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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Real Problem With the American Right: Aging, White Radicals
http://www.alternet.org/real-problem-american-right-aging-white-radicalsThe Republican Partys total failure to make even cosmetic changes to its image and policy agenda last year has at this point become the kind of cliché-cum-running joke that often attaches itself to accepted truisms in American politics. Like chucking about Bill Clintons inability to contain himself in the company of women, or noting that Dick Cheney actually ran the show during George W. Bushs first term, observing that Republicans have failed to moderate or reinvent themselves after losing badly in 2012 is the kind of thing even sympathetic political wise men can say to signal that they get it. That in what was a tough year for President Obama, Republicans screwed up too.
But the observation of these symptoms is less crucial than the diagnosis. Why are Republicans so stuck?
When it became clear about a year ago that Republican leaders would have a much harder time advancing immigration reform than they realized that GOP activists and conservatives were livid about the idea that Republicans were going to help illegal immigrants gain citizenship it started to look like the party had an insoluble problem on its hands. Watching Republicans attempt to broaden their appeal to growing, traditionally Democratic constituencies has been like watching someone try to cover a bedroom floor with a poorly cut carpet, fastening it into one corner but pulling it out of the others in the process.
They cant connect with traditionally Democratic constituencies without breaking connection with their reliable supporters. They can tug in every possible direction, but at some point they need to acknowledge that the carpets too small.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)The young'uns cannot relate, and not a damn thing can make this relic cool again.
And you saw what happened to the Liberace Museum in 2010 . . .
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)K&R
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)xchrom
(108,903 posts)The rise of the Ubertarian
***one of their hallmarks is being opposed to local business regulations -- they have less problem with regulating say oil companies -- but resist regulations on small businesses.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)I'm not sure the death of the Republican party by stampeding off the edge of the world is such a great thing in the long run.
There is something to be said for a clearly recognizable enemy. Let's face it, the powers that support the conservative economic agenda currently aren't going anywhere and they are utterly amoral, if they feel it is to their advantage to move on the Democratic party they will do so with no more compunction than they would droning a wedding party in Afghanistan.
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)we often disagree, but what you say there is hard to argue with.
merrily
(45,251 posts)"Radical" seems to be opposite of what is holding back the Republican Party.
rad·i·cal
ˈradikəl/
adjective
adjective: radical
1.
(esp. of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.
"a radical overhaul of the existing regulatory framework"
synonyms: thoroughgoing, thorough, complete, total, comprehensive, exhaustive, sweeping, far-reaching, wide-ranging, extensive, across the board, profound, major, stringent, rigorous More
"radical reform"
antonyms: superficial
forming an inherent or fundamental part of the nature of someone or something.
"the assumption of radical differences between the mental attributes of literate and nonliterate peoples"
synonyms: fundamental, basic, essential, quintessential; More
structural, deep-seated, intrinsic, organic, constitutive
"radical differences between the two theories"
antonyms: minor
(of surgery or medical treatment) thorough and intended to be completely curative.
characterized by departure from tradition; innovative or progressive.
"a radical approach to electoral reform"
2.
advocating or based on thorough or complete political or social reform; representing or supporting an extreme section of a political party.
"a radical American activist"
synonyms: revolutionary, progressive, reformist, revisionist, progressivist; More
extreme, extremist, fanatical, militant, diehard, hard-core
"a radical political movement"
antonyms: reactionary, moderate, conservative
3.
of or relating to the root of something, in particular.
Mathematics
of the root of a number or quantity.
denoting or relating to the roots of a word.
Music
belonging to the root of a chord.
Botany
of, or springing direct from, the root or stem base of a plant.
4.
informal
very good; excellent.
"Okay, then. Seven o'clock. Radical!"
noun
noun: radical; plural noun: radicals
1.
a person who advocates thorough or complete political or social reform; a member of a political party or part of a party pursuing such aims.
synonyms: revolutionary, progressive, reformer, revisionist; More
militant, zealot, extremist, fanatic, diehard;
informalultra
"the arrested man was a radical"
antonyms: reactionary, moderate, conservative
2.
