Saving the Republican Party

[Protagoras]

Odd. But it's beginning to feel like a mission as I read the words of many on DU and other blogs.

We emphasize how terrible it is that the psychopaths in the Senate want one party rule. And by extension, while we may emotionally crave it ourselves in retaliation...we also need to accept that we are not entitled, nor should we be desirous of our own one party despotism. We haven't exactly shone when we controlled it all either.

This country simply isn't founded on that sort of concept. We're all about balance.

And we keep finding ourselves jumping at every shadow because we're not in power, and "they" are. But who are "they"?

We all know the word. What we should be able to do is distinguish it clearly from our age long opponents, the Conservatives.

The Enemy is the Neocon Movement.
Our historic opponents are the Conservatives.

This enemy has invaded the Republican party, home of our traditional opponent.

Perhaps we'd find it helpful if we thought of the result somewhat like a hostage crisis. The Conservatives are hostage to the Neocons...and having been there for a while, subject to the propaganda and only seeing what they are allowed to see, they have begun to develop stokholm syndrom...identifying with their captors. This is clearly a defense mechanism that they wouldn't choose to do if they were not in captivity.

Our job, then, should be to rescue them. To rescue and return them to sanity. Surely this will mean that we must rebalance things, and remove them from the clutches of the PNAC/NEOCON Death Cult...but it also means we'll have to treat them with some kindness and understanding, and try and reintegrate them into the balance of power...not simply allow them to wither and be cast off as so much refuse in the wake of a crisis.

We'll need to return them, and ourselves to a reasonable semblance of our more original state...as balanced opponents, who could disagree but still show a modicome of respect for each other. Of opponents who could compete and politik without the express intent of Authoritarian domination.

And for that to happen we must develop sympathy for their plight. We just rescue them from the Neocons...we must save the republican party for Conservatives.

How do we do it? By distinguishing between our opponents and our enemies...by attacking our enemies instead of our opponents...and by making this distinction lucidly clear at all points. We have to let THEM (the Conservatives) know we don't hate them, only those who have taken them hostage, and that we would welcome our old opposition back.

How's that for an early morning, before coffee, thought :D

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. I would most definitely agree with you more, except...

I have no faith in the average American to fully understand the difference between the theocrats from PNAC and the true conservatives.

[Telly Savalas]

12. Are true conservatives...

those Republicans from 50 years ago who advocated first strike use of nuclear weapons against the USSR to stop the spread of communism? Cause those guys were pretty fucking scary too.

Lunatic fringe rightwingers have had serious sway in the GOP for decades. And even the so called "moderate" elements of the Republicans back policies which are detrimental to the health of our nation. We need to quit romanticizing "old school" conservatism.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

13. I'm thinking more like the Goldwater Republicans.

[Telly Savalas]

15. While not quite as psychotic as today's batch or the guys...

I was talking about, Goldwater Republicans were still pretty far out in right field. I reluctantly give the guy some respect for his stance on some social issues, in particular GLBT rights, but I won't wax nostalgic for his sort just because they only used the pair of pliers and spared us the blow torch.

[EST]

2. How about starting a party for them so as to isolate

the neocon fascists? Call it the conservative democrats or the liberal republicans.

[Protagoras]

5. I thought about that with this new Gang of 14

Instead of always saying we need a 3rd party for progressives...let's let those "centrists" be the ones who form a 3rd party. They can be called the "Centrist Party" and they can have and rename our DLC the CLC...Zell, and Joe, and Snowe, and Jeffords, etc...would be a lot more comfortable and honest there...and instead of being extreme and marginalized, they might even become a legitimate balance point in the system.

Maybe, since the new Centrist Party would actually be where the OLD Right was established on the political spectrum...we could eventually kill off the Far Right neocon movement (or at least shrink it to meaninglessness) and re-establish discussions around a true political middle...Democrats vs Centrists...which would actually be a return to the Liberal vs Conservative that once used to happen.

Aren't I optimistic today?

