Tea Party Takeover of the GOP: Good or Bad for the Dems?
by: Dave Belden on November 9th, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Cartoon by Nick Anderson, Washington Post Writers Group
In the New York Times yesterday Frank Rich argued that it would be very bad news for the Democrats if the Republicans recover from their takeover by tea party extremists and this morning Paul Krugman argued the opposite. Krugman warned that an unelectable Republican Party can still be strong enough to stymie good government. In that case the whole country will end up like California: paralyzed. Living in California, I tended to favor Krugman’s take. And, surely, principled conservatism needs to prevail over the fear and hate taking over the Republican Party right now.
The best situation would be for moderate Republican and liberal Democrats to splinter and form a new progressive party. Leaving the Tea Party’ers and Liberman style Democrats isolated. I think liberal Dems and socially but fiscally responsible Republicans can live together and get things done. The vast middle will see it as a breath of fresh air ushering in hope.
Actually, Bruce, I’m not sure that moderate Republicans and liberals see eye to eye. To me, this thinking is at the heart of Obama’s timid style of governance. Do we really need Olympia Snowe’s vote on HCR? Is it worth watering down a public option?
I think the dems should shift to the left. Even a slight shift to the left… I think some of the Dems are beginning to see the light on this. Dodd is finally championing reform on Wall Street. Obama is withholding a troop increase until he hears an exit strategy. The White House is opposing the Stupak amendment. It’s not as great a shift as I’d like, but its noticeable.
Krugman might be right in the long run, but our immediate concern is 2010. As the states begin to collapse and more jobs are lost, the Republican lurch to the right may save us from “anti-incumbentism.” Ultimately, however, we will need a second party.
As another Californian, I have seen the state drift toward ungovernability ever since Prop. 13, the property tax limitation initiative, was passed decades ago and the wing-nut right realized that it could effectively hamstring the state. Ungovernability was their goal in California, and I believe that it is their national goal. They don’t believe that government has a valid role in our lives or that government can do social good.
Electing a conservative to govern or passing conservative propositions/initiatives is like hiring a vegan to run a meat packing plant.
“Conservatives cannot govern well for the same reason that vegetarians cannot prepare a world-class boeuf bourguignon: If you believe that what you are called upon to do is wrong, you are unlikely to do it very well.” — Alan Wolfe.