Monday, September 14, 2009
September 12 thoughts:Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of conservatives: Those that recognize that an election was held and those that don't. Those that recognize that an election was held, disagree with Obama and the Democrats but are willing to work within the current framework (reasoned debates, using rules of Congress to thwart/modify legislation, preparing for the next election). Those that don't recognize the election, deny the legitimacy of those in power and as a result are making charges of treason against Obama and other insults (e.g. he's like Hitler). Those were the ones in Washington D.C. on Saturday. To be honest with you, I don't know which faction is ascendant. I generally think that the "powers that be" in politics (frequently the money boys) keep things from getting out of hand, but this take-over by Limbaugh and Beck and Fox News makes me wonder. Is it that Bush ruined the establishment Republican brand such that a wild populist movement is in control? Could be.
posted by Quiddity at 9/14/2009 05:11:00 AM
5 comments
"Those that..."
Those who. People are "who's," not "that's." "That" is used for animals and inanimate objects.
GR: True, "that" is used for animals and inanimate objects. But, in the preceding sentence, I clearly state that I'm referring to "conservatives". Aren't they animals?
(Okay, you are correct and I'll keep it in mind next time. BTW, sometimes awkward or wrong grammar stems from edit/reedit cycles that often take place before publishing, when logical construction of the argument is the focus and not fluidity of speech or proper grammar.)
The sick thing is We Could Prevent Another Attack!(video)
more pics:
http://www.oliverwillis.com/2009/09/13/photos-teabaggers-in-the-wild/
I disagree. It has nothing to do with recognizing the election. I think that the most important split within Conservatives is between those conservatives that want Obama to finish his term and be soundly voted out, and those conservatives that want Obama driven out of office as soon as possible whatever it takes.
The first position is the traditional conservative position -- wanting an orderly process of government and believing that the country can ride out even a terrible president and terrible policies. These people still identify with the Republican party, although they may acknowledge that the current Republican leadership is about as bad as it's ever been, but consider the Democratic leadership much worse.
The second position is occupied by those conservatives that believe that Obama is genuinely driving the nation off a cliff at top speed and that if not stopped his policies will impoverish and even destroy the country in Atlas Shrugged style -- with massive government intervention, resulting in failed industry, a failed economy, and ultimately, national catastrophe.
I see the second position as ascendant. Conservatives are freaking out because they think he's going to do to health care and energy what he's done for the banking system and the domestic auto industry. Take them over and mismanage them into insolvency, with the treasury soaking up the losses until the whole house of cards collapses and the dollar becomes worthless because the government has to print so many of them just to make the numbers add up.
If the Democrats want to survive, they have to move people from the second position back into the first position. They aren't doing that. They've shut down the Republican Congressional presence. You talk about "reasoned debates, using rules of Congress to thwart/modify legislation", but Republicans can't get bills and amendments onto the floor
Basically the Democrats need to realize that by so gleefully disenfranchising the Republican members of Congress, with a chorus of "We Won!", they have effectively disenfranchised the Republican base and conservatives at large. It doesn't help that the White House seems to be run like Richard Daley's City Hall -- where Republicans are tolerated as a novelty, but are simply politically disregarded.
That's why people went to Washington. Some of them were certainly making charges of treason against Obama and making insults and comparing them to Hitler, but that's not why most people were there. They did not travel across the country to level insults. They travelled across the country because they feel that they have no voice and no power in government.
I think it says a lot that you see it as Bush's fault. When do things stop being Goldstein's fault?
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