The Republican Party Has Failed–And That’s Not Good For Anyone

The Republican Party Has Failed–And That’s Not Good For Anyone

by Chris Edelson

The Republican party's failure has me thinking of a Seinfeld episode, the one where Kramer is upset about a Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurant featuring a bright neon sign that lights up his apartment at night. Jerry has an old college friend who winds up working as an assistant manager at the restaurant, and when Kramer hangs a banner from his restaurant protesting the chicken establishment, Jerry's friend remarks "that's not going to be good for business." Jerry responds "that's not going to be good for anyone".

That's how I feel about the intellectually bankrupt, hopelessly divided, and utterly unpopular entity known as today's Republican party. Some critics of the party see the party's failure as a good thing, but I think it's not going to be good for anyone. I'd much prefer to see a rational, functioning Republican party than today's embarrassing irrelevancy.

Not surprisingly, media insiders are missing the story. They are transfixed by gubernatorial elections in 2 states last Tuesday, and are talking up the idea of a Republican resurgence. They're losing sight of some central facts that are unaffected by Tuesday's elections:

The Republican party has a favorable rating of 23% and an unfavorable rating of 66%. (Democrats are at 42%-50%). Republicans in Congress have favorable-unfavorable ratings of 15% and 70% (Democrats are at 40-53). If this is a resurgent party that has captured the national mood, I'm Herbert Hoover.

It's no coincidence that voters give Republicans such abysmal ratings. The Republican party stands for absolutely nothing other than the pursuit of power. For 30 years, the Republicans have claimed to stand for 3 things: (1) small government (2) family values and (3) strong national defense. They don't actually stand for any of these things, and it's not clear that they ever did.

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/07-0

Now what we need is a good Progressive Party about 40 degrees to the left of the Democrats.

If you want a Progressive party then wait until the GOP is as dead as the Whigs.

Don't give them 1 second to regroup of a split electorate over Dems or the Progressives.

Then bury the shovel you used to bury the republican party.

Fuck 'em, fuck 'em all.

edit=typo

you're going to need that to smack them on the head when they come crawling out of the grave. Haven't you ever watched a zombie movie? ;-)

Quite possibly scarier than dead nazi's.

Intolerance, Hatred, ... we don't need that.

... and here it is: "the lack of a functioning media is allowing these extremists to pass themselves off as mainstream, and that's not good for anyone."

They say things like "Govt. can't be trusted" and "Govt. can't do anything right" then expect to be voted into a Govt. position, seriously, that alone is a mockery of their constituents. But I don't know who's to blame being they do not try to hide that fact, so the "worst persons" are their mindless voters who are basically saying "Here are our tax dollars for your salary, just make sure you don't actually do anything". As for family values, the past couple of years should be a testament to their belief, between Mark Sanford and Palin calling her kid a "retard", not to mention numerous other marriage infidelities and just downright stupid things they have done (i.e. Ms.Prejean) and said (i.e. Bachmann and well, ALL of them), we can kind of forget about that. And Democrats like a strong National defense also, we usually just know the difference between justification and genocide. I hate that the republicans claim that one, when has a Dem president not went to war when it was deemed "necessary"? Were taking that one back in 2010, Fuck That.

observation in this article. The author makes some really good points.

Demographic trends indicate the treasonous, and putrid scum referred to as the Republican Party will be going the way of the no-nothings of the nineteenth century. Hopefully it won't take too long for a populist party with more honor and progressive ideals than the Democrats to become a serious opposition.

I think the prospect of a moribund Republican Party is a thoroughly enchanting idea.	Jackpine Radical	Nov-07-09 07:18 PM	#1
From your lips, but not likely. nt	babylonsister	Nov-07-09 07:22 PM	#2
I disagree with that.	MUAD_DIB	Nov-07-09 08:18 PM	#9
I say bury the republican party	BlueIdaho	Nov-07-09 07:32 PM	#3
Shit, don't bury the shovel	sharp_stick	Nov-07-09 07:39 PM	#4
Brilliant!	BlueIdaho	Nov-07-09 08:11 PM	#7
Dead republican zombie movie.	FarLeftFist	Nov-07-09 11:25 PM	#13
I see nothing morally redeeming in the republican party. Bigotry, Ignorance,	AlinPA	Nov-07-09 07:41 PM	#5
Good enough for me	Christa	Nov-07-09 07:43 PM	#6
The guy's got a point...	Beartracks	Nov-07-09 08:16 PM	#8
I've got enough crocodile tears to drown them in a bathtub.	Gman2	Nov-07-09 08:32 PM	#10
And the Democratic party seems utterly incapable of taking advantage of it.	Crunchy Frog	Nov-07-09 10:54 PM	#11
Yes, and they run on a platform of Govt. In-efficiency	FarLeftFist	Nov-07-09 11:23 PM	#12
Ditto on Beartracks comment. That is a very important	Lindsey	Nov-08-09 12:18 AM	#15
Simple Demographics	hayrow	Nov-08-09 12:13 AM	#14
if the GOP disappears, it will open up space for a second party to the LEFT of the Democrats	yurbud	Nov-08-09 01:04 AM	#16