[EST]

14. APPLAUSE!

Probably can't, and shouldn't, make them disappear, entirely, just shrink to their real, natural size, as a natural deterrent to the extreme, socialist left or more like one of those diseases that have been eradicated, we have to keep a small sample around, as a hedge against something worse.

[Finder]

3. I agree completely

I think the dominionists that have infiltrated the Republican party are not neo-cons per se but have been schmoozed by them. It is a form of fascism--Eerily similar to how the Nazi's appeased the Vatican. I find it ironic that a group of liberal thinkers (The original Neo-cons)have become what they are today. The saying about Power corrupting absolutely applies perfectly.

[Horse with no Name]

4. I think you make some valid points

However, this "takeover" of the Republican party has been decades in the making and not sure they are going to relinquish the stranglehold on the country.
One of your biggest problems is that many of the Republican's can't see what is happening. We are fortunate to have an "outside looking in" position.
In order for our democracy to work, there must be an opposition party. It is the catalyst that prevents us from being a communist state.
With that being said, how many Republicans, or Democrats for that matter, have made deals with the devil to regain or retain their power? How many actually realized what would happen when all was said and done? My guess is none. So will they be willing to come forth with their complicity in this to save us and risk losing what they were willing to cheat for? That question is harder to answer.
The neocon movement has been so stealth and so fragmented, that I am POSITIVE that many of the complicit had no idea what was happening nor how the pieces of the puzzle would fit together.
I am thinking that Voinovich had a glimpse into the eye of the monster and he has realized what has happened.
To slay this beast, we must come together as a country undivided by party lines or by ideological lines and agree once again to take our country back from the people who seek to oppress us.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

6. Losses on election days is the only thing that will save the party...

As long as the moderate/liberal Republicans vote for the RW theocratic neocons, there will be no changes. As we type, people are changing their Republican registrations to other parties (Dem, Indy, Libertarian, etc) BUT the Republican party/politicians will take no notice unless they lose BIG in 06/08. Then the RW zealots and neocons will finally lose their death grip on the party.

IMHO

[Horse with no Name]

7. With the neocons in charge of the voting machines

things will remain at best status quo, at worst, neocons gaining power.
I have a sneaking suspicion that voting will become passe by that time.
The unveiling of the new Amerikkka is happening as we speak, my guess is that the new one won't be so caring as to even pretend to be a democracy.

[freedom_to_read]

8. Why should we ?

I think your analogy of the Republican party being "hostage" to the Neocons is false. The Republicans, even the less virulent Rockefeller types, invited these people in, they were happy to have the power. They enabled them, so why should we care if they are now being held hostage by them?

This was their Faustian bargain... and since it's time for them to pay up, I say let them pay up.

If the right is going to abandon the center of American politics with their dreams of empire and domination, we should concentrate on making the Democratic party a more viable and vibrant organization, the better to reinvigorate that center.

I'm not going to spend a single iota of energy worrying about the fate of the Republican party. You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas, it's that simple.

[Protagoras]

10. Emotionally I'm tempted to say the same...

Let them suffer. What holds me back is the knowledge that their death throes may very well kill us all.

That's why I chew on the idea of saving them FROM Themselves.

[seabeyond]

9. a couple days after election i felt such a wave of emotion from

the fundie, the ultra and moderate conservative around me.

i reaLLY FELT THEY were in like a shock that bush actually won, and the repugs took so many seats. i felt so loudly in their silence, lmao........what the fuck now......

and then i immediately felt a union of this is what we have, gotta protect, protect, protect bush. trying to be brave with all their power and knowing they and all were fucked.

and now.......

i think it is time they let go of the struggle. surrender to their hopelessness too. we will be there to help them along. doesnt have to be as painful as they think it will be.

the day after the election, my 9 year old said, i dont want to go back to fundie school and face these people.

i told the boy, you are informed, you made good choices, you sit in the truth. this isnt your lesson, it is all those that voted for bush. it wont be painful for you. but it will be for them. and we will be there for them, when they see.

my kids just get it

[Protagoras]

11. Looks like we have some similar thoughts here today

Two other great threads talking about such things this morning:

I used to be a Neocon
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3732531


And

The Good Republicans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3729680&mesg_id=3729680