Digby: How the conservative movement learned to stop worrying and win even when they lose.

[marmar]

from OurFuture.org:



A Movement Built To Last
Submitted by Digby on December 21, 2007 - 1:13pm.


The release his past week of CAF's report on the Obstructionist Republicans seems to have gotten quite a bit of attention, even as the media continues to behave as if there's nothing unusual about it or, as Glenn Greenwald documents here, believe that Democrats are somehow equally responsible for the fact that Republicans are breaking records for filibusters. The question I find myself asking about this, however, is, why now?

What's different than any other time in history when there was a similar Senate minority with a member of its own party in the white house?

The first thing that stands out to me is the fact that the Republicans in the congress are willing to take the heat for obstructing popular legislation, even when they have an unpopular lame duck president of their own party who could veto it and let them off the hook. Normally politicians, survivalists that they are, would be trying to distance themselves from a 30% president by this time and he would be forced out there on his own. But here you have them racing over the cliff right along side him. That they have maintained such solidarity in the face of dramatic failure is quite impressive.

My suspicion is that they are banking on the media failing to properly inform the public about what is going on (and which I discuss in more depth here.) From the looks of things, that's been a pretty smart strategy. The public certainly holds the congressional Republicans in contempt, as you might expect after seven years of rubber stamping this failed presidency, but they are equally contemptuous of the Democrats for failing to turn things around when they took the reins. The Republicans apparently surmised that they could make the public see it as a wash.

The GOP presidential candidates have pretty much followed the same path. While it's certainly true that they are running for the support of their party's base at the moment, with a president at 30% you would think that they would at least be leaving themselves some daylight for the general election. But so far they are all running proudly as successors to a man whose fall from grace has been one of the most dramatic drops in presidential history. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/movement_built_last?tx=3

[TwilightGardener]

1. Excellent--Digby puts it well. GOPers don't need to serve us. As long

as enough regions of the country are knee-jerk red to keep voting them in, they can sit comfortably in the minority, blocking progress, ensuring gridlock, and getting their way. Individual members don't matter, it's the agenda that matters, and the agenda is NOT we the people. This is why they drum out their dissenting members--those individuals who are either putting their individual careers or the country ahead of the party. They are easily replaced (primaried) by more loyal footsoldiers ready to get into the game and carry on the agenda--that's what happened to Hagel here in Nebraska--that dick John Ensign went behind Hagel's back last winter to enlist Jon Brunning to run against Hagel (NE attorney general and insane Bushbot asshole).

[Cha]

2. Of course, she's right!

I'm amazed that bushit is at "30%" or whatever..he certainly got there without the m$$$$$$m. So what's it going to take for the repubicon voters to realize they're being led over the aby$$$?