Chemistry
a group of atoms behaving as a unit in a number of compounds.
The article linked in the OP used the word "reactionaries," which does seem to fit.
re·ac·tion·ar·y
rēˈakSHəˌnerē/
adjective
adjective: reactionary
1.
(of a person or a set of views) opposing political or social liberalization or reform.
synonyms: right-wing, conservative, rightist, ultraconservative; More
traditionalist, conventional, old-fashioned, unprogressive;
informal redneck
"a reactionary policy"
antonyms: progressive
I guess I missed something.
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)(esp. of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.
"a radical overhaul of the existing regulatory framework"
That fits them perfectly. These people want to undo everything remaining of the social safety net and the public school system that this country has benefited from for generations.
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)merrily
(45,251 posts)I am not understanding your comment.
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)For years, the "left" has been described by even fellow leftists in much the same way as the OP has described the Right. Perhaps this stems from leftist minority frustrations, some resentment by feminists, lack of cultural I.D. by younger activists; whatever the reason, I've heard the same thing for years about leftists.
BTW, I capitalize Right because it constitutes a powerful, effective, fairly cohesive force. I use "left" because its existence in terms of power, effectiveness and cohesion, is legitimately in question.
I don't think the GOPer Right even bothers with the political suasions of anyone outside of their family of rightists; beyond loud talk about them, they certainly aren't bothering with the "left."
I hope that's clear enough.
merrily
(45,251 posts)I appreciate your reply, but I am still not understanding.
You said:
For years, the "left" has been described by even fellow leftists in much the same way as the OP has described the Right.
Which description of the right in the OP has been applied to the left by fellow leftists? That the left keeps the Democratic Party from changing?
Maybe I just need more coffee.
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)As has been said to me and others over the last 20 years. Meaning, I suppose, the "left" has become stagnant, impotent (the horror!), irrelevent, not reflective of the world around us, exclusive, insensitive, whatever.
In Austin, the expression was expanded: "Liberal, straight, racist, white, males" was de rigeur before the age factor was thrown in to save on pithy wordiness. The users of these expressions were often other "leftists" who could lay claim to some sort of identity group status, no matter how tenuous; minority activists, some feminists, some young activists, a fair number of 3rd Way folks, and of course conservatives.
I think their beef was with race, age, programmatic change, and some syereotypes about what that all meant.
I don't know if the left is keeping the Democratic Party from changing or not. I doubt it. Of course the term "left" has been so dilluted as to mean little: LBJ would and is considered leftist by many (btw, in 1964 SDS endorsed him for prez). The Party has changed already to a centrist entity which continues to drift to the right since the Right continues to set policy, terms of debate, and can cow down most opposition; it is the most powerful political force out there.
The Democratic Party IS Fearful of some kind of really liberal resurgence which is why anyone left of center will face opposition first and foremost from Party operatives. Put another way, the left is on the outside of everything.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... starting with the white aging conservative radicals on the Supreme Court.
merrily
(45,251 posts)Fortinbras Armstrong
(4,473 posts)The word "radical" comes from the Latin radix -- "root". You gave a dictionary definition in post #5 above, and I suggest that you might find the one in the Merriam-Webster dictionary more helpful -- see numbers 2 and 3 there -- as it gives "fundamental" as a synonym.
nikto
(3,284 posts)Conservative means lying, myth-obsessed scumbag, in my book.
I no longer see "Conservatism" as a legitimate philosophy. It is bait for weak, or greedy, minds.
You think the conservatives today aren't "radical?" What's your definition of "radical?"
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)The Right didn't get to where they are with top-down strategies. It took decades of real work at the local level-up. That's how movements are made.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... one wants to start at the top, one wants to start at the bottom. I'll meet you in the middle. Let's work on both ends until we meet in the middle. We can get the job done twice as fast!
PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)The democratic party is more than willing to shift to the right to fill any gaps.
RedstDem
(1,239 posts)for more proof, see Hilliary Clinton, the next president of the rich.