It’s hard to believe, but the Republicans seem to believe that they got killed in the last two elections because they acted like a majority party and spent money, and that they can become a majority party again by opposing all forms of government activism and spending. What they’re really doing is adapting to permanent minority status. The whole ‘never raise taxes, government is evil’ schtick is the strategy of a party permanently on the outside looking in. Elect the Republicans to power again and they’ll drop the spending part at the drop of a hat.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
I hope you’re right. What sickens me is that with the continued GOP dominance of the media-guest slots is that it may be that their idiotic arguments are taking hold. You’ve noticed how a plurality of poll responders now oppose the stimulus bill? I just read 37% for, 42% opposed.
How many of those polled do you suppose actually know what’s in it? How many have been saturated with the “let’s call it a spending bill” message and are just resonating to that sound?
Maybe the GOP is slipping into permanent minority status, but they sure seem to have a tremendous influence on public thinking if so.
Own the media–the coverage the last week has been pretty blatant! I’ve been watching the mis-match between the headlines and the facts, the best way to gauge how management is trying to skew the news.
If spending is swift, oversight may suffer=
MSNBCMore PoliticsGOP Senses Tactical Victory... Biden Trip Yields Little... Obama's Tough Week Ahead
=HuffPO
Stimulus gut check: Will voters buy it? Politico
There’s the running issue of the so-called “fairness doctrine” that re-emerged last week, and Murdoch’s huge deficit that might have sent the spin-Meisters into panic. But my sense is that there’s more to it–all hands on deck to destroy this administration on the part of the corporates.
It’s not just to destroy the Obama administration, it’s to destroy the economy so that the GOP can profit politically. The Village is committed to the effort. Look at the language in the WaPo piece:
The Republicans are already the romanticized, brave resistance to the monolithic Democratic government in just three weeks. Tens of Millions of Americans will be convinced against their own self interest that government spending is bad no matter what it does and only the GOP can run it. They can still lie with impunity as they did in the Bush days, because nobody’s willing to call them on it.
Obama’s opening missteps and this bill have combined to put the GOP back in control of the narrative and more importantly, the Village framing of the narrative.
I’m glad Obama is going straight to the people. He’s already learned the Village is out to destroy him.
No but they will become majority again by capitalizing on Obama’s screwups the way we did with Bush, because Obama is pursuing the same neoliberal disaster Bush pursued.
After a great town hall, and Gallup indicating overwhelming support, CNN asks why Obama is STRUGGLING to sell his program. Deaf, dumb, blind and biased!