Why it's going to take a crisis to loosen Republicans' stranglehold on American politics

[Triana]

. . .

Salon recently called up John Judis, a senior writer at the National Journal and author of a new in-depth look at why the GOP’s control over state governments and Congress may be here to stay.

. . .

The coalition [Republicans] have is again something that looks a lot like 1980: white working class, middle class, and the very wealthy. It’s a coalition that’s very capable of maintaining an edge in local and state elections. I think national elections are still a toss up … But on a local and state level, they really do have an edge, and that’s a very important edge because it’s self-reinforcing.

What do you mean by “self-reinforcing”? Are you thinking of gerrymandering?

When you’re in power locally and in state, it gives you the chance to reapportion legislative and congressional districts to your advantage. You can screw around with voting restrictions, etc. That sets up a situation where in order to break the hold that Republicans have [on the state and local level] it’s going to take a crisis; a kind of situation that you had with George W. Bush, where you had a really unpopular war plus an economic crisis.

. . .

voters were mainly concerned with too many taxes and too much government spending. It was, again, this distrust of government.

^^^ this is of course the BULLSHIT peddled by the Kochs and GOP. The Grover Norquist-style propaganda WORKS. Dumb/sheep voters believe it and vote accordingly. Too much taxes? For WHO? The wealthiest and record profitmaking corps pay ZERO or very low taxes (at most). The ONLY place where we have a government spending problem is the PENTAGON/DoD. It's not an issue of too much gov't spending...it's what gov't is spending money ON that's at issue. These voters who are clutching pearls over "too much taxes and government spending" are to put it bluntly - MORONS - and they are obviously paying little attention to the facts on the matter.

THE REST:

http://www.salon.com/2015/02/11/it%E2%80%99s_going_to_take_a_crisis_why_republicans_have_a_stranglehold_on_u_s_politics/

[oldlib2]

1. I Agree

The group that I have coffee with every morning, are gun carrying, Limbaugh listeners and we don't often discuss politics. This the majority in small towns like Lodi, California.

[Triana]

3. Walker....this vile psychopath must be stopped from ever getting to the White House

To Understand Scott Walker’s Strength, Look at His Donors

Mr. Walker’s recall coffers swelled thanks to some familiar G.O.P. donors: Sheldon Adelson, the Nevada casino magnate ($250,000); Richard DeVos, the Amway co-founder and owner of the Orlando Magic basketball team ($250,000); and Bob Perry, the Texas home builder who died in 2013 ($490,000). Mr. Adelson helped sustain a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich’s 2012 campaign, while Foster Friess, a Wyoming investor who donated $114,600, helped bankroll a super PAC backing Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign that year.

Mr. Walker’s list displays a cross section of stalwart Republican donors, from Texas energy company executives to the chief executives of Midwestern financial services companies. He received $1.9 million from California donors in 2012, and at least $1 million from donors in Florida, Texas, Illinois and New York that year, records from Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board show.

That financial support does not appear to be a one-time thing. During his 2014 re-election campaign, he received less money from outside Wisconsin, but he still got $1.3 million from Californians and $1.2 million from Texans.

THE REST:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/upshot/to-understand-scott-walkers-strength-look-at-his-donors.html

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Republicans believe that they get elected by manufacturing micro crises (Benghazi!!!).

That these manufactured crises usually become full on disastrous clusterfucks when they have power is the reason for the pendulum.

In general, democrats govern sensibly. The ACA, for instance, has it's limitations, but it is a sensible compromise between where we were and where we needed to go. Paradoxically, this is a source of distrust because "when the last guys were running things, they proved that government can't be trusted... and since we know that it can't be trusted, we also know that Obama is more devious about hiding it."

The worst thing that Republicans have done to this country is by consciously and vigorously establishing the collective belief that government is bad, a problem, and can do nothing right. This is a self-fulfilling prophesy, and only temporarily corrects itself when Republicans overshoot the "dysfunctional and mismanaged" mark.

I think it's past time that Democrats show up for the ongoing class war. "Government is bad?" Maybe, but the reason is because corporations own it and own you.

[CK_John]

4. It will be at least 2024 and a Hoover type depression before any of the red states turn blue again.

[Xyzse]

5. I wish... They tend to capitalize on crisis a hell of a lot.

Even when it is their own damn fault.