Republicans will gain seats in the Senate in 2014 and will retain control of the House.

Unfortunately, it's a little early for the celebration.

[stubtoe]

20. They are acting the way irrational people respond when you get them cornered in an argument.

Doubling down on the crazy, lashing out viciously, retreating further into irrationality.

These people cannot change, they don't have the capacity. All we can hope for is that the majority of the people see them for what they are, and turn away in sadness and disgust.

[Cary]

32. Yes they are reprobates

But they are not immortal. More die off every minute.

But you know the old saying: Old morons don't die, they just fade away.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

34. Message from

the Swedish chef: Bork, Bork, Bork!!

[limpyhobbler]

21. The conservatives are stronger that ever, on some issues.

A Democratic President just offered to cut Social Security. That doesn't sound like a conservative movement in retreat to me.

On some issues they are in retreat. But on other issues they are stronger that ever.

Core conservative constituencies that are winning by paying both political parties :
1) Big banks
2) Oil/coal/gas companies
3) Defense/security/prison industry contractors

These people get whatever they want and are basically above the law.

[bowens43]

28. Obama didn toffer up SS because conservatism is strong, he did it because he's weak.

[sadbear]

23. I believe this has been happening in slow motion since 2004

2010 wasn't about conservatism by any means. It was a racist reaction to our first black president. (Well, maybe it was about conservatism after all. )

Of course, the slo-mo has sped up quite rapidly in recent weeks, hasn't it?

[meow2u3]

24. The NRA provides the weaponry for the right-wing circular firing squad

[ck4829]

26. I don't even think it's conservatism anymore

More like chaoservatism.

They only run on making other things (Obama administration, public education, the safety net, etc.) less effective among other, well, chaotic things. It is an ideology of entropy, not only the way they run the government, but also of the mind as well.

[BlueStreak]

27. And this is a good reason to accelerate the common sense gun safety reforms

End of January is too late. Sorely there is good draft legislation already ready to go. We know the basic elements of what has a chance of passing:

- No sales or manufacturing of clips ? 10 rounds
- No sale or manufacturing of rapid firing and/or military-ish weapons
- All sales require background check

It doesn't take 6 weeks to get that together. Obama should roll that up to the second week of January and put that in the mix with tax cuts for the middle class.

[randome]

29. The meltdown is picking up steam.

When it finally unravels, it will happen with the same speed as the collapse of the Soviet Union. IMO.

[smirkymonkey]

38. +10,000

It can't come fast enough.

[robinlynne]

30. unfortunately, faced with that, Obama offers a social security cut.

[The Wizard]

31. If they fail to pass

the purity test as prescribed by the unelected Norquist they are ostracized. And all Norquist really is is a money changer. If memory serves me well, there's something in the bible about money changers. Hypocrisy always ends up devouring the hypocrites. A movement rooted in lies and thievery cannot sustain itself for the long run.
McConnell is about to be marginalized for abusing the process and the Republican House caucus is taking on the dimensions of a Shakespearean tragedy. With Cantor, Bachmann and other Tea Party goons stirring the caldron "Out damn spot." seems to be the order of the day.
Their toxic policies and methods are eroding them from within. And they think they lost because their candidates and message was not far enough out on the fringe.
We should encourage them to walk farther out on the plank.

[Demo_Chris]

33. We have Democrats to take their place

[HiPointDem]

36. nope. they are all over at the state level, burrowing in. because the next round happens at the

state level -- the states that have been deliberately starved of revenues and left to swing in the wind.

the economy isn't getting better.

[mmonk]

40. Wish that were true but my state has been taken over

by the Republican Party for the first time in a hundred years and gerrymandering will keep them in power.

[Zorra]

41. I good not agree more. K&R!!!